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Second trimesters are usually marked by feeling better and being more active…well I was active all right, I was terrorized by a three-year old that wanted to make it very clear that he was not enjoying this transition to life in Pittsburgh. I get it, three-year olds want to push boundaries but I was not at all prepared for all the antics he would put me through, including running out of the house without me realizing, flooding a bathroom (several times), and refusing to wear undergarments. So while I had hoped to spend more time running on a treadmill and lifting weights, I spent all the second trimester running after a combative preschooler and lifting him away from all the dangers he could find.
Switching practices in a new state with a new insurance meant that I couldn’t get things scheduled right away. My anatomy scan was scheduled for 24 weeks (5 weeks later than when I did it with Rigel). I felt like everyone knew the sex of their baby but me and being the planner that I am, it was driving me nuts, so I scheduled an elective scan at an independent imaging office to find out. At 21 weeks we finally find out that I am being blessed with a baby girl. I am nervous. I’ve gotten so used to this rough and tumble life of being a boy mom that I’m not sure how this will go. Becoming a girl mom also brought up some of my own feelings about my relationship with my Mom. While we were very close there was a period of time where I just thought she was a tyrant and didn’t understand why I couldn’t do certain things. I hope she likes me.
During second trimester I felt really good. My blood pressure has been stable and my doctor’s office has left me mostly alone, though they did give me a quick preeclampsia screening at 27 weeks just to confirm that I have white coat high blood pressure (it came back totally normal). I also passed my glucose test with flying colors; I got 129 this time. Compared to my second trimester with Rigel, I have had practically no swelling at all, I’ve gained very little weight in my limbs, and have not had any dizzy spells. With Rigel I was on blood pressure medication at 19 weeks and I experienced many of the stated possible side effects with it; including edema, fatigue, and dizziness, while it had literally no impact on what my blood pressure readings were like at the doctor’s office – typically 130s/140s over 90s with a pulse in the 130s or 140s because FREAKING OUT! Anyway, I’ve preferred this second trimester medical experience a lot more.
Something not as positive is that this time around I’ve had a lot more pelvic discomfort, it’s not really pain as just more heaviness lower, which I try to think means that she’s more likely be in the right position for her exit. Because she’s just generally feeling lower and sometimes putting more pressure down in my pelvis, I’ve had to take more breaks when I’m doing things around the house, when we go for family walks and hikes, and it’s been harder to do certain things. I had no trouble putting my shoes on for example the whole pregnancy with Rigel but I started having trouble getting to my feet at about 25 weeks this time.
Anyway, baby girl has been thriving; I started feeling her fluttering around at around 17 weeks and she’s just continued to get stronger ever since. At her anatomy scan she was measuring in the 75th percentile, with long legs, just like her brother had but a tight little belly, so I’m thinking I’m making another tall baby…my abdomen has been putting in that work. I think the hardest thing about second trimester was starting to get comments about my size which I don’t really remember having much of with Rigel. All I can say about this women’s baby bumps are usually bigger with subsequent pregnancies and depending on the size of baby and the size of Mom’s abdomen, it may look “big” but you know it probably should look like something, since there’s a whole person inside of that woman. If you’re experiencing comments try not to let them get to you (I know it’s hard) you’re making a person and still have internal organs that need to get shifted around, you’re going to show after a certain point, especially if you’re not 6 feet tall.
Looking forward to things being uneventful and meeting this little girl in November. Definitely have to start working on her nursery now. Let me know in the comments if you’re also due in November and feel free to ask me any questions you might have if you’re in the second trimester and wondering what to expect.
Here’s to entering third trimester and bulking season,
