Tag: Second Trimester

My Second Trimester Is Over

The Second Trimester of my second pregnancy is done! The second trimester is usually around 13 to 28 weeks of pregnancy or, months four, five and six. I am now, almost, 29 weeks pregnant and that means we are welcoming or waddling into the third trimester after a relatively easy pregnancy so far. I’ve now had my first Doula antenatal appointment as well as met with my consultant and had my 28 week midwife check.

How Did I Find the Second Trimester?

The second trimester has been really pretty normal to be honest. We’ve had plenty of scans and did a little gender reveal after our anomoly scan at 20 weeks. All my tests have come back normal, my energy levels have been a bit up and down. I have talked about how I’ve had a bit of suffering with my mental health but having open conversations with loved ones really improved that for me and I was soon back on track. I’ve been sleeping relatively well too which is great. I haven’t felt much discomfort apart from a few bits of sciatica and a few kicks to the bladder from baby which has been so lovely. Mostly I feel pretty good and confident I am making the right choices when it comes to the birth. I’m actually pretty excited about the birth although I’m sure that will change in the next few weeks. We have decided not to book in with any Antenatal classes as I’m getting all the information I need from my Doula and have booked hypnobirthing classes in July and August instead. I’ve also read a lot of books and feel like I know so much more about what my body is capable of. I have a lot more faith in myself and my body this pregnancy.

How Am I Looking at the end of the Second Trimester?

How Am I Feeling at the end of the Second Trimester?

Our scan at 21 weeks showed we are having a baby boy and this did come with a bit of gender anxiety but actually I’m really excited to have a son and can’t wait to meet him.
I am, like most mothers would be, anxious about this last stage of pregnancy. Birth is getting closer and I am adamant to have as positive birth as I possibly can. I have already written up a birth plan with thanks to my Doula and I’ve talked it through with my midwife and consultant.
I am still a little anxious about adjusting to life as a family of four especially with Adam due to start University around our due date in the Autumn.

Weight Gain in Second Trimester?

Weight at start of the year: 120kg
Weight at Booking in: 120kg
Weight at 25 Weeks: 123kg
Weight at 28 Weeks: 125.5kg

Total Weight gain so far: 5.5kg – apparently for someone of my BMI I should try and keep my weight gain under 11kg and as I’ve got to the third trimester with pretty minimal weight gain, I’m really happy with this. I’m confident any extra weight will mostly be baby, uterus and water weight.

Any Concerns?

Not really. I am pretty confident I am going to get the positive VBAC birth I want and I feel really prepared. I have thought about all the other options and what having a c-section would mean, obviously I do not want to have that type of surgery again but in an emergency situation I know what to expect and how I can help myself.

Any Symptoms?

Not really. I still have some nasal congestion but I’m no longer continuously gagging. I don’t feel any sickness. I’m still sleeping okay which is absolutely amazing. I’m actually finding I’ve been able to stay awake in the evenings until about 11pm and getting up around 6am. Most of the times it’s all the way through too which is very nice. I’m trying to keep up with drinking plenty of water and eating as well as I can but there are times I am finding myself so hungry. I also find I fill up quite quickly and I suppose that is where baby is pushing against everything now. I’m not really in any pain or have many aches and the sciatica hasn’t really returned. Some positions I’m finding uncomfortable when sitting and my centre of gravity has absolutely changed. The second trimester has been pretty okay though for me and I hope that continues for as long as possible.

What’s Next?

I have two 90 minute hypnobirthing sessions booked in for July and August and I’m going to be continuing with reading Mindful Hypnobirthing and using the recommended relaxation tracks. I am hoping to continue Aquafit for as long as possible. There is more midwife appointments to come and I want to get my hospital bag packed and ready. We want to get the Chicco Next 2 Me Crib and Pram purchased in August too so that’s high on our list of priorities. I’m looking forward to my next antenatal with my Doula where we are going to go a bit more in depth with birth affirmations and how I visualise my birth space to make sure oxytocin is flowing through labour. I have a growth scan coming up too which will be a nice chance to see baby again although I have to admit I don’t really care too much about his predicted weight. It wasn’t very accurate when I had Evie.

What Has Helped This Pregnancy

Here are a few products that I’ve loved using this pregnancy and might help you too.

Pregnancy Pillow

Affiliate Link: https://amzn.to/2LJyGCy

Mindful Hypnobirthing Book

Affiliate Link: https://amzn.to/2Misy5b

Lavender Essential oil

Affiliate Link: https://amzn.to/2yd1PUT

For more pregnancy content please head to my hub post which contains links to all my relevant pregnancy based blog posts. My second High Bmi Pregnancy.

