The second trimester of your pregnancy is arguably the most exciting and enjoyable one. You have gotten over the initial hyped-up superstitious and over-excited phase and have entered a state of calm and even positivity. Plenty of things are happening and this is a time when you start to watch out for everything everyone has told you to expect around this time. Rightly nicknamed the honeymoon period of your pregnancy, the second trimester is the only time when you will relax and enjoy being pregnant. In this post, let us talk about some of the best things that happened during that second trimester that makes this whole experience delightful.
Here are a few things you can expect during the second trimester:
You expand, gracefully
Your belly will continue to grow in size and you will start to notice it and even stop trying to hide it like you did the previous months. It looks good the way it is and now is the perfect time to flaunt it as well. Your breasts start to get bigger and this is completely normal. It is the perfect time to invest in a support bra that makes you feel comfortable and does its job. This is important because tight bras and lack of support can lead to backaches or make the existent ones worse.
Random patches on your skin
Pregnancy triggers hormone fluctuations like never before and this can often lead to increased production of melanin (cells containing pigment). You will start to notice brown patches on your face that weren’t there just a week ago. A sudden line appears down your belly. Since the production of melanin is triggered by direct exposure to sunlight, you might be subjecting yourself the more such patches if you go outside without enough protection against the sun. Also, get ready for plenty of stretch marks everywhere you can imagine.
BIeeding Gums
It is because of the hormone fluctuations in your body that your gums naturally tend to become tender and easily bruised. Don’t worry though. This is something that affects almost half of the pregnant women out there. You just need to buy a toothbrush that has soft bristles and pay extra attention when you clean your teeth and floss them. This is a temporary problem that will go away on its own when you are done being pregnant.
Headaches and Nasal Congestion
Headaches are extremely common during pregnancy and there is nothing you can do about them because you are not allowed to take your normal medication like aspirin or ibuprofen that kicks away the headache usually. If it is extremely bothersome and your doctor is OK with it, you can take acetaminophen. Nasal congestion is another problem that bothers many pregnant women around the second trimester. Inhaling steam and using saline drops are safe ways of dealing with it. Since the lining of your nasal cavity is swollen, you are also likely to experience nosebleeds.
Dizziness
Occasional spells of dizziness are extremely common during pregnancy and not something to worry about unless you have other conditions that could be causing the same. This occurs as a result of your expanding uterus pressing against the blood vessels and reducing blood flow to your brain. Standing for too long can be a trigger and must be avoided at all costs.
Quickening
Yes! You finally get to feel your baby move around inside you in short movements that tend to get more prominent as your pregnancy progresses. First-time mothers might experience this a bit later than others.
The second trimester is easily the most enjoyable one and you should focus on getting to know your baby better during this time because you don’t have to worry about labor just yet.