Congratulations on your pregnancy! You have made it through the first trimester.
The second trimester (weeks 13 to 28) is the best part of pregnancy for most women. You may feel more comfortable and have more energy that you did in the first trimester.
In this second part of a five-part series about the trimesters of pregnancy, we will talk about the information, tasks and ideas you should be considering over the next 15 weeks.
What to Expect
If you are going to “glow” during your pregnancy, this is when that will happen.
If you were worried about the possibility of a miscarriage, that fear is waning now. You probably heard your baby’s heartbeat at your last doctor or midwife visit.
For many parents, the growing baby bump is a source of satisfaction and pride. Others feel less positive about these body changes. You may start to have some challenges relating to the enlarging of your uterus—back pain, round ligament pain. Other discomforts like leg cramps or constipation may show up now.
Having a good pregnancy book where you can look things up will help. Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn by Penny Simkin is excellent. Avoid Googling symptoms as this can overwhelm you with information. Choose a trusted website like healthlinkbc.ca.
What to Do
The tasks of the second trimester are about keeping you and your baby healthy and growing.
• Keep a list of questions to ask at your monthly appointments.
• Your care-provider will:
– offer you the option of having an ultrasound scan around 18 to 20 weeks.
– offer you a test for gestational diabetes around week 25.
– screen you for Rh negative blood type and offer you a RhoGam shot at week 28 if you are Rh negative.
• Register for Prenatal Childbirth Preparation Classes. It’s best to take these in the third trimester, but you must schedule them now or the class you want may not be available. You can find an in-person class in Victoria at motheringtouch.ca or an online class from shefoundhealth.ca.
• Consider having a doula at your birth. A doula is a non-clinical professional experienced in childbirth who provides physical, informational and emotional support and helps parents to have an easier and more positive childbirth experience. You can read more about doulas at bcdoula.org. You can find a doula in Victoria through doulasofvictoria.ca, the Doulas for Aboriginal Families Grant Program, bcaafc.com or Nesting Doulas for BIPOC families at nestingdoulacollective.com.
• Plan for your maternity and parental leave:
– Tell your employer about your pregnancy, when you are ready. Remember that you must give your employer four weeks’ notice before you start your maternity leave.
– Find out about Employment Insurance coverage for your maternity and parental leave
– Discuss with your partner about how much time you will take off work and how the two of you will share parental leave.
• Keep up with regular physical activity. As you get bigger around the middle, you may feel a little awkward in your regular classes and decide to join a pregnancy yoga, fitness or aquafit class. Or not! The best way to get exercise is to do what you love in an environment you feel comfortable with. Don’t let anyone else tell you where that should be.
What to Learn
• Pregnant parents tend to spend a lot of time in the second trimester thinking about the baby; wondering what they will be like and how it will feel to be a parent. Use that motivation to learn about baby care, infant development and breast/chestfeeding. Some good books that can help with this include:
– The Mother of all Baby Books by Ann Douglas
– The Baby Book by William and Martha Sears
– Breastfeeding Made Simple by Kathleen Kendall-Tackett and Nancy Mohrbacher
• Many parents in the second trimester are not yet ready to think about or plan for the baby’s birth and that is fine. In a few weeks, when the baby gets bigger and your tummy gets more awkward, you will find yourself thinking more about how to get your kiddo out of there!
• As the nausea starts to go away, experiment with new, nutritious foods. You may feel hungry in a way you have not experienced before.
• Enjoy some time together with your life-partner or future co-parent. Build a strong relationship in preparation for caring for your little family together.
Check the next edition of Island Parent for more about how to thrive through your third trimester of pregnancy and early parenting experience.
