Second Trimester Pregnancy Symptoms

As I've said before, I've been extremely fortunate to have had a relatively easy pregnancy up until this point. But that doesn't mean it's all been smooth sailing! Since I don't want to forget a moment of my pregnancy, good or bad, here's a list of the symptoms I've been experiencing lately:

Trouble sleeping: After sleeping really well during the first trimester (probably due to all the progesterone I was taking), my sleep has become a lot lighter, more restless, and more fragmented. Sometimes I wake up (usually because I have to pee) and then can't fall back asleep. This can happen at 2, 3, 4, or 5 am. I'll lie awake for hours, tossing and turning, trying to find a comfortable position (recently I've begun sleeping with a pillow between my knees, and this does seem to help). Usually I'll get up to eat once I start to get hungry. Sometimes I can fall asleep again after eating something and lying in bed reading.

Fatigue: I think this is mainly related to sleep-deprivation. On those days when I haven't had a good night's sleep, I hardly have any energy, and spend most of the day on the couch reading or watching tv/movies on my laptop.

Decreased stamina: Normally I can push my body pretty far, but now I find that I get tired a lot more easily. I can't work out as long or as hard as before I was pregnant. I am really trying to listen to my body now and rest when I feel like I've had enough.

Crazy, vivid dreams: Sometimes they're disturbing, sometimes weird. Recently I had another dream that I was having a baby boy. What's up with that? I'll know soon enough if it's prophetic :)

Frequent urination: I thought this had improved a bit as I entered the second trimester, but now it's getting worse again. In the first trimester I would wake up to pee, stumble to the bathroom half asleep, and then stumble back to bed and immediately return to slumber land. Now that my sleep is lighter, I'm more likely to stay awake after getting up to pee in the middle of the night. I've been trying to limit fluid intake after 6pm, which sometimes seems to work and sometimes doesn't. Sometimes I get really thirsty after dinner, especially if I had a high-sodium meal, and can't help drinking a lot of water.

Skin problems: This includes acne, dry, itchy red, irritated skin, spider veins, and breaking out in a heat rash (at least I think that's what it is) after walking outside in the heat. Basically my already sensitive skin is even more wacko than usual.

Skin pigmentation: Fortunately I haven't developed melasma/chloasma (I am hyper-vigilant about avoiding the sun, and wear sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat when I am outside), however I do have a faint linea nigra, and my areola have become a lot darker and larger than they were before.

Sore nipples: Although my breasts aren't sore anymore, my nipples become extremely hard, sore, and painful when they're cold, especially after taking a shower. In the first trimester, they would burn really painfully when this happened, and it took a while for them to return to normal. Now the pain isn't quite so intense or long lasting, but I still have to remember to quickly put on some clothes as soon as I hop out of the shower and to always bring a sweatshirt or something warm when we're inside in case the air conditioning is too strong.

Increased hunger and thirst: This is to be expected of course. I'm especially hungry when I don't get enough sleep. When I'm sleep deprived I swear I get hungry almost every hour, and yet at the same time, I feel kind of full and slightly nauseated like I don't want to eat anything. I try to eat small frequent meals and snacks to keep my blood sugar stable, and it seems to help. It's funny but sometimes the same food tastes really good to me, better than it ever did before I was pregnant, and other times, it kind of repulses me.

Increased gas and stomach ache: Sometimes the gas pains were so bad in the first trimester that I would spend the whole day in bed, drinking peppermint tea, chewing gas-x tablets, and in general trying anything to make the pain go away. This has improved quite a bit as I've progressed into the second trimester, but it can still be an issue.

Occasional burping/heart burn: I wouldn't even mention this since it happens so rarely, except that it's unusual for me to experience it at all. Fortunately the heart burn lasts for only a second when it does happen, which is almost never.

Loose stool: I would much rather have this problem than the opposite one of constipation!

Occasional pains/twinges in lower abdomen: I have definitely experienced the infamous round ligament pain, especially when I cough or change position abruptly. In general I just feel more aware of my uterus, of its weight, and of a faint, almost crampy feeling sometimes.

Dry eyes: They feel especially dry and irritated when I wake up in the morning. I've completely given up wearing contacts. My vision also seems slightly blurrier. Supposedly it should return to normal soon after I give birth

Feeling more emotional: I get teary a lot more easily, especially when watching/reading about something that involves children. I am usually not the type who cries easily (except when I have PMS), so this is definitely new to me!

Increased stupidity/forgetfulness: My memory (which is normally pretty good) is definitely a lot worse. Basically I am just a space cadet these days! I've done some pretty stupid things, like forgetting to lock the car in a parking lot and even worse, leaving the keys in the car so anyone could have stolen it--thankfully that didn't happen!

Well, I'm probably forgetting something (see last symptom listed above!), but that's all I can think of for now. Overall I feel great and am so happy and grateful to be able to have this amazing experience of carrying my own child. Thinking of Ziggy, feeling him/her moving inside me, listening to his/her heart beat, and best of all, imagining what this little person will be like and who they will become makes every little discomfort so worth it.