Read part 1 covering the first trimester here

Second Trimester

Thank you so much to everyone who showed love for the first post of this series. I hope the information helped a mama just starting their journey. It is August, which is the month I got pregnant last year, and I am feeling a bit nostalgic for that Vegas trip and my lifelong souvenir ;)

Let’s dive into the second trimester and some things to note about this particular stage of the journey. For me (and many other birthing people) this represents the end of some of the more bothersome pregnancy symptoms including morning sickness, extreme tenderness in the breasts, and extreme moodiness. This is the blessing of the second trimester before the third trimester revamps old symptoms and adds new ones. I also spent my first trimester alone, so having support of my family and partner in the second trimester helped ease my anxiety.

Fatigue
For many people, the extreme fatigue of the first trimester fades away during the second trimester (weeks 14-27). This was not the case for me as I was slightly anemic and through blood work discovered that my thyroid was also slow performing.

This combo left me exhausted every day so my midwife had me really focus on increasing my iron intake through protein-rich foods (I started eating red meat during pregnancy— a craving from my body to increase needed nutrients) and supplements (I drank a Nettle-rich tea and took vegetarian iron capsules).

To boost my thyroid my options were to either increase naturally through my diet or start a hormone treatment. I really did not want to add hormones to my already super hormonal body for fear of what the effects would be on my mood and my baby’s developing body. I started eating Brazil nuts every day, which are rich in Selenium, a vitamin known to improve thyroid function. I also introduced salt with Iodine into my diet. My iron levels and thyroid levels were within the preferred range before birth with this treatment.

These dietary changes helped improve my mood as well as my levels. It is so important to have enough iron in your diet as the fetus is looking to store enough iron to last for their entire first year of life! A healthy-functioning thyroid is critical because a slow-functioning thyroid (hypothyroidism) can affect fetal brain development and growth especially in the first few months of pregnancy.

Exercise
During my first trimester it was super easy for me to workout because of how much more energy it gave me and how much less nauseous I was. However around 4 months, I noticed that my regular routine was no longer working for me. I had been running once a week, but suddenly my belly felt too heavy to do so, like jingling a sock full of quarters. Also I would experience hip pain after runs. I decided to stop running and instead add longer walks to my day. Additionally, I was still actively teaching and practicing yoga, which helped my mental, physical, and spiritual health. Exercise of some form is great for mom and baby during pregnancy, but it’s important to choose a format that works best for your body— not too strenuous on already loose joints, and something where you can easily bring your heart rate back to normal after a few breaths.

Embrace the Bump
This is the trimester where I really noticed that I was starting to look pregnant, at least to myself. Though I gained about 10 lbs in the first trimester and noticed my breasts growing, I did not look pregnant and sometimes it was hard to embrace. By the second semester I noticed a puffiness and eventually roundness to my belly. Additionally feeling those first flutters or kicks in my belly really helped connect me to the pregnancy. Rubbing my belly, massaging it with oils/butters, singing and talking to my baby helped me through difficult moments on the road to birth.

Minimal Intervention
During my pregnancy I was so curious about what and who my baby would look like. However I only received one ultrasound/ sonogram photo of my baby. Additionally every time I had to fly during my pregnancy I would opt for the pat down instead of the body scan machine. Ultrasounds were not commonly used in obstetrics until the 1970s and since then rates of Autism, Downs Syndrome, and other conditions the ultrasound is supposed to catch, have not gone down. Though the ultrasound is common practice, it just didn’t sit well with me and I couldn’t find enough convincing research to justify the high-frequency sound waves exposure to a developing fetus. In this polluted world it takes constant vigilance to reduce exposure to toxins from food, environment, and technology beginning with minimal intervention to our babies.

Summary/Tips

Monitor Iron levels & Thyroid
Adjust exercise routine
Talk to and embrace your growing belly
Limit amount of ultrasound exposure
Continue to practice self-care
REST
Continue pre-natal vitamins/supplements

Second Trimester Mantra:
With one hand on belly, one hand on heart
”We are loved/ We are protected/ We are in harmony/ We are wise”

I hope these reflections are useful, let’s continue to share experiences and information for healthier births in our communities!

xoxo Kenya Ku$h