Enjoying Pregnancy: The 2nd Trimester

Part 2 of my pregnancy series. Check back for more; part 1 is here!

Ah, the honeymoon trimester! *Most* women have an easier second trimester than first, after the placenta is developed and hormones stabilized (for the most part). Here are some tips & tricks I did during my second trimester to ease pregnancy!

[[And as always, I'm not a healthcare professional, so take this advice as though it is from a fellow pregnant lady, because that is true. Talk to your healthcare provider about what will work best for you.]]

"Issue": Pregnancy Digestive Problems 

"Solution #1": Mason jar salads. Remember my tips in the first trimester to keep things moving? Well, you know what else helps...natural fiber! Salads and raw veggies are a great piece of a healthy diet, especially once you've moved on from food aversions and foods sound appetizing again. Don't give into the awful pregnancy cravings! Fuel your body with what it NEEDS!

 "Solution #2": Probiotics! Double the benefits and check that your probiotics have the Group Beta Strep Strand. You will get tested for GBS later (go ahead and learn all about it), but there might be some benefits from taking probiotics that have high amounts of this particular strand in preventing overgrowth. Hey, worth the try, right?

"Issue": Iron Levels

"Solution": Be proactive in keeping your iron level up! You need high iron levels at birth, and since your body is increasing blood and growing another human, you will probably need to be mindful of adding iron rich foods into your diet. Chlorophyll is a great source (as compared to a synthetic iron supplement), as well as bison meat (we eat ground bison weekly in this house), leafy greens like spinach and kale, black strap molasses (I've never tried this, but other women use it), and cooking in an iron skillet.

"Issue": Stretch marks
"Solution": I started using Earth Mama Angel Baby natural stretch oil fairly early on. I like that it had simple ingredients (even non-crunchy mamas-to-be tend to appreciate organic foods and minimal chemicals when growing another human). A warning: potential to ruin your night shirt. I used old 5k shirts for night shirts, (the hubs' shirts during third trimester), and they are practically goners. Except I packed them up in the pregnancy box. We'll see what they look like in a couple of years..

"Issue": back ache/pain/etc
"Solution: #1": Chiropractic Care: the sooner you start, the better. Yes, I am a bit biased being the daughter of a chiropractor, but it's simple logic: if you are aligned, squeezing a baby out of you will be easier. Also, in the next trimester when the baby kicks a rib out, you'll be happy you already have a chiropractor on hand. And you will need to go more than twice in the pregnancy to see results. 

"Solution #2": Pregnancy pillow. Also upon entering the second trimester, I could NOT get comfortable to sleep. You could barely tell I was pregnant, but for some reason the pregnancy pillow worked wonders! I say purchase/borrow early and get your money's worth. OR get really creative with all sorts of body pillows and other pillows. Seriously.

"Issue": Needing more Protein (hey you are building a human being after all)

"Solution": Eggs and egg baskets. You're probably thinking, "Eggs, so what!?" Well, because of my suppressed immune system during pregnancy, I could stray from the strict autoimmune Paleo protocol and reintroduce eggs into my diet. Eggs are a great source of protein, and super easy to add into any diet at any meal. We strive for at LEAST 100g of protein per day, so I had to get creative to keep it up. Also, increasing protein in the morning may help reduce nausea, if you still have any!

"Ultimate Solution": Great Lakes Collagen- (Yes, it IS worth mentioning again this trimester.) Collagen is a three point winner here: It helps improve skin elasticity (ie-may help alleviate stretch marks), helps with the joints (which can start to ache), and it's an extra source of protein. Order the green can from Amazon; it dissolves in cold water.  I added it to my morning and/or evening red raspberry or pregnancy tea, and also added into my smoothies. 

"Issue": Braxton Hicks Contractions

"Solution": Relax! You might start feeling them now or as you enter the third trimester, they are completely normal (talk to your provider if they don't feel "normal")! I best describe it as my belly becoming hard like a basketball for a couple seconds. I usually found that it would happen in the evening when I was most tired from the day. Sit down, prop your legs up and relax (or take a nice epsom salts soak!). You've been having BH all along, but now that your uterus is bigger, they are more obvious. Some women don't know they are having BH until the last bit of pregnancy; I started noticing mine very early!

