I am officially done with my first month of the second trimester. 16 weeks pregnant — a place I had only dreamed about reaching in the past. And though this last month was nothing compared to my first trimester, it still brought some unexpected twists to my life.
Since I did not share much about my first trimester, let me give a little preface: We discovered we were pregnant around 6 weeks. I flew to New York City for a work convention during Week 7 and suffered morning sickness all day every day while in the city. I only ventured out of my room two evenings: once to see Hamilton (AH-mazing!) and the second time to attend an award gala. Our viability test was at Week 8, then I woke up bleeding during a night of Week 10 and had a second viability test. The baby was all good and the blood was an abnormality. Week 12 we did a Panorama genetics test and were overjoyed when our results came back no to low risk. We also announced the pregnancy at Week 12 to the world!
Overall, the first trimester was not as terrible as I’ve heard others experiencing. Yes, I was beyond tired every day. I would catch myself nodding off at work in the afternoons and come home to crash on the couch. I have felt so tired in my entire life. Yes, I had some powerful morning sickness that lasted all day between weeks 6 to 10. Preggy pops were my saving grace! Yes, I had a strong food aversion to eggs. So I had to switch up my usual breakfast choice.
By the fourth month of my pregnancy, the morning sickness and food aversions had completed subsided. And my energy had finally returned! I no longer felt like I hit a brick wall by 2’o’clock each afternoon. There were a few unexpected changes I was not prepared for though:
Pregnancy Carpal Tunnel
One night during the past month I woke up with a searing pain in my right wrist. The pain was so acute that I could not get back to sleep. The next night, I squirmed so much in bed, G moved to the couch to catch some sleep. By night three of no sleep, I decided to call my OB and inquire if the pain was related to my pregnancy. Guess what? It was! My OB explained that I was experiencing “pregnancy carpal tunnel,” which many women with repetitive jobs deal with during pregnancy. Due to increase water retention and hormonal changes, the nerves in my right arm were being pinched and causing carpal tunnel while I tried to sleep.
The solution was not easy to resolve. I bought a wrist brace to use each night, but even then certain ways I would lay caused my nerves to scream. When the brace didn’t work, I’d sleep propped up on our couch. (I very seriously considered finding a La-Z-Boy recliner for a few days…) Sometimes elevating my arm would help, other times sleeping with an ice pack wrapped around my wrist was better. Each night seemed like a “choose your own adventure” novel — what solution would be the winning trick tonight? It was a surprising inconvenience, but thankfully I have those multiple tricks in my back pocket as I go to bed now. Good news is that once Baby is born, the carpal tunnel should disappear.
Here’s to keeping our fingers crossed it does!
Bloating and Need for Maternity Clothes
As I said, the carpal tunnel has a lot to do with water retention and hormonal changes. Both of which add up to a common pregnancy condition: bloating. I noticed bloating initially in my fingers, and just in time too — my wedding rings were getting a tad too tight. So tight I had to tie floss around my finger in order to get the rings off. My feet also are swollen by the end of the day, and my face has definitely changed in appearance.
Unfortunate as bloating is, I won’t lie and say wearing maternity clothes is disappointing. Honestly, they are so comfortable! Maternity leggings are my new best friend and I love that maternity tops do not cling to my growing tummy. It’s gotten to the point I can only wear off-brand Ugg boots and one pair of tennis shoes. Even my Toms are too tight to fit on my feet. I guess it’s a good thing the weather is changing to be colder and the boots will be a good option throughout the winter.
No Cravings in Particular
I haven’t dealt with any strange cravings yet. My mother says she never had any specific cravings, so maybe I’ll follow in her footsteps. It has actually gotten to the point where nothing sounds good to eat. It is not food aversions, just food disinterests. Pizza? Eh, sure. Pasta? If that’s what you’re having. Tacos? I suppose I’ll have one… Where I felt like I could eat a whole lion during first trimester, this past month has been more of a “let’s at least get the nutrients we need” type of demeanor.
This next month will be fun — we are hosting a small holiday gender reveal party around Week 20. I am excited to see how this pregnancy continues and will share any new experiences in four weeks.
Until then, enjoy your November and Thanksgiving celebrations, friends!
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