PREGNANCY JOURNEY- SECOND TRIMESTER

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SECOND TRIMESTER DETAILS

This post is HIGHLY overdue seeing as I’m only one month away from my due date as I type this, but hey, better late than never right?  I will continue to share my pregnancy journey on the blog with this second trimester post, a third trimester recap, as well as our birth story and postpartum recovery.  My hope in doing so is to be open about OUR experience and help some of you along the way.  These are simply my personal experiences and the decisions we have made as a family, your journey may look completely different…and that’s ok.  At the end of the day, you need to do what works best for you! 

I swear, once I hit the 12 week mark of my pregnancy, I felt like an entirely different person!  Any sort of sickness/nausea went away and I finally got my energy back.  I got back into my normal workout routine, started eating better and more often, and was all around more productive.  At 20 weeks, we were scheduled for our anatomy scan.  This is the most conclusive scan of your pregnancy where they basically look at all of baby’s bones and organs from head to toe.  It was at this in-depth ultrasound that Nathan and I got a little scare.  We were told baby had a echogenic intracardiac focus, often referred to as a “bright spot” , that was showing up on the heart imaging. Another concern found was Nuchal Fold Thickening, this condition is an increased thickness of the skin at the base of a fetus's neck. While these two findings separately may not have been cause for much concern (approximately 1/20 pregnancies will show a “bright spot” in the heart during imaging, and oftentimes goes away as the fetus grows) , the combination of these findings meant there was a concern that baby could have a genetic disorder, specifically Down Syndrome (also known as Trisomy 21).  Our OB did not jump to alarm over the abnormal findings because they are more common than one would think, but she did lay out our options on how to proceed.  The first step would be to get a “high risk” ultrasound where a specialist could look more in depth at these 2 areas of concern using a more efficient ultrasound machine.  The second step, really it was more of an option, would be to get blood work drawn and get genetic testing done.  We had proceeded with the genetic testing offered in the first trimester, and those results came back within normal limits.  However, this specific testing option offered more definitive results.  Our OB was great and didn’t try to persuade us one way or the other, because again, she honestly was not that concerned about the abnormal findings. However, she did know me….and the fact that I am a huge worrier and had been throughout the entire beginning stages of our pregnancy.  She thought that by going forward with the genetic testing, it would give us some peace of mind, but again, she left the decision completely up to us.  Nathan and I did decide to move forward with the genetic testing.  Please note, this was a decision we made that was best for OUR family, and I’m in no way suggesting you should do the same if a similar situation would arise.  I just want to be transparent about our personal experience.  Anyway, let me just say, that was the longest week of our lives.  Nathan and I were a mess!  We only told our closest family members, but we had all our prayer warriors working overtime during that week of waiting.  I had the “high risk” ultrasound about 4-5 days later, and thankfully the “bright spot” on the heart had completely disappeared and the nuchal fold thickness measured completely normal.  About 5 days after that, we got the phone call from our OB office saying the genetic test results had come back in….it was negative. Nathan and I had many important conversations that week regarding the different outcomes of the test results. We prayed, and we cried, and we researched together. But we knew one thing for certain: no matter the results, we were going to love that child with all our hearts and try to be the best parents that we can be.  

Below I wanted to breakdown the specific supplements I am taking, products I’m loving, exercise resources and some examples of what I am eating throughout the day. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment. I hope this is helpful!

SUPPLEMENTS

Prenatal-  throughout your pregnancy, it is recommended to take a prenatal.  As I mentioned in my first trimester post, my diet was all over the place and I had quite a few food aversions, so I took THIS prenatal vitamin that also contained a fruit/veggie blend to ensure I was getting the nutrients my body needed.  Once my diet returned to normal at the start of the second trimester, and I was getting essential nutrients from whole foods, I decided to switch to a cleaner prenatal.  I love THIS ONE because it contains no synthetic fillers or additives, just the 12 essential nutrients you and your baby need! 

Amazing Grass Protein Superfood - I was ALL about smoothies during my second trimester.  I’m not kidding when I say I had one every single day.  To make the most of them, I incorporated this all-in-one protein powder.  It is essentially a powder mixture that contains 20g of complete protein, alkalizing greens, and provides 2 full servings of organic fruits & veggies.  I would blend 1 scoop into whatever smoothie I was making for the day and it gave me the peace of mind that my body was getting all the essential nutrients it needed for me and baby! 

Magnesium- It is said that magnesium supplementation during pregnancy may reduce high blood pressure, premature labor and also help to increase the birthweight of baby.  I took a powder called, Natural Calm, every evening.  I simply mixed it in with warm water and it helped to relax my mind, sleep better and stay regular.  Yep, you better believe that pregnancy constipation is REAL but thanks to this supplement, I haven’t had any problems. 