"Issue": Wanting to learn more about pregnancy & birth

"Solution  #1": Ina May's Guide to Natural Childbirth is a MUST if you are considering any form of natural labor and delivery. This is such a calming, wisdom-filled book. SO much information about birth. I read this book twice: once during my second trimester, and then again towards the end of my pregnancy in prep for the big event. Seriously, don't try to give birth naturally without reading this. Side note: there are personal stories in the book, don't be scared by some of the more hippie ones!

"Solution #2": Start looking into birth classes. We started mine at 30 weeks, but I think I would have preferred starting closer to 25 weeks. We LOVED Birth Boot Camp, which is hosted at our birth center. It is based off of the Bradley

Method, which is another great option so I've read, if you don't have BBC availability. BBC is a 3 hour class & 10 week course that covers everything from nutrition, exercises and stretching, stages of labor, labor and delivery positions, medical interventions and so much more I pretty much have a minor in natural birth (okay not really). The best thing about BBC is that it provides ample knowledge of labor and birth that it removes doubt and fear from the mother AND father. Hubs supported my desire to have a natural birth, but after taking this class, he knew SO much and realized WHY this was the perfect decision for us. Go ahead, talk about birth with my husband-his knowledge will blow your mind!

"Unique Issue": Abdomen scars

"Solution": Abdomen scar breakdown was a recommendation for me from my midwife. I have a four inch scar from my belly button down from my emergency intestinal surgery when I was 18. She recommended I see a Pelvic floor specialist to help breakdown the scar before I start really growing. This was probably one of the smartest things I did! It's difficult to explain, but this scar was kind of like a zipper, and the skin on either side of it acted as two different pieces. The process felt like she was pinching my stomach and stabbing me with needles, but afterwards I could tell how easily and free my skin on my belly moved. It was as though my stomach was one piece of skin again moving together, and there was no middle seam holding down multiple layers (sorry if that doesn't quite make sense -it hard to explain). If I hadn't done this, I probably would have had a very uncomfortable time as I became larger and my skin & abdomen stretched. It might be worth looking into if you have a similar situation as me.

Other useful tidbits from my second trimester

-If you are interested in baby wearing, I would recommend trying on different baby carriers now to see how they fit, before you've got a 36 week belly in the way. There is a local shop in the DFW (The Nappy Shoppe) that has a few options to try on in store, or maybe you have friends who have different kinds you could try in! I had a couple different kinds, as I found I preferred different styles depending on baby's age and size!

-Do all the major nursery decor and design now when you have energy! Have your husband paint (or well ventilate and use low odor paint, also doing it this early allows time to vent before baby!), assemble crib, hang shelves, decide on tour theme and order bedding, buy the rocker-do all of the big stuff now! The small touches will be easy when you can only waddle and are back to sleeping on the couch by 7pm.

-Interview & hire your doula- now is a good time to start looking around and meeting with doulas. There's a great list of questions to ask when interviewing doulas in Ina May's book!

-It's like as soon as I hit second trimester my jeans stopped fitting right. Helllloooo pregnancy pants! Sure, at first they were a bit too big, but it beat feeling over stuffed in my normal jeans! I'd like to take a minute to thank Jessica Simpson for her awesome maternity pants. Skinny jeans and hot pink pants-what more does a pregnant gal need? Granted, by the end of the pregnancy i was SO over them (only because I wore them to work every, single day for like, 24 weeks straight).

-Keep working out! I would NOT recommend beginning any sort of crazy workout regime, but some light weights and the stair master are great ways to get the heart pumping more blood, and walks are super healthy for multiple reasons -varying from swaying and rocking the baby to sleep in womb to helping baby adjust into a good position, oh and the benefits for mom.

Here's to a smooth pregnancy!

-RR

“Remember this, for it is as true and true gets: Your body is not a lemon. You are not a machine. The Creator is not a careless mechanic. Human female bodies have the same potential to give birth well as aardvarks, lions, rhinoceri, elephants, moose, and water buffalo. Even if it has not been your habit throughout your life so far, I recommend that you learn to think positively about your body.”

