Second Trimester Recap

June 28, 2018 in Baby

As of yesterday, I’m officially in my third trimester! I can hardly believe it. It feels like just yesterday I found out I was pregnant, and now here we are, just under three months away from meeting our little guy. God is so good, and Luke and I continue to be in awe of the miracle of pregnancy. This whole journey has been such a blessing, and Luke and I have already enjoyed both looking back on the changes in our lives and looking forward to the blessings to come. Sharing my second trimester recap and breakdown below.

How I’ve Felt:

Overall, still really good. I mentioned back in my first trimester recap that I have mostly felt great and not much different than pre-pregnancy. I have definitely felt more pregnant in this trimester (obviously), but I have somehow kept clear of any morning sickness (hallelujah) and have felt mostly like myself. I’ve been pretty happy and cheerful during this pregnancy, and I’ve only had a few big mood swings that came out of nowhere. I had two weeks or so early in the trimester where I battled really bad headaches and sinus issues, but those were short-lived, and I’m so thankful. It was during the height of spring allergies, so I probably would have struggled with that even if I wasn’t pregnant.

My quality of sleep has been hit-or-miss… I got a pregnancy pillow though recently and that’s been amazing. I still had days where I felt exhausted by random little things, but overall, I can’t complain!

Cravings/Aversions/Food:

I still constantly want cold fruit. Pineapple and watermelon have been my favorites, especially during this hot June. I’ve also recently and randomly been going through a phase of “needing” Publix chocolate cake. It’s $3 for one big slice and I can’t get enough. I highly recommend it, pregnant or not. Burgers: yes. Pancakes: yes. Chick-Fil-A: duh.

I feel like I have more aversions than cravings, though. But they’re weird aversions… as in, aversions to certain places not certain foods. I don’t have a Mexican food aversion, but want nothing to do with Uncle Julio’s, which is my favorite Mexican restaurant in town. Same thing with pizza—I still love pizza, but don’t want it to be Papa John’s. Ick.

My saddest aversion? Morning coffee at home. This aversion was strong during my first trimester and then came back for a couple of weeks during the second trimester. Then, just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone again. Right now, I’m all about iced coffee from a coffee shop and Chick-Fil-A frosted coffees. I often try hot coffee at home, but I just can’t drink more than a few sips. Praying my love for a hot brewed cup of coffee comes back after little man arrives (I’m sure I’ll need it ha). I know this isn’t normal, and I don’t understand it either!

Overall, my eating habits haven’t changed too much. I eat pretty healthy, all things considered, but I still enjoy treats/indulgences here and there. Honestly, I’m often just not interested in food as a whole. I’ll think I really want something really badly, but after a bite or two, it loses its luster and I end up passing the rest to Luke. Oh well, there could be worse things I guess?

Body Changes:

Dry skin: That’s still hanging around, but I’ve been keeping lots of lotion on and moisturizing the heck out of my face, which makes a big difference. I also do a pure coconut oil mask about once a week. The little individual packets you can buy at Trader Joes are perfect for this. I’ve had no breakouts, and I feel like my face is the best it’s been in years.
Swelling: This is intermittent and not constant, so that’s great. Some days my ankles are swollen, and some days they aren’t. Some days my rings fit on my hands normally, and some days they’re so tight I move them to my pinky finger. I’ve noticed the most swelling when I spend time in the heat and humidity—e.g., back home in Dothan last week.
Weight Gain: I’ve gained about 17 pounds going into the third trimester and am feeling good about this. Most everything has been right where you would expect it: belly and mid-section. I have kept up my workout regimen (my pregnancy workout post here) as best I can, with a few modifications and eat about the same. With weight gain being a normal and necessary part of every pregnancy, I’m just trying to stay as healthy as I can for my little man and will go back to doing what’s best for just my body after delivery.
Baby Movement: This little boy moves all the time! I absolutely love it, and so does Luke. It is so fun to feel him moving on the inside, but I love to see and feel him on the outside of my belly, too. Also, during a recent ultrasound, we could see his mouth sucking and the lens of his little eye moving, which was just the sweetest thing. He’s the most active late at night when I’m winding down and ready to go to sleep, which is a pattern I hope and pray goes away after he is born… haha.

