My Sixth Month of Pregnancy (and the End of My Second Trimester)



We’re rounding the corner on this pregnancy, with only days left in my second trimester. Had it not been for all the time I spent in the hospital, then I would have agreed with all the sources who say that the second trimester is the best so far. The nausea and exhaustion of my first trimester was gratefully absent, and (when I wasn’t recovering from my kidney episode) I felt pretty normal and able to do much of everything I’d done before.

(By the way, the end of my fifth month of pregnancy fell while I was in the hospital so I skipped posting an update that month.)

Here’s a quick run-down of how the last few weeks or so have fared:

THE BABY. She is now currently about the size of (evidently) “a large zucchini,” weighing around 1.5 to 2 pounds and measuring 14 inches long. She is moving around as much as ever, and I’ve gotten quite used to all her nudges. I think that’ll be something I might miss, though I also imagine if they start getting more forceful then I’ll probably be glad to have my insides back to myself again once she’s born!



MATERNITY ADDITIONS.
I’ve now got a noticeable bump and have officially graduated to maternity pants. I held off for a long time, until about 24 weeks before I finally gave in, and I haven’t looked back since! (If you want to see a review of my favorite maternity jeans, click here.) I also purchased a maternity support belt because I’ve started having some lower back pains and have heard that can help relieve it. And, for fun, I bought some new winter boots using a bunch of Amazon gift codes I’d saved up from using the search engine Swagbucks, which awards you points for online searches you do that you can then cash in for gift cards and prizes. (If you’re not familiar with Swagbucks, you can find out more about it here.) I figure they’ll probably be my last fun splurge for a little while at least, with most of our resources funneling toward the baby, but thanks to all those gift codes, the boots were a steal and I’ve been loving wearing them!

BABY STUFF.
We have started collecting things for the baby, starting with her nursery (which I’ll be sharing an update and sneak peek of soon!). We’ve got the walls painted, crib and dresser assembled, curtains ordered. It’s slowly coming together and getting ready for her arrival in a couple of months! I’ve also started picking up things for her when I’m able to find a good deal, like really cheap used books on Amazon (also purchased with my Swagbucks!) and this cute, gender-neutral onesie.



BODY CHANGES. My body continues to grow; I'm now at the point where if I stand up straight, I can no longer see my toes! That visual has really reinforced how far we've come—and how close we're getting toward the end! My skin has also become extra dry, so I've had to take to using more moisturizer than usual to combat it. And finally, my belly button is officially losing shape, stretching out and on the verge (I imagine) of flipping out.

PHYSICALLY. Pretty good. I ended up picking up a cold from my husband which left me down-and-out for a few days last week (runny nose, sneeze, cough) but now I'm feeling better. Other than that, I've been feeling pretty good, with a pretty healthy energy level that's allowed me to feel normal again, although I've still been clocking a lot of early bedtimes and afternoon naps!

However, I have noticed that I have become ever-so-clumsy in the past couple of weeks. I’ve chipped dishes, accidentally squirted ketchup onto myself instead of my plate, missed the table when I set my glass down (resulting in water spilled all over the floor), walking into walls. It really has been ridiculous. Fortunately, nothing disastrous has occurred so we’ve just been laughing over the episodes which sound straight out of a bad sitcom or something.

I also was able to do some follow-up tests to check on how well my kidney was healing and the doctor was pleased to announce that it appears that my kidney function is completely restored! Hallelujah! I’d been feeling well for quite some time, but it’s nice to have the tests back that up, too. So hopefully we won’t have any more medical issues until it’s time to have the baby!

PREPARING FOR BABY. There's still a lot on my list of things to do (like research hiring a doula, schedule a birthing class, finish the nursery, etc.) but I feel pretty good about everything that's to come. Someone asked me the other day if I felt ready yet. The truth is that I don't, but only because I have no idea what it will be like. However I'm looking forward to learning—even the hard and long and frustrating parts that will come with it. For now, I have a pretty good peace about everything that awaits us!

