Better late than never, right?! I haven’t posted since the beginning of the year when I found out I was pregnant because I just needed a little break and quite frankly, some extra sleep and downtime. But I thought I might regret not documenting my first pregnancy, so I decided that turning to the blog to get all my thoughts together would be a good idea — even if only 10 of you are reading! So, here’s a recap of my first and second trimester:
Symptoms: I was pregnant for a solid month before I realized it. The extreme fatigue I was experiencing should have been my first clue, and I remember complaining to my mom every morning on my walk to work about how tiiiiiired I was. I chalked it up to a post-holiday season crash (I did spread myself a little thin around that time), and didn’t take a pregnancy test until my boobs started feeling really sensitive and painful to the touch.
I almost feel guilty for reporting that I did not have any morning sickness. I completely lucked out there. (How many of you hate me now?!) I only experienced a 48-hour stomach bug that was so wretched I thought I’d never feel well again, but sure enough it passed. Besides fatigue, my biggest gripe during the first trimester was constipation. It was quite uncomfortable and every time I ate a meal I got full so quickly. Luckily, that eventually passed, too. However, my relatively “easy” pregnancy was not completely unicorns and rainbows. From day one, I had to give myself daily blood thinner injections. I have a family history of blood clotting and since pregnancy elevates your risk for clots, my OB wanted me to do these as a precaution. I hate needles and for the first few months the injections left me in bruises because I just wasn’t quite getting the hang of doing it smoothly. It eventually got easier and still to this day I am shocked that I am able to do this!
Luke caught me sneaking in a nap right in the middle of folding laundry. I was cashed out! (Who knows why am I using a third pillow as a shield?!)
Cravings: This is always the first thing I ask pregnant women: What are you CRAVING?! Every time I anticipate a seriously indulgent or interesting answer, but unfortunately I don’t have one to share myself. I definitely craved carbs more during the first trimester and it’s obvious why: I was TIRED. All the time. I ate egg burritos and veggie quesadillas for lunch when normally I would have been more than satisfied with a hearty salad. It also became nearly impossible for me to resist muffins or banana bread at the coffee shop near my office. Even with these “cravings,” I tried to be reasonable. I ate a small side salad or raw veggies with my lunch most days, and many times I would eat the top of a muffin and throw the rest in the trash. Whatever works, right?!
Thankfully, I did not have any serious food aversions. I have heard that it is common for pregnant women to have gag-like reactions eggs and veggies (and other specific foods), and I am so glad that did not happen to me. My beloved eggs! Veggies weren’t as appealing during the first trimester, but I made a good effort to eat them daily and I was usually glad I did.
My carb cravings decreased in the second trimester and cheese, Mary’s Gone crackers and cold plain seltzer water (from a can) soon became my new favorite snack. I’m really not a cheese person, so this definitely felt like a pregnancy craving!
Exercise: A lot of people might wag their finger at this, but I will admit that treadmill running felt really good for me during the first trimester. I went to a few Mile High Run Club classes and scaled back on the intensity a bit before deciding I should probably take it even easier. I continued to jog on the treadmill at my gym, but paid close attention to my heart rate and didn’t do any strength exercises that made me feel remotely weird or uncomfortable. To my disappointment, pushups were ruled out almost immediately!
Once the weather got nice, I did run/walks waddles at the East River track a couple times a week. (You might have seen the video I posted on Instagram.) Even though I was going at a turtle’s pace, it felt really good to be moving in a way that felt normal to me. I got a few “You go, girl!” type comments from spectators, which was encouraging even though I felt pretty ridiculous. I also did Tracy Anderson’s Pregnancy Project DVD 2-3 times a week, which was a gift from a friend. I don’t think I would have been motivated to do any strength training or stretching otherwise, so this was a godsend! I went to a few yoga classes as well, but for some reason they just didn’t do it for me and I gave up on the notion of being a yogi mama pretty quickly.
Thoughts/Emotions: I have never been a baby person per se. Sure, I love to caress chubby knuckles and make goofy, smiling faces at my friends’ babes, but that’s pretty much where it ends for me. I don’t have the urge to coo, kiss, cuddle and swoop up little ones like many women do, and as much as I hate to admit it, I can be quite awkward with handling babies. (My husband on the other hand? A natural!) That being said, pregnancy has come much more naturally to me than I ever expected, and I credit that to the fact that I do feel like I am meant to be a mom. Motherhood is what appeals to me, not necessarily having a baby, if that makes sense? Who knows though, those feelings could change once my little gal is in my arms!
I think the main reason I’m not feeling very anxious about caring for a baby is because I will be learning from the best! My mom is such a pro and I know I’d be much more fearful if she wasn’t going to be there to guide me during the first couple of months.
Weight gain: The first chunk of weight came on quickly! I gained 7-8 pounds during the first trimester and about the same amount during the second. I did feel a little hungrier than usual for those first three months and snacked more frequently, but I really didn’t take the “eating for two” concept too literally. Don’t get me wrong, there were times when I ate “just because” or consumed four pieces of pizza in a sitting, but those moments weren’t too common and I did my best to listen to my body and practice mindfulness whenever I could.
Baby Prep or Purchases: Besides the pregnancy tests, I don’t think I purchased a thing during the first trimester. A few noteworthy and lifesaving items during the second trimester were:
-These maternity leggings from A Pea in the Pod
-This top from Hatch Collection + a couple more staples — all in black!
-Mama Mio belly, boob and leg creams
-Tracy Anderson’s Pregnancy Project DVDs
My biggest frustration during the second trimester was learning how to dress my growing body. It was a trial and error process for sure! Most maternity items just weren’t working for me, so I decided to purchase regular clothes in bigger sizes (I’ve had luck at Zara, H&M and American Apparel) and that has worked pretty well. The Hatch Collection is a bit pricey, but I do feel more like “me” in those pieces, and having a few in the wardrobe rotation seemed well worth the price tag. Time will tell though if I really will be able to wear them again post-baby like they promise.
And last but not least…the Snoogle!
Luke bought this for me as an early Mother’s Day gift and you can’t possibly understand my undying love for this body pillow until you try it yourself. It is so effective that it continues to leave us smacking our heads saying, “D’oh! Why didn’t we think of this?!” It seems so obvious, yet genius at the same time.
Bump, there it is! Every time I say this I’m singing this song in my head. Anyone else?
Well, I think that sums it up. I’ll post a third trimester recap in the coming weeks — our little lady will be here before you know it!
