AS I ENTER THE THIRD TRIMESTER OF PREGNANCY, I’M SHARING A RECAP OF THE SECOND TRIMESTER! SEE MY FIRST TRIMESTER HERE.
second trimester recap
This entire pregnancy has flown by to me! But I really can’t believe that I am already well into the third trimester now and we have officially less than two months to go until we meet our sweet baby girl. April will be here before we know it! While the first trimester wasn’t “bad” per se, I was really happy to kick the nausea to the curb and get my energy back. In the second trimester I was able to workout more consistently, didn’t feel quite as tired, and overall felt more like me.
A few notable moments from the second trimester include finding out we were having a girl on our anniversary (such a surprise!), our anatomy scan, and us both being able to feel our baby move! This time around I have a posterior placenta (I had an anterior with Noah) and so I was able to feel this baby moving quite early around 14 weeks. My doctor did mention that each subsequent pregnancy you’re able to feel baby earlier because you know what to “feel” and expect. It’s been really neat to feel this baby for so long – every movement feels so strong. If her movement is any indication, we will have our hands full haha! It will never not be amazing that I am growing a human and we both find it so amazing to watch my belly and feel her movement.
second trimester q&a
HOW ARE YOU FEELING? ANY SYMPTOMS YOU HAVE HAD?
Overall I am feeling pretty good! This pregnancy has been much different and feels like it has been much harder on my body this time around. I am so grateful to be bringing another life into this world but it’s certainly taken a bit of a toll some days. I certainly haven’t had as much time to relax this time around since I’m working outside the home and chasing a toddler around, so I feel like that has a bit to do with it!
One symptom I have had since about 23 or 24 weeks has been pelvic pressure. At first I thought it was the position that she was in, but it has stayed pretty persistent. Some days are worse than others – sometimes it feels like intense lower pressure while other times it feels like I pulled a groin muscle. I have tried to consistently ride my Peloton, do prenatal yoga, and do certain pelvic exercises to help combat it. I got a referral to a pelvic floor therapist who will help me work through some of these symptoms. I’m glad that I was proactive about it and will be able to work through it leading up to delivery and post delivery too.
WHAT’S BEEN THE HARDEST PART OF THE SECOND TRIMESTER? BEST PART?
For me the hardest part of the second trimester has been the pain I mentioned above. While it’s not debilitating, it is certainly always at the forefront of my mind. My mind immediately goes to “is something wrong?” even though I know it’s not! Having to slow down on certain days to let my body rest has been tough because I want to go, go, go and have my normal routine! It’s hard when I feel like I can’t play with Noah how I want to because of it! I’m taking it one day at a time though and that’s all I can do!
The best part was finding out that we were having a girl! We would have been thrilled no matter what (I for sure thought it was a boy) but we’re excited to experience one of each. It’s funny because since we first told Noah there was a baby in mommy’s belly he has been saying it’s a “baby sisser.” Before we found out the gender, we would always say “well, it could be a baby brother and that would be so fun!” and he would always reply “no, baby sisser.” When we found out the gender one of the first things I said was “Noah is going to be so happy!” It’s been really sweet to see him reacting to my growing belly. He loves to say goodnight to his sister, rub my belly and give her kisses every night! Now that she’s moving a lot and he can feel it he will sometimes come up to me, put his hand on my belly and say “is she movin’ or is she busy?” and it’s just the sweetest thing and melts my heart!
HOW MUCH WEIGHT HAVE YOU GAINED?
As of my last second trimester appointment at 27 weeks I had gained roughly 17 pounds! I’m not really focused on how much weight I’m gaining though. I’m trying to remain healthy and active while also providing the nutrients for the baby… ok fine, and occasional “bad” snack for me! 🙂 I am carrying much differently this time and it’s true what they say – you show WAY faster with the second!
WHEN DID YOU REALLY START SHOWING?
Like I mentioned above, I started showing much earlier this pregnancy. The pregnancy bloat in the first trimester was no joke but once that subsided it didn’t take long for the real bump to appear! I felt like I had no choice but to start wearing maternity jeans around 16 or 17 weeks! Since I have been pregnant during fall and winter this time I have purchased a few pair of maternity jeans and leggings since I wear them every single day. Luckily, most of my tops and oversized sweaters still fit me fine in the third trimester (so far!)
DO YOU HAVE IDEAS FOR THE NURSERY YET?
Yes! For some reason This time around I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what I wanted to do with the nursery! With Noah’s nursery I stayed pretty neutral, but this time I knew I wanted to incorporate more color. I ordered a few fabric samples for curtains from Spoonflower and ended up loving this watercolor fabric. We are keeping all of the nursery furniture the same and are simply switching out artwork, curtains, and decor. We are also painting the room a blush pink and adding a rug with some color too! I’m excited to see it coming together day by day.
DO YOU HAVE A NAME PICKED OUT FOR BABY GIRL?
We do! We have actually had a girl name picked out for about 4.5 years now! We have shared it with a few close friends and family members and we’re excited to share it with everyone once she’s born! It’s been really sweet to talk to her and use her name every day! Noah refers to the nursery as her room now and it’s so cute to hear him say her name.
WHAT ITEMS HAVE YOU PURCHASED FOR THE BABY?
We are so lucky that we have most of what we need for this baby since we had Noah almost three years ago! We have most of the essentials covered, it’s just a matter of ordering a few things like a new sound machine, a baby carrier that has back support (which will be crucial when toting this baby around!) and a few other things like bottle nipples, additional wash cloths and towels, and breastfeeding/postpartum supplies. Anything else we should add for baby #2?
Of course, once we found out we were having a girl I couldn’t help myself and ordered quite a few clothing items too! We have a lot of clothes left over from Noah that are neutral, but wanted her to have her own items too!
