That Second Trimester Glow
So you’ve made it through the first 12 weeks, now it’s time to celebrate. You’ve been in the trenches these last 12 weeks and now you will start to feel like yourself again. Focusing on self-care as much as possible. I feel like this was very true for me. I had a window of feeling my best pregnant self between weeks 22 and 24 which put pregnancy in a whole new light for me. There are many things to look forward to in this trimester and milestones to meet. To name a few, between 18-20 weeks your provider will perform something called an anatomy scan, looking at every part of your baby's anatomy to make sure they can identify any abnormalities, also an excuse to see how much your beautiful baby has grown.
This was one of my favorite ultrasounds, your baby starts to look like a baby, if you have had ultrasounds before today your baby may have resembled an alien creature of some sort, which can be alarming. But on this visit, you will get to see your baby’s features, from their nose to their toes. You can also find out your baby’s gender if you choose to do so. Personally, I am too big of a control freak not to find out, and more power to those fearless mamas out there willing to wait it out and be surprised. What I have heard from many friends is the most amazing feeling, but I have zero willpower.
I felt like I could finally breathe this trimester, and being pregnant started to set in. Soon you will be bringing a new life into the world, this may become even more real to you if you have started to feel your first kicks, usually around 17 weeks. This is variable and can happen sooner or later depending on your placenta positioning, so do not worry if you aren’t feeling your baby move right at 17 weeks. I felt like at this stage it was important to start focusing on being myself again, becoming more active, getting good sleep, and drinking plenty of water.
Getting good sleep while pregnant is already challenging, your body is changing and moving to adapt to housing another human. The most important thing I found to get a better night's sleep is investing in a good pregnancy pillow, this is key. Something that supports your growing belly and goes between your legs for extra support. In addition to finding a good pregnancy pillow is finding a good pair of supportive walking shoes, I use anything ASICS. I have always worn them and found them to be the most comfortable on my feet. I have very flat feet and found that walking barefoot wasn’t an option for me with pregnancy, so I clung to my ASICS. I would suggest being as active as you can getting outside and walking. Now this isn’t a run or fast pace by any means, just getting your body moving and blood pumping throughout your body is so good for you and your growing little one.
Women who are told to limit exercise or are bedridden should consult their physician before changing or increasing physical activity during pregnancy.
Finally, with your growing and changing body, you will notice your old wardrobe may not be fitting as it was in the first trimester, finding yourself a good pair of maternity jeans, stretchy leggings, and flowy dresses will be a staple in any maternity wardrobe. My personal favorite is the Free People Hot Shot Onesie Dupe from Amazon. For jeans something with over-the-belly support is key, the jeans that just stretch at the waistband always fall down, it is not fun having to continuously pull your pants up in public while pregnant, trust me on this one. The most important thing is that you are comfortable. I know for me when I wasn’t feeling well or having extra nausea one day and had zero motivation, getting dressed for the day in a sweet dress always made me feel better. Also an excuse for a fun
shopping spree and who doesn’t love the serotonin rush of a good shopping trip?
This is my favorite trimester by far, and I know there are many Mamas out there who will back me up on this. You are the most comfortable you will be, you will be glowing, you aren’t too big, and you have a noticeable cute baby bump. Enjoy it, Mama, every second of it. But especially this one, while you are feeling your best.
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