Second Trimester
Going into the second trimester the nausea and fatigue slowly went away and after about a month in I felt so much better. I felt like I could really enjoy being pregnant and start to think maybe the first trimester really wasn’t that bad and maybe I do want to have another baby after this.
We decided to do the blood test to find out the sex of the baby at 9 weeks but waited until the second trimester and when our friend was free from school to have the gender reveal. It was so amazing to get to find out what we were having so that we could prepare the baby space and call her by her name when we talk to her. Our friend threw us the cutest little Dumbo circus themed reveal; we both went into it with no expectations of what gender we wanted just that we wanted a healthy baby so that whatever the baby was we would be excited. We found out that we are having a little girl and we started getting a couple cute outfits for her to wear along with getting a wooden plague of her name for the wall for her changing area.
About a month into the second trimester I was able to enjoy most foods again especially meat and now I am eating a mostly carnivore diet with carbs mixed in once a day and sometimes I get some veggies in. Veggies have been the hardest to bring back besides artichokes because they just don’t sound good at all. They don’t taste bad, its just not something I crave besides the artichokes. I am also making sure to get good quality salmon in at least 3 times a week to get healthy fats for her brain.
I had a lot more energy so my husband and I started walking more and I would get into the gym when I had time and it want too hot outside. So Cal Summer pregnancies are rough because its so hot, your blood volume is double and your temperature is warmer than normal. I was always so hot and sweaty and didn’t want to walk during the day or going into the gym because I didn’t want exert too much and the heat just made me fatigued. Once the second trimester started I noticed that some days I really just wanted to nap because I was feeling tired but have been unable to nap at all. I lay in bed with cool air blowing on me or on the couch and just can’t get any sleep in, at this point I really miss naps,
The last half of September the weather finally started to leave the high 90’s and we walk after each meal when we can and I have been getting in the gym to strengthen my arms, back and legs in preparation for labor and postpartum recovery.
My sense of smell is still heightened but not everything smells bad anymore which is wonderful even though my body order still smells like all I eat is onions. I look forward to winter time when I won’t have to wash my armpits halfway through the day and reapply deodorant because I had sweat through due to heat.
My sleep hasn’t been as good as the first trimester, I wake up at least once in the night to go to the bathroom and it takes time to go back to sleep. I am experiencing back pain and end up tossing and turning all night to get comfortable. I am glad the sciatica pain is gone now its just lower back pain which my husband got me a lower back pillow for bed which helps when I sleep on my back at night. Remembering to have good posture during the day does help with the lower back pain; making sure my shoulders are tall and pulled back and I am holding my belly and pelvic bone in the proper position. When I just let my belly rest naturally while walking or standing my pelvis tilts and it creates an arch in my lower back which makes the back pain worse.
Another new symptom is swollen hands, feet and ankles. I try to elevate my feet above my heart which helps a little but also gives me a headache which I assume is due to the double blood volume, I try to stay hydrated through the day which is getting easier in the second trimester due to not being nauseous and that it is getting cooler outside. Having to stand for work and for exercise my feet are a little swollen each day.
Having had a miscarriage in the first trimester before I was nervous each day that everything was going good and when we got to hear her heart beat at our appointments every 5 weeks it helped ease my nerves. During the first trimester I knew that as long as I was feeling like shit that everything was going good. With the second trimester and not feeling nauseous everyday there is a little anxiety that all is good until about 16 weeks I felt little flutters, I heard it could be gas or it could be here so I would tell myself it was her moving around that I was feeling. At 20 weeks I started feeling her move around more and more and the flutters were for sure her; she started moving around multiple times each day and so I would look forward to her kicks, my husband got to feel her a few times. At 23 weeks her movements are stronger and we can feel her kick on the outside of my belly. She is going through a growth spurt around this time and so she is sleeping a little more during the day and my appetite has increased a lot and some days I feel like I can’t eat enough food.
We decided to have the baby shower early towards the end of the second trimester to avoid all the holiday chaos and so I have been gathering as much baby stuff as I can to prepare for her. We have about 4 months until her due date but with Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years coming up these 4 months will fly by. We are so excited to welcome her home and finally get to hold her and kiss her.
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