Sharing a little update on the second trimester! From how things have changed for me mentally, unexpected transitions, favorite products, nutrition and workout guides, and more.
If you’d like to catch up, announcement here, and the first trimester update.
It’s hard to believe the start of my second trimester was all the way back in mid-January.
Oh how things have changed…
I think it’s safe to say, not a single one of us saw what was coming for 2020.
2020 felt like it was going to be THE YEAR. January came, the first trimester was behind me, my energy was back up and I was ready to get back to work.
And then “The Thing That Shall Not Be Named” happened and well… here we are.
While the second half of my second trimester was clouded with a bit of fear and uncertainty, the first half felt pretty normal. I was traveling, working out, starting to wear drawstring pants and leggings, exclusively…
Feelings and Fears
Early on in the second trimester things felt normal. I often had to remind myself I was pregnant and that there was a little thing growing inside of me.
I remember teaching at FLEXcity Fitness one night and in the middle or the rounds thinking, “Goodness gracious everything is going to change soon…” Those moments would just hit me out of nowhere.
At 20 weeks it was starting to feel more real. I was feeling little bubbles in my tummy, we had our anatomy scan (no, we’re not finding out!) and we were getting excited. We had our “babymoon” planned for the end of March, a registry underway for showers being planned…
And then around 23 weeks I started feeling a little worried, mainly about what was happening around the world and what it meant for the future of our pregnancy and experiences.
In the early stages, overall my mindset was, “Oh, it’s fine. In 1-2 months things will go back to normal…”
But we all know that is now what is happening, not in the slightest.
Embrace the Uncertainty
Looking back on the past month or so, we really had to embrace the uncertainty of everything. Which, from what I hear, is great practice in preparing for how labor can go.
We are not in control of what’s happening right now, what was normal once is a thing of the past and we don’t know what’s going to happen in the future…
We ended up cancelling our babymoon mid-March, as things really started to escalate here in the US.
Baby showers are no longer happening.
And in reality, it is what it is. I allowed myself to feel sad about these things but know that come July, all of these worries won’t even matter anymore because our baby will be here and our new life will begin.
Focusing on the positives during these times has made all of the difference.
Don’t get me wrong, I still cry every now and then and truly wish things could go back to “normal” but that is just not our reality.
Body Changes & Symptoms
BODY CHANGES – To be honest, I haven’t had many negative feelings surrounding my ever-changing body. Sure my boobs feel like they’ll never stop growing, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned about that.
BUT I am growing a human. And that’s pretty awesome.
BLOAT – I also constantly felt like I was bloated. So I’d wake up feeling one size and then come dinner time swear I was 3x bigger. It’s not the most comfortable feeling in the world but it could be worse.
BACK PAIN – My mid back started hurting early on. I do think part of that was my kidney and not drinking enough water (based on muscle testing done by my chiropractor). But later on into the second trimester the pain felt a little different and would hurt moreso when I’d be sitting on the couch. I also started getting this bee-sting like pain in my front right abdominal area. At my 28 week appointment the Doctor said the baby is favoring the right side and my uterus is pushing up into my right ribcage, hence the discomfort. Thankfully it’s normal and not a cause for concern, unless the pain gets severe and constant.
HEADACHES – I got a few headaches here and there but nothing major. Another sign to keep drinking as much water as possible!
SLEEP – I’m always a side sleeper but I did switch from sleeping on my right side, over to the left (more on why here). But I had a friend let me use their pregnancy pillow and it’s been pretty great. It’s the leacho snoogle. I sleep with the support at my back and then add another standard pillow in front.
2nd Trimester Favorite Things
Clothing
- Align Leggings – I’ve been living in these. I’m 5’3″ and prefer the 21″ crop for working out, but like the 25″ inseam for wearing around the house. NOTE: I’ve been able to stick to my normal pre-pregnancy size throughout my pregnancy so far, but I am also told it might depend on where you’re gaining weight.
- Drawstring Pants – Drawstring pants are always my go-to, if I am being honest. But I wore those a ton early on in the second trimester. I’m trying not to buy too many maternity items and make my regular clothing last as much as possible.
