Growing a Tiny Human: The 2nd Trimester

Writing this, I am now 40 weeks pregnant. I now see my midwife more than I see members of my family and I am reflecting back on the “glow” of the 2nd trimester. For many women, this is around the time that morning (let’s be real — all day) sickness subsides as baby begins regulating their own hormones. You’re stuffing your face with protein and iron rich foods like beef and kale to assist in your baby’s development and the increase of blood production. You’ve purchased all the baby books — all of them — and a ton of adorable cute gender-neutral onesies (and hats. and socks. and shoes. and wall clings.) and you’re hunkering down to read them and be the best pregnant person there ever was! (or at least that was your intention half-way through about 1/3 of the books you bought and maybe you didn’t need 5 different colored highlighters…)

Now that you can finally take a break and the idea has settled in that you are in fact growing a human life inside of you, there are some decisions to make. Some fun and exciting and others maybe a little scary. Of course, many parents follow along with the prescribed plan given to them by their OB and that’s totally fine. Whatever you choose that works best for you and your partner(s) is best. Some of these decisions include:

• Choosing a health care provider and birth setting
• Choosing a birth assistant or doula be present at your birth
• Prenatal testing
• Child birth classes
• Pain management techniques during labor and delivery
• Delayed cord clamping
• Donating cord blood
• Vitamin K supplementation
• Antibiotic eye ointment
• Feeding your baby after they arrive
• Postpartum care and family planning/birth control options
• Choosing a pediatrician

Many of these decisions should be documented in a detailed birth plan. Linked below are some tools for developing a birth plan. Once you have chosen a provider and setting, speak with them about the best way to communicate you and your partner(s)’s choices and how decisions will be made the day of, if things don’t go according to plan. Also, find out how you can get in touch with your provider in-between visits.

Before you can make these decisions, one of the first steps is finding out what questions to ask. One book I found majorly helpful for this was Our Bodies, Ourselves: Pregnancy and Birth by The Boston Women’s Health Book Collective. For just about each of the categories I listed above, they have compiled a suggested questions list for each. These come in handy when interviewing health care providers, birth support, pediatricians, and other VIPs who may be a part of your big day and after the bay arrives.

In addition to preparing your decisions and choosing your support team for the birth day, if you have not already, I’d recommend watching some birth videos and reading birth stories to prepare yourself and begin imagining your ideal labor and delivery. I’ve linked some of my favorites and my midwife’s recommendations below.

Baby Shower Planning

One of the fun and exciting aspects of the second trimester is baby shower planning. While many parents’ showers may be planned for you or even a surprise, it will still be up to you and your partner(s) to create a baby registry. If this is your first child (or even your second, etc.), you may be easily overwhelmed with the choices and recommendations out there for baby products and the many, many lists toting titles like, “What you REALLY need for baby,” or “30 Ingenious Things You’ll Want As A New Parent,” and “First Baby Checklists,” — I know we were!

Here is where to enlist the help of experienced parents. What items did they end up buying after the baby arrived? What do they swear they could not have survived without? Did you or your partner(s) grow up with younger siblings — were there items you remember being favorites? While researching, try your best not to buy. This can be the most difficult part! You don’t know what you will get at the shower, so try to hold off your purchases until after. If you haven’t already, check your health insurance plan to see what discounts of freebies they may offer. Most plans cover the cost or offer a significant discount for breast pumps.

If you are involved in the planning, I recommend timing the shower towards the end of the second trimester: late enough to get some cute baby bump photos, but early enough that you can be an active participant in organizing the nursery/your bedroom (for those of you planning come co-sleeping) after the shower.

Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding by Ina May Gaskin

One resource that I wish I had taken a look at earlier in my pregnancy was Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding — because of the title, I waited until mid-third trimester to pick up the book, but discovered some helpful sections like, “What do you really need to buy,” and “Dietary needs,” that would have been most helpful during the second trimester.

