I officially just finished half of my pregnancy! So I figured I would take this post to do some rapid fire questions about what’s happening in this second trimester, how the baby is doing, and what my life typically looks like these days.

Yay! Lets’ begin.

Baby.

How’s he doing?

We had our anatomy ultrasound at 19 weeks and everything looks good, medically speaking. He was moving and kicking… being cute and stuff.

Any new pregnancy symptoms?

Yes. Oh my GAWD, my ribs hurt so bad. Not all the time, but every few days I feel like someone is standing on my chest. It’s hard to breathe and painful to lay down, laugh, cough, yawn, or sneeze. He’s getting bigger and needs room so everything else is getting shoved up into my chest cavity. So fun.

I also have very sensitive sinuses. When the weather is dry and the wind is off-shore I get sinus headaches and other awesome head-cold kinds of feelings. When the wind changes and we have more low pressure weather, all is good. Which makes me incredibly happy that we’re not smack in the middle of september/october/november in southern California.

Are you starting to plan for the birth? 

Not especially other than signing up for birthing classes at Best Start Birth Center here in San Diego. I’m sure it will be much more real once those begin in April.

Are you starting to plan for a nursery? 

In theory more than in practice. I just started to add things to a registry on Babylist.com and researching what products I want to be purchased new. Although, most things I am fine with getting as hand-me-downs! Baby stuff is pricey and from what I hear, you don’t need much.

Have you felt him move or kick yet? 

I get this question almost daily.

No I haven’t. It’s not because he’s not moving (trust me, I watched him for 45 mins on the ultrasound). From what I’ve been told, it’s due to the fact that the placenta is laying directly across my abdominal wall which makes it harder for me to feel any movement. It’s like he has a big pillow right in front of him. Not sure whether to be grateful or sad about that. Grateful for not being punched all the time, but sad that I’m not feeling him in there. I guess I have his whole life to watch him move and eventually he will be big enough to register a kick or two in my gut. I suppose I’m fine with waiting.

Nutrition. 

What is a typical day of eating?

Usually I begin with two eggs and some fruit. Oftentimes gluten-free toast with lots Kerrygold Butter or half an avocado for some yummy fat. I also will have one cup of coffee or tea with some fresh almond milk or my own coconut creamer. The coffee is usually half-caf or decaf, but I don’t stress if it’s fully caffeinated.

Lunch is harder to pin down as a “regular” meal, but I tend to like things like tuna, salmon, or egg salad wraps. I’m super obsessed with Jackson’s Honest Salt and Vinegar Potato Chips and I also like plantain chips. Another favorite is a sandwich/wrap with some turkey, tomato, lettuce, Primal Kitchen Mayo and spicy mustard.

Dinner is meat and veggies like burgers on greens with various toppings or roasted chicken with brussels sprouts and bacon.

My usual snacks are fun things like my homemade macaroons, cookies, muffins or more fruit like papaya or pineapple. One of my favorite easy snacks is a handful of Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips and some roasted almonds or pecans.

What’s your favorite food (right now)?

Since I’ve gotten over the carb-aversion of my first trimester, I’ve really been wanting fruit. I usually don’t eat a lot of fruit when I’m not pregnant so it’s been very enjoyable to indulge during this pregnancy.

Am I eating for two?

Not especially. I haven’t felt my appetite go into overdrive yet. Maybe a little more hungry upon waking, but I don’t think I’ve been eating much more than I did pre-pregnancy.

Drinks?

I feel like I’m really horrible about drinking enough water and I try to limit how much sparkling water I drink since I’ve noticed it tends to leave me feeling dehydrated. Occasionally I’ll have other drinks like stevia-sweetened ginger ale, kombucha, coconut water, or cold-pressed juice.

Exercise. 

Do you lift weights?

Yes! I haven’t really touched a barbell since Thanksgiving. When I found out about the pregnancy, heavy lifting didn’t sound appealing AT ALL, so I don’t do it. I enjoy more mellow home workouts with dumbbells, kettle bells, and medicine balls.

Do you run?

Only if I’m being chased. But seriously… No.

I ride my bike sometimes and I usually walk over 10,000 steps a day thanks to my dog and my general love of walking/podcast listening.

How about yoga?

I’ve been enjoying returning to my yoga practice since the nausea has subsided. It’s frustrating to be unable to do certain poses but overall the practice has been really important in keeping me sane. I still do some regular flow classes but tend to show up more for the pre-natal friendly ones because I know that I won’t have to modify as much.