HOW I’VE BEEN FEELING…
+ Growing Bump: I absolutely LOVE being pregnant and watching my body create a little miracle. I feel like my bump popped really early and I’m obsessed with it. It’s been so fun styling my bump and showing it off, although I’ve been asked many times if I’m having twins…which is RUDE! It’s been so special seeing my body grow and change throughout my pregnancy, it’s so cool that I’m creating a life here. Every night I’ve been using Summer Fridays Babymoon Belly Balm to keep the bump hydrated and boost elasticity.
+ Lots of Fetal Movement: I’ll never forget the first time I felt her kick, for a couple of days it felt as if there were butterflies in my stomach and I wasn’t sure if it was her or not. Then one morning when we were laying in bed and I felt it! Her kicks are strong and I love feeling her, it’s so comforting to feel her moving around in there.
+ Lower Back/Hip Pain: I first started having pain in my left hip and lower back at the end of my first trimester, putting a pillow between my legs while I slept used to help but now just makes it worse. I started seeing Doc Alli Cain, a local chiropractor who is the founder and CEO of Grow Co and specializes in prenatal & postpartum rehab. I see her once or twice a week depending on my pain that week. Now that I’m 26 weeks it’s getting harder to move and do certain things like getting in and out of bed or doing the dishes, I’ve found getting adjusted and taping my bump really help with the pain management.
+ Vivid Dreams: My crazy dreams have definitely continued this trimester, I’ve had a few scary ones where something has happened to the baby and it has felt so realistic. It’s hard when I wake up, I feel confused, overwhelmed and really emotional. The only thing that helps is talking it through with Vlad, he can always calm me down and reminds me it was just a dream. I’ve also had some pretty funny dreams, in one I was on the show The Bachelorette and my mum was rooting for me to choose Vlad because he had a lot of great suits. In another one, I gave birth super early and we were completely unprepared so we let my husband’s grandma watch her while we went shopping for all the essentials. When we arrived home she had pierced the baby’s ears and she was wearing giant chandelier earrings, a visual I will never forget!
+ Heart Burn: I’m so lucky that I’ve only had heartburn in the last few weeks of this trimester. It mostly happens at night when I’m trying to fall asleep. I haven’t had to take anything for it thankfully but I’m sure as the baby grows and my uterus gets bigger it will only get worse.
WEEKLY BUMP DATES…
Week 14: I’ve been feeling pretty good since my second trimester started, my headaches are gone but I’m still absolutely exhausted at the end of the day and still need my daily nap. I’m still craving Taco Bell, is it a bad thing the guy who works there knows my order and gives me extra hot sauce? I had an appointment at the dentist this week, my gums were super sensitive and bleed more than usual.
The most exciting part of the week has been planning how we want to share our pregnancy, I booked the photographer from our wedding to come and take pictures at our house. Hopefully, we will get them back quickly and possibly share our news on Mother’s Day!
Week 15: We had a scare this week at our doctor’s appointment, it was my absolute worst nightmare. The doctor tried to find her heartbeat and after 10 long silent minutes, she told us she couldn’t find one. We were rushed to an ultrasound to check on Baby Cazan, I was hysterical, crying and hyperventilating. Vlad was so strong for the both of us and kept reassuring me that we would get through this. I was holding my breath and as soon as they put the doppler on my stomach we heard her heartbeat. The tech and Vlad kept reassuring me everything was ok and the baby was healthy. It was the worst experience of my life that thankfully ended positively because I was thinking the worst.
Update: at my next appointment we found out that the original doppler was broken and we should have never gone through that horrible experience. I try my best to put a positive spin on the experience, it brought us closer together, made us stronger as a couple and we got an extra ultrasound which gave us the chance to see our beautiful baby again.
Week 16: I am so excited, this week we shot our announcement and I can’t wait to finally share our exciting news! After we finished shooting we had an impromptu date night since we were all ready dressed up AND we bought our first baby item, the babybrezza® Steri-Dry Steam Sterilizer.
I started push pilates class this week with The Belle Method, I’m feeling nervous about labour but connecting with my body really helps each week and will hopefully help ease some of the stress. I’m really hoping these classes will help with some of my hip and lower back pain because by the end of the school day I am really struggling. lastly Baby Bain has definitely kicked in, remembering my students’ names had become a daily challenge and overall I’m just more forgetful than I usually am, which is terrible.
Week 17: My bump has officially popped! I love watching my body change and grow but none of my clothes fit anymore and everything feels so uncomfortable, even my shoes! I ordered a pair of Knix BlissFit™ Maternity Legging, they are so comfortable I ordered a second pair!
We started building our registry this week, it’s so overwhelming trying to decide what you need and what you should save and splurge on but after watching many youtube videos I think we’ve narrowed it down to the essentials. This brings us to the gender…Vlad and I were both super impatient and eager to find out the gender of Baby Cazan. We saw you can book a 3D ultrasound and find out earlier than 20 weeks so we booked an appointment for Mother’s Day to find out. Recently I’ve had a feeling Baby C is a boy but in the end, all that matters is that we have a healthy and happy baby.
Week 18: This week was super exciting, we had our 3D ultrasound to find out the gender of Baby Cazan. Whenever we go for an ultrasound Baby C is always camera shy like her Daddy and never cooperates. We did manage to get a couple of cute photos but I also had a hard time seeing what Vlad and the ultrasound tech were talking about. They kept saying how cute it looked and I felt like Rachel from Friends because I could not see what they were talking about. I had them write down the gender of the baby and seal it in an envelope so we could take it home and open it just the two of us. I was completely shocked when we opened the envelope, if you haven’t seen the gender reveal I’ll link it here.
