Pregnancy Must Haves | Second Trimester Pregnancy Essentials

The second trimester, in my humble opinion, is the best trimester of pregnancy. The third trimester, your tummy is getting big, you might have swollen feet, you have to pee all the time, you have back pain, and you're exhausted. And then in the first trimester, you might not have a showing belly yet, but you still have to pee all the time, you're tired, plus you have morning sickness. But in the second trimester, morning sickness and fatigue have usually gone away. You're showing, but you're not too big to where it's a struggle to get around. You have more energy, and through much of the second trimester, you can feel the baby move, which is really fun. But there are definitely things that you need during the second trimester that will help make your life so much easier. So today, we're talking about the must-haves of the second trimester. Now, if you're new here, welcome to Diana in the Pink. My name is Diana, I'm a physician assistant specialized in women's health and gynecology. And on this channel, we talk about women's health, pregnancy, babies, and also just being a mommy. So if you're new here, subscribe, and then make sure to comment down below and let me know what brought you here. Are you pregnant now? Is somebody that you love pregnant? I love reading your comments. And also, if you are new here and love learning about pregnancy, I have made an entire pregnancy series, which I will link to at the end of this video. But now, let's jump into the video, starting with number one, a support belt. If you are just entering your second trimester, you're gonna wonder how this is gonna help. Because most likely, you are just barely showing, or you might not be showing at all, especially if this is your first pregnancy. But as you get into the latter part of your second trimester, you'll be really glad to have one. So this was mine. I use this for all four of my pregnancies. And it's a basic, single-strap belly support. Now, I was well into my third trimester of my first pregnancy before I finally bought this. I was really struggling with some low back pain, and when I first put this on at the store, I nearly broke into tears because of how much better I felt with this on. Now, this one is pretty basic, and there are so many options depending on how much support you want, and also where you want the support. Some support belts wrap over your baby and then under your baby. There are some that wrap down around your groin to offer you support there, and then some that actually go over your shoulders. Whatever it takes to help you to stay comfortable. Number two, maternity underwear. Now, many women just try to use their pre-pregnancy underwear throughout their entire pregnancy because, you know, underwear's pretty stretchy, and it's very, very low. And you can do that for the majority of your pregnancy, but as your belly grows, that tight underwear just gets really uncomfortable. There's enough about your pregnancy that is naturally uncomfortable. Your underwear shouldn't be one of them. Number three, a water bottle. Now, it is tempting to not wanna drink as much when you're pregnant because you're already peeing a lot, and drinking more means that you're gonna pee more. But I cannot emphasize how important it is to stay hydrated. Dehydration can cause headaches, dizziness, and fatigue, but there's so much more to it than just that. So during your second trimester, your blood volume increases by almost 50% to accommodate the extra blood that you need now to supply the baby with what she or he needs. And also, in preparation for childbirth, you need to stay hydrated to help support that extra blood volume. Also, water helps maintain healthy amniotic fluid levels, which helps protect and cushion the baby. And then it may sound counterintuitive, but staying hydrated actually helps with water retention and with swollen ankles. Plus, and you'll love this reason, but staying hydrated helps promote healthy skin, and hydrated skin is more elastic, which is something important to keep in mind is that belly skin is stretching. It's time to invest in some supportive slip-on shoes if you don't already have them. Now, as your belly grows, your center of gravity shifts and moves forward, causing you to adjust and lean back more. It's a little bit of a balancing act, and then pregnant women are more prone to falls, which is dangerous for both you and the baby. So this is the time to ditch the high heels if you wear them and get some flat, supportive slip-on shoes. Believe it or not, there is going to be a time when you cannot reach your feet to put your shoes on. Now, it might not happen during the second trimester, but it's definitely gonna happen in your third trimester. So having shoes that you can slip on easily really makes a difference. Pregnancy pillow. Now, in your first trimester, you can actually sleep in whatever position is the most comfortable, but as your tummy grows, it's recommended that you start to sleep on your left side. And not only is it recommended, but you'll find yourself wanting to sleep on your left side, and here's why. As your uterus grows, it moves in front of your inferior vena cava. So allow me a 10-second anatomy lesson here. The inferior vena cava is the large vein that brings the blood back from all of the lower parts of the body. When you lay down flat on your back, the weight of the baby, the uterus, and