July 5, 2018
My Choice to Hire a Doula

Hiring a Doula for my Second Pregnancy

Have you ever hired a Doula before? I hadn’t, in fact, during my first pregnancy I didn’t even know that support like this existed. Perhaps if I had, my birth with my first daughter would have been so much easier. This time around, I am seeking out the best possible support I can to ensure I have the pregnancy, labour and birth that I want to have. After having a traumatic birth with an emergency c-section which in all honestly feels like such a long time ago now, I feel a little more informed about how I want this pregnancy to go. I’ve decided to have a hospital birth, I’m going to be pushing for a VBAC and now, thanks to the Doula I have decided to hire, I feel so much more informed about my choices. Now my first trimester is over and I’m welcoming the second, I feel like it’s the right time to start making some choices about my birth plan and support.

What is a Doula

A Doula is someone that offers support throughout pregnancy and birth. Some Doulas also offer postnatal care. You can have a Doula for pregnancy and Birth only, postnatal only or both. It depends on your preferences. Hiring a Doula is the same as paying for a private service. Most Doulas are hired by clients and packages are offered at a price that reflects the support offered by the Doula personally. You can choose to hire a longstanding Doula with experience or a newly qualified Doula who may be a little cheaper. Doulas do not offer a clinical or medical service but often have holistic therapy training to enable them to provide a variety of support. No doubt, there is probably a Doula out there for every woman depending on her needs and preferences. For vulnerable women there are a few NHS Doulas and the Doula Access Fund, a charity that works with women in need of extra support and care as well as women’s refuges. I’ve spoken openly about my own time in a women’s refuge and I’m really glad that this charity exists.

Searching for a Doula

I literally searched ‘Doula in Hampshire’ because that’s where I live and was pushed to click through the Hampshire Doula website. There were a few ladies on there which advertised their websites and contact details. I was drawn to one in particular and clicked through to find out more about her services. I really liked the sort of package she was offering for a ‘Birth Only’ Doula and decided to send her a message. Her name is Sophie, she’s relatively close to me and she suggested that I interview her. We arranged a time and date that suited us both and as she was close to my hometown it was for later on that week. Sophie recommended that both myself and Adam were there to chat to her so we could both ask questions and get everything out in the open. If you’re based in Hampshire and would like to read about Sophie’s experience and packages you can visit her website.

Interviewing a Doula

Sophie said that the most important thing when hiring a Doula is that you connect with each other and I completely get that. Preparing for labour and birth is incredibly personal and you ultimately want someone with you who you feel is going to be supportive and encouraging. If you don’t like your Doula then it’s going to affect your birth and you won’t feel comfortable getting into the nitty gritty with them. Sophie has been a Doula for a few years and the testimonials on her website were really positive and encouraging. I was looking forward to meeting her and feel we connected right away. Rather than a full on interview it was a very casual chat about everything really. Sophie is so informed about women’s choices during pregnancy and birth, some of which I did not know I was entitled to refuse. Sometimes choices are pushed on you which make you feel a little anxious but I really feel that with Sophie’s help I will be armed with a lot of information and with the help of my medical support I will be able to make the choices that let me have the best possible labour and birth whether that is the very hoped for VBAC or the possible Elective C-Section.

What I loved about Sophie is her friendly, bubbly and upfront personality. She is completely on board with Hypnobirthing and Childbirth Aromatherapy which are two things I really want to use in this pregnancy. Whilst she recommended that we interviewed other Doula’s in the area and sleeping on it, Adam and I felt she was already the right choice for us. Sophie had an agreement for us to read through and sign and alongside this and paying the deposit she is booking us in for September.

What’s Next?

Sophie is going to help us with our birth plan with some lengthy antenatal style visits, support me with hypnobirthing and go through the essential oils we can use. For a four week period around my due date Sophie will be available to me to assist with labour and birth including coming with me to the hospital. I feel that with Adam and Sophie, alongside my midwife and the staff at my chosen hospital I am going to be able to have a positive birth experience and I feel really good about the rest of this pregnancy. I will be writing more about using a Doula in my pregnancy updates and hopefully we will be able to tell you more when I write up our birth story.

For more pregnancy content please head to my hub post which contains links to all my relevant pregnancy based blog posts. My second High Bmi Pregnancy.

April 12, 2018