With the first trimester behind me, my anxiety calmed significantly. I continued meditating, seeing my therapist, and taking extra good care of myself.
I'd been told that the nausea of the first trimester would simply vanish. I was very skeptical. But it totally did!
I saw the doctor significantly less than in my first trimester - monthly appointments with my OBGYN and 2 fetal anatomy scans at the hospital. I had a screening test for neural tube defects which came back normal. I was tested for gestational diabetes, which I thankfully do not have.
But not everything was magic and sunshine.
Starting the 15th week, sleeping suddenly became super uncomfortable. My poor hips were so incredibly sore it felt like I'd taken some falls during a run on the slopes. A pregnancy pillow solved that problem. It also now takes over the entire bed!
I had a short stint at the hospital at 18 weeks after a 12 hour migraine. I had been experiencing some intermittent dizziness, shortness of breath, and my heart was racing at times. I figured - I'm pregnant, so of course I don't feel like my normal self. My blood pressure had been measuring high throughout my pregnancy but I chalked it up to nerves. All of these things combined gave my doctor pause. I was monitored at the hospital and had some blood work done. My doctor sent me home with instructions to regularly check my blood pressure. I was given a test to measure the protein in my urine. We played the wait and see game since it looked as if I was just on the cusp of developing pre-eclampsia.
In week 22 at my fetal anatomy scan, the doctor at the hospital found some uterine scarring (likely a result of the D&C I had). They also noticed calcification on the baby's heart but told me not to worry yet (yeah right!). So it was determined I'd return to the hospital for another advanced scan at the start of my third trimester.
In week 23, the doctor informed me that I would be delivering early and would be induced a few weeks before my due date because of my super high blood pressure. She reassured me that we would re-assess the situation and make decisions in real time but for now, I was looking at a May birth.
In week 24, acid reflux started to rear its ugly head. Mylanta became my new best friend.
I thought the second trimester was supposed to be the golden trimester when you could pamper yourself and take it easy. This was not the case for me. No prenatal massages due to my high blood pressure. No indulgent eating due to my constant heartburn. And no resting easy due to the many little hurdles I faced.
Baby prep was in full force. We began the very long and tedious process of applying to daycare on the Upper East Side and I'm thrilled to say our tiny lady will be starting at a lovely daycare in September. We locked down a pediatrician for our little one and had an orientation with her team of doctors. I mapped out all the things we'd need for our newest family member and we purchased a bunch of must-have items. We put our one-bedroom apartment on the market and lined up a great two-bedroom rental to move to in April. So many things to do before the arrival of our bundle of joy!
If I could sum up the second trimester of my pregnancy in one word it would be busy. So many unexpected (and sometimes scary!) things cropping up out of the blue. Heaps of planning, tons of tasks, so much thinking about a new little human who we can't wait to meet!!
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