2nd Trimester 2.0

Now that the second trimester is over and we are officially in the third I figured I would tell you all about it. I would say overall, I felt like I had more energy than I did in the first trimester but it's definitely not as much energy as not being pregnant. Just like every child is different, every pregnancy is very different.

I was able to get back to drinking coffee which was a major plus! Nothing against coffee but my stomach just didn't love the smell of it so I avoided it the first trimester. When I was pregnant with Ellie, I was so much more nauseous than this time but I was afraid anytime I came across something that wouldn't sit well I would just avoid it completely. I would drink more tea to get my caffeine fix. Thankfully I was able to start drinking coffee again because toddlers just don't stop moving ... like ever. 

Ellie hadn't even turned 2 years old yet and she was already giving up a nap most days and momma seriously needed that nap time. So we started just having quiet time in our room. Some days she would nap after playing and some days I would just get her after a little while because she wouldn't nap. It was a place she could go to read some books or just play without her asking to watch Minnie Mouse Bowtique or Peppa Pig. I'm hoping this quiet time will be good for when we have a new baby and momma needs a nap while the baby naps. It's not going to be easy but I'm trying to get some sort of routine together before the baby gets here. If she doesn't nap, usually she sit and watch a movie with me so we could always do that some days for quiet time.

I've struggled a lot more this pregnancy with headaches than I did when I was pregnant with Ellie. I get headaches pretty regularly when I'm not pregnant and when I was pregnant with Ellie, I don't think I had one headache the whole time. It was so nice. I haven't been so lucky this time around but it hasn't been anything that Tylenol hasn't been able to get rid of. 

Stretch marks are mostly a genetic issue but I have a few favorites that I believe have helped keep me from getting more. I have some on my legs from high school but I was able to prevent any from forming on my belly. My tried and true stretch mark preventing products are linked here! I will say I wasn't always as consistent putting it on other parts of my body and I did get some stretch marks there. So I firmly believe these products work. Palmer's has a great reputation for a reason and it's because they actually work. I've even added some of their facial products to my skin care routine and have noticed a huge difference. Even my husband commented on how my skin was looking and he never notices anything!

I definitely had to bust out my maternity clothes much earlier this pregnancy than with Ellie. It's crazy how much faster your body changes with subsequent pregnancies. I did find a few nice maternity staples that lasted from Ellie's pregnancy and ones I've purchased this time and love! I tend to wear looser tops anyways so I've been able to get away with wearing some of my normal shirts but as far as pants go... I've been wearing maternity pants since like 12 weeks. Leggings were a little more forgiving as far as most of my second trimester went so that was nice. 

There are so many emotions with being pregnant. I really really struggled with how my body was changing the first time and hated that I couldn't fit into normal clothes and that maternity clothes were still too big.  I felt like I literally couldn't wear anything. I thought after going through it once before this time would be easier but I was only slightly better. Unfortunately, not being able to wear my pre-pregnancy clothes longer was different than the first time. The first time I could wear them up until like 18 weeks and this time I could barely button my pants at 12 weeks.

Body image is such a mental battle and I really struggled. I don't think a lot of people talk about it but I just was to be honest and say I did struggle. The whole 40 weeks of being pregnant is difficult and we don't give ourselves enough credit and enough grace to be patient with it. I'm really trying to be more gracious with myself this time. I just want you to know you're not alone in this journey and it's easy to feel like no one can relate but us pregnant mommas are in it together. 

XOXO