I’ve just passed over into the final stage of pregnancy, so it’s time to recap my second trimester!

It’s gonna be a quick post! For the most part, it has been far easier than the rest of either of my pregnancies. I finally get it when women say they like being pregnant, because I’ve felt that way lately! That said, I’ve dealt with some bumps in the road and at times, they were either emotionally or physically painful.

Perinatal Depression I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - I’m a women prone to depression, especially when there are big hormonal changes in my body. I’ve had about half a dozen days of tears and wanting to stay in bed feeling really really bad about myself and the world around me. I won’t diminish it and say that everyone feels that way sometimes, because when you’re in that place, it’s like a living hell that feels very real. I wrote a little bit about it here while I was getting through it. 

I’ve also been able to see a connection between stress and sleep deprivation with mood changes, so together with my husband, we’ve been working to make sure to minimize both of those. I’ve decided not to use medication while pregnant, but will re-evaluate after birth. To be the best mom (woman/human being/etc), I need to take care of myself not only physically, but emotionally. Luckily it’s been just days (not weeks), but if it had been, I was prepared to seek additional treatment (as I would urge anyone to do if they have feelings of depression or anxiety. You are not alone!)

SPD (or Symphysis Pubic Disfunction) Sounds bad, huh? Basically, it’s a side effect of the relaxin in your body loosening your pelvis to prepare for birth. Here’s a better description. 

In hindsight, I realize I had this to the extreme with Felix (I could barely walk!) but this time around it’s been a lot less severe. Usually if I sleep wrong or have been on a long walk or sitting weird it flares up. Or when I’m balancing on one leg while getting dressed. I do some stretches to help out and the pain is less than a 1, so I’m just dealing with it! 

That’s really it! I have some mild insomnia and am getting winded during light physical exercise, but that’s to be expected! This baby is incredibly active so the movement has been equally exciting and overwhelming at times. She’s doing jazz hands and high kicks in there all at once! It’s a nice outward signal that things are going well and reminds me what kind of crazy miracle is happening inside my own body. THERE ARE TWO HEARTS BEATING INSIDE ME! Isn’t that wild? 

All in all, things are great. We’re excited to meet our little girl and start life as a family of four. Speaking of, we anticipate a bit of jealousy with the new arrival, but we’ve been preparing Felix in little ways. He was so gentle and patient with his younger cousin last week and that made us all more confident in the transition. I showed him some of his own baby pictures yesterday and he pointed to the screen and asked me “baby sister?” This mama’s heart = melted. Only ten and a half weeks to go! 

You Might Also Like… my First Trimester Recap here.