The Trimesters

Thankfully, I've had a healthy and relatively easy pregnancy.  I'm already thinking ahead to having a second child in a few years, much to my fiance's chagrin - he'd like to see how everything goes after our first one is born.  Here's the rundown of my trimesters for you to use as a reference point. Again, everyone is different and you should always ask your doctor if you have any concerns or questions of a more serious nature. Otherwise, ask friends and family whatever pops into your brain!

The First Trimester:  bloating; nausea (thankfully, no vomiting, but tummy issues); hot flashes - generally warmer than normal, especially when sleeping, even night sweats; mood swings worse than PMS sometimes; frequent urination, (but not as frequent as it gets in the third); emotional roller coaster; food aversions (wanted nothing to do with hummus) and cravings (wanted everything to do with macaroni and cheese), general appetite increases (assuming you don't have morning sickness); breasts get bigger - but not right away.  Forgetfulness begins....

The Second Trimester:  just as glorious as everything/one says!  Have energy, no food aversions, healthy appetite, sleep well, life really feels pretty normal except that your belly is expanding and you're finally starting to look pregnant instead of bloated or pudgy.  Time to go shopping for bigger sizes, or for some maternity clothes and bigger bras. Take advantage of this time to be social and get things done, or take a trip/vacation if you can.  You won't feel like it later, trust me. Started sleeping with body/boppy pillow.

The Third Trimester:  Here now. Tireds are back; backaches and headaches occasionally; feet and ankle swelling; so hungry I need to bring a supermarket to work with me everyday to keep up with my appetite. Invest in a back brace - my fave is the Boppy belly support with the built in pocket for heat/ice pack.  Some groin pain, which makes walking too much difficult; and restless leg syndrome, which makes sleeping difficult. Depending on the weather/season, buy appropriate maternity clothes - I lucked out and the majority of my maternity wardrobe has come from thrift stores if you're okay with that.  Otherwise, Target has some things, although limited, and Motherhood Maternity has the most, but is not always the cheapest.  Supposedly Sears and Belk have small sections of things too, but I never made it to either store to see for myself.  Invest in bigger bras again if necessary or if just your width is expanding, Motherhood Maternity sells bra extenders. It's hard to want to rest, but know it's important for me and baby - nesting kicks in high gear! So does forgetfulness - things like last names, or details that previously seemed second nature are quite challenging to retrieve from the memory bank.

Thankfully, my spouse is amazing with running errands, doing chores, and taking care of baby and I. Working full-time while pregnant is challenging, especially during the first and third trimesters mostly because of energy levels.  Part-time seems like it would be ideal, but the grass is always greener, right?  I worked hard to get my master's degree, so I gotta get the most use out of it!  Best of luck to you whether this is your first or fourth child!  I know I've been very fortunate throughout this pregnancy and my heart goes out to those who have dealt with pre-eclampsia and placenta previa among other complications.  Cheers to all mothers!