Week 19: We had a Gender Reveal Party for our families, it was SO much fun to surprise them with the news that we are having a BABY GIRL! She will be the first grandchild in both our of families so I’m sure she will be spoiled by everyone. For a couple of weeks, I was so sure we were having a boy for so long but I also knew in the back of my head it had to be a girl because I’m due in October. All the women in my family are born in October so it’s fun she will get to join the club and keep that tradition going.
This week we also went to the Baby Show, I was overwhelmed with all the products and decisions you need to make before the baby is even born. There are so many things to consider so we took what we learned at the show and headed to Buy Buy Baby. We spent over an hour with a sales associate picking out her stroller, we went with the UPPAbaby VISTA V2 Stroller in NOA, a beautiful Navy colour. The main reason we picked it was how easy to open and close and I loved the idea of the bassinet. It will also eventually convert into a two-seater stroller for when we have a second baby so we won’t need to buy another stroller.
Week 20: I’m halfway through my pregnancy! We took our first parenting class, I was surprised we knew a lot more than I thought we would but it was definitely helpful and we took a lot of notes. I had my last check-up with my family doctor before I meet my OBGYN later this month and also had my 20 Week ultrasound. They confirmed her gender and she looked healthy and happy in there, which was great news.
Unfortunately, my hip pain is getting worse and has started affecting my sleep, I can’t find a comfortable position which is really frustrating and makes sleeping impossible. I booked my first appointment with a chiropractor for next week so I can hopefully get some relief. I also told my students I was pregnant this week and we had a gender reveal party before the long weekend, it was so cute to see their reactions and now they are all trying to name her. I’ve also been asked by a few coworkers if I’m having twins so I guess my bump is really showing now.
Week 21: Picked out her car seat, we went with the Clek Liing Infant Car Seat because of the rigid latches system, it’s firmly tightened to the car’s seat back for a secure installation, and the metal load leg on the base reduces rotation in case of a collision and we loved that it’s made in Ontario, Canada. It’s also compatible with our UPPAbaby VISTA V2 Stroller with an adapter.
I finally had my first appointment with Doc. Alison, a local chiropractor who specializes in prenatal & postpartum rehab. After my first appointment I was in so much pain, I woke up at 4 am and couldn’t get back to sleep but I had my second appointment later that week and knew I had made the right choice and was feeling some relief from the pain. I sadly had to remove my wedding rings with week because my fingers have started to swell and I was worried they might get stuck.
Last but not least… I think I felt her first kicks this week but wasn’t sure at first, it felt like butterflies or like little waves in my lower stomach. After I noticed it happening more often I knew it had to be little kicks! It was so reassuring to feel her tiny little kicks, I absolutely love it.
Week 22: I am definitely feeling her moving and it’s absolutely magical! I was having a hard time falling asleep one night and she decided to play a soccer game in there, it was so cool to feel her moving around. She might be small but she’s definitely powerful. Between her kicks and my vivid dreams continuing this trimester sleep has become quite interesting. My dreams are becoming more graphic, I can’t watch certain shows before bed or I’ll have really intense dreams that almost feel like movies happening in my head. I’m almost always exhausted by the end of the day and have to take a nap after work or I’ll fall asleep on the couch by 9:30.
I’ve started to get anxious about labour and the hospital, the feeling of the unknown causes me a lot of stress. To help ease my anxiety we started our Labor & Delivery Class with the Hospital, you get to meet some of the nurses, learn and ask questions throughout which helps with some of my fears. My back pain has unfortunately continued but definitely find some relief when we tape it, hopefully, it will continue to improve with more treatment.
Week 23: Our stroller arrived this week! Vlad put it together and we’ve been practicing driving it around the house. Baby girl is kicking up a storm, Vlad finally felt his first kick when we were laying in bed one morning. He was super excited but also a little freaked out at the same time. We put together her dresser/change table and when I say “we” I mean Vlad did all the work. However, I did finally decide on a theme for Baby girl’s room and can’t wait to share it. Her Newton Baby mattress also arrived this week, it was something we definitely splurged on but worth it for the peace of mind and will definitely use it again with baby number two.
Week 24: I’m finally feeling relief when it comes to my hip pain, getting adjusted by the chiropractor and taping my back and bump has really helped. She’s been kicking up a storm lately! I sat straight up in bed one day after she kicked, it felt like she hit something important in there and I was in complete shock.
I also FINALLY met with my OBGYN, she was so kind and answered all of my questions and made me feel really comfortable about labour. Vlad wasn’t allowed to attend our appointment but we did a video chat so he could be there to ask questions and support me through the appointment. Baby girl is doing excellent, she’s head down and considered a low-risk pregnancy, which was such a relief.
Week 25: It’s the last week of school and I’m so ready for it to be done! My hip pain has acted up this week because I’ve been on my feet all week wrapping up the end of the school year. It feels like my bump has grown overnight, I woke up on June 29th and my bump felt so round. I love being pregnant and watching my body create a miracle. As she grows her kicks have only gotten stronger, it so comforting feeling her and I think we’ve finally picked out her name!
Week 26: It’s the last week of the second trimester! I had my glucose test this week, I’m nervous about my results and hope I don’t have to do the 3-hour test. I had a check-up with OB and she answered more of my questions, I’m constantly writing down questions in my notes app.
I know I always say this but Bump is popping, she is growing so quickly. Love watching my body change and grow, it’s so cool that I’m creating a life here. Her kicks are strong and I love it. I’m always talking to her, and can’t wait to meet my little bestie. I’m not sleeping as well as I used to but sleep will be a thing of the past once she’s born so I’m trying my best to rest as much as I can. I also took another labour & delivery class with the hospital and I’m feeling so ready.
Second Trimester Checklist:
20-week Ultrasound✓
Gender Reveal✓
Glucose Test✓
Meet OBGYN✓
Choose Her Name✓