So, how has the second trimester been? You can see this post over on the NBC website too, as I am a blogger ambassador for them, but there's lots to cover, so I have shared it here too to keep you up to date...
Well, I do have to say I feel like I have been pregnant a LONG time, but that isn’t in a bad way - I really do enjoy having a bump and, touch wood, everything is going well and I am feeling good. In fact, during the course of my second trimester, my overall health and well-being seems to have improved a lot; my skin has been really clear, my hair seems to be growing and thickening and I do feel good in myself. I had one or two days around 24 weeks where I suddenly felt quite sad, for no apparent reason, but it didn’t develop into anything and I talked to my husband about how I was feeling, so I’m putting it down to pregnancy hormones.
Scans and appointments
There hasn’t been a great deal to share from a medical perspective as
being a second time mum, currently classified as low risk, I’ve barely had any
midwife or other appointments. I had a 16 week appointment when I actually met
my midwife for the first time, and a second then at 28 weeks, when I found my
midwife was someone new. In between, there was just the 20 week scan and the
whooping cough vaccination to have (which was no way as bad as I thought it was
the first time around, and luckily I only had some dull aches in my arm for a
couple of days, nothing more).
Of course we were so excited to have the 20 week scan - nervous again
but as I had started to feel some flutters and pops in my tummy from about 17
weeks (I wasn’t sure, but by 18 weeks I knew that it was baby wriggling as they
were becoming more pronounced and regular) I was filled with a lot more
positivity. We then saw baby and I was just so happy! They were being a little
monkey too, as they were facing upside down. The sonographer managed to take a
lot of the readings and measurements but even with me drinking water and
walking up and down stairs for 20 minutes, and squatting, we couldn’t convince
them to do more than turn on their side. This meant a measurement on the heart
and a good look at the lips wasn’t possible, so we made an appointment to come
back. At 22 weeks, we got to see baby again and his time, we brought our five
year old, Ethan with us. We’d had some time to think about if we wanted to find
out what baby was; I was so on the fence! We didn’t with Ethan and it was a
wonderful surprise, so I wanted to have that again. Baby was being mischievous
again, still pointing down and sideways but some more juggling coaxed them into
a good enough spot for the scan to show everything was normal and progressing
as it should. Phew!
The photos we have from the 20 and 22 week scans aren’t as clear as our
12 week one, because of baby’s position, so how they look is still quite a bit
of a mystery to us.
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| 22 week scan |
Bump and me
I do love being pregnant, for the most part. I never feel as confident
or proud of my body as I do when I have a bump, and it is a really special
time. I started using my Natural Birthing Company oil every day to help with
any stretchmarks, but mainly to give bump a treat, and it does help especially
as my skin is stretching as my bump grows to a pretty decent size! It’s true,
you do seem to show quicker and become more round the second time around, but
my midwife says that bump measures just as it should so that’s good to know.
Maternity clothes are a bit of a pain, if I am honest. Sure, you can
wear a lot of normal clothes, either in looser styles or larger sizes, so don’t
have to buy and entirely new wardrobe, but when it comes to trousers and jeans,
you do need to invest. Most maternity ranges are only available to buy online
it seems, unless you have a larger store nearby, so it can be a bit of trial
and error when ordering clothes to fit your changing shape. I think as I head
into my third trimester, it may be leggings all the way…!
Towards the end of the second trimester, I have started to experience
some heartburn, mainly at night, and a bit of hip pain. Nothing too severe, but
something I am using heartburn tablets and pregnancy pillows when I sleep to help
with. My appetite is good, and I am making a real effort to eat a good
breakfast, and to have snacks everywhere I go – especially in my car, as you
never know when hungry will strike. And boy, does it!
Baby and me
I have really enjoyed this trimester, as my connection to baby has grown
with the growth of my bump. I can recognise their patterns, look forward to
spotting their ripples and kicks and was so excited when, at around 24 weeks,
both hubby and my son could feel baby moving too.
We sorted through some of Ethan’s baby things to see what we could still
use and what we would like to buy; glad that we did this, as we received some
manufacturer advice on car seats and how ours, having been stored in the loft
for five years, would now be deemed as unfit for use. I started doing my
research into the confusing world of prams and travel systems again and managed
to pick up a bargain over the Bank Holiday weekend on the range we wanted, so
that was something substantial and fun to do in getting ready for our new
arrival.
We don’t need to get a huge amount, but I think the start of the third
trimester will be about getting the essentials in – clothes, bottles, bedding –
and our bags packed early, just in case. I’m going to be packing Natural
Birthing Company’s Cool It Mama as this was a lovely refreshing treat during
the hotter weather in summer and this will be a nice pick me up I am sure
during labour. I’ll also start using the Bottoms Up perineum oil from 24 weeks
and the Relax and Breathe Calming Massage Oil sounds just divine, so will ask
hubby if he can help as a relax as much as I can before the big day.
We will also start sorting our Christmas nice and early as, all being
well and on time, our little bundle will be delivered at the start of December…
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