My second trimester already feels so long ago. In some ways, I feel like I’ve been pregnant for forever. And in other ways it feels like this pregnancy has absolutely flown by. When my second trimester started back in October, I was up north on a big fall trip through New England. That trip feels so long ago – I think largely because Rowan is so much more grown up now than he was then. When my second trimester ended in January, we were about to fly to California for my sister’s engagement party. It also feels like we’ve lived a lifetime since that party. Time this year has had a particularly interesting impact on me. I think this is largely due to having a toddler and being really pregnant. As well as some things we’ve lived as a family already in the few short months of 2022. Either way, I can’t believe it is April and officially the month when we will meet baby #2! Here is my second trimester recap with baby 2 complete with the symptoms I experienced, my pits and peaks, what we had/have planned for the third trimester, and a little second trimester Q&A.
Psst, here is my first trimester recap with baby 2 for any women out there in that season of life.
My Second Trimester Recap with Baby 2
As with my pregnancy with Rowan, my second trimester with baby 2 was so much better than my first trimester. I wasn’t really in the clear of my pesky first trimester symptoms until I got to about 16 weeks but then my life got exponentially easier on the physical side of things. I definitely really mentally and emotionally embraced this pregnancy when I started my second trimester and the risk of miscarriage went way way down. That is really when my brain and heart allowed themselves to link up and, as a whole, I got so excited to grow our family!
In my second trimester, I had lots more energy than I did in the first trimester and enjoyed watching my belly grow as I knew it meant the baby was happily growing inside of me. I also feel like Rowan grew so much during my second trimester so I was really busy being his mama. I did the usual things in my second trimester too like the anatomy scan and glucose test. All in all, the trimester flew by!
Second Trimester Symptoms I Experienced
As I mentioned above, I experienced a very welcome surge of energy in my second trimester after getting through the tough symptoms of the first trimester. My second trimester fell over the holidays, which was so fun timing-wise. I really felt great and thoroughly enjoyed the holiday circuit and the hustle + bustle of the season. I felt up for it physically and had a lot of fun saying yes to everything with Rowan, with friends, and with family. I’m so happy I wasn’t feeling crummy throughout the holidays!
I would say my back and body started aching much earlier with this pregnancy than with my pregnancy with Rowan. I’m sure this is no doubt because I was pregnant while also either carrying around or chasing around a toddler all day long. The constant bending over, lifting, carrying, and running after a little guy while carrying the weight of a pregnancy is a lot on your body! I continued to throw up in my second trimester, even after 15/16 weeks when my first trimester symptoms subsided, but it was random about once every few weeks. I also started to get acid reflux toward the second half of my second trimester. My acid reflux this time around has been bad but not nearly as bad as with Rowan so, according to the old wives’ tale, maybe baby #2 will have less hair at birth than Rowan had. We shall see!
Second Trimester Pits and Peaks
Pits
Kidney Growth
Baby #2’s kidneys were enlarged from my anatomy scan through the rest of my second trimester. The positive side of this was that I got to have more ultrasounds to monitor them so I got to see the baby more. The negative side was that they repeated showed up as enlarged throughout the passing weeks. Apparently it is a pretty common occurrence but it still put me on edge. At the end of my second trimester, the baby’s kidneys finally showed up with regular growth at normal sizes and have been completely normal ever since. The sense of relief I felt made me realize that I was pretty subconsciously nervous I was about it. The baby’s health is all the matters so I was thrilled when we passed this hiccup.
I Broke My Big Toe
I’ve mentioned this before but I broke my left big toe the morning of January 31st by dropping a huge cake platter on it. It was a bummer of an injury. I hadn’t shared yet that I was pregnant so I didn’t share quite how painful it was. Since I was pregnant, I couldn’t take any pain medication and, my goodness do broken bones hurt. They also couldn’t fit me for a boot or a cast since I was pregnant due to the increased risk of blood clot. The break happened the morning of the 31st and I couldn’t get in to see an orthopedist until January 4th because of the New Years holiday so I essentially had an untreated broken bone for 5 days and it really hurt.
I was discouraged by being so slowed down with Rowan and while pregnant. I don’t like to be stagnant and don’t really thrive being a home body so it felt like a lot at the time. Luckily, the pain subsided after a few days, I was able to be fitted for a shoe that gave my toe support, and I could keep doing (modified) pilates throughout the 6 weeks I was in the shoe. I couldn’t ride the Peloton or go for walks, which I missed terribly but the 6 weeks came and went and I picked up right where I left off with my exercise afterwards!
