Steph shares her experience of her second trimester, including finding out the gender of the baby, and taking a short holiday abroad.
I’m almost at the end of my second trimester, I am 27 weeks and just have one more week to go until the third. One thing is certain; the second trimester has much better than the first and even more exciting. I did worry that the morning sickness would never go away, but I was really pleased and relieved when it finally did.
Some of the best things about the last three months have been getting a real baby bump. It sort of came out of nowhere and some days I wake up wondering whether it’s grown over night. I’ve also been feeling the baby move. At first it just felt like butterflies but now it feels like real kicking and punching. I’ve even seen my stomach move! It reminds me that I’m carrying a real life baby. My partner has also felt the baby kick which has been a lovely experience for him.
This trimester we also found out the gender of our baby. I thought I was having a girl and my partner thought we were having a boy and one of us had to be right. Drum roll…. we’re having a baby boy! This was great to know for us personally because we could choose a name and just knowing made it feel more real for us.
Of course there have still been difficulties and especially in more recent weeks as the baby has gotten bigger. As I’m growing, I’m getting more uncomfortable. I went to a concert this trimester and we had standing tickets. My feet swelled up a lot, it really hurt and safe to say it wasn’t much fun.
However, I’ve been trying to make the most of this time. I know how much things are going to change once we’ve had the baby. So as part of this I went with my partner on a work trip to Germany and we had some time together. It was really nice, despite walking around museums with swollen ankles! I’m also getting particularly tired again and it’s really hard to get comfortable in bed because I can’t lie on my front or back. I’ve got a really nice pregnancy pillow which helps.
Another symptom of the baby getting bigger is the indigestion and heartburn. Eating smaller meals more regularly can help but I must admit that indigestion medicines work absolute wonders.
Next up in my third trimester I’ll be celebrating Christmas alcohol free, moving house, finishing work, finalising my birthing plans and preparing for the baby. Phew! I have booked myself a few classes and I really hope I make some mummy friends along the way too because I know how important support will be.
I often wonder what I’ve let myself in for and I am completely terrified. But I also know the journey will be absolutely worth it and I absolutely can’t wait to meet my baby boy!