Preggy Diaries 2016: Recap of the Second Trimester

I’m officially on my third trimester of pregnancy now at 28 weeks. Hooray! I can hardly wait until the baby is ready to come out. To be honest, this is the most challenging pregnancy I’ve ever had and this is my fifth (with one ending in miscarriage).

Last May, I shared a recap of my first trimester. You can read about it here. Now, allow me to share with you a recap of the second trimester.

I’m happy to say that the second trimester was a lot easier than the first. The vomiting and the nausea ended. My acid reflux eased up a lot too. That said, my regular appetite came back and for the first time since the start of the pregnancy I was finally able to eat. Unlike other preggy moms though, I didn’t eat like there was no tomorrow. I just ate like I regularly do, making healthier choices though. But despite that there was very minimal weight gain.

Because of the minimal weight gain, people kept saying that I look good but that my belly is not big enough. But at least, based on check ups with my OB, I know that the baby is doing well and was measuring normal. So, I wasn’t really worried. Nevertheless, my OB changed my prenatal vitamins. At the end of the second trimester, I finally gained weight but it was only 5 lbs, and that’s for the entire 6 months of pregnancy.

Cravings-wise, this pregnancy is still so different from my other pregnancies wherein all my cravings were the same. Now, I don’t usually crave a lot but when I do, the cravings are different from the last. So far, I’ve craved for cake, pizza, and Yellow Cab hot wings and twice-baked potato halves. Yum!

When a preggy mama wants to eat something, she MUST eat that something. Doesn’t matter if it’s already close to midnight. Thanks to 24 hour delivery and online payments @yellowcabpizza, my #preggycravings have been satisfied. 🙂 #27weeksandcounting #preggydiaries #BabyMarinas2016

A photo posted by Janice (@rollcoastermom) on Jul 8, 2016 at 8:03am PDT

Looks-wise though, I think this is the best I’ve ever looked pregnant. I guess, the baby is getting most of the nutrients I’m taking in and that’s why I’m not getting fatter. I hardly had to buy any maternity wear, just a pair each of maternity pants, shorts and skirt. Lucky for me, a lot of my tops or blouses are made of stretchy fabrics and so they still fit me and my growing belly nicely up to now. The only other new maternity wear I have is the dress that Great Expectations Maternity gave me last May.

Every pregnant or nursing mom knows that clothes that are both functional and stylish is a must. So when Pois Belly Maternity invited me to check out their store and shop, how could I say no? These were just some of the dresses I tried. Guess which one I picked! #poisbellymaternity #maternitywear #nursingwear #fashion #preggyootd @greatkidsph #mommybloggersph

A photo posted by Janice (@rollcoastermom) on May 22, 2016 at 12:15am PDT

The first trimester made me feel really weak but it was the total opposite in the second trimester, which was great because it was summer then and I got invited to a lot of family-related events. I’m really happy that I was able to participate in them and spend a lot of quality time with my hubby and kids too.

There were only three challenges I hated during the second trimester. First, was the fact that I kept getting regular and strong Braxton Hicks contractions. I know they’re just normal if they don’t recur too often. I also know that women who’ve had prior pregnancies tend to feel them so much more. So, I try not to panic. But they really do hurt! They usually happen when I’ve been sitting in front of my laptop for too long. I guess, it’s my body’s way of telling me that I need to rest already.

The second challenge I hated was when I had to take my OGTT (Oral Glucose Tolerance Test). It was my first time to do it. I had to fast for eight hours before taking the test. There was supposed to be four blood extractions. They take the first extraction first then after that they make you take this orange-tasting liquid, which is the glucose. You wait 30 minutes then they take the second extraction. I was only able to last until the second one because I puked the glucose after that. How couldn’t I when the lab technician forced me to finish the whole bottle of glucose in one go? I immediately felt nauseaous after taking it. It was a miracle how I was able to wait 30 mins for the second extraction.

Apparently, if you vomit the glucose you have to go back to retake the whole test! And that means paying in full twice! I super hated the experience that I really didn’t want to do it again. Luckily, my OB was already satisfied with the results of the first two extractions so she didn’t ask me to do a retake. That was hellish!

The third challenge was hearing loss. There were a few instances when I suddenly had problems hearing with my left ear. On two occasions it happened while I was at SM Mall of Asia. The other times, it happened upon waking up in the morning. I initially didn’t think it was pregnancy-related but after reading forums online, I discovered that it’s actually quite a common occurence among pregnant women. I didn’t know that!

Aside from that, the only other new thing I experienced during the second trimester was the anti-tetanus shot that was given to me during my sixth month check up. That was another first for me. That was easy peasy though since I’m not afraid of shots at all.

6th month #prenatal check-up done. Had my first EVER anti-tetanus shot so I thought I should document it. Haha! #selfie #preggydiaries #26weekspregnant #26weeksandcounting #maternity #babymarinas2016

A photo posted by Janice (@rollcoastermom) on Jun 23, 2016 at 11:00pm PDT

Overall, the second trimester was a really good one. It’s amazing how this is already my fifth pregnancy and yet I’m experiencing so many things for the first time.

Now, I’m just really excited about finding out the baby’s gender. We’re set to have a 3D/4D ultrasound by the end of the week. So, yay! We’ll finally be able to shop for baby stuff after that.

Please pray that the last few months of this pregnancy will be awesome for me, the baby and the rest of the family! Thanks, guys.