And just like that the second trimester came and went! Time is flying by but the closer we get the more excited we are for her arrival! The second trimester was a breeze compared to the first. No seriously. It really is so much better like people say! I had a little bump that didn’t get in the way, I could feel her kick more and more each day and I had the energy to do everything I wanted! Now of course there were challenges which I will go through in a minute but overall the second trimester was very enjoyable.
Increased Energy
Thank goodness I started to get my energy back right after my first trimester ended. I kept thinking there was no way I could continue with such little energy for 6 more months. Slowly but surely I was able to do more things throughout the day and not have to lay on the couch all day on my days off!! Some days I was pretty exhausted but for the most part, I felt great.
Emotions
I could definitely feel my emotions more this trimester. Not that I was having wild mood swings but when I felt an emotion it was very intense. If I was sad I was really sad and crying. If I was happy, I was extra happy. I also noticed my patience is a little less than normal. Nothing crazy but I can tell that things set me off quicker when I would normally not care. I noticed this mostly when it came to work.
Diet
At about 15 weeks my diet completely changed. If you look back at my first-trimester recap, you can see that I pretty much wasn’t able to tolerate anything but bland carbs. Thankfully, this trimester has looked totally different. I am back to eating and loving my regular diet. I don’t have any specific cravings (other than lemons which I will get to in a second) but it seems that I just really want a ton of fresh fruits and veggies. Meat is still hard to eat most days but not as bad as the first trimester. In the last couple of weeks, I have been eating smaller, more frequent meals because I feel so stuffed when I eat. LOL. I keep snacks on hand at all moments because if I start getting hungry it comes on quick.
As for lemons, I can’t get enough. For weeks all I wanted was a mixed greens salad with a TON (and I mean a ridiculous amount) of lemon juice on it. I would make a simple dressing of olive oil, at least one whole lemon, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Dylan was so sick of lemon dressing he stopped eating the salads with me.
Exercise
Along with my diet going back to normal, I was able to exercise again! I had been so sick and exhausted during the first trimester that when I started to get my energy back it was one of the first things I wanted to do. I was super pumped to workout again but at the same time, I was nervous because I didn’t want to hurt the baby and I didn’t know what I should/shouldn’t do so I hired a trainer! Her name is Kim with Ground Zero Fitness. She has been so awesome. As a momma herself she totally understands how pregnancy is and has multiple certifications in prenatal exercise. She trains me virtually which is super convenient. My workouts are uploaded on the app for the week and from there I can move them around to fit my schedule. I do a mix of weight training, cardio, and stretching.
Having a trainer has kept me more accountable and I love knowing that I am helping prepare my body for labor and postpartum while helping keep baby and me healthy throughout this pregnancy. Each day is different regarding my energy levels and how my body feels so not every workout is an A+. My mindset with exercise throughout this has been to do my best and not pressure myself to be perfect. Some weeks I am able to do all my workouts and some weeks I only get a few in. Listening to my body and what it needs has been key.
Hip Pain
One major thing that I have had problems with is hip pain. I originally started to have sciatic pain early in the second trimester. I started seeing a chiropractor to help resolve the problem and prevent further problems throughout my pregnancy. Chiropractic care has been a complete game-changer. I feel so much more comfortable when I am regularly going. For the first month, I went twice a week due to my sciatic pain and now I go once weekly. Towards about 25 weeks I started to have significantly more pain and my right hip was super tight.
I think a lot of the pain stems from standing all day for work. My job is great at keeping me active throughout the day but the farther along I get, the harder it is to be on my feet for that amount of time. I highly recommend seeing a chiropractor regularly through pregnancy if you can. Make sure to find one that is certified in prenatal care. I go to Society Chiropractic and they are awesome!
It’s a Girl!
My sister-in-law threw us the most PERFECT and BEAUTIFUL gender reveal party I could have ever dreamed of! It was a “what’s the scoop?” theme filled with sweet treats, a snowcone trolley, and our closest friends and family. I was so convinced we were having a boy (and so was our family) but Dylan thought she was a girl. The first thing he said to me after we found out was “I told you so!” haha. It was one of the most exciting days of my life! Also, shout out to my brother-in-law for the awesome pictures!
Baby girl has the most perfect name but it will be kept a secret until she arrives! We had a boy name picked before the gender reveal but no girl names. Two days later we had come up with her name!
Feeling Kicks
One of the best things that happened is feeling her kick! At the very beginning of the second trimester, I could feel her wiggling around. As the weeks went on they turned into nudges, then to kicks, and now punches, stretches and who knows what! lol The best part is that Dylan can really feel her move now! He gets so excited when she kicks and I think it makes it more real for him.
It’s funny because now I know when I really need to eat something because she starts kicking me! Especially if I’m busy at work. She will be pretty still until it’s time for food and then she starts going wild. After I eat, she goes back to sleep! So crazy.
My Fave Products
I have a couple of products that I have really loved during the second trimester. First of all my bump butter by bumpology! It is my favorite and I am going to continue to use it post-pregnancy because it is super clean and moisturizing. I’m obsessed. I also use belly oil from earth mama if it’s super hot. As I got bigger, I would layer it on top of the bump butter.
Last but not least is my water bottle! This has made a huge difference in drinking enough water while I’m at work. It comes in a gallon or half-gallon size. I have the full gallon and it’s awesome!
I have a feeling the third trimester is going to be pretty challenging. She is growing really quickly and it is already starting to become difficult doing normal things like putting shoes on. Nesting has already become a thing so make sure to follow me on Instagram for the latest updates!
Thank you so much for being on this journey with me and I can’t wait to share more with you!
