Second Trimester
How I’m
My baby bump wasn’t showing as much at 19 weeks in the photos above. Everyone said that I looked bloated rather than pregnant which always made me feel a little awkward when leaving a restaurant lOl. It was sad to see my flat abs fading away & having to put away all my denim because I can’t fit into them anymore. However, that baby bump is much more visible now which is just an instant mood lifter. I am 26 weeks now & I can genuinely say that am feeling fantastic! Recharged, back on track & active AF again vs how I felt in the first trimester of pregnancy because there is no more morning sickness.
I can really feel the stretch now as it has become a mission to put on shoes with laces, moisturise my legs, cut my toenails & just picking anything up off the ground. Oh-my-preggo life, let me tell you of the struggle. Every time I drop something now it’s like the world stops spinning & there I am in suspense just thinking about the struggle I’m about to face with my attempt to pick it up off the ground. Weighing the options whether/not I should or just leave it haha. These things have now become a part of Daniel’s daily duties so when he’s not around to assist it’s like “fork me sideways!”.
Baby’s
Judging from what we’ve seen/been told, our baby girl seems to be very active in the fetus which is a good sign that she is healthy. Even now without the scans we can see it for ourselves which is ever so exciting. The movements feel so weird now that she has developed bones. It feels like my womb is an arena from all the constant kicking or boxing as if she’s training for some sort of event in there. It does make us wonder whether/not this dictates her sleeping pattern once she arrives.. hmm better stock up on the coffee then hey.
Pregnancy
Have you ever heard of that Asian stereotype saying where if you crave for sour then it’s a boy & sweets for a girl? Always interesting & fascinating to hear how Asians come up with these things. I can say that I have definitely chosen citrus over sweets, but then again I always have. I’ve always loved sour mangoes, tamarind & sweet/sour soups even before pregnancy so there’s no change there.
Strangely, I’ve developed a craving for caffeine & I was never ever a caffeine person. My caffeine intake would be once in a blue moon. Yet, the site of someone enjoying an iced coffee or a block of chocolates now saddens my soul haha. The thought of sashimi (salmon & oysters) & raw meat (in salads & cured fermented beef) makes me salivate also. Ah, wanting what I can’t have! A bit of a tease & torture much?
Surprisingly, some of the foods that I use to always crave for no longer interest me, such as shellfish, crab, fried fish, laos papaya salad, crispy chicken & spicy beef noodle soup. A lot of the dishes I now crave for seem to be coming off Daniel’s list of favourite foods so that’s quite the interesting.
I started craving for McDonald’s chicken nuggets, KFC’s twisters & packet chips/noodles towards the end of the first/at the beginning of the second trimester. Me eating packet chips/noodles are somewhat understandable, but fast food? Such a weird thing considering I haven’t had any desire nor touched fast food in the last 6 years & yet all of a sudden. Just woke up one morning & felt like McDonald’s chicken nuggets so I secretly went to get them then demolished them in the car there & then. Ended up telling Daniel & a few of our mates later that day because I felt guilty for trying to hide it haha. It’s just chicken righhtt..
On the more healthy side! There are a few fruits that I have picked up, such as apples, bananas & raspberries. I’ve always consumed these in liquid form before pregnancy for nutritional benefits, yet now I always got to have these with me for snacking.
Being Pregnant Taught Me So Much About
I always thought I had a balanced diet up until this pregnancy. When you’re looking out for another life inside of you-you become much more careful about what you consume.
I realised the value of eating small portions & eating often rather than having enormous meals like how I used to. Now that I am eating every 2hrs, I’ve added so many foods to my daily diet so that my little human being can have a little bit of everything as well as to prevent future allergies. Daniel & I both don’t have any allergies so we hate the thought of our children having to develop any. That being said, I’ve also become highly aware of the list of things that I got to avoid as they can be harmful to my baby as well like raw eggs, supplements containing vitamin A, types of cheese/fish, unpasteurised milk.. the list goes on.
Do You Still
This has got to be the most asked question I’ve received alongside pregnancy cravings. So am I still working out during this pregnancy? The answer is yes. I’ve always had strong views on fitness being of great significance to a person’s lifestyle & those views have not twitched one bit since this pregnancy. Your body is going through change/growth & to me, it feels very much appropriate to strengthen it through fitness in order to support your baby as well as your mind & body.
Not going to lie, exercising during the first trimester was a real challenge. I can certainly tell you that my workout routine has changed significantly as I no longer incorporate heavy weights in my workouts & have eliminated all ab/core targeted exercises. I exhaust faster now + my muscles sore more easily than before & thus I do fewer repetitions, lower intensity workouts & use 2kg weights maximum.
I know a lot of people will have opposing views to this, particularly my extended family members since they have been constantly on the back of my neck about it LOl. Telling me to do less to absolutely nothing at all. I think everyone & every “body” is different so I never debate those views. However, I’ve always been very fit & active particularly throughout the last 6 yrs so walking alone & performing activities that require minimal effort is quite unhealthy to me. I want to maintain my fitness state during pregnancy as well as post-pregnancy so I feel this is necessary for me.
Should You Be
I had a few messages of concern regarding my recent travel to Bali, but nothing to worry about though. We learnt that it was safe to fly during 14-27 weeks of pregnancy. My doctor also advised that it was fine to do as I would have been 18 weeks at the time of travel aka thumps up. My parents were surprisingly very supportive about it. Shocked us a little as we thought they would’ve reacted differently like Daniel’s side of the family who were more so against it LOl. We expected it & we were also determined for our well deserved little break so off we went! Obviously, we did plenty of research on the journey/destination prior to our visit. Flight, food & level of pollution all seemed fine. I even ended up walking much-much more than we had anticipated. More importantly, I didn’t experience anything out of the normal during our visit there as well as after the trip so I guess all was good.
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