I can't believe the second trimester has come and gone already. We got to see her sweet face at the 20-week ultrasound and I feel her move all the time now! This trimester definitely seemed extremely long though. They say the second trimester is a breeze and, for the most part, it was. I really can't complain. But it was also when I started to feel increasingly uncomfortable.
Aches and Pains
These probably make up most of my complaints. First it was hip pain on the right side at night, which is my favorite side. And then I had a few days where it felt like my groin was out of socket and it was painful to walk. That suddenly stopped after I started sleeping with a pillow between my legs. But then it was my left side, and this is still an issue. Whenever I lay on my left side, I feel a strain in my lower right abdomen. The only thing I can compare it to is when I had an ovarian cyst. I guess it could be that or just the joys of pregnancy. Oh, and charley horses. I had them fairly often in the second trimester. They would wake me out of a dead sleep and it was almost impossible to stand on that leg to get it to release. I even had them in both legs at the same time once.
Emotions and Stress
I started out the second trimester pretty emotional and irritable. It would come out of nowhere and I would cry for no reason at all. I imagine part of that was due to lack of sleep, which is still a problem. But I just think I'm getting used to it now...haha.
Maternity Clothes
At 18 weeks, I could still fit into my regular clothes, but I caved and gave into the comfort of maternity clothes. I've purchased a few pairs of jeans, a few dresses, and some tops. My favorite purchase has to be a pair of denim shortalls though. They are so comfortable! I've been living in them all summer. I can also still wear some of my pre-pregnancy dresses and tops so I'm just mixing and matching here and there. I actually really like maternity tops because they're longer. Other than being longer, they're just stretchier. Nothing about them screams "maternity". I only have one top that has the ruching on the side, but you can't even tell. I'll probably keep some of the tops after to add to my daily wardrobe. I wore the jeans a lot at first but now that it's the "dog days of summer", I'm most comfortable in the shortalls and dresses. But I'm not gonna lie. I can't wait to wear real jeans again and my regular clothes. I feel like I'm just renting a wardrobe right now...haha.
Hair, Nails...and Gums
It seems that my hair and nail growth has slowed down. And my hair is feeling a little more dry and brittle. I did run out of my conditioner and haven't been able to find it in stock anywhere so that *could* be the reason for the dry hair. I'm hoping that it's restocked soon so I can find out. But after going to the dentist, my gums have almost completely stopped bleeding when I brush and floss. My hygienist told me they probably would, so I've been happy about that.
Appetite and Weight Gain
I never got the increased appetite that you hear about...or the cravings. I still enjoy sweets more than I used to, but I don't crave them by any means. I didn't gain any weight in my first trimester, but I gained 11 lbs in the second. I'm pleased with that. Baby girl is going to be doing a lot of growing this last trimester though, so we'll see what I total out at.
Must Haves
Bio-Oil and Palmer's Massage Cream for Stretch Marks for sure! I use the Bio-Oil before bed every night and the Palmer's after I shower in the morning. I've done this daily since around the beginning of the second trimester. And SO FAR, no stretch marks. I don't know if it's due to these products, genetics or just plain luck, but I'm not going to stop!
It was a busy 13 weeks! We celebrated lots of birthdays for JP, Sydney and my dad, as well as Mother's Day and Father's Day! And my friend Heather and I took an overnight girl's trip to 30A and stayed in an awesome Airstream. We're in the home stretch now!
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