And just like that we are already out of the second trimester! Time is flying by and we are here for the wild ride with a second trimester recap. As I approach the third trimester and soon become a mom of two, we are grateful for every day.
Pregnancy Update: How I am feeling
I am feeling overall grateful, thankful and peaceful. I feel in touch with my intuition and am embracing the need to ‘slow down’. Some days I have the mentality of needing to ‘do it all’ but I look at my little one and remember these moments are special with the three of us and time needs to slow down.
I crave time with my family more than anything else. Additionally, I have a deep desire to continue building into my blog. I also feel the need to dig further into the ‘homemaker’ side of things.
Finally, I feel I am diving into my faith. Pregnancy and being able to grow a child is a wonderful blessing. I love how each pregnancy has brought me closer to God and my desire to know him (and his word) more.
How baby is doing (Anterior Placenta)
Baby #2 is doing great so far! I could not feel little one move until closer towards 23 weeks because I have an anterior placenta. Having an anterior placenta can feel like movements are not strong or regular.
Those kicks and flutters I felt during my first pregnancy early on do not happen nearly as much. Now I can track when little one is moving and can often predict when a dance routine will happen in my belly.
How Spencer is doing
I am blessed to have a wonderful support system within my husband who encourages me to take it down a notch (or kick it up a notch) – depending on the situation.
His favorite thing is to tell me – “you should go take a bath, or get a workout in – whatever feels the most motivating to you at this time and will make you feel accomplished”.
Additionally, he encourages me to meditate and listen to my Christian Hypnobirthing app. And he has been known to surprise me with my favorite pregnancy cravings – like Oreos- whether I really need them or not (ha!).
How Stella and little one are doing
It would not be a second trimester recap without bringing in a discussion of my kiddos! Stella and little one have no idea what is coming in just a few months.
My daughter, when asked what is in my belly, says ‘Pep-Pep’, which is her name for the family cat. We have some work to do before baby #2 arrives – haha. But nonetheless, as we get further along in this pregnancy I do think both Stella and our daughter will sense it a little bit more.
Second Trimester Fitness
I have been blessed to have a burst of energy come the second trimester – around 17 weeks. At this time, I started moving more regularly and was able to begin keeping up with my pre-pregnancy routine of working out 3-4 times a week. While it is not slippery outside we still try to sneak in walks even though it is getting darker outside earlier.
In the first trimester I purchased the Mamastefit Prenatal 40 week course. I have been completing three of these workouts a week – alternating between upper, lower and pelvic floor / additional cardio. These are the perfect balance of the extra push and reconnect me with my breath and belly.
I can tell certain movements are becoming a bit more restricted due to the belly. Overall, weight lifting has felt good and cardio is becoming more difficult. I can feel when I push it a little too hard during my workouts.
Comparing this pregnancy and last, I feel I might have been able to work out a little harder in my workouts previously. However, I was not chasing around a toddler daily which decreases my seat time and increases my steps. Overall feeling very positive about moving as much as I have and focusing on the end goal – a healthy, happy baby and mama!
Second Trimester Recap – Cravings and Aversions
Would it be a second trimester recap without a discussion of food? There are times I crave all the food. Other days I have a reduced appetite. On days where I do not eat as much I can definitely tell the following day. Though nothing compares to breastfeeding hunger, I need more food than pre-pregnancy. Here are some of my pregnancy cravings and aversions:
Top Pregnancy Cravings:
- Always craving chocolate (but that has not changed since before becoming pregnant). Whether it is a handful of M&M’s or chocolate chips, hot cocoa before bed or an Oreo, I love chocolate.
- I am always down for a good sourdough bagel. I have been making these from scratch and love eating sandwiches (with turkey lunch meat or tuna!)
- All things protein
- Dairy – Mostly in the form of cheese, please!
Top Pregnancy Aversions:
There is not really anything I am having aversions towards. Though, anything which gives me gas or heartburn are not on the top of my list.
Symptoms and Physical Changes
I feel relatively ‘normal’, though I can definitely tell I am pregnant. Of course the daily movements from baby #2 have my heart soaring with excitement, I sometimes forget I have a belly (until I bump into something!).
I can feel the weight of my belly while sleeping and often have to switch sides throughout the night. I do not use a specific pregnancy pillow but prefer having a pillow to support my stomach and go between my legs. Often I put a pillow behind my back to keep me supported from rolling onto my back (where I often get stuck and makes my stomach hurt after a bit).
I can feel pressure within my pelvic floor if I have been on my feet all day. Kicking up my feet and sitting down does help significantly, though!
Let’s Talk Eyes and Pregnancy
I thought it was just me when my eyesight suddenly felt so different during pregnancy! I felt myself grabbing for my glasses more and overall just having tired eyes. What I did not expect was for my migraines (with auras) to stick around a bit longer.
During the beginning of the second trimester, I had an headache with an aura. For those who do not know what an aura feels like – it’s like part of your vision is blocked out and splotchy. If you are looking at someone, you might see above and below them, but not a specific spot within your vision. An aura typically goes away within 30 minutes and is followed by a headache or migraine. For some people, it can even be a warning sign for seizures. Disclaimer *If this is happening to you and is not a normal occurance, please contact your doctor. I have had migraines with auras since I was a teenager.*
Though one time, that blurry spot did not go away. I was scared to drive. I thought my vision was never going to come back. But I prayed over it and knew if something was wrong, I would know when to go into the doctor.
Thankfully, I had a routine eye doctor appointment with my optometrist scheduled for the next week and asked why the blurry spot never went away. After running a few more tests, it turns out I am one of the lucky pregnant women who experience Paracentral Acute Middle Maculopathy.
What the heck is that? In short, it is vision loss caused by the optic nerves. Some people have this occur for a few weeks and others have it until birth. Luckily, my spot is so insignificant after 10 weeks I can barely notice it. Pregnancy is a wild ride and we moms are tough!
Pregnancy with a CHD
We continue to have regular check ups with my cardiologist. I am lucky to be able to see my cardiologist at least three times during my prenatal and postnatal journey. These heart doctor appointments are typically within the first, third and fourth trimesters. The appointments are an echo followed by discussion with my cardiologist.
For anyone wondering what a pregnancy looks like with a congenital heart defect (CHD), mine is relatively normal. My cardiologist watches the leakiness of my valves caused by my congenital heart defect.
I am encouraged to stay active, ensure I monitor my weight gain and keep as similar of a routine as possible. Of course if anything feels abnormal, I would let the cardiologist know.
Baby Related Purchases
In my recent blog post about baby registry items, I explored the top items we will reuse for baby #2. I figured these would be useful in a second trimester recap. At this time we have not purchased anything specific for our next little one, however we do have our eyes on a few items:
- Sound Machine
- New Mattress for crib
- A new baby wrap (I did not like mine and desire to hold little one close while being on my feet which I know is inevitable with a toddler).
- Do you have any recommendations? I have heard the Solly Baby Wrap is a good one.
- A new breastpump
- I will be going back to work and will need a breast pump so I can continue our breastfeeding journey while at the office.
- Also will need new breast pump equipment and new nipples for bottles
- Double Stroller
- Still not sure on which one yet!
- Second monitor for our wifi-free baby monitor
If you are pregnant, or know someone who is, share this post and let me know how YOU are doing in the comments below, mama! I hope you enjoyed this second trimester recap!
