16-Preparing in the Second Trimester

Transcript:

Welcome to the Preparing for Childbirth podcast where we'll talk about God's amazing design for childbirth, learn how to prepare for the unknown, handle the pain and lean into God's character through it all! I'm your host, Jenny Childs. I’m a follower of Jesus, wife, mom, and lover of all things childbirth. Thanks so much for joining me today!

Before I get into the podcast, let me take just a minute and remind any of my listeners who are due in November, December or January about the pop-up facebook group I’m doing in October…There will be a small cost to join and I’m planning to share all of the material I include in my normal classes in short chunks of information each day. I’ll also be sharing short daily devotions to help you prepare your heart for motherhood. There will be some games and activities, as well. And you’ll be able to interact and ask questions as they come up. This is a new format for me so I’m keeping the cost low as we try it out. There’s a link in the show notes if you want to sign-up or get more info.

Ok, now for today’s podcast…

This is Episode 16.

Today I’d like to spend some time talking about preparing for childbirth in the second trimester or the middle part of your pregnancy. Generally, we think of the second trimester as weeks 14-27. By the end of the first trimester your little one already has all his or her major body systems, organs, limbs, even fingernails. Now in the second trimester baby really starts to grow and move! Those organs will continue to grow and fully develop. Baby starts to hear, taste, open and close her eyes. Hair starts to grow. Your little one will go from about 3 inches long at the beginning of this trimester to about 14 inches by the end! Your baby bump will probably start showing during this time and you may need to switch to maternity clothes or at least a bigger size. With my first baby, I didn’t really need maternity clothes until my third trimester – much to my chagrin – I was so ready to be showing!

If you haven’t done it already, the early part of this trimester is a good time to collect some of those maternity clothes because you will need them eventually. Of course, you can buy them new but second-hand maternity clothes are great, too, & much more cost effective. I had some friends and family members that we would pass around a box of maternity clothes as each of us needed it.

It’s likely as you move into the second trimester, that you will feel less nauseous, if that was a problem before but unfortunately, there’s no guarantee. Some women have to deal with nausea throughout their pregnancy. But for the majority of people, the second trimester brings relief and more energy. Don’t expect it to be like a switch turning something on or off. It will likely be a more gradual change.

So what can you do during this season of your pregnancy to continue to prepare for childbirth?

Before I get into some things that I think are helpful, let me first say that these things are not meant to be a burden. I don’t want you to feel like “oh no, more things for me to do, that I don’t even have the energy to think about!” They are merely suggestions meant to help you wade through all the information out there.

Some of these are things I mentioned last time when we talked about preparing in the first trimester.

Things like exercising and eating well may not be practical in the first trimester if you’re fighting morning sickness but as you (hopefully) start to feel better in the second trimester you can begin to add in more variety to your daily diet, giving preference to more nutrient rich foods. And begin, or continue, to do a few simple pregnancy-friendly exercises each day, if you’re able. Both of these things help prepare your body for the hard work of birthing a baby.

In the last episode on preparing in the first trimester, I encouraged you to find a care provider. As you move into the second trimester, continue to talk to your doctor or mid-wife about birth. It’s good to know what their birth practices are ahead of time. If you see any red flags, or you are not comfortable with the care you are receiving at any point, it is ok, even good, to consider changing to another provider. This is an important factor relating to the outcome of your birth. As you have questions between your prenatal appointments, jot them down so you can remember them when you see your doctor or midwife.

If you’re able to hire a doula to attend your birth, I highly recommend it! And now is a good time to do your research. Look into what a doula is, what she does, and if there are any doulas in your area. If there are and you want to go that route, schedule some interviews, and choose one that best fits your needs.

Whether or not you’re able to hire a doula, I encourage you to learn all you can, along with your husband or another support person about what to expect during labor and childbirth. My podcasts are a great place to start but I highly encourage you to go deeper with an actual childbirth class. The best time to take those classes is at the beginning of the third trimester, so getting that nailed down and on the calendar now, during the 2nd trimester is a good idea. If you don’t have a good one in your own community and you’re due in November, December or January, you could give my October facebook group a try. It’s a different format from a normal class but we’ll be covering all the same material in short 10-20 minute chunks daily throughout the month of October.

