Entering the Second Trimester (Weeks 14 - 18)

What a whirlwind pregnancy is! Entering the second trimester is a relief but also comes with a whole new set of concerns of its own. Navigating COVID-19, quarantine, and pregnancy has been tough. I went into quarantine not looking pregnant at all and who knows when it will end. There are still many joys to be celebrated and memories to be made.

Week 14

I feel like I can breathe now that I am in second trimester. We made it a third of the way and it feels so good. Along with feeling good, I also feel huge. I feel like I’ve gained 40 lbs. Everything I have read has said that my sex drive may be heightened. I am feeling far from sexy even though Vito reassures me daily. You can’t tell I am pregnant yet, but I can tell my body is expanding. I keep telling myself that once I “pop,” I will better be able to own my changing body.

Besides entering the second trimester, this week was a huge milestone for us. We had our appointment to hear the heartbeat for the first time. What a beautiful sound. It made it a little more real that there is a baby in there. The heartbeat was in the upper 130’s to low 140’s. The gender guessing games began with our families. So far, almost everyone thinks the baby is a boy.

Week 15

It’s official!! I can’t zip my pants. I used the hair-tie trick a few times but I hate wearing jeans anyways…leggings it is! I am definitely not complaining about this.

Chicago is really dry in the winter, but pregnancy has amplified it! It is really hard for me to sleep because the air is so dry. I also started getting random bloody noses. That isn’t the only thing bleeding. My gums are hypersensitive and bleed, not only when I floss, but also when I brush. Thankfully, this only last a few weeks. As for the unbearable dryness in my house, I ordered a humidifier. It helped tremendously with the dryness and made sleeping a little easier. My sleep is still very broken up and not restful.

I added red raspberry leaf tea to my daily regimen. Red raspberry tea helps tone the uterus making contractions more effective and has been shown to shorten labor. Starting with 1 cup in the second trimester, after talking with your midwife or doctor, and then moving to more in the third trimester. Here is a more in depth article about the tea. I highly recommend reading it if you want to incorporate this into your pregnancy.

The highlight of my week came at the end of a grocery store trip. I got into my car and took a few breaths and reached for my phone when I felt something. A flutter. If was the strangest feeling but I swear I felt a flutter! I laughed out loud, so thankful that the baby gave me a sign that everything is ok.

Week 16

I didn’t think I had lost much energy, but week 16 brought some of what I had lost back. I was getting the urge to work out again and started adding squats into my walking routine. I was feeling ready to hit the gym and then COVID-19 happened. I was really struggling with my growing body. I was bigger but not looking pregnant. I hadn’t really worked out in months and it was all catching up with me. I decided to continue to walk a couple miles a day with Hutch, my dog, and do some stretches at home.

Pregnancy brain set in hard this week. I went to Target to get a birthday gift and a few more items before church. I go to check out and I left my wallet at home. Vito ended up bringing it to me so I could finally check out. We missed church which was the last Sunday before quarantine. I felt emotional because of leaving my wallet and beat myself up for it. I decided to officially blame it on pregnancy brain.

I also haven’t gotten the “glow” that they speak of. My skin may be clearing up a little but it’s too hard to tell so far. My hair is a little more voluminous but I wear it in a messy bun every day. I feel like the pregnancy is getting easier but I know there will still be ups and downs. My niece, Brooke, and her daughter, Elizabeth, moved in with us this week. I was looking forward to having family close by and excited to be spending time with them.

Week 17

My appetite felt like is balanced out this week. I was no longer hungry all the time and was able to go back to eating like a normal human being. I have always loved cooking and have a dinner routine. I always make a protein, a veggie and a carb. Twice this week I made dinner without a vegetable. Once, I remembered right when dinner was almost done and quickly decided to make broccoli. I, then, forgot about the broccoli again until we were finished eating. Eating certain veggies have been hard for me throughout this entire pregnancy. I can’t eat zucchini, squash or sweet potatoes. I did decide to add in my favorite organic green juice daily to make sure I was getting enough greens. Sometimes Costco has carries it, but I could only find it at Sam’s Club this time around.

I maybe felt the baby move again, but I have also had a lot of gas. I can’t be sure which one it was. Since my placenta is anterior, meaning in the front, I know it will muffle a lot of these first movements.

The quarantine for COVID-19 officially came into effect this week. I enjoy being a homebody and missing out on social obligations seemed ok with me. Now that my niece lived with me, I didn’t feel too alone when Vito was gone for work.

Highlights of the week: I slept through the night for the first time since 5 weeks pregnant without getting up to pee! This was a huge win for me since my sleep has been so terrible this whole time. At least now, getting up to pee wasn’t an added reason for loss of sleep. I also got to attend the last birth at the hospital before the rule changed for birth attendance for doulas. It was a beautiful VBAC birth and I was so grateful to be a part of it.

Week 18

With everything shut down, my appointment got canceled this week. I was looking forward to hearing the baby’s heartbeat again and felt like I needed reassurance. The baby must have known and gave me a little kick. I love those movements! I am so grateful for the movements he/she decides to say hello.

My days tend to go between feeling really motivated or really lazy. I wake wanted to clean and be productive, or I wake up wanting to sleep all day. I continue to take Hutch out every day. Getting fresh air, even if it’s thirty degrees, always helps me feel rejuvenated.

My appetite has been small lately. I have to remind myself to eat and not skip meals. Sometimes I won’t remember to eat lunch until a couple hours before dinner. My biggest struggle is getting enough protein. My midwife suggested at least eighty grams of protein a day. I find myself continually falling short. I did some research and stalked up on sardines. They are an amazing source of protein and omega-3’s. I know eighty grams may sound like a lot but there are a lot of professionals that suggest one hundred to one hundred and twenty grams of protein a day such as some versions of the Brewer’s Diet. I shoot for one hundred hoping I’ll land around eighty.

I know the weeks ahead will be navigated differently since the world looks slightly different right now. Thank you for being on this journey with me. I look forward to sharing more of it with you!

The next blog will talk about the 20 anatomy scan, going a little crazy in quarantine, and a few highlights of baby. Click here to read my previous pregnancy blog on weeks 8 - 12.