During your second trimester, it’s time to enjoy your pregnancy and start spreading the great news. Hopefully, morning sickness is a thing of the past, so you can relish feeling good and energized.
Here’s some of things you will be experiencing in your second trimester:
- Go shopping. There's no more squeezing into your stretch workout wear and oversized tops! Your belly has grown, and you’re beginning to look pregnant. As you outgrow everything in your closet, have fun getting essentials like maternity jeans as well as pieces that aren't so essential like necklaces. There's so much cute stuff out there to buy, rent or borrow.
- Pregnancy perks. Now that you’re showing, you may even get a seat on the train or bus. You’ll also get lots of unsolicited advice and comments as strangers decide whether you’re having a boy or a girl by the way you’re carrying. Most are old wives’ tales. Ignore them, or have fun and take bets on the final outcome.
- Gender reveal. During your mid-pregnancy sonogram – around 16-20 weeks -- you can find out whether you’re having a boy or a girl. If you’re up for learning the surprise in a crowd of loved ones, have a gender reveal party. Or keep the news to yourselves as your own little secret for nine months.
- Strange cravings. Pickles and ice cream anyone? Many women say that cravings start kicking in around this time. You may be amazed how some really strange things are suddenly appealing, while some old favorites may make your stomach turn.
- Baby on the move. Perhaps it’s when you’re listening to your favorite music or eating spicy food, but you’ll start to feel your baby kick at certain times. It’s such an exciting thing to feel. Put your partner's hand on your belly when it happens so you can experience it together. You may not have ever believed it, but you could spend a whole evening just watching your belly.
- Keep moving. If you had morning sickness, it will likely begin to subside in your second trimester. You may also find you’ve got more energy, so now’s the time to get things ready for your baby. Clean out and organize that spare bedroom to start turning it into a nursery. Explore baby stores and websites to see how you want to decorate. It’s also a great time to join a pregnancy exercise class (with your doctor's approval, naturally) and meet other parents-to-be.
- Celebrate your baby bump. If you’re the type to share, schedule a photo shoot with your honey to capture your growing belly. Post on social media as your friends and family will want to share in your happiness.
- Sign me up. Head to the store to create a baby registry. That way you’ll get some of the big-ticket items and cute onesies you want from friends and relatives. And don’t forget to put diapers on your registry. You’ll want to register for various sizes as little babies do grow quickly.
By Bethany Kandel
