The Blooming Season: My Second Trimester Shift
Somewhere between weeks 13 and 14, I woke up and realized —
I didn’t feel sick.
It was subtle, but I noticed it: I could brush my teeth without gagging. I could walk past the kitchen without needing to hold my breath. It felt like the sun came out after a long fog, and I could finally stretch again — body and soul.
This was the trimester they say you “glow.” I don’t know if I was glowing, but I was laughing more, moving more, and slowly falling in love with this bump that now had a tiny curve.
I started to show — just a little. Enough for my jeans to protest and my old tops to feel like crop tops. So, I folded them away, not with sadness, but with a quiet smile. I ordered my first pair of maternity leggings, soft as clouds, and a basic ruched tank that made me feel cute, not swollen. That tiny change made me feel like myself again, just… upgraded.
Little things that made a big difference:
I made a small “mama drawer.
Somewhere around week 16, I cleared out one drawer just for me — not baby stuff, just me. Inside? Stretch mark oil, a belly support band (yes, already!), a comfy bralette, and that one lip balm I was suddenly addicted to. Every night, I rubbed oil onto my growing belly, not just to prevent stretch marks — but as a quiet moment to say “hi” to the little one.
I started playing music out loud.
Some mornings, I’d put on calm piano or lo-fi beats, lay on the couch, and just breathe with baby. I like to believe they could hear it — or at least feel the stillness.
Sleep got tricky — so I got smart.
Let me be real: rolling over in bed started to feel like a 3-point turn. So, I gave in and got a U-shaped pregnancy pillow. It was ridiculous in size and took up half the bed, but it felt like being held. My husband started calling it “the third roommate.”
I started taking bump photos — and laughing at them.
Not curated. Not for social. Just weekly snaps in the mirror, often in pajamas, messy bun, no makeup. I wanted to remember the real story, not just the highlight reel.
This trimester felt like a bridge — between the quiet beginning and the unknown ahead.
There were moments I forgot I was pregnant — until baby gave me that first tiny flutter. I gasped. I didn’t expect it. It was like someone whispering “I’m here.”
That’s when I started talking out loud to my belly. In the car. In the kitchen. In line at the store (quietly, I promise). I told baby about the weather, what I was cooking, what music was playing. I didn’t know if they could understand — but I talked anyway. And somehow, it made the waiting feel a little less long.
If you’re in this chapter now — the in-between chapter —
Don’t rush through it.
This is the season where you begin to feel like a mother, not just someone preparing to be one.
Let yourself bloom.