I can’t believe that I am 32 weeks pregnant already. 32 whole weeks?!?! Where has the time gone? Well besides concentrating really hard to not throw up for the first 15 weeks then making up for lost time the second 15 weeks. This pregnancy has been such a blessed time. And I say this under no illusion that it’s not like this for every woman.
It must be said that a lot of it has to do with one’s mindset.
Although it’s one month into my third trimester (yes it took a whole month to get my butt into gear to write this recap), here is why I enjoyed the second trimester so much…
The second trimester was amazing for me for the following reasons:
1. I accepted that my body was going to change in any and every way that it needed to
This was also made a lot easier by the fact that Chris was so complimentary of my changing body. He absolutely adores the way I look and I feel more beautiful now than I have ever felt.
2. I LOVED (and still love) all the bodily changes
Every time I looked in the mirror and noticed something different, I was overcome with awe at the female body and how perfectly we were designed for this process.
3. People take notice
While I don’t like to be the center of attention in a big group or crowd, I must admit that it has been quite nice to get noticed and paid attention to. It’s hard not to since I’m carrying what looks like a basketball under my shirt. I have been blessed to receive mostly encouraging and kind words from people. I think a lot of this has to do with the people you surround yourself with.
4. There are so many interesting things to learn about pregnancy and birth
Learning about something has so much more meaning when you are in the midst of the experience. I read something the other day that mentioned how we are a lot more receptive to and rewarded by learning new information when we can directly attach it to an experience. There is so much information out there but having an open mind and listening to my own intuition has protected me from the potential overwhelm of information overload.
5. I worked through several fears regarding child birth
A book called Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth, was gifted to me by a close friend when I fell pregnant. I highly recommend this book as a substantial portion of it contains positive birth stories – something that we as a society are not abundantly exposed to. A lot of what we know about birth comes from dramatic movie renditions and women who like to share their terrible birth stories. Although I always knew I wanted a natural birth, I still needed some reassurance that it can be a beautiful experience.
6. Bonding deeply with baby began
This is something I never really understood before falling pregnant and is something that has only increased since baby boy started being so active in my womb. I could feel him from about 16 weeks and Chris felt a kick for the first time at about 20 weeks. My whole belly moves now and at times I feel like he might burst through my skin! Being able to connect with him while he is active and even while he is sleeping through rubbing my belly and talking to him is such a special and intimate experience.
7. Hubby is so connected to the whole process
Another blessing from this pregnancy is how invested Chris is. He talks to baby boy at night before bed while rubbing my belly, marvels at every semi-violent movement and rubs my feet when I’ve had a long day. He insisted on having the same pregnancy app that I have on his phone so he is up-to-date on baby’s development. This gem of a husband has even enrolled for an online birth prep course for dad’s-to-be. This has made the journey so much more enjoyable for me and has taken our marriage to a completely different level.
As you might have already noticed, we are having a boy! We found out at our 22 week anomaly scan. We decided to wait until that scan instead of undergoing another unnecessary ultrasound. There is controversial information regarding the risks of ultrasound scansand it’s effects on the baby. Although it’s not completely deemed as unsafe, we decided the less scanning the better so long as baby is healthy.
Right now I’m all about winding down and nesting. Nesting is a real thing people. I want to organize and redecorate and clean and unpack my baby things only to repack them again. And by winding down I mean work-wise. And since I work for myself, finding that balance between taking it easy and also making money is tricky. I am listening to my body as well as being attentive to what it is I am called to do at this time.
Here’s a little insight into my current routine:
Everyday is a little different, but I work from home three times a week and this is what the routine looks like.
6:30/7:00 – Wake up when baby starts moving like crazy and demanding that I eat
6:30/7:00 -7/7:30 – Quiet time reading the bible, journaling and prayer
7:30-8:00 – Exercise (7:30am-8am)– stay tuned for another post on what I’ve been doing for exercise during my pregnancy.
Breakfast
Shower
9:00 – 11:30/12:00 – Work on website, email clients, business development, client sessions etc.
12/12:30- 13:30/14:00 – Lunch break during which time I tend to watch a bit of tv, my sister comes over or I meet up with a friend
14:00 – 16:30 – Work on website, email clients, business development, client sessions etc.
16:30 – 17:30 – Break
Get started on dinner
18:30/19:00 – Dinner
19:00 – 21:00 – Chill time with hubby
21:00 – 22:00 – Night-time routine in the bedroom consisting of dim lighting, playing relaxing music, reading, deep breathing etc.
Stay tuned for an upcoming post about what I’m doing to stay healthy in this pregnancy…
Bye for now!