Peaks
Anatomy Scan WITH EDWIN
During my pregnancy with Rowan, Covid-19 protocols restricted Edwin from attending any doctors appointments with me, including my anatomy scan. At the time, I remember feeling so sad for Edwin because he had no idea what he was missing. I was right that he really had no idea what he was missing because he was in awe this time around. Edwin was able to attend the anatomy scan and he was really blown away. He couldn’t believe how big the baby was, how much you can see, and was just shocked over the whole thing. It was a really wonderful pregnancy experience to actually be able to do together this time!
Connecting with the Baby
Even though I spend less time thinking about this pregnancy than I did with my pregnancy with Rowan (because I’m so consumed with Rowan), I feel much more connected with this baby while pregnant than I did with Rowan while pregnant. I loved my scans when I was pregnant with Rowan but it still all felt a bit abstract to me. With baby #2, I see him or her on the screen and just melt over the little one because I see now what he/she will become. I picture Rowan and I think about how this baby will be mine and how I get to hold this baby in my arms so soon and watch him/her grow from a newborn to a baby to a toddler and eventually to a kid. Does that make sense?
Baby Kicks
I felt this baby kick at exactly 17 weeks (3 weeks earlier than I felt Rowan kick). I wasn’t expecting kicks so early so, when it happened, I thought to myself “my stomach just did a summersault” and then I realized there was a baby in there! The feeling continued and I knew they were kicks. When the kicks start, the connection definitely builds for me with my babies so I feel a lot of joy from the early kicks!
Pregnancy During the Holidays
I wasn’t pregnant with Rowan over the holidays so it felt really special to be pregnant this holiday season. I loved every minute of the festive season with Rowan and couldn’t help but dream about next holiday season and what it will look like with two. And I felt great during the holidays at the point I was at in my pregnancy so it just added an extra layer of magic to the time of year for me.
Second Trimester Q&A
Do You Have Names Picked Out
We have our names ready to go! We have full names picked out for a boy and a girl. Our girl name is the same name we would have used if Rowan was a girl. As with Rowan’s name, both our boy and girl name are full family names. I can’t wait to find out who this little baby is!
Did You Have Pregnancy Cravings in the Second Trimester?
Just like with Rowan, I have craved fruit this whole pregnancy. I’ve eaten so much fruit! I also had a phase in my second trimester where I craved very straight forward breakfast sandwiches of just bacon, egg, and cheddar cheese. I also had a phase where I craved popsicles (fruit ones, of course). Lastly, I have had a pretty intense dark chocolate craving this whole pregnancy.
What Exercise Did You Do in the Second Trimester?
With the exception of the 6 weeks I was pretty out of action with my broken toe, I exercised a lot during my second trimester. I did pilates twice a week, every week. And I also rode the Peloton some and walked a ton. I love walking always but especially when I’m pregnant.
How Much Weight Did You Gain in the Second Trimester?
In the second trimester, I gained 12 pounds. In the first trimester, I gained 6 pounds so at the end of my second trimester, I had put on 18 pounds of baby + support for the baby. I didn’t do anything to manage my weight other than trying to move my body and make healthy choices (which I think I did minus the large amount of sweets I consumed. My sweet tooth this pregnancy has been bad!). I will say that I don’t think I got enough sleep in my second trimester, which wasn’t the healthiest choice.
Did You Buy Anything for the Baby in the Second Trimester?
Nope. I bought absolutely nothing for baby #2 in the second trimester. I have bought the baby things in the third trimester though so don’t worry, ha!
Could Rowan Tell You’re Pregnant in the Second Trimester?
In the second trimester, he appeared to have no awareness of my pregnancy or the baby on the way. In the third trimester, he has picked up on it and points to my belly and says “baby!” so we shall see how deep his understanding of the baby goes once the baby arrives.
Third Trimester Excitement and Plans
The third trimester has a funny way of both flying by and dragging on as we inch closer to meeting our little love. A highlight of the third trimester was definitely our babymoon to Palmetto Bluff! We went for three nights and had the most wonderful time. We were either doing something active outside or relaxing, which is exactly what I wanted for our babymoon. I don’t remember the last time I felt so relaxed and rested.
Our nursery is done because it has been Rowan’s room so there wasn’t any work to be down there. However, when baby #2 stops sleeping in our room and moves into the nursery, Rowan will move from the nursery to his big kid room. This is where the work has been! In the third trimester, I’ve been working hard to completely turn that room over from a guest room/office to his future room. It has been a fun project to take on! I am going with an Americana red, white, and blue theme.
