During my 1st trimester, I kept looking forward to my 2nd. I knew that just around the corner was the end of my random nausea.
Here’s what I LOVED about the 2nd trimester:
1) You get to see babe’s anatomy and find out sex (if you want to know). It was thrilling to see the brain hemisphere, spine, her arms and legs, her face develop, her bouncing around. You guessed it; we have a baby girl.
2) You’ll finally start to feel your baby move! This was huge for me. I first felt my baby when I was driving home and sitting at a red light. It was two little flutters, but I definitely knew it was her. Some first-time moms don’t feel their baby move until on or right before week 20. I felt mine around week 15.
3) Your energy may come back in full force. I was happy to not feel exhausted all day long. I felt like me before I got pregnant (but with a fuller belly and breasts). The placenta is developed by this time and providing babe nutrients so you can definitely tell a difference.
4) I added back in my workouts and yoga regularly. I didn’t feel like doing much of anything the 1sttrimester. I knew that I wanted to be active during my pregnancy since it helps mom, baby and delivery. So as soon as I felt good enough to return, I went back. I listened to my body, paid attention to anything that may feel odd. Everything was great! So, I’m back at it.
5) Hello, sex drive! Like I mentioned in my previous post, my husband and I have a healthy sex life. During the 1st trimester, the whole idea of rocking my body in any fashion was undesirable. With my nausea gone and some natural lubrication happening, I was ready to resume my sex life.
6) My belly started to show. I definitely had a significant bump. I started to show fairly early on and by 20 weeks, it was very obvious (especially in bump hugging shirts and dresses). Watching my body change continues to fascinate me.
7) The linea nigra made an appearance. The linea nigra is a line that forms over the abdomen. Mine starts just above my belly button and runs to my pubic area.
8) I can eat again! I never had any particularly ‘weird’ cravings. During my 1st trimester, most meats didn’t seem appetizing to me. My 2nd trimester, I’ve been able to eat foods I love. I make sure to keep it healthy and include lots of fruits and vegetables.
9) It becomes more…real. Seeing my body change, seeing babe over the ultrasounds and counting down the weeks makes everything so much more real. I get excited every single time I feel her move. I love seeing how she’s grown. It’s magical.
10) It’s time to prep! My 2nd trimester is when I started to slowly accumulate items for my babe. Looking and purchasing different clothing items made me happy. Of course, the first thing we actually bought for her were books. Gotta develop the brain. Plus, baby can hear during the 2nd trimester, so it’s the perfect time to start talking, singing and reading to babe.
Look at just how magnificent our bodies are! We go through so many changes throughout our life, even more quickly our pregnancy. Cherish this time.