-Ina May Gaskin

Maneuvering Pregnancy: The 1st Trimester

This is part 1 of my pregnancy series. Check back for the rest of my pregnancy and postpartum tips!

Some women have significant changes during their first trimester. For me, I found out I was 5 weeks pregnant the DAY after we closed on our house. The biggest changes came closer to the 8 week mark, all up until then I felt fairly normal (besides being wildly ecstatic yet unable to tell our friends). My greatest challenges were lack of energy & food aversion. Here's issues I faced and solutions that worked for me. I'm sharing, not as a medical professional, but as a "been there, done that, got the baby" fellow mother, in hopes that maybe some of my tips might help you, if you or someone you know is having these same issues!

"Issue": Deciding on Prenatals
Solution: In total crunchy mama way, I chose the Garden of Life prenatals because they were food based (there are a few different kinds, I purchased the organic line). These prenatal vitamins contain Folate, not synthetic folic acid (read the importance here), and I knew my body would better absorb everything in this prenatal. It turns out these prenatal vitamins were the ones my midwives sold at their office (I was taking for about a month before meeting with midwives), and my naturalopath liked them better than the ones he carried in his office! We have since switched pretty much all of our vitamins to Garden of Life, but that's beside the point. They are a bit pricey than the general ones from the supermarket, but if there's a time to buy great quality vitamins, it is when you are supporting your body growing another human being.


Issue: Exhaustion
Solution: Slept. A lot. If I wasn't at work or working on wedding flowers, I was asleep. Usually by 7:30pm on the couch, as the husband cleaned up dinner and tended to all household chores. My general pregnancy rule: Don't fight the sleep; just go for it. You need it! And, quite honestly, it might be the last of good sleep you'll get for a long while. Especially when pregnancy insomnia kicks in later, but I'm getting ahead of myself there (that'll be in the 3rd trimester blog post).

Issue: Food Aversions. Nothing sounded or tasted good. I thought bland foods would be appealing, but I could NOT swallow my usual sweet potatoes or avocadoes. Or even plain chicken. My food aversion only lasted about 2 weeks before my solutions came into play.

Solution #1: I had to eat breakfast, but I couldn't eat my usual one (sweet potato hash, sausage & avocado). So, breakfast protein smoothies came into my pregnancy; they stayed for my first trimester & came back for my third trimester (because I needed extra protein & calories). I use Garden of Life Grainfree Protein powder (Since I cannot do dairy or grains due to crohn's), canned full fat coconut milk, various fruits & spinach, and Great Lakes Kosher Collagen Hydrolysate.
Solution #2: I solved the food aversions during the rest of my day by going for food WITH flavor,

instead of bland food. Tacos, larb, lamb, chili, balsamic braised short ribs...anything with crazy (spicy or savory) flavor I was able to eat. So while my mind was thinking I should do comfort food, my pregnancy hormones told my stomach the exact opposite!








Issue: Supplements: Fish Oil
Solution: I bought Innate Choice EPA/DHA Omega 3 Fish Oil Supplement per my Midwives' recommendation. Fish oil helps support the growing baby and mama's brain, and is important! Plus, just great to have in a normal diet anyways! Read more here!


(Non-)Issue: Morning Sickness [I didn't have morning sickness this pregnancy.]
Solution: I have a few theories, based on what I've read and mine & friends' experiences, ranging from luck to balanced hormones. I did read a study about magnesium levels playing a role in morning sickness. During the first trimester I took Epsom salt baths almost every day which could be why I escaped morning sickness (and general soreness!). Plus this was just a great time to de-stress. Additionally, I bought Ancient Minerals Magnesium Spray; I used this a few minutes before I jumped into the shower (or bath)! Watch out, it can sting.



(Non-)Issue: Pregnancy Digestive problems
Solution #1: Digestive Enzymes. I have been taking digestive enzymes for years, at least a decade I think. I take them with meals and they help support proper digesting. Need I explain more?
Solution #2: The Squatty Potty. Funny, I actually bought the squatty potty for our new house, as I had been wanting to purchase one and they were at Bed, Bath & Beyond when we were decorating. The Squatty Potty returns our bodies to the natural position that supports the whole, ehm, process. Basically, biology points to the fact that our systems does better squatting, and that sitting has caused more issues for us. You can learn more here (don't worry, the video is PG, and explains it all with unicorns and rainbows, seriously!).

