Great! You have made it through your first trimester. Well done! You see, the second trimester can be a breeze for some. Considering your energy levels are high, your morning sickness will subside, and you might even be sporting that fabulous glow everyone is always talking about.
Just imagine, your baby is the size of a peach. Also, around this time, you will probably start showing, leading some people to think you had a few too many dinners. So now is the time to put them right. Yes! If you have been battling morning sickness, insomnia, or other pregnancy symptoms in secret, you can now reveal all to the world and garner sympathy!
Your pregnancy to-do list of your 2nd trimester (Month 4-6)
Month 4
Pregnancy reveal
- You’ve been through the hairiest bit, and you can tell friends and family. Whether you’re planning a big reveal or a drip-feed, this is such a wonderful time.
How to stay healthy during your pregnancy
- Stick with your exercise routine. You might be tempted to ditch it when you’re getting bigger, but it’s essential to keep going. You will feel much healthier when you do.
- Same with your healthy eating plan. Don’t be tempted by take-outs when you’re too tired to cook (if you’re the designated chef). Make sure your partner is on board with all that you cannot eat during pregnancy and get him to cook healthy and nutritious meals (if he doesn’t already).
It will be good practice for when the baby arrives. Trust me, being a new mum leaves you with precious little time to cook gourmet meals (unless, of course, you’re Nigella).
How to avoid spending too much on maternity clothes
- By now, you need to invest in some maternity clothes to accommodate your growing baby bump. If you prefer not to spend too much money, just buy comfy leggings and tunic tops. They’re a great alternative to expensive maternity clothes, and you can keep wearing them after birth. Truth be told, you might not ever want to go back to wearing your skinnies.
Sod off stretchmarks
- While I don’t know if you can altogether avoid stretch marks (I certainly didn’t), do your skin a favor and slap on some bio-oil after your morning shower and before going to bed. Even if it doesn’t work, it will make your skin stop feeling so dry.
There are a lot of different oils and lotions out there, some of them specially formulated to stop the dreaded itchiness. And if you’re allergic to bio-oil, you might want to try out coconut butter-it works a treat according to a great friend of mine who put it on religiously and has zero stretch marks. (I checked ;-))
Don’t forget your last hurray
- At this stage, you can still fly, and you will be well able for long walks without getting out of breath.
- During my first pregnancy, we went away for a week, and it was glorious. I will always look back on it fondly.
- Obviously, you can go away together after the baby is born (if you’re lucky enough to have willing babysitters), but it’s not the same. When you’re not too tired to hold down a conversation, baby’s bowel movements, sleep times, and burping will be mostly all you talk about. (I’d hate to burst your bubble, but being a new mom is far from glamorous…)
Month 5
Don’t let anyone spoil your surprise
- Time for your scan! Around 18 weeks, you will undergo an anomaly scan and ultrasound.
This is the big one as it checks for structural abnormalities, particularly in the baby’s head and spine.
It can also reveal baby’s gender. If you prefer not to know, let the health professional know at the start of the scan, so she won’t blurt it out.
Make sure you keep on doing that every time you receive a scan. This may sound over the top but trust me, I know from experience.
I mean, even after reiterating at every scan and check-up, that we did NOT want to know our baby’s gender, our midwife let it slip just as I was about to push him out.
Luckily, I missed it, but it certainly killed the surprise for my partner.
Don’t put this off
- Have you decided on the childbirth class you’re going to attend? Make sure you enroll now. They tend to fill up fast.
Babies are expensive… Who knew?
- Write down a list of essential items you will need for baby. Wait until after the baby shower to buy them. Trust me, you don’t want to double up on wet wipes warmers (then again, that shouldn’t be classed as an essential).
- Think about the stroller you want to get. This is a big one; you see, there are so many on the market. Take it from me, it helps to do some research before going into the baby shop.
- So, before you go anywhere near an overeager shop assistant, make sure you first try to imagine the lifestyle you’ll have when your baby is born:
Will you be out walking; or driving everywhere, or maybe you can be found rambling on rough terrains? You might prefer to take buses to get around. If that is the case, you need one that folds up easily. - If you’re looking for a lightweight stroller, we’ve got your back. Have a look at our 10 best lightweight strollers.
- Same for the car seat. Research it thoroughly and buy it early, so you can cross it off your to-do list. If you’re the first one of your friends to take the plunge, join an online pregnancy forum. Mumsnet (UK) is a good one or BabyCenter in the US. There you’ll find other women who are due at the same time as you and are grappling with the same questions as you.
Month 6
Name that child
- Are you ready for this? So, yes, it’s time to think about names, if you haven’t done that already.
You see, you might have had a favorite name since you were 10, but now is absolutely a good time to convince your partner your choice of name is the right one.
For instance, if he isn’t on board but open to ideas, have a look at our list of Irish names for boys and girls. What if you fancy a more regal name though? Well, we’ve got your back too. As we have listed the ten best royal names for boys and girls here. - But what if your baby is born to stand out? Well, then you can’t go wrong with our unique baby name list.
Don’t fret though, you still have time. And it takes time to convince your partner to pick the right name…
The Childcare conundrum
Yes, you do need to think about this before baby is born. So do yourself a favor and find out all the options available to you. Once you have done that, check to see if you need to put your name down for any local creches. Or, if you have a relative in mind, whom you think would be perfect for the job, then now is the time to start dropping hints.
And if you plan to take some time out from work after the baby but are not sure you will yet, then register junior anyway just to keep your options open. It’s hard to know how you’ll feel when baby is born. Some new mums are happy to say au revoir to their boss and stay at home with baby, whereas others can’t go back to work fast enough.
All new mums are different and have different financial circumstances, but if you’re undecided, don’t worry.
Still undecided? We’ll help you! Find out more.
Maternity leave
- Plan your maternity leave with your employer. If you set it up well in advance, it certainly makes for a smoother transition when you leave and go back to work.
Time for your baby shower!
- Yay, it’s time to plan a party in your honor! Hang on, change that. Find a poor sod to plan your baby shower for you! You have enough to be doing waiting for your baby to arrive.
- Next: your month by month pregnancy to-do list of your third trimester.
