2nd Trimester: Energy Restored

It's a GIRL

Well, I got pretty lucky in the realm of first trimester pregnancies without getting sick and being able to make it through most of the day before mild nausea set in. Other than needing a mid day nap I really didn't experience some of the things that others do. Since I'm pretty much one of the last among my friends to pop out at least one baby, I've heard it all, and I mean IT ALL. With that said, I was counting down the days to my second trimester, because this is "supposedly" when Stella gets her groove back....

My 2nd Trimester glory:

Well, again, I got pretty lucky. My nausea and fatigue finally subsided around week 14-15 and I was able to get back to, well life. No more nights in bed by 8:30, no more ginger-ale and peppermints, and dinner time became more enjoyable. Unlike some of my girlfriends I didn't really experience food aversions, more like gimme all the food issues. My cravings became insane. Vegetables, salads, anything remotely healthy...."Whats that?". Although there was a good week or two when I craved Salata but that didn't last long! Cookies, candy, burgers, donuts, anything with carbs and sugar... Gimme! It took me a minute to realize how bad it was and how my dedication to my health along with ALL of my will power had flown out the door over night. Gah, why?!?

Working out:

I was pretty excited once I started feeling like myself again because that meant I could get back into the gym which I had been struggling with mentally every morning during my first trimester. Even though I wasn't getting tired or nauseous until mid to late day, getting up to workout was not happening other than once or twice a week. Once I got my pep back I was in the gym 5 days a week and walking three miles at least once over the weekend. I was able to keep up with my normal routine of cardio and weights with slight modifications such as no abs (obviously) and I tried not to do too much jumping around. I wasn't running either, but utilized the treadmill for incline walks, the stair-master for a good sweat, and the elliptical to get that heart rate up a bit. I put a lot of my workouts on Instagram, so head that way if you want to check them out! *Make sure it is ok with your Doctor before working out, everyone is different, and you definitely don't want to start a workout regimen during pregnancy if you weren't working out prior

Bad Habits Die Hard:

Now back to food.... I was eating all the bad stuff and once I realized it, I was face deep in a McDonald's Quarter Pounder....like what... I don't even eat McDonald's! I reminded myself that just because I was pregnant did not give me the thumbs up to destroy my healthy body that I have worked so hard for and so I had a quick intervention with myself and never looked back.

Pregnancy cravings are real, they happen, don't beat yourself up. Here is how I changed things up so that I could maintain a healthy diet for both Momma and baby but also indulge a little more than usual. Meal Prep Sundays! I began prepping my meals for Monday-Friday and only taking to work what was on my plan. Breakfast, lunch, and two snacks. Then for dinner I cooked instead of letting my husband guilt me into something unhealthy/eating out. Then I had a small indulgence after lunch and dinner and then treated myself to one meal I really wanted over the weekend. See, it doesn't have to be stressful, just pre-plan and you'll make life a hell of a lot easier. Remember, baby only needs an additional 300 calories during the second trimester. That equals out to about one apple and two tablespoons of peanut butter! P.S eating nuts during pregnancy can help your baby with any nut allergies post birth!

Pregnancy Woes-2nd Trimester Edition:

I really only have a few cons that I experienced during my second trimester. I didn't have issues sleeping per say, but by 7 or 8 AM (which is not normal, and yes, even on the weekends) I was up, and I just could not sleep in. I LOVE sleep, like really really LOVE sleep so this killed me. Cravings got crazy and for all the sweets and not anything savory or green, again, not like me. Lastly, this is when those "pregnancy pains" begin. I'm talking serious shortness of breath. Have you ever tried to eat and not be able to breathe at the same time? It's not fun. Ligaments start to stretch and this causes pain. Weight gain starts to sit heavy on those muscles and this causes pain. I could just go on, and on! These pains are normal, just not comfortable. Just remember, the human body can do miraculous things and growing a human truly is hard!

Baby Sightings:

On a more fun note, the second trimester is the fun part when it comes to baby. You get to start feeling movement, see your little one in ultrasounds, and get to hear the heartbeat, a lot! This is usually when you have your anatomy scan (around 20 weeks) where you get to see the fingers, toes, and learn the gender if you haven't already had the blood screening done. So exciting!

We only had one scare during the second trimester which was having a "low lying" placenta which I was reassured was normal at this stage but I freaked out thinking life was over because I was going to have to have a C-section. We weren't due for another ultrasound until I was around 32 weeks so I had a long wait to sit and think about my placenta not moving. As a spoiler.... it moved....

Final Takeaway:

Word of the wise... just don't Google anything... it will only give you a serious panic attack. If you think something is wrong, always call your Doctor.

Set yourself up for success by staying healthy as much as possible but still indulge in goodies here and there to stay sane. Growing a human is hard on the Mom brain, don't stress, you've got this!

#Baby #2ndTrimester