Baby #2 Pregnancy Update – First and Second Trimesters

Well here we are! Baby #2 is officially at 29 weeks and in the third trimester. At times I feel like this pregnancy has gone super slowly and others it feels really fast. What is that saying? The days are long but the years are short? I am definitely feeling that.

There is something that feels almost safe about being in the third trimester and as a celebration I want to recap the first 28 weeks of this baby’s growth. I enjoy reading other expectant moms’ pregnancy journeys and birth stories, so I thought I would add mine to the mix.

First Trimester

This one was a bit bumpier than it was with Zoey. I was nauseous more frequently and had to eat immediately upon feeling even vaguely hungry otherwise I would find myself shaky, more seriously nauseous, and completely out of energy or the ability to focus. Thankfully, I never had to bring a snack to bed to eat at 2am like I did with Zoey, but I definitely could not wait until 7am to eat breakfast at work. If I did not have food in my belly by 5:15am, it was the catalyst for a rough morning.

I did try some ginger chews to get through my long stints at work where I could not grab a snack and they helped some, but there were a few classes where I just had to step out to eat something quickly and come back. As a co-teacher, I was able to leave the class with the content teacher and not feel too guilty. The hardest part was not being able to tell my co-teachers why I had to leave so frequently during those first few weeks!

Since being active and fitting in some workouts throughout the week is just part of my life, I was able to maintain my usual 4 days a week of workouts. They were not always the best quality, but at least I was able to get my body moving without too much of a struggle.

Second Trimester

Apart from car sickness, the second trimester was pretty smooth. It really is the time of pregnancy when you have the most energy and generally feel good. For car sickness, it did not even matter if I was driving, I would still get nauseous really quickly. Sea Bands were super helpful to stave that off.

The second trimester was also when my stomach popped (around week 24) and I had to make a serious shopping trip for some maternity clothes. I cannot remember how I got through my first pregnancy with very limited maternity clothes, but I definitely had to stock up on a few shirts this time around.

Now

In the last two weeks I have just started to feel generally large and progressively more uncomfortable. My belly continues to be a manageable size in the morning and then huge to me by the evening. (Picture from 22 weeks) The baby loves to do giant rolls and then little, repetitive jabs or kicks.

The frequent bathroom breaks have started and I feel a bit more uncomfortable in my joints, specifically my hips and groin.  I do not remember my back hurting with Zoey or all the front weight, but that is definitely happening right now. Assumedly it is because this baby likes to hang forward and out rather than low in my pelvis like Zoey did.

My belly is getting to the size where it is harder to get up and down from the floor, where I play most of the time with Zoey, and it is tougher to pick things up off the floor. Putting on shoes and socks also just become more of an effort this week. I forgot about that part of being pregnant!

In terms of my health care, the Nurse Practitioner I see for my regular appointments is wonderful. She is the one who caught HELLP Syndrome with Zoey and I trust her 100%. Throughout this pregnancy I have been taking a daily low dose aspirin at her urging to help maintain my blood pressure. Now that we are in the third trimester she has me coming in every 2 weeks to check my blood pressure, protein levels, and keep an eye on me for other symptoms of preeclampsia or HELLP. It is unlikely to get it a second time, so we are all very optimistic.

Preparing For Baby #2

Truthfully, we have not done much to prepare for this new baby. The joy of having a second so close to the first is we basically have everything we need. Since I finish teaching on May 25, I will use those early summer weeks to do all the washing of baby clothes and pre-baby freezer meal cooking.

I also find it interesting that when I was pregnant with Zoey, I was constantly looking at pregnancy apps, listening to podcasts, and reading. It has not been nearly as intense this time around. Maybe it is because we have a toddler, or because I was pregnant so recently, but I have not felt a need to check in on those things as much. I did start listening to some birthing podcasts this week to start getting into the mindset.

Zoey

Rob and I are honestly worried about how Zoey will react to the new baby. While she is such a loving, caring little girl, she does get all of our attention right now and has some strong opinions. She has no idea what is going on even though we talk about it and has been really clingy towards me lately. I am not sure if that has to do with her age or her sensing something is changing, but she is all about mom lately.

Boy or Girl?

I have no idea! I was convinced Zoey was a boy, so this time I have no clue. I started with all the same food aversions and cravings, but those have subsided to pretty much nothing. I am thinking it might be a boy since after she checked the gender, the ultrasound technician said if we ever wanted to know it would be easy because, “this baby is not shy.”

Birth Plan

The goal is to have a happy and healthy baby! The second goal is to not spend 6 days in the hospital this time around. I have no set plans on whether to commit to a natural birth or an epidural. With how much did not go according to plan during Zoey’s birth, I am not setting many plans this time. I would love to still get a delayed cord clamping, pushing with contractions, and immediate skin to skin. Zoey’s delivery doctor was so good about giving me those few things in such a tumultuous birth that I am hopeful we can have those things again this time around. But again, we will see!

Were your pregnancies and births different?