Whilst struggling through the 1st trimester I got told various times “You wait till the second trimester!” and “You’ll get so much energy you’ll feel better than normal!”
lol.
I continued to throw up till 17 weeks, then got a bladder infection which left me feeling naaaasty, THEN I got all this horrific pain, while still feeling the need to take many afternoon naps. It’s totally fine, and I laugh about it as I seem to get all the fun things. It’s just now at 28 weeks where I’m like “Heeeey, this gig ain’t too bad!”
This post is for all you baby mamas that are like me, plus all the ones that aren’t… so basically kind of everyone. Enjoy!
1. Get a giant, ugly pregnancy pillow. And take baths.
Around 17 weeks I was struck with quite a lot of round ligament pain, then back pain. I thought I was being a bit dramatic, as it seemed way too early to be so sore, but apparently its pretty common as the muscles stretch! What helped me was plenty of baths, a pregnancy pillow (oh yes!), Ice Blue Rub, and both wrapping my belly (see this video) or wearing a Smiley Belt. My theory is that my short torso makes things a little uncomfortable, but as time has gone on, the pain has subsided a LOT. I still wear the Smiley Belt daily and take lots of baths though!
2. Create a baby budget and save yo pennies!
Somewhere around the end of the first trimester I created quite a comprehensive list of the things we needed to get before baby arrived. I researched prices for things like carseats and strollers and allowed certain amounts of money for items like clothing, bedding, nappies (we plan to cloth nappy) and so on. Once I sorted out the amount we needed for the necessities, I divided that over the pay periods left before baby, and figured out how much we needed to save each week, putting money in a seperate savings account. I’ve been recording any money spent, and adjusting the budget accordingly. Any extra ‘want’ items come out of our normal spending money. If we’ve been gifted things, or received a discount for something, instead of buying extra nice things (tempting…but not wise), I’ve put that money back into our normal savings. Having this all organised in a Google Sheet has been super helpful and been really useful for helping me to stay on track!
3. Make the most of your LMC!
They’re there to answer your questions and help you out when you’re feeling crappy so don’t be afraid to ask for their help. You might feel kind of crazy txting through your latest symptom, but they’ve heard it all before and it’s nice to get a bit of reassurance. I felt really rubbish with what I thought could have been low iron, but my midwife sent me off to the GP and it turned out to be a bladder infection. If you and you’re LMC aren’t getting on, remember you can change at any stage too!
4. Get resourced.
Some people are the kind of ‘fly by the seat of their pants’ people and prefer to take that approach to pregnancy, labour and transitioning into motherhood. I on the other hand, am not. Gimme all the books and research! Attending traditional antenatal classes is a bit tricky for us (in particularly, my husband), with it being the busiest time in the farming year, so we’ve slowly been making our way through Hatched Antenatal classes. They’re online, and in video form which makes it super easy to fit in 10-20 minutes at the end of the day. They’re taken by midwife and Insta-Mum Carmen Lett and we’ve really been enjoying them! Other resources I’ve been loving is The Calm Birth Method (on Audible) by Suzy Ashworth and also You Can Simply Can’t Spoil a Newborn by Dorothy Waide.
5. Get stuff done.
Throughout this pregnancy I’ve been trying my best to get stuff done whenever I feel capable. I’ve been painting doors, doing gardens, and making PLENTY of lists. I know all of these things can be done once baby gets here, but they’ll take a little longer right? I’ve also come to realise that in pregnancy you never really know when your energy or time could be sucked, so it’s best to make the most of it! I was painting walls and skirting boards in my nursery at 18 weeks which is super early for some, but I’m happy I’ve got it out of the way!
6. Chill. And block out the noise.
When you first announce you’re pregnant you very soon realise that people have a LOT to say, especially if you’re a first time mama! I swear I got sent about 387 different ideas on how to fix my morning sickness. This and all the other advice became super overwhelming for me a few months ago and I had to stop and actually tell people, that I didn’t need their tips (yet here I am writing a tips post, oh the irony!) Pregnancy is a roller coaster of emotions, hormones and energy changes, and everyone’s tips, tricks, horror stories and well intended advice can become a bit too much. Take the time to chill out, ignore the noise and if you don’t feel up to surrounding yourself with others, then don’t! Remember that everyone has totally different experiences, and views things as they see the world, not how you see it. Take each day as it comes, make time for yourself and enjoy those little baby kicks!
And if no-one has told you today… you’re doing an awesome job! And your baby will be in your arms soon friend!
HOORAY! That’s me done with the second trimester! We’re on the final stretch now. If there’s anything you’d love for me to share as I continue to prepare for baby, feel free to flick me a message on Instagram! I love seeing what other people are up to in preparation for their wee ones, and hope that me sharing is helpful for you too!
