Baby #2 | The Second Trimester
How I've Been Feeling
Overall I feel pretty good, just exhausted. Waking up in the morning with Everly is hard and I feel drained by 3pm. That has honestly been my biggest hurdle this pregnancy, is finding the energy to entertain a 15-month old who is always on the go. I also got a really bad cold in the last few weeks that I can't kick. I remember this same thing happening with Everly too. It is basically a nasty cough that won't go away and keeps me up at night. I think it's part of the reason I have felt so tired too. I'm living on Halls and hoping it clears up soon!
I have gained more weight with this pregnancy than my first, but I'm trying not to let it bother me. Everything feels a bit thicker and wider, and I am retaining water like crazy. There really isn't much to do, except keep trying to eat healthy and getting to the gym. It's hard watching your body grow and change even though you know it's creating a miracle. Jason is always good at making me feel beautiful no matter how big I feel, which helps a lot.
I have also felt the baby moving so much this trimester, more than I ever remember with Everly. This little guy/girl is active, tossing and turning especially in the evenings. It gets me so excited to meet this little babe! Below are a few pics of my growing belly this trimester:
What I've Been Wearing
I bought a few maternity clothes while pregnant with Everly, but haven't had to use them yet. Honestly being pregnant in summer is the best because I just live in dresses! I wear the same 5 on repeat basically because they're so comfy and easy (the one in the last pic is from Old Navy and is the most comfortable dress ever!). I also have a few pairs of shorts with an elastic waist that still work and all of my tank top still work because they were pretty flowy to begin with. Another must have are my Align pants from Lululemon. They easily stretch over my belly and are so comfortable to wear. I wore them with Everly as well and they didn't stretch out so I could still wear them when I wasn't pregnant. We have a wedding coming up and I found the best swing dress for it! It's not maternity but will work great and will be flowy and comfortable.
As it starts to cool off and my belly grows I'll be reaching for my maternity jeans, a few maternity t-shirts and cardigans. That will basically be my go-to wardrobe until the baby is born! I try and buy as little as possible while pregnant because it's such a short season of life that I don't want to waste money buying new clothes for it.
Preventing Stretch Marks
I get asked a lot how I prevent stretch marks, and I have no special tricks. I can let you know what I use, but I do think it's largely genetic. I was lucky enough to not get any on my stomach with Everly, but that's not to say they didn't show up in other places. I got a few on my inner thigh and now with this pregnancy I have seen a few on my outer thigh. Like I said I gained weight quicker this pregnancy and felt "thicker" quicker, which is probably from eating too many treats in the first trimester :). I didn't even think to use any oils on my legs because I didn't think I would get stretch marks there. Now that I know, I have been trying to moisturize them the same as my stomach. My go-to product is Bio Oil. It worked great with Everly and has been working great so far this time around. I apply it once a day either morning or night, or if my stomach ever feels a little itchy. So far so good, but my stomach is also bigger than in my first pregnancy so we'll see how the third trimester goes. If I do get stretch marks on my stomach it's all worth it for a little babe! Our bodies go through so many changes, so if you have some battle scars to show for it wear them proudly :). We shouldn't be shaming each other as mothers or making ourselves think we have to be perfect after having babies (or before). Do what you can to prevent them, but the rest is up to mother nature. Love yourself just the way you are - I think it's one of the best examples you can set for your children!
My Complexion
My skin always acts weird when I'm pregnant, especially once I get into the second trimester. I get rosacea on my cheeks and little bumps and my skin tone looks so uneven. If I'm going out I almost always put on a natural foundation to try and even it out. Right now I am using Pure Anada's Liquid Foundation which is all natural and good for your skin. It's pretty thick so I always mix it with my moisturizer. Any little trick to keeping yourself feeling beautiful during pregnancy is a win in my books! My face also gets super sensitive to the sun when I'm pregnant. I get dark sun spots on my forehead and lots of freckles. To help prevent this I wear 50 sunscreen every day and a hat if I'm going to be in the sun for a long time. I use ThinkSport sunscreen which has no chemicals so I can feel good about wearing it while I'm pregnant.
Diet & Exercise
My appetite is pretty much back to normal, there isn't much I don't like or weird things I crave. I do however have a big sweet tooth. I usually always do, but I lose some of my willpower to say no when I'm pregnant. I just did a post on my Pantry Staples that definitely helps keep me on track! I try and eat salads and smoothies when I feel like it because I know in the evenings I'll be reaching for the chips and chocolate. I'm all about moderation and I'm not going to beat myself up if I gain a few extra pounds this pregnancy. I do try and stock my fridge with healthy treats so that when a craving does hit at least it's something healthier. Some of my go-to's: Oat Based Snickers Bar, Banana Cream Pie Bars, Double Chocolate Donuts.
I have been trying to get to the gym 3 days a week, which I think is what helped me bounce back so quickly with Everly. Diet is obviously a huge part of it, but it's also the strength of your muscles to go back to where they were that makes your stomach shrink back. I remember so many people were like what did you do to lose your baby weight, and I always just said nothing really because you can't workout for 6 weeks after the baby and I attributed the weight falling off to breast feeding. What I didn't account for was working out and eating smart during pregnancy. That probably played the biggest part in recovering post-partum. When I'm tired and the last thing I want to do is workout, I remember that as motivation to get in a workout! On days I can't make it to the gym or just can't get myself to go, I at least make sure I go for a walk or a bike ride with Everly. I honestly think it also helps that we are on the 4th floor of our building and we always take the stairs! When I do get to the gym, I don't do anything extreme, just cardio and light weights. Basically maintaining where I was at before pregnancy is my goal. I'm not looking to increase the amount of weight I lift or run sprints, I just want to feel good in my pregnancy and make sure I'm staying healthy for my baby. I get lots of questions about my workouts and what I do while I'm pregnant to stay in shape, so I'll be sharing more specifics about exercise in a future post so stay tuned!
Best,
Stacey