Tips For Your Second Trimester

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Ah, second trimester! The enjoyable one. The one where you start to “glow.” You feel your best, and your baby is growing bigger by the day. The one that everyone looks forward to. For my first two children, I had wonderful second trimester experiences so I am sharing some tips!  I am hoping to make the best of this last time around in my second trimester. I am considered high risk and on rest for this pregnancy, and we are also living during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, some of my initial second trimester dreams are looking cloudy these days, but there is always so much to be thankful for! All expecting mamas deserve a joy-filled second trimester. Between all the grief and uncertainty, there are pockets of joy. I hope you make the most of your pregnancy whether still planning or ready to greet that little face! Here are some tipstip of the things I check off on my second trimester list:

Goodies for Mama

This trimester, take some moments for things to be all about you! I spent the first trimester either sick, or anxiously trying to make sure I was protecting that vulnerable little babe. While there is always some anxiety, this trimester should be a bit more enjoyable! While prenatal massages may be off the table momentarily (thanks, COVID-19), there are lots of ways to soak in all the precious moments of the second trimester. This is when I stock up on a few things I have been eyeing that are for me. This second trimester journey I made investments in a few items:

1. A new diaper bag. I had one from my first baby that has been well loved but I was ready for an upgrade! After some research, I invested in one of the best looking bags I have seen because I wanted something that could transition to a backpack to use with the girls as they grow out of the baby stage that would compliment any outfit or trip. I fell in love with the Freshly Picked diaper bag and wanted it in every color! The Butterscotch is heavenly and the Black is always timeless.  My husband surprised me with the Stone Gray color and its perfect! Roomy, super functional, and still makes me feel like I am heading out for the day with some girlfriends.
2. Maternity photos. I have never had maternity photos taken before and I have always loved seeing them from our friends! With this being our last babe, I want to remember my belly someday when these days are long behind me! Even if a pandemic derails professional photos, I plan to still get dressed up and have my husband take pictures with our family camera!
3. Delivery/postpartum wear. I have never had any comfy maternity wear for labor and delivery and my postpartum wardrobe consists mostly of no shirt and my husband’s sweatpants! This time around, I wanted to snag a few comfortable delivery robes and items for nursing. I ordered my first hands free pumping bra from Kindred Bravely and I cannot wait to try it out. As a working mom that despises pumping, anything I can do to make the experience of returning to work easier and more comfortable is essential. I also plan to get a delivery robe and some better lounge wear this time around. I want to be super comfortable while also feeling good about my postpartum journey!

Goodies for Baby

If you are having a baby shower for this babe, this is the time to get excited and get planning! Build that registry with all the baby goodies and decide how you wish to celebrate. With the pandemic, we will not be seeing anyone prior to baby’s arrival. I am hoping to plan a Sip and See in the fall once things are more settled!

With this being our third babe, we are pretty well stocked on essentials. We have a crib, single stroller, double stroller, infant carseat, and high chair washed and ready to go! The kids have a solid wardrobe that can be unpacked and used for most seasons, aside from a few seasonal items. We decided to move our oldest daughter to a new toddler room in advance, so that we could preserve the nursery. We are fortunate to feel this prepared, but there are always a few things I get for each baby to make that particular arrival feel special.

1. New crib sheets and blankets: My girls have always loved the Burt’s Bees crib sheets and Aden and Anais swaddle blankets so these are staples for any new babes! The organic cotton and breathable material are key and they have a gorgeous texture. I love picking out a fresh design for each of them.
2. New baby outfits: All of our kids wear hand me downs for all of their clothes, but I like to buy one or two new items for each baby so they have something that is only theirs. I have fallen in love with the Tea Collection, Kate Quinn, and Finn + Emma so I ordered a few 0-3 month, and 3-6 month pieces for baby girl since she will be arriving in a different season than my other two kids!
3. Wubbanubs: My children are OBSESSED with their wubbanubs and each of them have several. They each have different ones, and I look forward to picking out some new animals for the next little one.

Connecting With Friends

Even if social distancing means virtual connections, I find the second trimester to be the best time to connect ( or reconnect) with friends and stay in the loop on all the good things happening in everyone’s lives! After being sick for 14+ weeks, and before I am too big/tired to feel motivated, the second trimester is perfect for getting out there and having a great time with the ones you love. I usually opt for some girlfriend brunches, nail salon time, or play dates for the kids and adults. With social distancing, we have gotten creative with video game tournaments (virtually) and mailbox notes and treats. This is the time to show everyone how glad you are that they are in your life. This is the time when my husband and I pick out godparents, attend family events, and branch outside of our nuclear family.

Get Moving

I am on modified rest for high risk pregnancy this time around which has impacted my normal love for exercise. In my previous pregnancies, I continued running throughout the first trimester and utilized several Beachbody at home programs that were low impact (my favorite last time was Plyo).  This time my only exercise consists of chasing around two toddlers and taking long walks with them. Getting outside and walking is ESSENTIAL even if that’s all the moving I can do. It helps with fatigue, nausea, and all the pregnancy aches and pains.

Start Thinking About Your Birth Plan

Sometimes birth plans do not go exactly as planned, and that’s ok! Being prepared mentally and emotionally with what you would like to see during your birth is key to making the most of your labor and delivery. Due to our high risk concerns and the pandemic this time around, we may have to deviate from our birth plan which I am coming to terms with during this trimester. Here are some of the things to think about when developing your birth plan:

1. Who do you want to be there during the birth for support? Think about who you would like including your partner, any family, a doula, a birth photographer etc. and discuss your desires with everyone. Key point here: this is YOUR birth so do not feel guilty with choosing your support. With my first birth, I had to tell some specific individuals that I did not want them to be there. While it was a tough conversation, your mental health during birth is hugely important, so do not feel bad for advocating for yourself.
2. What types of medical supports, vaccines, circumcision etc. are you planning on for your baby?  If you give birth in a hospital, the team will ask you several times what they you want or don’t want them to administer to your baby so it’s best to be knowledgeable ahead of time about what the options are. Do the research so you feel confident in whatever decision you make. We do vaccinate our children, but you may decide otherwise and it is important to know these things before the intensity of the hospital time.
3. What does your ideal immediate post birth situation look like? Do you plan to breastfeed right away? Do skin to skin? Have your partner do skin to skin? Assuming baby does not have any immediate medical concerns needing intervention, you should think about what you want those first moments to be like!
4. What do you plan on doing for pain management or labor techniques? Sometimes the labor experience can be a whirlwind, so if something is important to you such as pain medication you should think about that beforehand.
5. After birth, what are your plans for baby? Do you want them with you in your room or in the nursery as needed? Bathed with you in the room? Always accompanied by you or your partner?

If this is your first birth plan, check out the birth planning tool from The Bump. They have a great comprehensive list of things to consider and check in with your doctors about.

Every trimester deserves celebration, even during times of challenge. How are you making the most of your second trimester?
All the best,