Thoughts, Feelings & What I Learned.

This past trimester for me was all about learning to balance rest, exercise, & diet. As energy is slowly restored, this is the time to squeeze in 30 minutes of workout daily for both mommy & baby’s advantage. At the same time, sufficient sleep also impacts a baby’s growth, not just how much nutritious food you consume. 

Around W22, I was working on a magazine project from the couch for days. A week later, I started experiencing a radiating pain around my tailbone. That’s when I learned the importance of correct sitting posture for pregnant women & how the saving grace of a trustworthy chiropractor CAN HELP. By W27, I bid the pain goodbye. Always tackle a problem early! 

The takeaway? Try your best to do what’s right & listen to your body. Nothing you do has to be perfect – your best is enough. 

 

Week 13: Baby is a lemon

Feeling:

• More energetic & happy compared to the 1st trimester.
• A small bump & realize when packing that I can’t fit 85% of my clothes anymore! 

Thoughts:

• My bones must be expanding because I surely don’t look fat. 

What I Learned:

• Avoiding what triggers your allergies may reduce the risk of your baby developing the same allergies. 

 

Week 14: Baby is a navel orange

Feeling:

• So nauseous on 13/9/19 at 6 a.m. I had to try vomiting, but that’s the first & last time. 
• Energy slowly restoring from the last trimester but occasionally still feeling sleepy so naps are necessary.
• Good hair day with strong nails.
• Like my brain went on vacation. 
• Useless – body in bed, mind at the gym. There’s a ‘knot in my gut’ & I have no energy to even walk to the gym. 

Thoughts:

• Is the baby growing OK? Am I eating enough nutritious food?
• I should sleep by 11.30 p.m. 

 

Week 15: Baby is a pear

Feeling:

• Very forgetful – on Wednesday I realized the last time I washed my hair was Sunday!
• My hair isn’t as oily as before – I can go up to 4 days without washing it.
• Bleeding gum.
• Oily, spicy food is the culprit that makes me nauseous at this stage.
• Tried kale to test food aversion – still hate it.
• Too much screen time on a laptop/phone doesn’t make me feel good at all. 
• Not sleepy anymore but need rest; the lying down kind.
• The need to take deep breaths.
• Introverted.

Thoughts:

• My nails never grew this long without breaking!

 

Week 16: Baby is an avocado

Feeling:

• A bigger appetite.
• Tummy is smaller in the morning, expands from noon onwards.
• VERY dry skin.

Thoughts:

• I’ve much more energy now that I can sleep a bit later!

What I Learned:

• Avoid buffets & street vendors where food is lukewarm. 

 

Week 17: Baby is a large onion

Feeling:

• Stress, which causes heart palpitations for hours, like 3 espressos downed in 1 go.
• The energy to exercise.

What I Learned:

• If you don’t have the energy to exercise, at least do your Kegels – 3 sets of 20 DAILY. 
• No reaching for items that are kept in high places.
• If you do exercise, avoid:
  • lying on your back
  • lunges if you’re not used to doing them
  • overexerting yourself

 

Week 18: Baby is a cucumber

Feeling:

• A bit dizzy, randomly.
• Constipation has begun.
• I could live without a tweezer. Body hair growth has been slowing down like magic. 
• Visible green veins on boobs.

Thoughts:

• Why is my bump so small?

 

Week 19: Baby is a mango

Feeling:

• Waves like hunger but not kicks.
• Bump is prominent; first thing in the morning & even after using the bathroom.
• Like having soup, root vegetables & mushrooms only. Not a fan of meat. 🥴
• Skin all over my body dry AF.
• Weird dreams, leading to interrupted sleep.

Thoughts:

• Why are there no kicks?!

What I Learned:

• At this stage (W14 – 26), baby’s movements won’t feel like kicks & punches but flutters in various forms, which can be confusing.

 

Week 20: Baby is a sweet potato

Feeling:

• Pregnancy is a bliss!
• Enjoying bump.
• Guilty. At our morphology scan, the doctor mentioned that the baby keeps yawning & is a teeny bit small (& looks like É), so I should rest more, not eat more. 

Thoughts:

• Less Netflix, more rest! É & I had been binge-watching till 1 a.m. on most days. 

What I Learned:

• If you have an anterior placenta like me, you’d only start to feel kicks a month later as the placenta is acting as a cushion against your tummy. 

 

Week 21: Baby is a large banana

Feeling:

• Rare, minor kicks. 
• Bump is now unmistakably a bump.
• Not sleeping very well thanks to weird dreams.
• Unpredictable headaches.
• Like I can eat a lot.
• Gastric/spasms.

Thoughts:

• I should try spreading my meals into 6 smaller ones VS 3 big ones. 

What I Learned:

• Before bed, imagine placing your worries into a box, taking it out of your head & putting it aside. Think happy thoughts! 
• Have dinner earlier & try to hit your water quota during the day. 

 

Week 22: Baby is a red bell pepper

Feeling:

• Many kicks not visible on the tummy. 
• Hungry the moment I open my eyes in the morning.

Thoughts:

• I never thought that kicks can feel so uncomfortable. 

What I Learned:

• When driving, keep 25.5cm away from the steering wheel. 
• Wear seat belt between breasts & under (not over/across) the belly.

 

Week 23: Baby is a grapefruit

Feeling:

• My tailbone hurts.
• Bleeding gum when brushing teeth.
• My skin looks great!
• Sweaty underarms that don’t stink at all.

Thoughts:

• What’s going on with my body?!

What I Learned:

• Set a timer to take breaks every half an hour if you have to sit for long hours.
• Try not to cross your legs as it is bad for your tailbone. On a chair, sit on an ice pack above a soft cushion for 20 minutes, 3 times a day. Rocking back & forth on a yoga ball helps ease the pain. 
• Keep shoes to 2-inch high, maximum. 
• When it comes to bleeding gums, your hormones are to blame. Nothing to worry about. 
• A pregnant woman might be sweatier but not smellier! 

 

Week 24: Baby is a pomegranate

Feeling:

• Itchy skin with tiny red rashes around my tummy.
• Cramps like contractions. 
• Mild gastric.

Thoughts:

• This itch better not stay throughout my entire pregnancy. 

What I Learned:

• Changing to an oatmeal shower gel soothes itchiness. I’ve been using Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash (best price found here). St. Ives Oatmeal & Shea Butter Body Wash is next in my list & half the price of Aveeno.
• Stretch mark is mainly genetic but you can prevent it from getting worse. I’ve been successfully keeping mine at bay with Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Massage Lotion for Stretch Marks (1 item left here). 

 

Week 25: Baby is an eggplant

Feeling:

• Leg cramps.
• I can eat a lot.
• Fat increasing but protein went down even more!

Thoughts:

• Time to cut the carbs I’ve been loading & replacing them with protein. 

What I Learned:

• To chase cramps away, flex those feet to towards your nose, preferably when standing. This also helps prevent swelling. 

 

Week 26: Baby is an acorn squash

Feeling:

• Very sleepy.

Thoughts:

• I can’t think.

What I Learned:

• The best position to sleep in is on your LEFT side.
• It’s not how much you slept but how you feel. Never feel guilty if you need to take a nap. Or two. Or three. 

 

Week 27: Baby is a cabbage

Feeling:

• Baby is growing big & fast!
• Like a proud mama.

What I Learned:

• Sign up for a birth class around month 6. Why go without when you can be more informed? Don’t do it at the last minute (like me)!