- These Joggers – I bought these in my pre-pregnancy size around 20 weeks and continue to wear them below my belly.
- Longer Workout Tanks – I got a couple of these for workouts because they have a nice stretch and thinking they’ll last through the third trimester too.
- Basic High Neck Tanks – I wore these around the end of my second trimester as I started needing some longer tanks. I love that they have a higher neck, and they’re super soft! (Super sale right now too!)
- Bras – I bought a nighttime nursing bra early on, as well as the seamless bra. I ended up returning the seamless bra for fear I bought it too soon (i.e. my boobs were going to just keep growing) but plan on checking my size again and re-ordering. So I’m still working on some bra options but mostly have just been wearing larger seamless sports bra sizes for now.
Nutrition
Thank goodness around 12 weeks, my appetite came back. I got back into eating more salads and pretty much all of my normal foods again.
If you’re looking for a nutrition guide, The Predominantly Plant Based Pregnancy Guide is awesome. It’s created by Whitney English and Alex Caspero, two Registered Dietitians, boy moms and the creators
of Plant-Based Juniors.
It is a well-rounded guide with tons and tons of information, evidence-based findings, personal anecdotes and more.
You’ll find information on prenatal nutrition, supplements, diet, dealing with symptoms without drugs, exercise, postpartum and lots of great recipes.
Use code: fitpregnancy for 20% off!
Workouts
My workouts early on didn’t change too much – I was still feeling good, running a bit (at a slower pace), pushing myself when I could on the stationary bike and using my standard weight set.
FLEXcity Fitness (where I teach) – A combination of strength and cardio in less than one hour, using everything from BOSU to TRX to weights, barre and more.
When we were still working out in the studio, I started modifying quite a bit around 16 weeks when I could feel my belly getting a little bigger and pressure being put on my abdominals.
Now that we’re doing virtual classes at home, I modify a ton and pay more attention to my pelvic floor and have taken out any type of crunch movement.
The Bump Method – Later on in the second trimester, one of the owner’s of FLEXcity introduced me to the Instagram account @thebellemethod. I started watching a ton of her IGTV videos on breath work and strengthening your pelvic floor. She actually has as whole program on her website (check it out here) that I’ve also recently been using.
I feel like as women, we are not really taught about our pelvic floor and how important it is to keep strong, not only for life in general but especially in childbirth. Going through Nikki’s guide has made me so much more aware of my breath and focusing on exercises to strengthen my body in ways I didn’t know were necessary.
(It should go without saying, please check with your OBGYN about pregnancy safe workouts at different stages. Everyone has a different exercise regimen so what works for someone else may not work for you.)
Skincare & Beauty
FOUNDATION – I finally switched my foundation and a couple of other products to a “clean” beauty brand. I’ve been using Ilia Beauty “Super Serum Skin Tint” Tinted Moisturizer and really love it! I prefer a lighter weight coverage and this is perfect. Plus I wanted something with SPF, which this has. It does look best with a finishing powder though.
I also like their undereye concealer, eyeshadow and lip conditioner too.
TIP: If you aren’t buying in-store right now, Sephora has a shade matcher online. I used this along with looking up what my “undertones” were. i.e. I have mostly blue/pink veins so I have “cool” undertones. I made an educated guess based on those two things and the “Balos” Ilia shade is what I ordered. It works on my pale winter skin but might need to go up to the next shade for summertime. We shall see!
FACEWASH – I’ve been using Tula, as well as Franklin & Whitman’s oil cleanser. I often go between the two, using Tula in the morning and the oil cleanser at night because it leaves my skin feeling hydrated.
BELLY SERUM – I have this from Franklin & Whitman, along with this from Motherlove. I like both!
Anything else you want to know?
Let me know!
You can check out our announcement here, and the first trimester update ICYMI.
Some of the links shared are affiliate links, meaning I’ll receive a small commission should you choose to purchase through the link. I only recommend products I personally use and trust – thank you for your support!
Sandra Paroli says
You look adorable and I’m glad you’re doing well.
Ashley says
Thank you, Sandra!