My Second Trimester Essentials
My third trimester officially starts TOMORROW! I can’t believe I am now two-thirds of the way through my pregnancy. The first trimester felt like it lasted forever, maybe partially due to the fatigue and nausea, but the second trimester really flew by! I shared My First Trimester Essentials in a previous blog post; if you’re in your first trimester or trying to conceive, check out that post for everything I needed to get through those first few months of pregnancy.
Today, I’m sharing My Second Trimester Essentials: a list of everything I loved during months four through six of my pregnancy. Note that some links below are affiliate links, which means I make a small commission from your purchase/subscription at no additional cost to you! Rest assured that I only share links to things I really love.
Without further ado, here are my recommendations for a happy and healthy second trimester:
A knee pillow: I tried a body pillow and one of those intense pregnancy pillows before settling on a minimalistic knee pillow. It helps me to feel comfortable sleeping on my side, and actually serves as a reminder to stay on my side. Here’s the knee pillow I use.
MCT oil: I put this in my coffee every morning to help keep me regular. Constipation is a very common but taboo pregnancy symptom. MCT oil seems to be a pretty safe and very gentle remedy to use during pregnancy, but definitely check with your provider first! This is the brand I liked best.
Collagen peptides: I put a scoop in my coffee every day (and in smoothies whenever I make them). Collagen is amazing for building tissue—yours and baby’s! It’s also a decent source of protein, and I’ve read that it can help prevent stretch marks because it contributes to the elasticity of your skin. My favorite brands are Thrive Market and Vital Proteins, but just make sure whichever brand you use comes from grass fed cows. I do not recommend marine peptides, only because it can make your drink taste fishy.
Safe Catch Elite tuna: Typically, tuna is not recommended during pregnancy due to the high mercury content. However, Safe Catch tests every single fish for mercury and has the lowest mercury content of any tuna—it’s actually the official tuna of the American Pregnancy Association! I eat it maybe once a week or so for some protein and healthy fats.
A humidifier: Maybe it was a combination of pregnancy and cold weather, but I got so dry during the second trimester and had to run a humidifier all night and sometimes during the day as well. If I didn’t run it for a night or two, I got bloody noses (and yes, I drink a ton of water).
Overnight Resurfacing Peel: My pregnancy glow did not happen naturally until the second half of pregnancy, but this peel seriously helps my skin glow overnight. It is actually my favorite skin care product of all time. I use just one pump a couple times a week—just put it on your face at night under your moisturizer. That’s it! Like all Beautycounter products, it’s safe for pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Red raspberry leaf tea: This tea is said to strengthen the uterus and shorten labor time (read more here)! I drank a cup of this tea pretty much every day throughout my second trimester. On warmer days, I would brew it and put it in the fridge so I could drink it cold. I don’t have a specific brand I recommend—just make sure whatever you choose is organic because teas have a lot of pesticides. Again, check with your provider before getting started.
Everything from Mama Natural:
MamaNatural.com is one of my top resources when researching any topic related to natural pregnancy and childbirth!
I mentioned her book in My First Trimester Essentials, and I have continued to love it throughout the second trimester! It’s called The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth and it’s such an enjoyable read each week.
We also started the Mama Natural Birth Course later in the second trimester and it’s been awesome. If you’re interested in a natural (i.e., unmedicated) birth, I highly recommend this course. It’s very practical and informational, and all of the birth videos have really helped me wrap my head around the idea of actually giving birth!
Evidence Based Birth: This website has tons of thoroughly researched and unbiased articles on all kinds of topics related to pregnancy and birth (think topics like circumcision, the vitamin K shot, epidurals, etc.). The articles are very comprehensive, but you can always skim and skip to the summary if it’s too much for you. If you’re interested in making informed choices around your pregnancy and birth, you absolutely must check out this site!
The Gentle Nursery: Another great resource for all things related to natural pregnancy, birth, and parenting is The Gentle Nursery. I found this site particularly helpful when it came to building my baby shower registry, as my top priority for all baby products is that they be as non=toxic as possible. Here’s the article I turned to again and again when creating my registry.
Community: Being part of a community of pregnant women has been pretty important to me throughout pregnancy. It helps to share the experience, ask questions, talk about challenges, and encourage each other during this season of life. I have particularly loved getting to know like-minded (i.e., crunchy) mamas. Members of the Mama Natural Birth Course get to participate in a very active and supportive Facebook group, and I’ve found the posts to be invaluable. I also participate in some virtual gatherings through my midwife’s wellness space, which offers lots of different classes and groups for pregnancy and postpartum.
Exercise: Yay for the second trimester energy boost! I talk more about exercise in this post, but I have followed the Every Mother EMbody prenatal fitness program for much of my second trimester, and I plan to continue to follow it through my third trimester and postpartum. I absolutely love this program—the workouts are exactly what I need during pregnancy, using minimal equipment and pretty simple moves while still challenging me and preparing my body to give birth. One of the main reasons I chose this specific program is because it’s been shown to decrease diastisis recti, which is the abdominal separation that happens during pregnancy and can result in the “mommy pooch/tummy”. In addition, I go for walks a few times a week and do a little yoga.
There you have it! All of these products and subscriptions have contributed to a very happy second trimester for me.
What about you? What has made your second trimester happy and healthy? Share in the comments below!
