My Second Trimester Update

And just like that, my second trimester has come and gone!

When I sat down to write my first trimester update, I remember thinking to myself, “Dang, that flew by quick!” And now that the time has come to give you all my second trimester update, it feels like Baby Malone’s due date is right around the corner! With the craziness of the holidays and the New Year smack dab in the middle of my pregnancy, I found myself thinking, “Wait a minute, what just happened?!” And here we are…trimester two completed. Done. At this point in time, both Ryan and I find ourselves talking about baby things ALL the time. We are getting so dang excited to meet our little nugget in just a few short months!

As we head into the third trimester and dive headfirst into all things baby prep, it’s such a great time to sit down and reflect. What I have been feeling the most lately is pure gratitude. More than anything, I’m so grateful to even be pregnant, when lots of couples are currently struggling to get where we are. Furthermore, I am beyond grateful that this pregnancy has been relatively free of any complications and that the baby and I are currently healthy! I have to say, this is such a blessing that we do not take for granted.

With that being said, who’s ready for a second trimester, bumpdate?!

How’s Baby?

Baby is currently doing wonderful! We have had lots of check-ups, tests, and ultrasounds that have all indicated he/she is developing properly and is perfectly healthy!

Although, the baby did give us a tiny bit of a scare at my 28-week appointment! Our doctor indicated to us that they were underweight and a bit small for how far along we were. We were then referred to a prenatal diagnostic specialist at a local hospital, where we spent a full day getting more tests and ultrasounds. However, we were assured by the doctor that the baby is developmentally right on track- thank goodness! It looks like we just have a small little babe on our hands!

How’s Mama?

Things are definitely starting to feel more surreal with each passing week! Every time we are sitting at the doctor’s office and get to see our little one on the screen, it’s hard not to get emotional. It’s crazy to think about how my body is somehow creating another human being. Like what?! I’m growing them, supplying them with life, and pretty soon I will bring them into this world so they can become their own person someday. A total and complete miracle. I don’t think I will ever get over this feeling!

Throughout my entire second trimester, I started to feel like myself again, which was amazing! It’s no wonder everyone calls this time the “honeymoon phase” of pregnancy because it’s so true! I finally got my energy back and was able to function like a normal human being again. There were definitely days early on during the second trimester where I would almost forget that I was pregnant because of how completely normal I felt!

While I have been feeling pretty good throughout this entire pregnancy, I have absolutely had my fair share of pregnancy symptoms! For instance, my “baby brain” has been out of control! Aside from forgetting my keys and locking myself out of the house, I also find myself forgetting common words and full conversations between Ryan and me (haha). It’s awful! I’ve also had some migraines, super intense round ligament pain, horrible congestion, some hip and tailbone pain, and lightheadedness when I wait too long to eat. I am also getting to the point where I get out of breath rather easily, and I started getting Braxton Hick contractions around the 21-week mark. If you talk to Ryan, he will probably tell you that I am still acting a bit “hormonal” and definitely more emotional than usual (haha). But hey, that’s totally normal right?!

Baby Kicks

Yes, I am DEFINITELY feeling all the baby kicks, which honestly has been the best thing in the whole wide world. For someone who is a first-time mom, I think I started feeling this little babe earlier than most pregnant mamas do. I began feeling the “flutters” at just about 13 weeks! The best way I could describe this feeling was intense gas bubbles (haha). From here, these movements just intensified and by week 18, I was able to feel itty bitty kicks! Funny enough, Ryan was also able to feel these baby kicks during the same week as me! It was such a special time for us and we will never forget those first few days lying on the couch feeling our baby move.

As amazing and heartwarming as these little movements are, I have to admit that they kind of freaked me out in the beginning! The kicks came rather suddenly and were very strong and intense those first few days. It really caught me off guard and I kept getting startled by them. Within a week though, I got used to the funny sensations and now feeling this little guy/gal squirm around is one of my most favorite things. They are typically most active early in the morning or late at night, so the two of us start and end our days hanging out together in bed. It’s pure bliss!

