Pregnancy: my second trimester saviours

Somehow I appear to have reached the magic halfway mark of this pregnancy without even realising it. Just goes to show how different pregnancy is when you have a young child to care for amidst the usual juggling of work and family life. This one is flying by!

While I continue to feel tired in the evenings, I’m pretty sure this is just a symptom of said juggling – when I was pregnant with Frog there was nothing stopping me from putting my feet up after a day at work, after all. This is something I need to keep reminding myself of in order to keep the temptation to be constantly doing stuff, working, doing more stuff, at bay.

As with the first trimester, there are a few things that are making pregnant life a lot easier at the moment. 

Pillows and cushions

I’m already finding sleep is becoming pretty elusive. I can’t get comfortable and I regularly wake up needing a wee. Joy. I now sleep with a mixture of cushions propping me up or lie astride the best maternity pillow I’ve ever come across – the Dreamgenii pregnancy pillow that I bought from Emily at Mummy Limited. Without sounding too sales pitchy, this pillow is better than others I’ve used in the past as it supports your back too and, later, it can be used as a nursing support. Plus it’s that bit longer giving more support for tired legs when you lie on your side.

Bubble baths

Come 9pm and I have little energy for much more than soaking in a warm bubble bath or reclining on the sofa. Indulgent baths have become a regular treat at least a couple of evenings a week, as I relax with a book or an episode of something on the iPad. It’s one of the few ways I find I can properly unwind and I always – ALWAYS – make sure to leave my phone downstairs so the urge to check Twitter / Facebook / emails etc doesn’t take over.

Pregnancy pampering creams

I’m still loving the Elizabeth Arden 8 hour Visible Difference cream, which I use as a moisturiser on my face in the morning and at night. It sinks in to my skin without leaving an oily finish and feels refreshing in a non-drying way.

I’m also using a Boob Tube cream from Boots which smells amazing. One of the things I love about being pregnant is that it forces me to enjoy a bit of pampering without feeling guilty. I’m the first to admit the thought of taking the time to smother my neck and chest in a special cream would be laughable if I wasn’t pregnant.

I have Love Boo Magic Balm that I use on dry skin areas (elbows, lips etc). It’s also safe to use on cracked nipples when breastfeeding too, so this will come in handy later on. Thank you to Alison at Not Another Mummy Blog for giving me a bag of pamper goodies with these treats in!

And then there’s the Body Shop’s Honeycomb body butter and the Palmer’s Cocoa Butter stretch mark cream that I slather on the bump and legs post-bath. Both smell delicious and have just the right amount of oozy goodness to them without feeling claggy and oily.

I’ve noticed my hair is feeling pretty good at the moment and needs washing less than normal. It’s definitely more shiny too, but I find if I use my regular conditioner it gets greasy too quickly, so I’ve given that up in favour of my daughter’s Johnson’s No Tangle leave in spray instead!

Creative projects

Probably tied up with my inability to relax is my constant need to be busy. So if I’m not in the bath or sleeping in bed, I’ve found I need to find other things to occupy myself or my mind starts to turn to work.

I’ve been enjoying doing up some more bits of furniture as we continue to revamp the house (and blogging about it over at my other blog Play Love Grow), along with a spot of knitting. I know, I’m incredibly rock and roll and desperately interesting. *cough*

Tomatoes

I’ve become a bit obsessed with tomatoes recently. Eaten raw, like an apple. Sliced up and grilled with lashings of pepper. Warmed up chopped tomatoes eaten as soup. I literally can’t get enough of the stuff. I didn’t experience any cravings with Frog so this is all new to me. I’m choosing to embrace the tomato love and give in to it, so any tomato recipes you have send them my way!

New maternity clothes

Although it’s only for a few months, I refuse to feel guilty about buying maternity clothes. I don’t fancy spending the next few months wearing a sack, so maternity clothes are go in this house.

I’m trying to pick either maternity clothes that will last me until after the baby is born (H&M jeans and leggings are my favourite at the moment because they have an “over the bump” waistband which is oh-so-comfy and oh-so-flattering) along with looser non-maternity clothes that I’ll wear for a while. I recently bought a couple of cheap Maxi dresses from Asda George (their range is surprisingly non-awful), along with a cropped jumper from Topshop that I wear over the top of a longer maternity vest.

eBay is great for finding second hand maternity clothes and that’s where I scour for the odd bit too, alongside the trusty maternity sections at Asos.com, Next and New Look.

Accessories

On those days where I feel particularly whale-like, or the under-eye bags are showing too much from lack of sleep, I’m embracing the bright and colourful accessories in the hope they distract from the rest of me.

I found this necklace recently. I’ve had it for ages but it’s made a new and regular appearance into my wardrobe.

Sunshine

Obviously this isn’t something I have any control over, but on days when the sun is shining I’ve tried my best to get outdoors, even if it’s only for a little while. It helps keep the pregnancy tiredness at bay and is an easy way to occupy the almost-four year old without having to get any paints or play-dough out. Win.

Antental exercise classes

I’m a fully signed up member to the yoga and aquanatal fan clubs and have found some great local classes that I pop along to a couple of times a week. They help me feel active, give me a bit of time doing something that’s just for me, and are proving a good way of meeting other mums-to-be in the area too.

And that is my exhaustive list of survival items so far in this pregnancy. Have you got any tips to share?

P.S. If you’re another pregnant blogger then do come back this Thursday and link up to my brand new linky. I’ll be launching it on Thursday but it’ll be a great way to find other pregnant bloggers (I can’t be the only nosey person who loves reading about other pregnancies?!) and find some new readers too. At the moment it feels like I’m planning a party and have the fear that no one will turn up!

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