Issue: Wanting to learn more about pregnancy & birth
Solution: Start the Pregnancy Reading! I read Supernatural Birth by Jackie Mize immediately. I LOVED the positive view of pregnancy presented in this book. This book was uplifting and gave hope for a healthy, painfree pregnancy and birth. Because of this book, I began believing my dream of an uneventful and peaceful birth WAS possible. I focused on day to day pregnancy health, and blocked out any fear put on me by others. This book also was encouraging because it differed from the media's view of labor & birth, you know: screaming, yelling, frantic dashing to the hospital as soon as one contraction happens.

Other useful tidbits from my first trimester

-Began drinking Pregnancy Tea from Traditional Medicinals, alternating with Red Raspberry Leaf Tea. Both help support pregnancy and strengthen the uterus! I love morning tea, so this fit my routine! Also, I never drank coffee, but this would be a great substitute for coffee if you still need a morning warm drink (though there's no caffeine in the tea...)

-Began Pinteresting boy and girl nursery ideas. I'm a planner, and I had two themes down, just had to wait for the gender!

-Found providers I trusted and had good reviews. Since we had just moved, my transition from my previous doctor to a new provider was well timed. I found a terrific group of midwives and lovely birth center just a couple miles from our new house. #Fate

-Continued to workout, but made sure I wasn't over doing it by modifying my exercises. I reduced my weights a bit, and focused on proper technique and toning rather than pushing for building more muscle mass. I realized that at this point all extra protein I was consuming would be going to build a baby, not my delts, and I was okay with that! I wouldn't recommend beginning a new, intense workout plan during a pregnancy, but light weights, walking, swimming & stretching are all great ways to work out and stay healthy! Talk to your provider about what's best for you!

-Scheduled & took our last "Pre-baby" Family Pictures. Our engagement and wedding pictures were years old, and we truly feel and look like different people (older and more fit). We wanted to capture where we were in life before everything changed! And of course we made these our pregnancy announcement pictures!

-Booked our babymoon! (aka last childless vacation for a very long time) We went right around 20 weeks, before I would be too pregnant to really enjoy the vacation. We went to NYC at Christmas-time, one of the things I have always wanted to do since being there for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in High School!

-Continued to hardcore meal prep, so we could continue to eat healthy. We would spend most of Sunday doing such, but it helped me stay on top of my pregnancy health!

-Cut out more toxins. Everything you ingest or put on your skin can be extra toxins for your body! Eat more organic foods, cut out toxic chemicals (hubs took over cleaning the bathrooms completely), and opt for clean soaps, lotions, shampoos, etc!

-Added back rice and a couple other foods I had eliminated. During pregnancy, the immune system is suppressed, which is terrific for those of us with autoimmune diseases! I could "cheat" by eating rice once or twice a week for the extra carbs and not wake in agony the next morning! Talk about pregnancy bliss!!!!

-Drank lots of water! You will do this your entire pregnancy, so start now!


My first trimester was exhausting, but I really feel like these choices I made helped make my pregnancy smoother from the beginning! I had been reading about, asking family/friends and looking into pregnancy for a couple of years, but I learned so much during my own pregnancy (as I think everyone does-you can NEVER be completely "ready" for everything pregnancy throws at ya).


The natural choices I found and made were easy to implement in my life as they already aligned with my current health lifestyle, and they were a good change that have since helped us grow in our health journey even beyond pregnancy!

Best wishes on your pregnancy and health journey! I hope these tips help someone out there!

-RR

"Fear is a spiritual force. It is the opposite of faith. Fear is real, and it is not of God. It affects the life we live on planet earth. It affects the physical body...You only fear the unknown or past bad experiences. Past failures bring future fears. Fear and faith don't operate together. Fear is your worst enemy when it's allowed to operate. It can be one of the greatest causes of pain during childbirth."

 -from Supernatural Childbirth by Jackie Mize