PRODUCTS

Pregnancy Pillow - ok, this is a game changer!  Some ladies don’t like the massive body pillows, but let me just tell you, I’ve been using this since my first trimester and absolutely love it!  I’ve always been a back sleeper, and I feel like this pillow helped me to transition to side sleeping (it is recommended to sleep on your side, preferably the left, during the second and third trimester to allow for optimal blood flow for both you and baby). Being comfortable while sleeping is SO important during pregnancy, and this pillow has definitely been super helpful in getting a good nights sleep. 

Belly Oil – I first used THIS body oil that everyone raves about, but I wasn’t happy with the long list of crazy ingredients it contained, so I switched to the Burts
Bees Mama Bee Nourishing Body Oil and I’m loving it! I lather it on morning and night and seriously look like a greased pig for a couple minutes, but hey, your skin will be stretching to the max so don’t be shy with the oils!

Belly Band –   I didn’t start to use this until later in my second trimester once the bump REALLY started to get heavy.  As your belly grows, the weight on your front side can do a number on your lower back, as well as put additional pressure on your bladder.  Nathan and I love taking Reggie on long walks, but I was getting super uncomfortable and feeling a ton of pelvic/back pressure.  I found this band to be super helpful in relieving that pressure, and overall made me feel more supported while going on long walks.  

Heating Pad - around the middle of my second trimester, I started experiencing a lot of mid-lower back pain.  I attribute it to my pre-existing scoliosis, and even though I was diligent about staying active, stretching and doing yoga, some days none of that seemed to help.  I found that sitting with this heating pad, even just for a few minutes, helped to relieve a lot of the aching back pain….not to mention it just feels amazing!  

EXERCISE

Exercise has been such an important part of my entire pregnancy.  I truly think the reason I have felt so good and been able to keep my energy up, is because I have made it a point to try and do something active every day.  Even if that means just a little walk around the neighborhood.  Throughout my second trimester I was able to stay on my normal workout routine, which typically consists of 2-3 days of weight training and 2 days of cardio.  For weight training days, I lowered the weight I was using to stay safe and ensure I wasn’t lifting too heavy.  For cardio days I just paid attention to my heart rate, if I was getting out of breath I simply slowed down the pace.  Even though I tried to do something 5-6 days a week, if I wasn’t feeling good, I rested.  Listen to your body.

Here are some specific things I did to stay active: 

Prenatal Yoga – I’ve always loved incorporating yoga into my fitness routine.  I found some great practices on YouTube that were geared toward each trimester and I have really been enjoying them.  I try to do yoga 1-2 days a week. 

Walking –  this has always been one of my favorite things to do, whether it’s hitting a local hiking trail or just walking around the neighborhood.  Being outside and in nature is my happy place!

Sweat App -  I’ve been using this workout app on and off for years, and really enjoy it.  I subscribe yearly, but they also offer a month-to-month plan and you can do everything right in the comfort of your own home.  All you need are a few props. I love the variety of workout programs they offer, as well as the format.  I would simply do modifications if there was an exercise I wasn’t comfortable performing or didn’t work with the bump.

Tone-It-Up App-  this is another subscription app that is relatively new to me but also offers awesome at-home workouts.  I enjoyed this one because they specifically offer a wide variety of prenatal workouts, so I never needed to worry about creating my own modifications.  I highly recommend this app if you are pregnant and looking for a way to do quick, pregnancy-safe workouts at home. 

EATS

I definitely got my appetitive back in the second trimester, thank goodness!  I wouldn’t say I necessarily craved any particular foods.  I more focused on getting my diet back to where it was prior to pregnancy as far as eating more healthy, nutrient rich foods….but also allowed myself to indulge in snack foods/sweets if I wanted it!  I will say, I definitely noticed my appetite increased, but hey, I’m growing a human so I just went with it.  Another thing to note about my second trimester: I started having major heartburn and acid reflux towards the later half of the second trimester.  Because of this, I tried to stay away from “trigger foods” such as tomato sauce, spicy foods, heavy creams, etc.   Here are a list of the things I have been eating:

Breakfast

Ezekiel Bread with almond butter and raw honey

Smoothie

  • Coconut water

  • Splash of OJ

  • Handful of fresh spinach

  • Scoop of Amazing Grass Protein

  • Frozen berry or tropical fruit mix

Lunch

2 fried eggs with homemade potato wedges and sautéed peppers/onions

Cold orzo salad with asparagus and sun-dried tomatoes

Dinner

Nathan and I typically meal prep, so it really changes week to week and also depends a lot on our work schedule

Pork chops with green beans and potatoes

Pasta with veggies (zucchini, yellow squash, asparagus)

Salmon (Omega 3’s are SO good during pregnancy) with veggie risotto

Snacks / Sweets

Fruit!! This is probably my number one craving. I can’t get enough of pineapple, red grapes, blackberries, raspberries and watermelon

Homemade Sea Salt Rice Crispy Treats

Ice cream

Anything crunchy- Sea Salt Chips, Pretzels, CHEETOS!!