my second trimester essentials

Now that I've made it through the blissful 2nd trimester I can honestly say that, clothes aside, you really don't need too much to be pregnant at this stage in the game. The 2nd trimester is all about feeling full of life and looking adorable with your little bump... Enjoy it! 

Here's what I considered to be My Essentials for the Second Trimester...

Maternity Clothes
You're going to be wearing the same clothes over and over again for 6 months so plan to spend a bit of money. I'm a total cheapskate but I think $500 is realistic for some key pieces you can mix and match. I found the following maternity items to be the best investments and I bought them all at Thyme Maternity:
- Black dress pants for work. 2 pairs if you work is a somewhat professional environment.
- Black leggings. (Trust me, your regular-waist leggings will not be comfortable by the 6 month mark!)
- Black yoga pants. I didn't even know they made maternity yoga pants until my Mom gave these to me... I would wear them every moment of every day if I could!
- 2-3 solid coloured sweaters. The great thing about maternity tops is that they are longer and the ones I bought can, and will, be worn even after baby arrives.
- 2-3 solid tees.
- 2 trendy tops. Horizontal stripes make you look more pregnant in the 2nd trimester when you want to emphasize your growing bump. (I tried to rock this look on days when I had to deal with difficult people that I wanted to be nicer to me!)
- 1 maternity coat if you're going to be pregnant throughout most of the winter. I treated myself a wool coat with an asymmetrical zipper that will still look adorbs when I'm not pregnant. My sister just bought a maternity insert that worked with her existing winter coat  and it was a cost-effective alternative!

In the beginning (Month 4, maybe 5 even) you will think you will be able to continue to wear your regular clothes.... And you are mistaken my friend! The only clothes that made it through the second trimester were long tanks, cardigans and sweater dresses. I strongly recommend starting to pick up a few items (even just the pants) once you're into the second trimester - I didn't need mine right away but it was helpful to have them on hand when I needed them! "Don't wait" is the one thing I heard over and over again is from pregnant woman who wished they had bought their maternity clothes earlier.

A New (Bigger) Bra and possibly some Bra Extenders 
First your cup size will get bigger which is pretty awesome... until your rib cage starts expanding too! I kicked off the 2nd trimester buying a cheap, bigger cup and band size bra from Walmart for around $25 for "plus-size" women (perfect when you're already a 36/DD and in need of thick, supportive straps). Then, 2 months later, I finally spent another $6 buying a package of Bra Extenders to accommodate my wider ribcage and like, you know, breathe comfortably again. I really wish I had taken my own advice sooner and bought the Bra Extenders earlier to avoid taking my bra off in a movie theatre just to be able to breathe. Twice.

Tums
I seriously didn't even know what Tums were for until I got pregnant! In Months 4 &5 I developed super-uncomfortable acid reflux that would strike almost daily around 3:30pm and also sometimes before bed. I bought myself a 2 big containers of Tums Smoothies (in yummy berry flavours) for home and work - as well as a mini-container for my purse - to get some quick relief as needed!

Everyone will tell you the second trimester is the high point of being pregnant and, so far, I have to agree. Most people feel relatively good, you still look cute, people can see you're pregnant and get excited for you (and that makes you feel even more excited), and you're experiencing the magic of feeling your little one moving around. It's a good time - I hope you can make the best of it!

what to do when you're newly pregnant

So you're pregnant... now what?

Here's What To Do When You're Newly Pregnant

Double Check
I did my first pregnancy test on one that cost $1.25 from Dollarama. Naturally I didn't believe it. So then I used a more expensive $15 test. Then I booked a blood test to confirm before sharing the happy news with my husband.

Call the Midwife
Midwives are IN DEMAND. I called them right away, had to wait a week to see if they had a space for me at a hospital of their choice (since not all hospitals are receptive), and then had 24 hours to tell them if we would move forward or not. It's much harder to get a midwife than it is to get an OB in Ontario.  

Take Your Vitamins
Ideally you've been taking prenatal vitamins for at least 3 months before getting pregnant... But if not, start taking them now, they're not only good for baby but they're good for you too! See your doctor when you plan on trying to concieve and you can get them prescribed so your health insurance covers it!

Keep It Quiet... Or Not
This is entirely up to you but all I can say is, you're going to be pregnant for a long time  - it's nice to have something only you and your partner can share in the beginning. We decided to wait 14 weeks to tell my family and close friends, 15+ weeks to tell my boss/colleagues, and 20 weeks to share the news on Facebook, and I have no regrets.

Celebrate
Most people only have a week or two between missing a period and the morning sickness/extreme fatigue setting in, so make the most of that time - go out for dinner, stay up late - before all you want to do is lie on the couch and go to bed at 8:00pm. Live it up!