Like I said earlier, the 2nd trimester often brings with it more energy for mama but pay attention to your body and nap or rest when you need to. Your body is still working extra hard growing that little human.

If you choose to find out your baby’s gender, that usually happens at around 20 weeks with an anatomy scan ultrasound. This scan is usually done to check to be sure baby is growing properly and to check for birth defects. It is an optional scan. With our third child, it was during this ultrasound that we learned that he had club feet. It wasn’t necessary for us to know that before his birth but it did help us prepare and know better what to expect after he was born.

The second trimester tends to be the time during pregnancy when women feel the best. Morning sickness has usually subsided by this time and you’re not so big that you feel really uncomfortable. If this is the case for you, find time to do some non-pregnancy related things that you enjoy with your husband, other family members or friends. You’ll be glad you did. Life is going to be very different after baby comes! Different women process that lifestyle change differently. For some it’s a welcome change, for others not so much. Many women feel conflicted about their feelings surrounding becoming a mother. Taking time now to prepare and work through how you’re feeling will likely help you with a smoother transition in the long run. Whatever you’re feeling, know that you’re not alone. Whether it’s an easy transition or a difficult one, knowing that God is good is key. Some women are excited, some scared to death, some look forward to motherhood, some dread it, and many feel a measure of all those things depending on the moment. God will be there with you through it all – both the highs and the lows – and there will be plenty of both! Choose to trust Him and to rest in his character.

At some point during this middle portion of your pregnancy you’ll start to feel little baby flutters inside that will eventually turn into solid kicks and jabs. You might start to feel some practice contractions called Braxton Hicks. These aren’t painful. They just feel like a tightening and loosening of your abdomen, and it shouldn’t happen often. Not everyone feels them, but they are perfectly normal. If they are very frequent or accompanied by any pain, you would want to talk to your care provider about that.

Throughout your pregnancy, keep learning, Mama! And even more importantly, prioritize your time with the Lord. Don’t do it just to check off a box. Set aside time regularly to get to know Him better. As you read the bible ask questions like, What does this passage tell me about who God is? What does it tell me about who I am? How does it apply to my life right now during this season? I find it helpful to write down my thoughts and prayers. It helps me to stay focused and to remember later.

Well, I obviously haven’t covered everything but hopefully this is a good start. Oh, one other thing you’ll want to do at some point is to start gathering the things you’ll need for baby – clothes, diapers and such. What you consider necessary will vary from culture to culture, even generation to generation and person to person but this is probably a good time for you to start deciding what those things are and collecting them for when baby comes. I encourage you to think about using cloth diapers. I did for all three of mine. It was a great cost saver – not to mention the benefits to the environment. I know they’re not for everybody but it’s something to consider. Ok, we’ll stop there. Hopefully, what I’ve shared today can help you continue to prepare both physically and non-physically for the birth of your sweet little baby.

If you’ve enjoyed today’s podcast or found it helpful, I hope you’ll share it with a friend, and I’d love for you to leave a rating and review.

It is my prayer that these podcasts will help you grow in confidence and peace as the day draws near for you to meet your little one. I'm so glad you tuned in today as you are Preparing for Childbirth.

Show notes:

In this episode, I talk about preparing for childbirth during the second trimester. Many of the same things from the 1st trimester carry over.

· Eat well and exercise

· Continue to evaluate your care provider

· Get some maternity clothes

· Consider hiring a doula

· Nail down childbirth classes

· Prepare your heart (spend time in God’s word)

· Begin deciding what you need for baby and collecting those things.

Here’s an article with more info about what symptoms are normal and what might be concerning:

Lcce, C. T. (2018, December 27). Your second trimester. Lamaze International. https://www.lamaze.org/Giving-Birth-with-Confidence/GBWC-Post/TitleLink/Your-Second-Trimester

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