between months 3 to 6.

The journey so far - the good, the bad, the weird.
Unicorn Onesies - Set of 3 - from Big W. PS: It's a girl!

Since my last update my waistline has completely disappeared and the bump is recognisably a baby and not a burger, though I have been eating a fair few of those (most definitely the new craving of this trimester - there was one week where I had it 5 times...) Many say the second trimester is the best - the morning sickness and exhaustion from the first trimester should have subsided, and you're not too large to enjoy the new injection of energy. All of which I can attest to. The second trimester is also the time you get a chance to find out the baby's gender. I opted to find out because up until that point the whole pregnancy felt a little surreal. The baby didn't feel like an actual being as it was constantly being referred to as an "it" but when we could finally say "she" and "her" everything changed.
Funnily enough, though, the finding out of the gender was a hilarious moment in itself. I was certain that bub was a boy, with every inch of my being I was convinced. So to make things interesting my partner suggested we place a bet on it, if it was a girl he got new sneakers and if it was a boy I got whatever I wanted (didn't want anything but said I'll take something of equivalent value). As the ultrasound session was coming to an end the technician asked whether we were finding out the gender, to which we both reply we were. "It's a girl", said the technician. "YES! SNEAKERS!", exclaimed my partner, "Goddamit", said I. Least to say we got an odd look for the poor ultrasound technician.
Bump-date at 21 weeks wearing Review.
It is refreshing to be able to do more than one thing a day and not be exhausted to the point where a nap is required. I made the most of this burst of energy immediately at 14 weeks by going for a mini trek to the Figure 8 Pools (note to self and others: it is no walk in the park, it required a lot of semi-rock climbing and the end result was rather underwhelming). I also took my last international trip to New Zealand during Christmas and explored the North Island, but most importantly Hobbiton.

One of the weird highlights that is set to occur during the second trimester is the kicking of the bub. My abysmal trip to New Zealand saw two highlights - Hobbiton and the feeling of the first kick, which happened at 18 and a half weeks. (Side note: the trip to New Zealand was utterly disappointing due to the constant mishaps we ran into.) I note this moment as a weird highlight because the feeling is well and truly that, weird. At first they call it a fluttering, and it doesn't quite feel like that. It was a mix of bubbles popping like a freshly opened can of soda, the drop you get in your stomach when the elevator goes too fast and a distinct kicking feeling but mild, more like a light tapping. Now as I type this nearing the end of my second trimester the kicking is defined and as they say, you start to notice a pattern of when the bub is awake and when it react to certain things. The kicking gets so strong that you actually see the belly ripple as they kick. But how is weird? Initially the kicking feels mostly like gas, which can be easily missed or ignored. But as the kicking become more distinct the best way to describe the weirdness is likened to those scenes from alien/horror movies where something is pushing from the inside of a human belly before it crawls out. You can also feel the bub when they toss and turn, trying to get comfortable.  So weird, but wonderful.
Rue Stiic maxi dress from Surfstitch

Something else I've been busy organising in the last month is the baby shower. With the help of bub's godmother Bright Green Laces we've planned out the baby shower and collated a list of things that is required for the bub onto my gift registry. For my gift registry I've used BabyList which comes in a handy app so I can find everything I need and easily add it to my list. One thing that frustrated me in this process, and I am eternally grateful to Bright Green Laces for, is the fact that every "essentials" list out there for mothers-to-be have items that really don't need to be there. I was fortunate enough that the bub's godmother already has two bubs of her own so I was able to pester her with a litany of questions of the necessity of items, had it not been for her I would most definitely have a tonne of things that I simply do not need and aren't useful, or could potentially be harmful, for the bub.

Breastfeeding Box c/o mamas milkbar When my partner and I first opened up this gift box we were incredibly overwhelmed and confused. Everything in the box was completely foreign to us however with a quick visit to mamas milkbar's website we quickly made sense of all the bits and pieces. Naturally I haven't had a chance to use any of the product just yet but I can definitely see how useful they will be in the coming months.

One thing you notice as a woman with a growing bump is that everyone suddenly has advice and opinions on how you should go about raising you bub - both mothers and non-mothers alike. Some pieces of advice are great, and some not as much. However you quickly learn to absorb what works with you and smile and ignore what doesn't. One piece of advice I have been working hard to implement is to exercise as much as possible. Admittedly those days where I would head down to the Bay Run 2-3 times a week have subsided I have tried to continue walking as much as possible. Many mums attest to how much easier labour was thanks to all the walking, not to mention you can easily work on your pelvic muscles simultaneously (which I can not strongly suggest enough!)

New maternity activewear c/o Pop! Maternity

These last few months have been filled with mood swings that make teenagers and PMS look like child's play, my body's weight in chocolate milkshakes and burgers, weird but wonderful sensations, along with the planning stages of the baby shower and most excitingly the baby's nursery.

Until next time follow me on Instagram & Facebook for all the sneak peeks!

Rue Stiic maxi dress from Surfstitch

- margaret