The second trimester is often referred to the “golden period” of pregnancy because you will have more energy and some of those pesky symptoms in the first trimester (sore breasts and nausea) may also subside. The second trimester refers to week 13-28 and I definitely did feel the fatigue and nausea subside once I passed week 12. I was very excited for the nausea to go away but I definitely wouldn’t say that I felt as good as I did pre-pregnancy. I definitely had more energy as compared to the first trimester, but I still struggled to find motivation to get outside and follow work-out routines (as mentioned in my exercise post).

My baby bump was quite small and did not grow much until week 18. It started to look more like something by then, but it still mostly looked like I just ate a lot. However, the extra weight was starting to give me some back pain and I made sure to use a hot compress on my back and sit with extra cushions for support. I was also starting to get ligament pain – pain due to the ligaments stretching as the baby grows. This occurred when I sneezed or coughed hard, and also when I went for walks. I would always get a sharp stitch on the right side whenever I went for a walk or started too quickly on the treadmill. It was frustrating because I already did not have the highest level of motivation to go out for my workouts and this made it even harder. I tried to start off at an extremely slow pace and I also took more breaks during walks to address this issue.

Speaking of sneezing and coughing, I was also experiencing some mild symptoms of pregnancy incontinence where a small leak would occur when I sneezed or coughed too hard. While it is not a great thing to experience, it is a common thing to happen to pregnant women and nothing to worry or be embarrassed about! The baby and uterus is exerting a lot of pressure on your bladder so there is a chance for a little leakage to occur when there is a sudden movement. I will have a more in-depth post on the importance of strengthening the pelvic floor muscles and kegels soon! I bought some very light pads and also went to the bathroom more often to make sure it happened less often.

I am allergic to dust/dust mites and we actually moved to a new apartment because my allergies were so bad. We were delighted to find out that my allergies improved drastically in the new apartment but then found out that pregnancy can exacerbate allergy symptoms. It was still a lot better than when we lived in the old place but once in a while I would be extremely sniffly (not great during a pandemic!). I checked with my doctor and found out that the allergy medicine I was taking was safe for pregnancy. However, I still tried to minimize taking the medication and instead we vacuum more often and also have our air purifier on 24/7.

I usually get a rash during winter due to the dry weather, but I had a much more severe rash that spread all over my body during the pregnancy. It was so itchy and Jerry had to keep reminding me not to scratch. I would poke or pinch my skin since I was trying not to scratch and it actually resulted in bruises! It started to affect my sleep because I would wake up in the middle of the night and start scratching. I ended up seeing a dermatologist and she told me it was just eczema that was exacerbated by pregnancy hormones fluctuations. She gave me a topical steroid cream and a medication to decrease the itching. I also tried to moisturize more (I use QV lotion, fragrance free and not sticky at all). Rash is common during pregnancy and here is a helpful article regarding all the different types. Most can seem relatively harmless (although extremely uncomfortable), but do watch out for symptoms of intrahepatic cholestasis, a condition that could cause preterm labor and puts your baby at risk for stillbirth of lung issues.

Other second trimester symptoms included more sensitive gums, dry eyes, and a headache once in a while. I also realized that my scalp was a lot dryer and itchy. Since it was winter and I also did not engage in intense sports, I just washed my hair a lot less so it would not dry out as much.

I also experienced a fainting spell at the beginning of the second trimester which was quite scary. I was in a hot and stuffy place and completely blacked out for a few seconds. Luckily Jerry was with me at the time, but it is definitely something that pregnancy woman should be wary of (there will also be a separate post regarding pregnancy and fainting).

Apart from all these wonderful symptoms, I was happy to not experience any constipation, swelling of hands and feet, UTIs, or stretch marks!

Psychologically, the start of the second trimester was exciting because this is when you can finally tell your friends about the pregnancy! It was also a relief because the chance of miscarriage is extremely low once you pass the 12-week mark. Around week 12/13 we got the NIPT and combined test to see if our baby was at risk for any genetic abnormalities. That was also the time where we were able to determine the gender of our baby via the blood test (gone are the days of finding out via ultrasound!) and our doctor called us a day or 2 before Christmas to let us know we were having a baby boy! Around week 20 is the time for the structural ultrasound where the doctor does a detailed look at your baby’s anatomy to identify if there are any abnormalities. The waiting period between testing and results always made us a little nervous but we were so ecstatic to find out that we were going to have a little man join our family and also relieved to find out that all his results came back normal.

I also had to take the infamous OGTT test to find out whether I had gestational diabetes during the second trimester and while I was lucky and did not vomit or faint… it was pretty nasty. It was also a LONG test where I had to stay at the clinic or nearby for 2-3 hours. You basically get your blood drawn multiple times and you also have to drink a venti cup of sugar water. While it takes up a lot of time, it is an important test to do and I was glad to get it over with and also find out that I did not have gestational diabetes.

The second trimester felt quite long but it was definitely exciting to feel the first baby kicks! I think I felt the first one around week 18 but I am not too sure the exact timing. It felt like a little flutter or muscle spasm but during an ultrasound I realized those feelings were kicks. It definitely made the pregnancy feel more real and I felt more connected to our baby. The baby bump finally grew more significantly around week 23 and I finally felt like I looked “pregnant”. For a long time I still felt like it was not that noticeable and friends only knew because I told them. It was nice to finally get that pregnancy baby bump instead of just feeling like I’ve gained all this weight and just look larger. Near the end of my second trimester I do feel a bit like “I cannot believe there is still one more trimester”, but I am grateful that the pregnancy has been pretty smooth (apart from the pandemic) and that Jerry and I are staying happy and healthy.