Im not coming into the end of my second trimester and i can hardly believe it! Its officially the home stretch now and I couldn't be more excited to meet by baby boy!
Looking back on my second trimester I have to say it wasn't everything i was expecting purely because a lot of people referred to it as the 'honeymoon period' of your pregnancy! this wasn't the case for me; i was still very much lacking energy and with a ridiculously hot summer in the UK i can safely say the struggle was real. But in saying that it also showed me some of the most amazing moment i could of asked for!
Body Image
Well, I can safely say that this was the part of my second trimester i was not going to enjoy because this is the stages were you get BIG! for some women they don't for others they get bigger then I did but it was something very weird to get used too and where maternity jeans and leggings actually become your best friends!
I will add a photo from about week 14 to week 26 which shows my bump progress!
I did put on a lot of weight in my second trimester which shows in my face and legs due to an increase in eating and lack of excessing because i have been so tired! for the first 5 to 6 weeks i really got down about this and would cry because i just felt like i let myself go, but the reality is - I'm pregnant and its going to happen! so now i embrace the fact that this is the best excuse i have to sit on my back side and eat cakes (occasionally).
I have however been exercising; going out for walks, doing pregnancy yoga and still keeping myself involved with BJJ. This has helped keep some of the weight off but don't worry too much - after baby is born is when you can worry about loosing anything!
Aches and Pains
Toward the end of my second trimester i noticed a lot of aches and pains were starting on my lower back and pelvic area!
I spoke to my midwife abut these and she has referred me to a physio to get it sorted as i don't want any issues during labour. I was told it is where the pelvis is now softened and the muscles, etc are now moving around to accommodate a growing person inside you which means that it is a lot weaker so doing your everyday tasks can be a struggle and even be the simple trigger!
If you are feeling any types of aches and pains make sure you do mention it to the midwife because it could cause a lot of issues; I find doing stretches in yoga and sitting down when it does get painful helps.
Baby Movements
This is by far the best thing about being pregnant in my eyes! Feeling your baby move - I can still remember the first time i felt him move inside me and it felt like a bubble popping, this was around week 17/18 and i remember being sat on my sofa and thinking 'what the hell was that' and it didnt happen again so i thought it might of been wind, i then felt it again a few days later with a lot of force and i shouted the same thing and i knew that was the baby!
Throughout the weeks the movements get a lot stronger and the popping feels more like a small kick and you can just about see your tummy move! Then comes the alien like sensations where your looking at your tummy and all of a sudden you can SEE the baby moving inside, this could be simply moving from one side to another or your tummy being lifted up in one area, it sounds weird but its actually really cute!
So these were the only things i could think of from my second trimester which were different from my first?
Hope you enjoyed!
Thanks
Kerry xoxo