Congratulations on making it to the second trimester! For most women, the second trimester marks the end of nausea, morning sickness, loss of appetite, and lack of energy. Your mood feels elevated and you feel and look pregnant. Well, you may not necessarily be showing, but you’d be pulling out old, loose clothes from your closet and may like to hook your trousers one button less. You will also be feeling healthy, and find some renewed stamina in you. Find out 12 tips to help you sail through the second trimester.
Many women begin showing a larger belly during the second trimester as the baby grows and gets stronger. It is during the second trimester that the baby’s organs fully develop. A baby can also start hearing and swallowing during this time. A baby may also start growing hair. As the second trimester progresses, the baby will begin to move. The fetus will also develop sleeping and waking cycles that a pregnant woman will begin to notice.
12 Awesome Tips To Help You Sail Through The Second Trimester Easily
The second trimester begins during the 14th week of your pregnancy and is often termed as the easiest and the favorite time of the nine-month-long journey. To help you sail smoothly during these 3 months, we have some awesome tips lined up and hope you have a great second trimester and a safe pregnancy ahead.
1. Get the Nutrition Now
If the first trimester was all about throwing up and feeling miserable about food, now is the time to get started on a healthy regime. Making healthy, nutrient-rich choices so as to nourish the baby should be a priority.
Get colorful – the more color in your diet, the better the nutrition. Do not miss on proteins, healthy fats, and other essential nutrients. Give in to cravings (after all you are pregnant!) in a healthy way and occasionally, do splurge
2. Exercise
If the first trimester kept you in bed for you always felt too tired to do anything, up to your activity levels from this week itself. Your renewed energy should be put to use to get some safe exercises during pregnancy, be it walking, swimming, or other low-impact workouts.
If you are new to the fitness routine, start moderately and gradually. Try prenatal yoga, and do check your doctor’s opinion on how your fitness routine should be
3. Enjoy Sex
Most women run very low on libido levels during the first trimester, but during the second, they tend to feel like having sex. Give in! Enjoy safe sex and be creative. Not to worry about the baby – she is fine and happy cushioned deep inside you well protected and safe. However, do take a green signal from your doctor though, and if something fells uncomfortable or hurts, be open about it
4. Prenatal Visits
There is no way you should be missing any of these – these are timed precisely so as to detect any problems early on in your pregnancy. Most women with uncomplicated pregnancies need to see their doctors once every month, so that should not be a problem. The second trimester also marks some important tests and scans – the Doppler scan, anomaly scan, complete antenatal profile tests, and the like.
The second trimester is also the time when you will be checked for gestational diabetes. Though they may sound like ‘too much of a thing’, they are actually necessary to ensure your baby is developing perfectly and any problem can be quickly addressed
5. Shop Sensibly
Renewed energy would also mean some outings on the cards, and this is the best time to head shopping. Invest in some maternity clothes, and baby nursery items. Go for some maternity staples like pillows and bras and Take a cue from online portals and friends and family.
If you live in a country where sex determination is not illegal, you would know whether you are having a boy or a girl sometime during the 18th week- so you can even do targeted shopping. In India, fetal sex determination is an illegal and punishable offence
6. Plan a Babymoon
Babymoons are a thing now! Plan a relaxed, calming holiday if time and budget permit you with your spouse and create some beautiful memories. However, do ensure that you get a green signal from your doctor and carry all your medical records – just in case
7. Plan Your Maternity Leave
If you are working, this is the time to discuss and plan your maternity leave with your boss and co-workers. Try not to get involved in new projects or tasks that demand long working hours. Designate and do give a thought to handing over your responsibilities to someone else.
Plan a meeting with the human resources department and discuss your options. Ask for a change of profile if your job involves standing for long hours or is deemed as potentially dangerous during pregnancy
8. Take Care of Your Skin
Pregnancy comes with many skin changes. While some women are lucky to get the hyped ‘pregnancy glow‘, some battle with acne and skin pigmentation. Who is to blame, well, the surge in hormones. What can you do? Opt for safe creams and steer clear of the sun.
Protect your skin by cleansing it regularly using a natural, oil-free cleanser and following the other tips for glowing skin. And if things still do not improve, do not worry- these skin changes will probably go away after the delivery
9. Chalk Your Birth Plan
Deciding on how and where you wish to give birth is a crucial decision, and we’d suggest you do it now – in consultation with your spouse and your doctor. Talk to other women about their experiences and figure out what would be the best for you. Signing up for childbirth classes could also prove to be helpful
10. Calm Your Pregnancy Fears
You like it or you don’t, all women do have a certain degree of pregnancy fears that plagues their minds. A normal amount of panic and worry is normal, and it can be calmed by discussing the same with your doctor. However, if you have overwhelming anxiety, it may affect the baby negatively. Seek help
11. Feel the Baby’s Presence
It is during this trimester that you will start to feel something is really cooking inside you. You see your baby moving and fluttering on the ultrasound monitor. Fetal movements make their mark sometime during the 18th week or so, while you may start to feel heavy baby kick as you progress to the sixth month of pregnancy. These experiences will be out of the world and will literally make you feel overwhelmed.
12. Get Information
The second trimester is also the time to ready and prepares yourself with some handy information so that you are not caught unguarded. Read about pre-eclampsia, Braxton Hicks contractions, premature delivery, etc., and get an idea about these conditions. You can read pregnancy books and in case of any doubt, reaching out to your doctor is a great choice
All in all, the second trimester marks a welcome change in the life of a pregnant woman. However, since each pregnancy is different, for some women, nausea may still not go and they may not feel sexy at all. Most women start to embrace their new identity as a mom, but some tough worries also start to surface. Our opinion? Go with the flow.