Eating for Two

Ah, get used to hearing this from everyone you interact with while you are eating, talking about food, they are eating, or just any general mention of calorie intake within earshot of you.

As you may or may not know, while the food you eat sustains you and grows your baby; you are not eating the calories for two people. Most pregnant people only need to consume, on average, between 200–300 more calories then they normally would — this is about the same as an extra bagel with cream cheese and a glass of milk. Factors that may effect this include: if you were under- or over-weight before becoming pregnant, the amount of exercise you are doing, and the types of foods you are consuming.

Try to pack as many nutrients into as little calories as possible and eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day, in lieu of the 3-large meals typical in the American lifestyle. Always consult with your health care provider before making any drastic changes to your diet. For me, it was important to increase my Iron and protein intake so smoothies were at the top of my list for breakfast and snack time.

Your Baby is Showing

As you begin to show, more and more people will approach you with unsolicited advice and potentially, unwanted belly rubs. Feel comfortable to ask people to respect your body and your space. Take advice with a grain of salt. As valued as experienced parents’ opinions and shared stories are, keep in mind that every pregnancy, every baby, and every family is different. What works for one may not work for another— not only that, recommendations from experts and medical professionals can change drastically overtime, so remember to fact check against up-to-date, reliable resources.

This fit may come naturally, but remember that wearing the seat belt incorrectly can lead to plugged milk ducts and injury to yourself and your baby.

Products:

• FLORADIX Formula Liquid Herbal Iron Extract — The first half of my pregnancy was plagued with nausea and fatigue. Early on, I was prescribed Iron supplements, but I could hardly keep them down; until my midwife recommended switching to a liquid and herbal alternative Floradix. I highly recommend it. Within just a few days, I was able to stay awake longer and keep the Iron down. After a month of taking the supplements, my Iron levels were at a normal level! Follow any Iron supplements with Vitamin C to increase absorption and avoid caffeine and dairy products (Calcium) as they inhibit absorption of Iron.
• Leg Spacer Positioning Pillow — A question I started to hear more and more often was, “How many pillows are you sleeping with now?” as you and your baby grow, it can get more difficult to get situated at night. Many parents choose to go with the ever popular Snoogle or other hook-shaped pillows that provide support to multiple regions of the body. I wanted maximum comfort while also trying to leave some bed for my husband. Instead of searching the Internet as well as the tried and true asking of friends and relatives for their suggestions, I went with an expert: my chiropractor. Not only did he know my body better than myself, I trusted his recommendation to be a safe one, tailored to what my body really needed (not just what was being advertised to pregnant women). I sleep with this pillow every night now and may even continue to do so after the baby is born.
• BlenderBottle — As I mentioned above, smoothies became an important snack and meal supplement for me. Since my husband and I only have a large traditional blender, it became a hassle quickly to try to prepare more than one smoothie a day while going back and forth between work. I found that making individual smoothies in the BlenderBottle worked best for me, but I have friends who swear by the Magic Bullet or Nutri Ninja.
• Bellaband — If you are anything like me, you will postpone buying any actual maternity clothing as long as possible. Rubber-bands and hair ties through button loops only lasted so long. The Bellaband made it possible for me to wear my regular clothes longer, ultimately reducing the amount of money I ended up having to spend on maternity clothes.

Additional Resources:

• Having a Baby? 10 Questions to Ask [Website]
• Our Bodies, Ourselves: Pregnancy and Birth by The Boston Women’s Health Book Collective [Book]
• Icons for Building Your Own Visual Birth Plan [Download]
• Birth Plan Generator: Explanations of Options [Website]
• Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding by Ina May Gaskin [Book]
• Baby-Friendly USA: Find Facilities [Website]
• The Baby Book, Revised Edition: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two [Book]
• Birthing Peace [Documentary]
• Laboring Under An Illusion: Mass Media Childbirth vs. The Real Thing [Video]
• Orgasmic Birth [Films]
• The natural birth centre birth of Daisy Emmeline [Video]
• Find a DONA International doula near you [Website]