Related Posts
My First Three Months of Pregnancy 
My Fourth Month of Pregnancy

11 comments:

  1. You look great and I'm so glad your kidney hasn't given you any more troubles! :)
    Time sure does fly by and it'll be "go-time" before you know it. Enjoy your last trimester of pregnancy! :)

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  2. I think a lot of hospitals have labor and delivery nurses who teach birthing classes, but there are also Certified Childbirth Educators who are trained in teaching the classes. There are different birthing methods and philosophies, so you could consider that in your search :) Here's a link from Childbirth International to jump-start your doula search- http://www.findadoula.com/
    -Carrie

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  3. So glad to hear that you're healing and baby is healthy!

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  4. Great update Carmen. So glad to hear that your kidney is fully healed- Praise God! You said you were looking into hiring a doula. Are you also going the midwife route? I live in Canada, and in my particular province midwives are VERY expensive. I was thinking of looking into doulas that work with medical professionals in the hospital, but I'm not sure what that would really look like. I'll be curious to hear more of your experiences.

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  5. Carmen, Your blog has been such an encouragement and blessing to me, as I am about 3 months behind you, pregnant with my first!!!! :) I was reading your blog well before your pregnancy, so I was surprised when I got on and read that you were pregnant, around the same time I had found out! It has been reassuring to read someone else's thoughts, expectations, etc, as I don't have a lot of girl friends to talk with about my pregnancy. Both the "looking towards the unknown" (loved that latest post!) and also practical things like maternity clothing.

    I will be interested to hear what larger baby items you like and don't like, because I am somewhat of a frugalist/minimalist like you, and don't want to end up buying things I won't use or need. I am not sure how much you'll want to talk about it, since your blog encompasses so much more, but a post on that would be interesting. Such as, did you solve the dilemma of the diaper bag? And I'm interested if you'll get a stroller for walks!

    Also wondering if you are getting any kind of "co-sleeper" bassinet to keep the baby next to you at night in the early months? A glider for nursing? I was thinking I'll look on craigslist for those things. Are there any books you like in terms of philosophy for sleeping/feeding? I had heard bad things about the book "On Becoming Baby Wise" in blogs, but I have a family member who recently used that system and her infant daughter is soooo happy and well-adjusted, that I can't believe it. She smiles all the time and seems to know what to expect, never is discontent. But people say it's too harsh and unloving?

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for your sweet reply and suggestions. I hadn't really planned on providing an update to the "stuff" posts but now that you mention it, I think that would be a great idea. Don't want to leave people hanging, especially when so many people chimed in on everything! Plus, we have started collecting those sorts of things so many decisions have been made! Keep your eyes peeled for that.

      And a woman at my church gave me a copy of the Baby Wise. Totally seems like a great system and really smart / common-sense. I'd encourage you to check it out if you can; I've since seen quite a few (older) copies at thrift stores, but the version I'm reading is that old so I don't think it's changed much!

      Congrats on the pregnancy!

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  6. ps- I was just reading a few reviews, and another option I am considering is the book "The No-Cry Sleep Solution," which seems to be a more gentle philosophy. I definitely think some kind of schedule setting will be important for the baby and I, as I have sleep disorders myself and a difficult time with my own sleep schedule, and don't want to pass that on!

    Just seeing if anyone here has opinions...not meaning to overwhelm you, Carmen! Sorry if I am! Too much coffee today, perhaps.

    -D

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    1. Haha, not overwhelming at all. And you can always feel free to email me directly if you want! I don't mind at all. I have picked the Sleep Easy Solution book to read, though I'm not familiar with the one you mentioned. One of my friends used the Sleep Easy Solution and had great success! Also, I read the book Bringing Up Bebe (which I talked about in this post) and she talked about a really neat study that was done on getting babies to sleep through the night that I plan on instituting.

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  7. Thanks for the suggestions! It took me awhile to come back because sometimes I take internet breaks. :) Good to know you also had Baby Wise recommended to you by a "real person." Luckily my family member offered to send me her copy; I didn't even have to ask! I will look into the Sleep Easy Solution.

    Great job on the blog...I like the styling, and I think you've done a great job staying true and writing about things you are passionate about. It shows through in your writing! Best wishes for the rest of your pregnancy! Will say a prayer for ya.

    -D

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  8. Getting things ready for the babies is always exciting.tummy fat

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