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Yay! You’ve made it to the second trimester!

Is twin pregnancy already kicking your ass?

By the time I entered the second trimester of twin pregnancy, it was for sure kicking mine.

Welcome to the second post in my twin pregnancy by trimester series. If you haven’t already, check out the first post, all about the first trimester.

My goal for this series is to best explain every aspect of each trimester as I am fresh out of the experience and have a TON to share!

Below, you will find everything you need to know, do and buy over the next 13 weeks while you are in the second trimester of twin pregnancy

Lets get started!

What you should know:

Lets get this started with the obvious- you are about to gain some weight momma! From the beginning to the end of the second trimester, I quadrupled in size. I honestly didn’t even realize the size difference until I looked back at pictures after I had my twins.

The next 13 weeks are really about to fly by and so much is going to happen in the mean time. This is what you can expect symptom wise-

Symptoms:

• Heartburn– Oh I will never forget the first time I felt the burn. I was sitting in my desk at work and I had the most uncomfortable burning sensation in my chest that kept creeping up my throat. I was basically stretching my neck and torso to try and escape it. My throat felt, and a swear, tasted like fire. After about a week of it happening every morning I realized what was causing it- chocolate. Ugh I was so upset about it. But I wasn’t about to give up my decaf morning mocha fraps so I chocked down extra strength tums instead 😉
• Cravings– Speaking of mocha fraps- I had the most childish cravings ever. I had always heard of women having pickle and ice cream style, flat out weird cravings. Mine were more 8 year old trying out the kitchen while moms away. Oh jeez, you should have seen my grocery carts at Fred Meyer. Cosmo brownies, frozen pizza, grilled cheese, pickles by the jar, and ugh I could not get enough McDonalds. Just the smell driving by was enough for me to put a halt to my plans and pull into the drive through.
• Frequent constant urination- I do not mean that figuratively. There were times I would just stay on the toilet because I knew by the time I walked back to my desk at work, I would have to pee again. And then I would be out of breath again. And then I would need to sit down for a while anyways.
• Discharge– Sorry, but pregnancy made me lose all forms of filters. Truth is you are going to leak. Whether it’s pee, discharge or small amounts of amniotic fluid- something will be coming out of you and you are going to need to wear liners every day. You might also start leaking from your boobs- which is completely normal in twin pregnancy. So you’ll want some boobie pads too!
• OFF THE WALL HORMONES Oh my lord. This one just damn near killed me. Although they affect everyone differently, most everyone can agree that they make you NOTHING like yourself. I was either much more outgoing and vibrant (I started a business….. maybe I’ll get into that one later), or I felt nothing at all. The empty feelings were the most strange to me. You could tell me the most horrific story and I wouldn’t be phased and honestly wouldn’t know what to say.
• Hip and back pain– there is a reason for the pregnancy waddle guys. We’re just trying to escape our bodies! Invest in a pregnancy support belt if you are able to.
• Swelling– This one got me good. I was the Michelin woman by week 23. I tried increasing my water intake, cutting out salt, getting off my feet (I worked in a desk even!), and wore compression hose. Nope. I just swelled and swelled and swelled. What made it eventually go away (just to come back after my c-section) was hospital bed rest. And no. I do not recommend hospital bed rest.
• Weight gain– I gained the bulk of my pregnancy weight during the second trimester. Granted I delivered at nearly 33 weeks, but still. By the end of the second trimester I looked like I was ready to pop any day.

Check out my 13 Things You Should Know About Twin Pregnancy for more!

Aside from your symptoms, you should know that this is the busiest time for you (and your spouse). There is a lot to get done but its mostly fun, I promise!

What you should do:

Well momma, there is a lot on your plate during the second trimester of twin pregnancy! You should start out by reading the books you found in the first trimester. Don’t hurry through them, make sure you soak all of the information in because you are going to need it.

Once you have started reading, the rest of the ‘to-do’ list is fun!

• Look into/buy a new car that will fit your growing family
• Pick out names
• Create registries (Check out how to create a baby registry and get FREE STUFF with Amazon HERE!)
• Plan your gender announcement
• Gender reveal!!
• Plan baby shower (have friends and family do this for you!)

You should also do some stuff for you.

• Drink lots and lots of water
• Eat everything (you want it and need it anyways!)
• Take bubble baths (to relax AND help your back and hip pain)
• Get your hair done
• Spend time by yourself
• Also spend quality time with your husband (go on a babymoon!)

The last thing you should do…pack your hospital bag. Click on the link for a simple list of everything you’ll need!

I know, I know, it’s way too early for baby time, and you might not have everything you need yet, but twin pregnancy can have a lot of complications. It is better to be safe that sorry. At least have some sort of over night bag in your car just in case you don’t come home after your next appointment.

What you should buy:

If you have never been the one to go out and buy stuff for yourself, I hope you have started to get a little used to it by now. During the second trimester, you’re going to want to buy quite a bit for yourself-

• Maternity clothes (you are going to get WAY too big to just keep using that hair tie to secure your pants, girl!)
• Pregnancy pillow (if you want to sleep- this is the only way)
• Bigger shoes (the swelling will creep up on you fast, keep a new pair a size or two bigger than you are now for when that day comes!)
• Compression hose (I know they are ugly, but you will feel 200% better after wearing them once the swelling kicks in)
• A new car (if needed)

Also check out my pregnancy essentials post for a more generalized list of what you’ll need for the entire pregnancy.

What you shouldn’t buy- baby stuff.

It’s hard, but trust me! You are going to have a baby shower and you’re going to get all kinds of stuff! Save your money for after the baby shower. That is when you should go purchase anything else you need.

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But first- Check out my next, and final post in the series all about the third trimester!