Soulful Second Trimester!!

Now that you have finally crossed the first trimester, it calls for some treat!! Goodbye to the nausea, drowsiness, puking and hopefully constipation too! Though most of these symptoms recede slowly and may last until about 3.5~4 months. But definitely you will start feeling better each day. For me though getting back my appetite and not worrying if I will puke again was in itself a big hurdle crossed!! I am sure many of you will resonate my thoughts.

Coming to the best part yet! I am sure you have started to SHOW! The small little bump is finally there!! Wow I still remembering touching and feeling my abdomen every now and then wondering what my baby looks like. And checking myself in the mirror to see how much bigger my belly has grown. And a sure answer to this are the number of dresses you need to discard as your baby starts to grow! :) Don't worry you will definitely get a chance to lose that weight and fit back into all of it. 

A thing to remember is as you start your 2nd trimester, you need to start sleeping only on your sides and not on your back or tummy. Maybe uneasy for some of you but is really important as this blocks off the blood supply to your baby if you sleep on your back. To ease some of the discomfort try keeping a pillow between your knees when you sleep. This will help ease some of the back pain you will experience as your baby grows.

Now is about time when you would have disclosed the news to most people. If you are working it's an ideal time to break the news to help your team plan accordingly. And yes yet again expect a lot of pampering and catering to your cravings. I did not have much cravings though. The only thing i craved a lot for is Pav Bhaji from a near by restaurant. Gosh! it was yummm!! I still crave for it though. But sadly no one pays much attention to it now ;)

Apparently cravings are a way for your body telling you what nutrients it needs. Say if you crave for oranges maybe you need more Vit C supplements. Nevertheless it's a good excuse to have your cravings catered to :D But be watchful of what you crave. If you crave for anything harmful be sure to mention it to your doc!

Now for the best part of the 2nd trimester. The first KICKS!! I had my first flutter like movement in my fourth month. I was lying on my side in the early morning when i felt a worm like thing run inside my belly! I woke up in a jolt with a smiling face. It was an amazing feeling. 

During the entire course of pregnancy both my husband and me ensured we always consciously had conversations with our baby. Everyday we spent time together talking to my belly. As time progressed my sonny started responding to our conversations by kicking me. He used to get stimulated by certain songs and voices - my husband's for instance. When my son was born, he recognized my husband's and my voice on the day of his birth! I strongly recommend this to all pregnant couples out there. It creates a unique bond between the three of you and is a very blissful feeling. 

2nd Trimester is also the time when you start your stretch marks. You may find in-numerous creams and lotions to avoid it. For me though none of them made any significant difference. I am yet to see how they vanish with more time. But definitely try applying something moisturizing over your belly. Your skin maybe itchy when it's breaking. Try not to scratch. It it's unbearable and it's turned into a rash, apply lacto calamine lotion(available in all pharmacies, not the cosmetic one). Nevertheless apply some cream everyday lightly massaging your belly in clockwise motion. It helps in bonding with your baby and you too will enjoy the massage.

This is about time when most of your pre-pregnancy dresses stops fitting you. Sigh!! I know I know..how bad that feels!! You suddenly feel your entire wardrobe is snatched away from you! But the good part is you can buy some new clothes :) Try not to buy too many of them and most importantly buy something a size or two bigger so you may fit in as your belly grows. And I suggest that you don't spend a lot in buying these clothes since you may not fit into them after maybe a year or so. Also be careful when buying these clothes they do not have any thick elastics which may fit tightly on your abdomen or pelvis. This can hinder the movement of the baby. Also be watchful of your panties for the same. Try to look out for ones which don't have thick or tight elastic preferably like a seamless one. This will keep you comfortable and also your baby.

As time goes by you will start to notice a lot of those kicks and somersaults. A few of them can really take the wind out of you especially if you are stuck in a position where you cant move much - maybe like in a car. If your baby's position is really uncomfortable try walking or moving, your baby will realize and change position. This is also the time when the ultrasounds get very exciting. You start to see your baby develop each month and see its movements live! I strongly recommend 3D and 4D imaging for your record. It's priceless to watch your baby emoting and moving inside. In one of the videos of my son, he was trying to walk inside my womb! More like MJ's moonwalk. LOL. These are precious collections which you will treasure as time goes by. A recommended time for this is around 5~6 months. Beyond 7 months, the imaging gets difficult as the baby grows.

Welcome to the very exciting second trimester!