Ahhhh I’d reached the sweet spot of pregnancy. I’m realizing just how sweet it is now that the third trimester is right around the corner with the awkward belly and the exhaustion that comes along with it. But trimester two started off beautifully. Just as the 14 week mark hit, like clockwork and seemingly overnight, all the morning sickness stopped. I was hungry again and wondered what cravings were in store for me. I also got my energy back and trust me when I say that was a very happy reunion.
It was also a massive emotional relief when I’d overcome the period where miscarriage is most likely. I felt like without that fear looming over me, I could finally let myself get excited and start to really take in the pregnancy. It also didn’t take long for things to start feeling REAL. By the 16th week, I was forming a little baby bump and by week 18 I was starting to feel movement.
There were a couple of moments leading up to the 18th week where I played the baby or gas? game. I wasn’t really sure if what I was feeling was Ebi chan moving (called quickening in those earlier weeks) or if I’d just eaten too much. Apparently, the sensations of both are quite similar. But in the middle of week 18 I felt something that was unmistakable. It felt like a fish was swimming inside my belly - which was odd but not uncomfortable. That time I just knew it was the baby moving and in the weeks that followed, the movements got stronger and I began to feel more defined kicks and rolls. There were even a few times when it felt like Ebi chan was having a one person mosh pit in there and that was usually right as I was trying to settle into sleep for the night.
I loved it. I loved feeling Ebi chan dancing away in my belly even though it would sometimes feel like a little stomp to the bladder which wasn’t the most comfortable. Still - it made everything feel so legit and when I learned the baby’s sex at week 19, Ebi chan started to really feel like an actual human as opposed to a shrimp. A quick note about learning the sex - NO, I’m not going to have a reveal. I don’t like gender reveals personally because I think that assigned sex at birth and gender can be two totally different things and not always match up. So I would rather think of this baby as their own little person and when they want to determine their gender (or not), Yasu and I will have their back. People also ask which I’d prefer - a boy or a girl and honestly, it really makes no difference to me at all. I’m just excited to love this little baby no matter what.
A couple other notable things happened in the second trimester - I finally got vaccinated for COVID (blog about that coming very soon) and was tested for gestational diabetes. It was kind of funny because I’d read about the horrible syrupy orange stuff they make you drink back in North America so I was expecting the worst. Instead, I was given a refreshing bottle of Cream Soda. To be fair, it was quite sweet compared to most soda in Japan but on par with a bottle from overseas. It was actually pretty delicious! The worst part was that because of my tattoos I had to get all three blood tests from the same arm which left a nasty bruise but the best part? Negative for gestational diabetes. PHEW.
A major challenge being pregnant in Japan is the expectation of weight management. The doctors and midwives are very strict here and don’t really take into account the fact that I’m not Japanese. My BMI was in the “normal” range at the beginning of my pregnancy which means I am expected to gain no more than 7-12 kilograms (15-26 pounds). That’s a pretty big difference to Canada’s expectation of 11.5-16 kilograms (25-35 pounds) for someone of my pre pregnancy size. So far, I’ve managed not to stray too far above the Japanese limit but I refuse to stress about it and take my midwife’s lectures with a grain of salt (and slice of cake). I figure as long as I’m eating a healthy and balanced diet without too much junk food, I’m doing just fine.
That said, the only really major craving I’ve been having has been for a restaurant here called Coco Ichibanya that makes Japanese style curry. Before pregnancy I could take it or leave it but now I find myself craving the spinach and cheese curry from there alllllllllllllll the time. I could eat this stuff every day but I don't - although I may or may not have had it twice in one day once.
As the end of the second trimester is near - I’m currently writing this at 26.5 weeks pregnant; I’m getting a lot bigger, a lot more tired and losing my balance a lot easier. I have to move a little slower than I’m used to so I don’t topple over forward and getting used to my new shape and size has been a love/hate relationship. Do I think my baby bump looks cute? Heck yeah! Is it starting to get uncomfortable trying to sleep at night? You bet. But I’m only going to grow from here on out so I try to remember that every day is the smallest I’ll be for a while. And compression socks have become my new besties since I walk and am on my feet a lot - the likely culprit for my brutal nighttime leg cramps. Thanks to the socks and lots of stretching, I was able to get the cramps under control.
I also learned at my last doctor’s appointment that I’m anemic. Apparently 50% of pregnant people develop anemia during their pregnancy and that explained a lot of why I was feeling tired so easily - as if being pregnant alone didn’t do that enough. I was given a prescription for iron supplements and I also decided to start eating meat again. I’d been vegetarian since I was an early teen, started eating seafood once I was in my late 20’s and started eating a little bit of chicken when I first became pregnant. Now I decided I was willing to do and eat whatever it took to get my iron levels up, although I haven’t been able to bring myself to eat pork just yet. I always thought I hated prunes but started drinking prune juice and was pleasantly surprised, so hooray! Prunes are an easy source of iron.
I think the most mind blowing thing about it all so far now is that I’m only 3 months away from meeting Ebi chan in the flesh. I’m a little nervous thinking about labour and delivery but trying to trust myself, my body and my baby to get the job done. I’m also trying to stay stress free as much as I can. The combination of hormones and getting tired easily make me feel frustrated a lot these days and if I’m not careful I can find myself crying a lot more. I’m trying to up my meditation game and start focusing more on stretches and exercise that will help my body be more prepared. I also try to take a little bit of time each day to admire my growing belly and talk to Ebi chan.
Baby Bump @ 24 weeks getting some love
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