I’ve officially made it to the third trimester! We’re in the home stretch, which is alternately awesome and terrifying. In fewer than 100 days, we will have a tiny human (definitely of the boy variety, as an update to that last post) of our very own.
There’s a well-established saying that the 2nd trimester is the “honeymoon phase” of pregnancy, and I have to say that definitely applies to me. (And if you are finding this in the misery of the first trimester, I feel for you, I really do! Be kind to yourself, fight for the treatments you need to make it through the bleakness. It’s okay.)
After we finished with the “summer of death, 2010” I’ve actually spent the past number of weeks feeling surprisingly good. I joked a lot that the best part about it has been forgetting much of the time that I’m pregnant. Not so forgetful that I’d be six cocktails in before going “oh shit! the fetus!” but that the whole “host to a parasite” thing was no longer interfering with my ability to lead a normal life.
And so, because it’s been a not-unpleasant ride for the past while, and in the spirit of not being a total Negative Nelly about this whole experience, I present to you, the 2nd trimester list of things that don’t totally suck about being pregnant:
• Obviously looking pregnant, as opposed to looking like I’ve had a long and sordid affair with a donut shop that didn’t end well. Which goes along with…
• Not caring about those “last 10 lbs” for the first time I can recall in my adult life. I’m trying to enjoy it, as I assume this laissez faire attitude about the current size of my ass will immediately revert to its previous state approximately 8 seconds after I see my lower half in a mirror the first time after giving birth.
• The ease of dressing myself. Nobody seems to expect much from pregnant women in the wardrobe department. Which makes it that much easier to feel sartorially confident. Also, the 2nd trimester is when maternity clothes are their most comfortable and flattering. In previous weeks and months, most maternity fashions still hung on me like so many circus tents (even though my pre-pregnancy clothes were laughably too small). Currently, they fit like a glove. I am expecting soon I will be stretching them to their limits and otherwise rolling in Neil’s sweatpants.
• The unending string of compliments. It seems the universally declared “thing that is appropriate to say to a pregnant woman” is “wow, you look fantastic!” And you know, I don’t care if you really think that or are just trying to say something that won’t get your head bitten off. I approve, and thank you.
• Finding out the sex of the fetus! It’s really no secret I hated and resented this little parasite for the early part of pregnancy. I looked forward to having a kid at the end of it all, but was decidedly unimpressed at the 9-month trial I’d be enduring while waiting for the kid to arrive. Everything was such crap that it became really important to me I get something out of it that was for nothing other than my own selfish desires. The gender screen was it. Now that I know there’s a wee boy-to-be in there, I feel like I’ve actually, finally, bonded with him in some small way and have gotten over the mental hurdle I needed to in order to start actually planning and being excited.
I have been assured by those who’ve gone before that I am in for another slow, downhill drag back into misery, culminating in the ordeal that is giving birth, but so far I’m mostly ignoring that part and continuing my independent research study (sample size: 1) on whether the intense sugar cravings are really a body’s way of trying to compensate for all the sugars it’s missing from lack of alcohol input.
Someone asked for a belly photo, and when I realized I didn’t have any, I snapped a quick one in the bathroom at work. You’re welcome!
Yay! Photo looks great, and I’m happy to hear that you’re enjoying the pregnancy. Hopefully this won’t end with the start of the third trimester. I found the end to be much less awful than the beginning (and the middle to be fun). There’s increasing discomfort and impatience, but it’s much more tolerable since a) you have a pretty good idea when it’s going to end, and b) you’re REALLY pregnant, rather than just bloated, nauseous and carrying around a lump of dividing cells. I loved feeling the little creature moving and kicking. Also, yes, enjoy the pregnancy and continue to ignore people’s horror stories (sorry about that). There’s nothing you can do about what’s coming anyway (and you might luck out and get a fairly easy delivery and baby), so might as well just enjoy pregnancy as much as possible. You deserve it after that rough first trimester 🙂
Wow! Looking great Jen! So glad to hear that you’re feeling better. Not that I know anything about pregnancy, but hopefully it’s a very mild downhill slope over the next few months.
You look great! And I’m not just saying that to be nice. I looked like a beached whale by this point in the pregnancy. Congrats on finding out its a boy. We were thrilled when we found out we were having a boy. I wasn’t sure what to do with a girl and I was terrified my mother’s prediction of “Someday you’re going to have a daughter just like you” was going to come true. Enjoy your final trimester!
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Ah, you look awesome! And so happy for you that you’re not miserable anymore 😉
Wow! I just realized I have not actually seen you IN PERSON since I found out you were pregnant. That is a problem. I’m so glad you’re coming later this week. It’s soooo weird to see the belly photo because it makes it REAL for me. (I know it’s been real for you for all too long; I guess I’m just way too self-absorbed).
There’s always a possibility that the last trimester will be way, way better than the first. I mean it’s pretty hard to beat the awfulness of the 1st trimester you experienced. I think it just takes a whopping sense of humor to cope with becoming progressively larger and less agile. And then, well you know my opinion about the ordeal of birth – it’s as good as you make it.
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