the amniotic fluid pushes on that large vein, making it more difficult for the blood from your legs to get back to your heart, and then to your lungs and the rest of your body. And because of this, you start to get some shortness of breath. But when you turn to your left side, that moves the weight of the baby and the uterus off of that blood vessel, so blood can properly get back to your heart. Okay, so that's no big deal for you if you are already a side sleeper, but for any of you who, like me, are habitual back sleepers, this can be a huge adjustment. So pregnancy pillows tucked behind your back can help your body to more comfortably stay on that left side. Pregnancy pillows can also offer extra support for your tummy, and depending on the kind you get, they can also give you some added cushioning in between your knees, which helps take off some pressure from your hips. There are so many options for pregnancy pillows. Personally, I was a little bit of a minimalist when it came to my pregnancy pillows. I only like my pillow behind my back and then something between my knees, but some people love those big C and U pregnancy pillows that gives you support for your neck, your back, your belly, and your knees. Just pick whatever is most comfortable for you. But on a side note, if you wake up in the morning and you find that you are back on your back, don't stress out about it. Everything is okay. Just do your best. A heating pad. Now, earlier I talked about your center of gravity shifting forward. Not only can that affect your balance, but it can also give you some back, hip, and groin pain. That, plus during your pregnancy, your ovaries and placenta are producing a hormone called relaxin. Now, the role of relaxin is ultimately just as the name implies. Relaxin essentially relaxes your ligaments in your pelvis so that they can loosen to make room for your growing baby and then to prepare your pelvis for when that baby is delivered. So relaxin is great in that regard, but the problem is is that that relaxin doesn't just affect the pelvis. It also loosens ligaments in other places like the spine and the hips, resulting in back and hip pain. And this is where a heating pad comes into play. Many women find that a heating pad set on a low setting on the lower back or hips can alleviate some muscle tension. But remember not to use that heating pad on your tummy. A maternity wrap. Now, if you were able to get through your first trimester without needing maternity clothes, you're definitely gonna need them for the second trimester. Now, some people love to go all out with maternity clothes, and that's great if that's you. There are so many cute, adorable outfits. But personally, I like to stay in my own clothes for as long as I could, and this little baby helped me to do this. I used this through all of my pregnancies. I used this so much. So if your jeans are to the point where you can't button them, you can leave your button undone and then have this over your jeans and then up over your belly. It's comfortable. It offers a little extra support. I absolutely loved mine. A comfy bra. I think most of us think about getting a nursing bra after the baby is born, but I would definitely recommend getting some bras that will fit you now. Those pregnancy hormones make your breasts bigger, and there's no point to squeezing them into your pre-pregnancy bra throughout your whole pregnancy. You can just get your nursing bra and start wearing it now if you want. Just get the size that fits you right now. Belly creams. Now, as your belly grows, your skin stretches, which gets really itchy and dry. Now, like I mentioned earlier, staying hydrated helps, but using a belly cream also helps keep your skin hydrated as it stretches. Now, I know what you're all thinking. Will the belly cream help with stretch mark prevention? So overall, the general consensus is that no creams or moisturizers that you put on your belly will prevent stretch marks. That being said, there is some weak evidence that products like Centella and possibly bitter almond oil or hyaluronic acid might prevent stretch marks or at least reduce their severity. I emphasize weak evidence, which means you could faithfully apply and massage one of these into your skin every single day, and you could still wind up with stretch marks. Really, the biggest determination on if you are going to get stretch marks is actually your genetics. So ask your mom or sisters if you have them, did you get stretch marks? If they did, you're more likely to get them too. So creams and moisturizers definitely help with preventing dry, itchy belly skin, but as far as the stretch marks, there are no guarantees. But you can certainly try to prevent them. And there are some treatments that you can do after the baby is born to try to fade them if you want to. But in my eyes, the stretch marks are just proof of the strength and the resilience that it takes to grow a baby. So in case you haven't been told this today, you are a rock star, you are doing amazing, and you are doing something that is truly incredible, which is growing a life. Please always remember that. Now, if you liked this video and want to know more about the second trimester, I'm gonna put a card right here. Or if you wanted to check out my pregnancy series where I walk you through pregnancy week by week, I'm gonna put a link to that right here. Click on either one of those, and I will see you over there.