What I Did

As soon as I got my energy back, I started working out again! Because I did close to 0 exercises during my whole first trimester (thanks to the utter exhaustion) it was great getting back into a workout regime. I began practicing prenatal yoga and prenatal pilates about 4 times a week which I absolutely loved! It helped so much in terms of preventing cramping, soreness, and joint pain.
Ryan and I began buying furniture for the nursery! Since we already had a crib, we focused on the changing table and dresser, a rocking chair, a rug, and other fun decor items!
We also took this time to create our baby registry. If you are an expecting parent, you already know how overwhelming it can be to come up with your baby shopping list! I mean, why are there so many baby items on the market?! And what exactly is a Muslin Swaddle?! Use this time to do some research, talk to your mom friends, and curate your lists.
We attended a hospital tour. This is a great time to start thinking about where you want to deliver your baby! If you have a few options in mind, check to see if/when the facilities offer tours and if you have to register in advance for them. After we did this together, I felt so confident in our choice of hospital, and Ryan felt comfortable knowing exactly where he had to go, park, walk, etc. when the big day arrives!
Ryan and I discussed baby names. There is something so fun and exciting about laying in bed at night discussing potential baby names! This is something we wanted to get on top of early in case it took us a while to agree on names.
We hired our midwife. Here in Germany, it is pretty standard to find and hire a midwife who will come to your house and check up on you and the baby post-delivery. These midwives will help you adjust to newborn life, answer any questions you have, and help you with feeding, sleeping, schedules, and anything else you need!
After we found our midwife, we signed up for a baby/birthing class. I would definitely recommend getting on this earlier, rather than later, so you have time to attend the classes before you deliver.
Ryan and I planned a Babymoon. In my opinion, the second trimester is the BEST time to plan a vacation. Mainly because you are past that tricky first trimester, yet you are also not in that uncomfortable stage of the third trimester. You’ll most likely have plenty of energy to enjoy one last trip together as a family of two.
Over the holidays, Ryan and I flew home to the States to visit our families. This trip couldn’t have come at a better time because we were able to spend quality time with everyone before the baby came, and share in the celebration of this pregnancy.
While we were home, we attended our baby showers. We had so much fun seeing everyone and celebrating this baby with our family members!
After our baby showers, Ryan and I went out and purchased a car seat and a stroller. We ended up buying this car seat, and this stroller. We spent many months researching various car seats and strollers and had no doubt in our minds that these were the most perfect for us and our lifestyle.

Favorite Products

Maternity Leggings: I love these ones so much because they’re comfortable, they don’t fall down, and they are definitely something I will continue to wear postpartum. I own them in almost every color!
Maternity Dress: This dress has been my most-worn piece of maternity clothing. I have been able to get away with wearing it so much because of how versatile it is. I’ve worn it with jean jackets, leather jackets, sweaters, cropped sweatshirts, cardigans…you name it! It’s extremely flattering, comfortable, and worth every penny.
Maternity Sweatshirt: Hands down, my all-time favorite sweatshirt! It’s perfect for when you want to wear something loose and be comfortable, but also not look like you’re wearing your husband’s XL college sweatshirt (haha).
Baby Shower Dress: Oh-My-Gosh. I adore this dress! I ended up wearing this for one of our baby showers, as well as on Christmas Eve. It is insanely comfortable, soft, and makes you look SO put together while remaining super comfy!
Belly Butter: I swear by this cream! It’s a DIY belly cream that I made at home, but it works wonders for keeping my skin moisturized, for preventing stretch marks, and increasing my skin’s elasticity. Love, love, love this stuff!
What To Expect When You’re Expecting: For all my pregnancy info, questions, and concerns. Every new mama needs to read this book during her pregnancy. It’s especially useful when you’re caught off guard by some crazy, obscure pregnancy symptom and you want to see if ___ is normal (haha).
50 Things To Do Before You Deliver: Another book that I have adored over the last 6 months. For all my Type A chicks who love to make lists and be over-prepared, you will love this one as well!