Second Trimester | January 30 – May 6
Pinching myself that baby W and I are into the third trimester this week! Legit feels like a few weeks ago I was sipping decaf coffee writing my first trimester blog. Mamas before me ain’t kidding when they say the time truly does fly. Another claim about the second trimester I found to be true in my experience was a burst of energy! Man oh man, baby W and I sure did a lot in the last 13 weeks.
February brought the pleasure of hosting an Engagement Brunch for my sweet sis and soon to be brother in law. Running around with a little 16 week bump in the cutest non-maternity dress and heels, decorating cocktail tables, filling ice buckets with mimosa fixins, and speaking toasts to a group of 30 in our backyard was easier than I thought it would be at that stage in pregnancy.
March came with a weekend getaway to Scottsdale with baby daddy at 19 weeks. Have you read the blog post recapping this trip? Click this link here. Became a tad more bummed about not being able to drink that weekend, as we stayed at what I didn’t know was such a party hotel. Think VIP bottle service and bottles of Veuve with sparklers coming out the top. Quite the people-watching event for Tay and I, but definitely felt the reality of our age and parents-to-be status.
April was the busiest month yet! Kicked off the month hosting Easter Brunch for both our families, followed by a weekend vacay to wine country in Santa Rosa for a baby shower. 23 weeks at that point, flying and traveling in general still felt easy! Flash forward two weeks ahead to 25 weeks when Tay and I flew to Chicago for our grandparents 90th birthday, then to the Outer Banks, North Carolina for our Babymoon!
Prior to our cross country flights, I saw my midwife at 24 weeks, and she insisted on me wearing FULL LENGTH compression stockings for our air travel. Ain’t no discomfort like an eggplant-sized fetus and earth-sized butt cheeks squeezing into 6mmHg compression stockings for 6 hours. No thank you. Laughing at the idea of Tay and I babymooning in Greece, like we had originally envisioned pre COVID. Could not have imagined wearing those compression support hose for one minute longer.
Stay tuned for a blog post rounding up our week long stay at Saltwood Cottage, our beach babymoon, and our maternity photos with Whitney Norko.
Let’s briefly roll through this Second Trimester in the same way I recapped my First – what changed and what stayed the same.
What Changed:
My weight and waist measurement – I really set myself up for an emotional failure telling myself I wasn’t going to gain any weight in the First Trimester. I achieved that goal, and felt fabulous. But that, in no way, prepared me for the rapid growth head to toe that I experienced in my Second Trimester. How does 20 lbs of weight gain in 13 weeks sound? Wowza. Some late night bingeing habits I had under control pre-pregnancy came back to haunt me during this trimester, and I got so comfortable in celebrating that I hadn’t gained any weight in my first trimester – that I was led right into a lax 13 weeks of more-than-steady weight gain.
My love for veggies: I had some legit food aversions to bell peppers, carrots, tomatoes, basil, and romaine during my first trimester. The second trimester has brought on so many yummy salads and bags of fresh veggies to munch on! One of my favorites: a Cobb Salad – chopped romaine, red onion, tomato, cucumber, bacon, hard boiled egg, bleu cheese!
Fetal movement: I felt Baby W kick for the first time in this trimester! Little taps at the base of my uterus late at work in week 19! The most exciting feeling ever. With my anterior placenta, It wasn’t until week 25 that Tay could feel those rolls, punches, and knocks on the exterior of my abdomen. Now at the end of this trimester, Tay can hear baby’s heartbeat just with my stethoscope!
Breast tenderness: they’re certainly bigger, but no longer sore like they were in the early weeks! Yay!
Sleeping positions: around week 24, I no longer could sleep on my tummy comfortably. A very generous coworker lent me me her pregnancy pillow! Linked below. I don’t use this every night, but it certainly feels nice to be wrapped in a cocoon, with support on every possible curve of my body.
Our nursery: Designing the 3rd bedroom in our home is a slow, but intentional, process. Filling this space with pieces for baby that are safe and functional, while blending with the current aesthetic of our home has not been easy. Closer to my due date early August, I will share a Nursery Reveal; in the meantime, check out my registry with Babylist to see what products we’ve got our eye on!
What stayed the same:
Consistent mood swings: my emotions and hormones are riding a roller coaster through both the first and second trimesters. Poor Tay, he doesn’t know what kind of Natalie he’s gonna get everyday. The mood swings and crazy emotions are making me think Baby W is a girl!
The clothes in my closet: at the end of my second trimester, I have yet to buy any maternity clothes! Depending on the flowy dresses in my closet, athleisure that grows and stretches with me, and my baggy OR scrubs for work. Even the dresses I’ve purchased to wear for my baby showers are non-maternity! I’ve loved finding pieces that work with a bump, and will work postpartum. Check out my LIKE.to.KNOW.it to shop direct links of all my outfits in my pregnancy thus far!
My workout schedule: Praises! Celebrating an active pregnancy now in the first and second trimesters. I believe being active consistently throughout this pregnancy has off-set some uncomfortable pregnancy symptoms, and kept me sane through all the changes! Currently 20-30 minutes of cardio every day, and weight lifting/resistance training 6 days a week.
#NurseLife: Maintaining my full time status as a Peds ER Nurse, planning on working through 35 weeks. 8 more weeks! Not that I’m counting 🙂
Wrapping up this Second Trimester recap with a list of products I’ve grown to love weeks 14 through 27!
Back n Belly Pregnancy Pillow – this GIANT U-shaped pillow was a lender to me from a friend. a saving grace for a week-long sleep slump i hit around week 24. keeps me on my side!
Shein Ruffle Hem Dress – the easiest, and most comfy, bump-friendly maxi dress. So easy to dress down with white sneaks, or dress up with heeled sandals and gold jewelry! I am loving being pregnant as we go into Summer, all the sundresses please!
Oh Baby! Anti Stretch Body Oil by Mambino Organics – I actually like this body oil better than the Bio Oil I raved about in my First Trimester! It is so thick, but spreads on smooth. On my bump, hips, and breasts. Use at night to wake up with supple, glowing skin.
Keto Friendly Bread – These are the ultimate low-carb bread dupes! The past few months, I’ve been craving peanut butter and jelly on toast. Pair this bread with your favorite all natural peanut butter, and a no sugar added fruit preserve (I love the Smuckers Sugar-Free Raspberry). These are fabulous for sticking to my low carb macro goals. I found a brand I loved at Aldi, but linked here is a very similar Amazon Best Seller.
Gold MAMA necklace – Treated myself to this purchase around week 20, halfway there celebration! I love how subtle and dainty it is.
Low-Rise Bikini Bottom – A $9 Walmart Purchase that carried me through a week in the Outer Banks! You all know I’m usually a high-waisted lover, but the low rise works with a bump, and there’s full booty coverage!
In sum, learning to embrace this season of daily change and growth. Baby W is bigger every day, as am I (a’hem thats 4 inches of waist growth and 3 inches of hip growth so far!). With each day, comes new experiences, movement, and emotions! Thankful for a healthy baby and a healthy pregnancy as Mom + Baby W progress into the final 13 weeks! Baby W, I cannot wait to meet you.
Mamas, how was your second trimester different from your first? Share in the comments!
