Pregnant with Baby Number Two - The Second Trimester
- Lauren Catron
- Jun 1, 2021
- 10 min read
Second trimester flew by quick. It's crazy to think we are getting to closer and closer to my due date! Lots of things happen in the second trimester including finding out the gender and starting to feel those baby kicks! Some of the symptoms I experienced in this trimester include:
Stuffy Nose - This symptom comes and goes for me, but has been a lot better than it was with my pregnancy with Henry. (I wonder if the time of year/season plans any role in that). Anyways, pregnancy rhinitis is congestion thanks to good ole hormones. The thing that helped me the most was wearing those breathe-right nasal strips. Pregnancy is sexy.
Headaches - Headaches during pregnancy terrify me now after my traumatic experience with preeclampsia during my first pregnancy. Fortunately, they have been tolerable and go away with medicine. But every time I get one, I always think, is this the beginning all over again? I regularly checked my BP, and have an open communication plan with my OB to stay on top of things. (I explain more below.) It's also extremely important to make sure you are staying hydrated! Dehydration can cause headaches too.
Heartburn - The more I dig deeper into these symptoms, I realize hormones are to blame for EVERYTHING!!!! Progesterone is the leading cause of pregnancy-related heartburn, according to healthline. It acts as a muscle relaxer, loosening the esophageal muscles, allowing the stomach acid to creep up into your esophagus and throat. I have to prop myself up at night with lots of pillows and also make sure to take an antacid before bed. I also watch what foods can be triggering, i.e. cinnamon, tomato-based sauces, some coffee.
Round Ligament Pain - Growing pains. Literally. As your uterus grows and stretches to accommodate your growing baby, you may feel "twinges" every now and then. For me, it's when I sneeze I can really feel the ouch. Making sure I take the time to rest and even take a warm bath helps with this symptom. I've also seen mama's use belly bands to help offer added support.
Dry Skin - Another symptom you can chalk up to hormones. It's even worse now going through a pandemic and you are washing your hands more than ever. Throw a bottle of lotion in your handbag and lather up!
Brain Fog - I first got "pregnancy brain" when I was pregnant with Henry. Then it turned into mom brain and I've never been the same. I'm sure it's hormones and lack of sleep because I get up to pee about three times a night.
Shortness of Breath - Guess what the cause behind this one is? If you guessed hormones, you would be correct. Hormones are the main culprit in the second trimester, but will get worse as your baby continues to grow and your lungs have less room to expand. I do want to caution you though that shortness of breath could also be a symptom of preeclampsia. So be sure to keep an eye on it.
Carpal Tunnel - When I sleep at night, sometimes I wake up to tingling and numbness in my arms and hands. Carpal tunnel syndrome during pregnancy happens when swelling puts pressure on the nerve in your wrist, according to What to Expect. My OB said I could wear a wrist, that's about the only thing that helps. It goes away after delivery. However, if your swelling is severe, talk to your OB or midwife! Edema, or swelling cause also be a sign of preeclampsia.
Leg Cramps - These seem to pop up mostly at night. No one is 100% sure as to what causes them, but it's likely because of the extra weight you carry during pregnancy. Hormones could also be to blame. Go figure.
Swelling - Swelling during pregnancy is a normal because the body produces approximately 50% more blood and body fluids to meet the needs of the developing baby. Normal swelling, which is also called edema, is experienced in the hands, face, legs, ankles, and feet, according to americanpregnancy.org. Be aware that extreme swelling, especially sudden swelling could be a sign of preeclampsia.
Pregnancy Mask - Also known as melasma or cholasma, is when you develop dark blotchy spots on your skin, typically your face. I have spots on my nose and cheeks. This is also the cause of the linea nigra on your tummy and darker areolas. These discolorations do go away after delivery. Be sure to wear an SPF!
Stretch Marks - As your belly grows, stretch marks make their appearance. These can also pop up on your breasts, thighs and some even experience them on their arms.
Acne - Not to brag, but I have always been graced with pretty clear skin. But damn, this baby is wrecking havoc on my face. And of course, there's not much I can do about it other than keep it clean.
Braxton Hicks Contractions - Braxton Hicks, or false labor pains, is when your uterus contracts and relaxes. Your belly can get really hard and it can be uncomfortable, but nothing unbearable. They are common in the second and third trimesters.
Fourth OB Appointment
This doctor's appointment was short and sweet. As always I left my urine sample and headed into to the room. They checked my blood pressure, and unfortunately it is starting to rise. We aren't actively doing anything for it now - just trying to watch what I eat and exercise regularly. Doctor checked baby's heart beat - baby is still sitting right on my bladder (which explains the peeing every 40 minutes) and heart beat is a perfect 155.
Doc asked if I had any questions and my only question this visit was when to worry about not sleeping on my back. Many doctors recommend you stop sleeping on your back around 20 weeks. Why? According to What to Expect, when you sleep on your back, the weight of your growing uterus, along with baby, can put pressure on your vena cava - the main vein that carries blood back to the heart from your lower body. This pressure can "aggravate backaches and hemorrhoids and make digestion less efficient, interfere with circulation and possibly cause hypotension (low blood pressure), which can make you dizzy." It can also reduce the blood flow to your baby.
My doctor recommended sleeping at an incline, which can reduce that pressure on the vena cava, or putting a wedge under my lower back, which would do the same thing.
Next we scheduled my "20 week" anatomy scan - when we finally get to see if baby Catron is a girl or boy!!!!
Anatomy Scan
The anticipation leading up to this appointment was wild. From the moment you find out you are expecting, your first thoughts are, "is it a boy or girl?" and "who will this baby be?" Of course, nowadays there are blood tests (even DIY, order-online tests) and can know pretty quickly what you are having. (I will say I have seen A LOT of people say the at home tests are inaccurate, but to each there own.) Drew and I discussed doing the blood test, but we both agreed that there is something so special about hearing the ultrasound technician give us the news in person.
