Wow – we made it to the end of the second trimester! To celebrate making it to the end of the second trimester, here is my look back at the last 14 weeks and an in depth look at Pregnancy Month Six.  

The usual caveat – none of this is intended as medical advice. This is an honest account of my experience, but every pregnancy is different. If you have any concerns please contact your doctor or medical professional. 

Hospital tour – 

The husband and I went on a tour of our local hospital at 23 weeks. We plan to visit two hospitals. Plan A is to deliver locally in the British Virgin Islands. Plan B is to deliver in Puerto Rico.

It was incredibly informative to look around the maternity unit in our local hospital. To see the delivery suites and the NICU and, more importantly, to meet some of the team of nurses that would be with us during that time! 

Oiling up – 

In an effort to combat stretch marks, I have supplemented my morning application of Bio Oil with an evening application of Palmer’s Cocoa Butter. These two products seem to be the most commonly recommended as stretch mark busting favourites, so I thought I would hedge my bets and try both!

I have no idea whether it will work but I’m willing to try anything! Many suggest that it ultimately comes down to genetics and you’ll either get them or you won’t, but I’m hoping that diligently moisturizing will help! I think the fact that I don’t have any yet is largely down to timing, as I believe that they usually arrive at 30+ weeks. But every day that I wake up without them is a small victory! (The same goes with varicose veins and hemmoroids – none of those here yet either!) 

YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY READING: First Trimester Pregnancy Favourites

Starting to pop – 

At the end of week 23 I’m really starting to feel ginormous by the end of each day! I know that I still have soooooooo much further to go, but I’m definitely starting to get bigger! I’m still smaller in the morning than I am at night, in the evenings I feel quite swollen and bloated. 

Second trimester sweet spot –

I may have finally hit that point in pregnancy where you really start to feel good. Don’t get me wrong, I could still nap competitively, but I’m no longer permanently exhausted! I’ve got a good amount of energy and, even though I’m getting bigger, I don’t feel uncomfortable! Long may all this continue! 

Cramping – 

Week 24 started with some weird abdominal cramping. Since we were due to travel, and when it hadn’t stopped after 3 days, I called my OBGYN and he asked me to come in for a check-up. After a quick exam he ascertained that I wasn’t dilating and it was nothing to worry about, and he gave me a clean bill of health to travel. 

Numbness and tingling – 

I’m starting to get a little numbness and tingling in my hands/fingers, particularly in the evening when I’m just scrolling through my phone. I usually find that changing position or stretching my hands and rolling my wrists can relieve it. Hopefully it won’t develop into carpal tunnel syndrome. 

Switching up my diet – 

When week 24 rolled around and my pregnancy app told me that the baby was developing tastebuds, I knew that it was time to start trying harder to improve my diet a little. A 2011 study appears to show that flavours the baby is exposed to in the womb could impact food preferences in later life, so unless I wanted a toddler that existed solely on chocolate, pasta, marmite and cheese, it was time to add some more vegetables in! I’ve been trying to add in more greens with wilted spinach or kale to simple pasta dishes, or broccoli and other veggies to soups. 

Babymoon in Costa Rica – 

Yet more travel for baby Barefoot, we took off on our last adventure just the two of us, with a flying visit to Costa Rica. I was feeling good so it was a pretty active holiday with lots of hiking and exploring – you can read more about exactly what we got up to here! I was sad to miss out on all the delicious ceviche and strong coffee (Costa Ricans have not heard of coffee sin cafeina), but I made up for it with the delicious fresh fruit smoothies! 

Unexpected bump touching –

Firstly I just want to add that I don’t mind at all when friends touch my bump – although it can sometimes take me by surprise and make me jump, if I’m not expecting it. It’s when strangers comment or reach out to touch me that I’m caught completely by surprise.

I get it, a pregnancy bump seems to have it’s own gravitational pull, irresistible to stroke! But please make sure that you ask first, especially if you don’t know someone that well! 

Your bump is tiny vs. your bump is huge – 

Talking about the bump and people’s reaction to it – in the space of half an hour I had one person tell me that I looked like I was three months and a second ask me if I was giving birth next week! I can’t win, according to some people my bump is tiny and to others it’a huge! 

We also had a really weird morning the other day when I woke up and my bump was really small, to the extent that the husband asked me if it was normal for it to just disappear… it soon came back after 30 minutes of being up and walking around. I think that it just depends on where baby has positioned itself.

Hiccups? – 

Recently I’ve been starting to experience some really strange movement from baby Barefoot which I’m pretty sure are hiccups, in that they are too regular to be the usual kicks! This is really encouraging as it means that the baby is doing exactly as it should, swallowing the amniotic fluid and practicing breathing. 

Some small personal milestones –

Not trying to boast or anything but I can still shave my legs, paint my toenails and fix my bikini line (although not well)! Hooray for little victories!

YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY READING: The Pregnancy Diaries – Month Five

Pregnancy Month Six At A Glance –

• Feeling: great! 
• Craving: chocolate, still… especially brownies and Nanaimo bars, this baby loves sugar! 
• Missing: ceviche and coffee 
• Struggling with: the invasions of my personal space 
• Enjoying: our active holiday, hiking and walking, baby seems to be enjoying that too and there is so much extra movement! Baby Barefoot is super active!
• Milestone: reaching viability at Week 24 and then the end of the second trimester!
• Baby is the size of a: bunch of bananas
• Baby weighs: 2 lbs
• I weigh: +12 lbs 

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References:
Baby’s Palate and Food Memories Shaped Before Birth
Early Influences on the Development of Food Preferences

pregnancy second trimester