Love Letter to the Second Trimester

Here’s a not-so-secret fact about me: I loved being pregnant. Well, let me clarify.  I loved 2nd trimester pregnancy. Would you agree?

After three months along, I no longer looked like I’d been making daily trips to Dunkin Donuts. I had officially “popped” therefore making it all official. No more sidelong glances and “is she or isn’t she” chatter around the office (or maybe I just THOUGHT everyone was gossiping about my belly while lined up at the copy machine).

By the 2nd trimester, most of my nausea had subsided. I must admit I did not suffer nearly as much as many women do (I know, I know… I got lucky) but from the stories I’ve heard, I’m very thankful. I was exhausted ALL the time, though, and was so relieved when I started to feel like a normal person again. Well, a normal person with a basketball in her belly.

We waited until the 12-week mark with both pregnancies to announce our big news, and for me, sharing our excitement with others was one of the many high points of being pregnant. There’s really not much that can top the surprise factor of “We’re having a baby!” thrown into casual conversation. Well, “I won the lottery!” might be up there. But the best part? Getting to share the news over and over again as we made our way through our family and friends (and occasionally complete strangers on the street).  Awesome.

Maybe it’s just me, but when you look pregnant, you just feel more pregnant, right? Seems sort of funny to put it that way, but I wager all of you mamas & soon-to-be mamas understand where I’m coming from. Feeling bloated and out of sorts for the 1st trimester is not the same experience as looking at myself in the mirror with a nice, round belly, imagining the little peanut inside. In the 2nd trimester, all of a sudden it feels real… this act of becoming a mother is… actually happening.

Like most New Yorkers, I rely on public transportation to get around. While pregnant, hopping on the subway or bus was, the majority of the time, a pleasant experience. Having someone give up their seat for me (usually another woman, but that’s a frustrating essay for another time) was SO nice, and what can I say, made me feel special. Like having “handle with care” stamped on my forehead, which ordinarily would be sort of insulting. If that happened now, I’d most likely scoff at the person (wait a second, do I look pregnant?), but when you’re actually knocked up it feels pretty darn deserved.

During my first pregnancy, my 2nd trimester glee carried me nearly to the end. It wasn’t until two weeks before I gave birth that I started to feel done with the whole process. With my second pregnancy, I felt “done” a whole lot sooner. As in day one of the 3rd trimester. Perhaps it had something to do with caring for my bouncy toddler at home, but I quickly began to look back at the months before with a “those were the good ol’ days” tear in my eye.

Now, of course, I look back on both pregnancies with 2nd trimester glasses. I don’t dwell on the exhaustion or the swollen ankles, I think about how good I felt, how proud I was of my growing belly. How downright amazing it is to carry another life inside you.

What about you?  Did you have a favorite time in your pregnancy?

Mama to a newborn & toddler, Ellen Schmidt has called NYC home for the last 11 years. While living here as a parent is a much different experience from that of a single gal or newlywed, NYC still captures her heart every day. Currently attempting the balancing act that is family & career, you can find Ellen blogging about all of that & more at Baby Meets City.

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