So far....so good! :) The second trimester has definitely been a great one......you definitely don't realize how differently you have been feeling for the past several months until things start to get back to normal for you. Most women enjoy their 2nd trimester the most during pregnancy as this is when your morning sickness starts to subside, you regain your energy, you reach your halfway point in the pregnancy and best of all, you feel your baby kick for the first time!!!! I was lucky to be able to enjoy the summer months (and prime ice cream season) that coincided with my 2nd trimester.
We've been going for our monthly check ups with our OBGYN which are exciting as we get to hear our baby's heartbeat :) Another huge milestone is reached at 20 weeks when you go in for your anatomy ultrasound. This is the one that takes a good 45min-60min and they go through every little part of your growing baby to make sure everything is developing properly. So really, we already know that our baby has ten little fingers and ten little toes! :) The results of our two part IPS blood tests also come back and you go through these results plus the anatomy ultrasound together with your OBGYN at your next appointment post anatomy ultrasound.
Although I didn't start showing much in the 2nd trimester, feeling our baby kick for the first time was the most exciting and amazing part of the pregnancy. Unfortunately, this is something only I could feel (no matter how much Makoto tried his best to poke and palpate my tummy) as the baby is too small still for any movements to be felt from the outside of the tummy. Makoto does his share in connecting with the baby by having his nightly "chats" with my tummy and reading bedtime stories to the baby. We've definitely done some damage to our credit cards at the bookstore......it's amazing how nostalgic it is to go to the children's section of Indigo and see all your favorite childhood storybooks. We both went berserk when we re-discovered "Where the Sidewalk Ends" by Shel Silverstein :)
One thing I started experiencing was low back pain which I wanted to nip in the bud as I was sure it was only going to worsen with my progressively growing tummy so there were 3 things that were integral in improving the pain:
1. Regular adjustments with my chiropractor (Dr. Brian Dower - http://www.drdower.ca/) - WOW! Did it ever make a difference after my spine was realigned. I had a few imbalances in both my thoracic and lower spine so re-aligning it made almost an instant....and more importantly....sustained difference in my low back pain.
2. Regular massages with Chris and Luis - both AMAZING registered massage therapists at our clinic. They are also experienced at pre-natal massage.....I've never had a side-lying massage before but find it even more relaxing than a face-down massage! I seriously want to bring them to the hospital with me on the day we give birth!
3. Yoga/Stretching/Rest - I learned pretty quickly that running around all day long and not allowing myself to rest was not helping the low back pain situation at all. Even just taking a 15min rest (as in lie down somewhere and FULLY commit to resting) every few hours helped so much. I do yoga moves and stretches before bedtime as well which has helped.
We ended our 2nd trimester and entered our 3rd trimester with the most wonderful baby party thrown for us by two of our best friends. We were blessed to be joined by 60 of our friends and 150 pink and white balloons.........IT'S A GIRL!!!!!!! :):):):):):):)