So we waited... 18 weeks to be exact. Due to COVID restrictions Drew is limited to the first ultrasound and the anatomy scan. Don't get me wrong, it sucks, but I know some mothers weren't even allowed this. So I'm grateful he is able to be by my side. We actually made a little day date out of the whole thing. We went and got lunch before heading to the appointment. When we got to the doctor's office, we told the ultrasound tech that we didn't know the gender yet. She was excited herself - she says that everyone already knows by this appointment, so she never gets to share the big news with everyone. So we all were excited to see what we could see (or lack their of, ha!)
The first thing that amazed us was how big baby had grown since my last ultrasound. It truly is such a miracle to watch them moving about, all while you can feel them wigging. Baby was curled up and did not want to give up the goods. I was really starting to worry we were going to have to come back, that we wouldn't find out that day. I started asking, what are the next steps if we don't find out today? The tech told me, "oh no, I'm not giving up that easy!" After several minutes of wiggling and jiggling my belly, having me turn on my side, sitting up, moving around, baby finally moved enough for us to get the shot we were looking for.....
That's right... BABY CATRON IS A GIRL!!!!!!!
Our sweet girl is healthy and was measuring two days ahead of schedule. She was curled up, facing my back, and literally sitting on my bladder. Since she was tucked in their tight, they couldn't get all the measurements they needed. There was nothing concerning, but they did want me to follow up with another ultrasound appointment in a month, which I don't mind because that just means I get to see her one more time!!!
Picking Out a Name
Naming a child is one of the hardest things a parent has to go through (prior to the baby actually arriving). I've seen so many memes that say something to the effect of, you don't realize how many people you hate until you try to name a baby. #TRUTH.
But fortunately for us, I have had a girl name picked out since FOREVER. Like literally, before I even met Drew, I knew what we were going to name our baby girl. Fortunately, Drew loves the name, so it's going to work out perfectly. We aren't sharing with the world yet, but once she's here, you'll know!
21 Week Appointment and Ultrasound
This appointment included another ultrasound since they didn't get all the measurements they needed during the first ultrasound. The "checklist" they are looking for includes looking at the baby's bones, heart, brain, spinal cord, face, kidneys and abdomen. And, of course, gender. With baby girl all curled up, they needed to get some better measurements of her head. Well guess what? My little stinker butt still wasn't cooperating. This time, her head was shoved down into my pelvis, literally using my bladder as a pillow. They were able to get more imaging of the heart and other organs, but since her head was in a weird position, I now have to go back for a Level 2 ultrasound at the hospital. Nothing concerning, but they have to go through this "checklist" in order to "sign off" on everything looking normal. I'm all about the extra ultrasounds (sans having to pay for them), so I don't mind.
I did find out baby girl is still a girl (a fear of mine was that they were going to tell me they told us the wrong gender - not that I wouldn't have been excited, but a little..) She was measuring 15 ounces and one day ahead of schedule.
I also discussed with my doctor our action plan for my blood pressure. It hasn't changed much, but is still higher than we would like. She said she wasn't concerned until I started to get into the 150s/100 or 160s/100, then we would consider our next steps. My urine is clear of protein at this time, and everything else is looking good. So she told me to keep up the baby aspirin, and we will keep an eye on things. I will see her again in another month.
Level 2 Ultrasound
This ultrasound was done at St. Luke's Maternal-Fetal Medicine clinic. The nice thing about this trip was my mom got to come with me, and we got to get a glimpse to wear to park/find the labor and delivery area! This will be a different hospital than the one I delivered at with Henry.
It was exciting to see how much baby girl has grown already. She was really rocking and rolling, and the ultrasound tech even felt her kicks and punches! We got to see her moving around, yawn, stretch and what even looked like waves. Everything looked great and she is growing as she should be. However, with my history of high blood pressure and preeclampsia, I will be getting growth scans at 28 weeks, 32 weeks, 34 weeks and 36 weeks. Doc said that the growth of the baby is the first sign of something wrong, so they want to make sure to stay on top of it.
25 Week OB Appointment
This appointment was short and sweet. Doc checked baby's heartrate, which is still running around 150 bpm and measured my tummy, or the fundal height. This typically happens after 24 weeks and your OB or midwife will measure your fundal height at each visit moving forward. The measurement is generally defined as the distance in centimeters from the public bone to the top of the uterus. The expectation is that after week 24 of pregnancy, the fundal height for a normally growing baby will match the number of weeks of pregnancy, plus or minus two centimeters.
We are continuing to keep a close eye on my blood pressure, as each time it continues to rise. We also had another discussion about getting the COVID-19 vaccine. My doctor is strongly encouraging me to receive the vaccine. She said she feels comfortable now that I am close to the third trimester, and there is enough research to show the benefits outweigh the risks. She also said this is the best defense for baby since she would not be able to receive the vaccine anytime in the near future, so she'd need the antibodies passed from me to help build her immunity. I think I'm on board now that I'm getting closer to my due date. I want what's best for my baby and to make sure I am doing everything I can to protect her.
During this trip I also got my prescription for my new breast pump and instructions for my upcoming glucose test. Next time I'm in, I'll be receiving the glucose test, a growth scan and seeing doc. Less than 100 days to go!!
Some Important Things to Add to Your "To Do" List During the Second Trimester
Pre-register at the hospital
Talk to your employer about maternity leave
Register for short-term disability, if applicable
Apply for your free breast pump through your insurance company
Start making a list of things you'll need once baby arrives
Work on nursery
Start mentally preparing for baby!!!!!
See you all next trimester!
XOXO
Lauren
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