The crazy thing about the second trimester is how loooong it feels. Maybe it’s just  me, but the first trimester seemed to go by pretty quickly (in the first trimester I would have disagreed, but looking back on it, it flew by). I mean, we didn’t even know we were pregnant until halfway through it! Then there were a lot of doctor appointments and telling family and BOOM, it was over! (It helped that we were out of the first trimester right around the holidays, and time flies around the holidays!) But this second trimester… while time stil flew, it seemed to take a bit longer to get through. I’m considering the second trimester to be weeks 13-28. I have no idea if this is ‘right’ or not, but it feels right.

Except for the fact I was still suffering from morning sickness until week 16 or 17. Bleh.

Anyway, that means I’m officially going into the third trimester (well, technically I’m already there… how is it week 30 already?!) so I want to share…

// It’s perfectly fine to gain only a bit of weight at the end of the first trimester and at the beginning of the second trimester. Of course, check with a doctor if you’re concerned, but I was happy when my midwife told me that as long as I’m not losing weight, I’m doing okay. (I was so nauseous in my first trimester I didn’t gain anything and I was concerned a few weeks into the second when I still hadn’t gained more than 5 lbs.) Of course, weight gain is then really supposed to ramp-up in your third trimester – gaining a lb each week from the end of your second trimester through your third so you can still gain your 20 lbs or so.

// Hunger is a great feeling after months and months of never being hungry ever. I had forgotten what hunger feels like, and then I was reminded and it was a happy, happy day because I finally wasn’t nauseous! (I had morning sickness – but no puking – from weeks 6-17.)

// Pregnancy stress/anxiety doesn’t end when the first trimester ends, it keeps going and going. Actually, I’ll probably worry about this baby every day of this pregnancy and then every day of his/her life! I had a lot of anxiety during the first trimester because I didn’t feel pregnant, I just felt sick, and I was concerned that something was wrong with the baby that I just hadn’t noticed. Well, even though I could start to feel the baby kicking in the second trimester (which is definitely reassuring), I still get nervous about what the baby is doing in there.

// Baby movements are kind of confusing at first. I felt ‘movement’ in my uterus from around the 18th week, but around week 20 I could feel a definite ‘kick’ and there was no mistaking it. Best.feeling.ever! I feel blessed that both the Husband and I could start to feel the baby move so early, but everyone is different and it takes some women way longer to feel it, especially from the outside.

// But seriously, there is no better feeling than the baby moving around. It’s even better when the Husband can feel it with me.

// Being pregnant can actually be pretty great when there’s no nausea and/or fatigue involved! I could totally have done that second trimester thing forever. Plus, I wasn’t looking very pregnant and I could still do everything and I was comfortable… yeah, it was the thing of dreams.

// Working out is very possible and only a few modifications are needed for most workout routines, well into the second trimester. Pregnancy is definitely not an excuse to sit on the couch all day (except for people in high risk pregnancies, but that’s a whole different story).

// Registering for baby stuff is FUN. Way more fun than registering for wedding stuff (which I hated because I’m not domestic and although I was very appreciative of the gifts and use them often, I just couldn’t get excited about picking them out). Although, it can be a little intimidating, too. Who knew there were so many options for things like bottles and bibs?!

// It’s possible to be barely showing well into the second trimester. I thought for sure that I would look pregnant around 20 weeks… I mean that’s when the ‘big’ ultrasound happens and you can find out the gender for sure (if you don’t find out ahead of time). But it turns out, my belly didn’t ‘pop’ until around 27 weeks, and that’s when I started really feeling pregnant.

_{Week 16 and 27!}

// Super low-rise jeans are my friend and definitely kept me out of maternity clothes a bit longer. Same goes with maxi dresses and skirts.

// … But maternity clothes really are (more) flattering. I was trying to stay out of them for as long as possible (saving some money!), but then I tried them on and it was like this whole new world opened up. A new and dangerous world that will leave my credit card crying…

// There are people who just aren’t that excited about pregnancy. Shocking, I know! But there are some friends and family members who don’t care about baby stuff, pregnancy/baby milestones, etc etc. This is why it’s important to find a good network of people who are excited about all of these things, so you have people to gush to! (Twitter also works well for this).

// Pregnancy hormones are a real and dangerous thing. So far I’ve only felt them once, but I ended up crying over a ponytail, which was the most ridiculous thing ever.

// Dry and itchy skin?! Use coconut oil. It was my best friend before, it’s still my best friend now.

//  I learned a bijillion and a half things from ‘The Business of Being Born‘ (entire movie on YouTube, for free) which I highly recommend every woman watch, especially in early pregnancy. It made me feel much, much better about the labor and delivery ‘process’ and also reaffirmed my decision to have both a midwife and a doula helping to deliver Baby B.

Of course, if you’re pregnant and want to talk about pregnancy related things – don’t hesitate to reach out to me! (And if you missed my lessons from the first trimester, they’re here.) I’ll be enjoying my last 10 weeks of this pregnancy thing and eagerly anticipating what life has in store for us next. YIKES.

Cheers!

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