During your second trimester, your pregnancy nutrition will change slightly. By now you have probably gotten your caffeine and sugar addictions under control, and usually during this time, morning sickness will begin to ease.

But with these transformations come an entirely new set of challenges that you can meet with ease if you make conscious decisions about the proper food for pregnancy. In this article, we break down the top four challenges of your second trimester, so that you can get a clear overview of the issues you will be facing, and how best to deal with them.

Understanding Your Baby's Development

First, it's important to understand all the changes that are occurring in your baby's development during this trimester. Your baby grows at a rapid pace during this trimester; her bones and teeth become denser. She begins to form eyelashes, hair, eyebrows and nails.

Your baby's nervous system begins to function during this trimester. The sex organs are fully developed at this point, so your doctor can tell on ultrasound if you are having a boy or a girl. Your baby can also suck her thumb, make faces, yawn, and stretch. You may begin to feel your baby move at this point in your pregnancy as well.

All of these changes are exciting and new, and you should rededicate yourself to proper pregnancy nutrition to keep your baby's development going at an optimal rate.

Dealing with Cravings

Now that morning sickness has likely ended, you may begin dealing with cravings during this trimester. Some experts feel that cravings can indicate a nutritional deficit in your diet; for example, if you crave oranges, you might need to increase your intake of both Vitamin C and calcium.

On the other hand, other experts feel that cravings have no particular meaning. If you feel like your cravings are out of hand or signal a dietary lack, consider talking to your OB/GYN to see if you need to make changes in your eating plan. Indulging your cravings in a sensible manner will do no harm as long as you are careful not to gain too much weight during this time.

Getting Enough Protein

During this stage of pregnancy, your baby's cognitive development is occurring at a rapid pace. To encourage your baby's growth and give her the amino acids she needs for development, it's important to increase the amount of protein you eat. Ideally, you should include a serving of protein with every meal, and that includes your snacks. 

All-natural, organic meats, grass-fed beef, raw nuts, nut butters, and whole organic eggs are excellent sources of protein. Seafood can be a good source too, as long as you stay away from the types that are high in mercury and limit your portions to a couple of servings per week. 

Handling Weight Gain

The second trimester is typically the one in which most women gain the most weight. This is because your baby is growing and maturing at such a rapid rate during these three months. A healthy amount of weight to gain during your pregnancy is 20-30 pounds. You may expect to gain about a third of that weight during this time. However, you also need to make sure you aren't gaining too much weight too rapidly. Follow these tips to make sure you aren't gaining too fast:

• Limit your sugar intake;
• Cut back on grains and refined carbohydrates;
• Stay active with pregnancy exercise;
• Snack on fruits and vegetables rather than on refined carbohydrates;
• Drink plenty of water throughout the day.

Remember, weight gain is to be expected during a healthy pregnancy. But keeping that gain to a reasonable amount will help you have an easier delivery as well as an easier return to your pre-pregnancy weight after you give birth.