Being in the second trimester of my pregnancy brings with it also a lot of changes to my body. And when they say that a lot will change during the course of 9 months, boy they are not joking! After surpassing the very tiresome and mega shift in my lifestyle during the first trimester, I have read a lot that months 4 to 6 of carrying and developing a baby inside of you is the most easy part of the whole stage.
During my first trimester, I experienced some changes and signs in my body like getting strange red patches out of nowhere, and being on a really different level of constipation (sorry for the too much information!). So I had to change my way of eating and add more fluids and fiber into my diet. And since I had spotting early, the doctor advised that I have a 2 week bedrest – by bedrest she meant minimal movement, and just getting out of bed if I had to pee..Whew.. And I even thought that I could do my normal activities during that stage. But lo and behold, even food have to served to me. But of course since I was the only one at home, I would still have to get up for some time to serve myself my lunch, and then rest for some time again before I go wash the dishes. I also thought that I could still continue my normal exercise – playing badminton and some stretching at home – but since I even notice an added spotting after some stretching, I realised that I had to let it pass. No more unnecessary movements as of that movement. Sad. But thank God that this time I am more able (compared to last 3 months) now than ever. I can walk more distance than before. Well, at least. I feel a whole lot better especially now that I have gained 4 kilos from my prepregnancy weight.
Now that I am currently in the last month of my second trimester, I noticed that I ate a lot more than I did last trimester (I was a bit picky and had some nauseous attempt before), I can now feel that I am getting back to my normal routine. I can now manage to get some stretches and do some movements to my stiffened muscles. Only difference is my belly is a lot bulgier upon reaching week 23 and everyone couldn’t help but notice my big round stomach which in return, makes me proud of myself for having this little one growing inside of me.
One downside right now though is that I have been feeling back pains and been having a hard time finding the right position at night. Even with lots of pillow surrounding me, I still find it hard to get a good night’s sleep. I don’t want to complain, because this is only one compared to last trimester’s pain. I can’t help but wonder why can’t these hardships stop.
But upon reading the book “What to Expect when Expecting”, the author wrote there that our pregnant bodies are preparing us into labor so the back pains that I am feeing right now is not only making us feel bad right now, but it benefits us because since our bellies are getting bigger now, the body is adjusting by bending our backs to support the weight that helps us with our balance. So that is why for any pain or hurt that we feel, we should not be discouraged, for it is only helping us to get ready for what the future holds for us. 🙂