Changes I’ve Made to Daily Life:

I take naps whenever I can. I know the days of sleeping whenever I want are fleeting, so I’m taking advantage now. They usually give me a great mid-day energy boost, which makes a big difference in my evenings. Harper is also always in the mood to nap and cuddle, so there’s that added bonus, too.

I’m still using clean/safe/non-toxic beauty and skincare products. BeautyCounter is still my go to for skincare, and I have continued cutting out other products that have parabens, phlafates, etc. This includes lotions, deodorant, shampoo/conditioner, foundation, etc. I’m all about “natural” based and derived right now.

I’m not yet in a full-blown nesting phase yet, but I have been cleaning out a lot this summer to de-clutter and make more space for baby things. It feels so good to cross things like that off my checklist, which keeps me motivated. Next up is going back through areas I’ve already hit. Is this normal? I don’t know and I don’t care because it just feels so good!

Purchases:

For the Nursery: We have finally settled on our furniture pieces, and hopefully those will be delivered in the next few weeks. I’ve purchased some (here) and the wallpaper (here) for the accent wall. We’ve also received a few storage bins that we wanted (here, here, and here). You can see my nursery inspiration and mood board in this post. I’ll post more about the nursery as it nears completion. My goal is to have it finished by the beginning of August, but we shall see… currently not as far along as I had anticipated. Fingers crossed.
For Me: This pregnancy pillow. I held off for a while, but eventually bit the bullet and ordered one, and it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve made during this pregnancy. It’s huge, but we have a king size bed, so that helps. I’m obsessed with it and can’t wait to crawl in and lay cuddled up with it every night. Sorry Luke, you’re old news right now! I also have been using this oil to prevent stretch marks and keep my skin soft as it has been stretching. My sweet friend, Morgan (who just had the most precious baby girl two weeks ago), in Dallas told me about it, and it’s been my favorite of all the butters and oils I have tried.
For Baby: Some cute outfits I just couldn’t pass up, but I’m mostly waiting to fill in the gaps after baby showers are finished. We had our first shower this past weekend, and WOW, what love and generosity those sweet ladies extended to Luke, me, and our little guy. It was so fun to get things we will be using to take care of him, especially since it makes everything feel so much more real! We also got his stroller and car seat, and I am so excited about them. We researched and tested a bunch and settled on this set: the Nuna 2019 Tavo stroller and Pipa Lite Lx carseat. (which was my first instinct… I felt proud of myself for picking a winner from the get-go ha). The sweet ladies who hosted my shower this past weekend went in together and gave this set as a gift. I couldn’t even believe their generosity – what a blessing!
My Wardrobe: My Wardrobe: I will do a whole post on my favorite places to buy maternity wear and the best purchases I’ve made, but I’ll just say it how it is… ASOS Maternity is the BEST place for picking up staple pieces and a few extras to keep you feeling chic and trendy. I mentioned in my First Trimester Recap Post that I hoped to buy only a few staple bottom pieces and keep to a lot of the dresses and tops I already own. That’s worked out pretty well for the most part (I was probably a little naive in that thinking), but I have purchased a few extra cute pieces and dresses for events and those have mostly come from ASOS.

My Top Second Trimester Memories:

Feeling this sweet baby move around in my belly for the first time
Gender Reveal Party with family and close friends
Babymoon in Arizona
First baby shower in Dothan

Next Up On My Checklist:

Picking the nursery paint color
Finalizing different photography sessions
Interviewing and choosing a pediatrician
Birthing classes (we are signed up and they start in August)
Making gift bags for the nurses for when we deliver

Thanks so much for reading! I would love to hear any tips you mamas have as I head into the third trimester. I can’t even believe it… the time goes by so fast! We’re in the home stretch now, and I’m getting even more and more excited to meeting my little one soon (but not too soon)! xoxo.