This post is sponsored by P&G but all opinions are my own.
The first trimester of pregnancy can be quite difficult. Your hormones are all over the place (oh the headaches and breakouts) and the morning sickness can be pretty rough to deal with, to say the least. I always have so many food aversions during that time as well. One day I crave pasta and the next day the thought of it is enough to make me want to stick my head in the toilet. You also have to deal with your pre-pregnancy clothes not fitting right but the maternity clothes are still too big too. Let’s just say, for many moms, it can be a long three months!
The second trimester rolls in like a breath of fresh air! You start feeling more like your old self again, your cute pregnant belly pops out, and your energy is probably back up as well. The second trimester is my favorite stage of pregnancy, and I have a feeling it will probably be yours as well! Now’s not the time to sit back and do nothing though, there’re a few things you want to make sure you check off your to-do list during these 14 weeks.
Maternity Pictures
While you probably aren’t quite ready to have your maternity photos taken, now is a great time to start getting recommendations from friends about the photographers in your area. Then you’ll want to contact them and book a session. Some of the really good photographers book early, so you don’t want to delay! They can recommend the best time during your pregnancy for good photos. You don’t want to wait until the very end in case you deliver early!
Pediatrician/Family Practitioner
If you don’t currently have a pediatrician or family practitioner lined up, now’s the time to start working on that as well. Talk to some of your trusted friends and then interview the candidates. I was lucky in that the family practitioner my family used when I was growing up is still practicing and he agreed to take my children as patients as well…but I still had to call him ahead of time and arrange for him to be our primary care physician.
Gender Reveal
If you plan to find out the gender, you should be able to do that this trimester (yay!). That ultrasound is so so SO exciting! Plan to host a gender reveal party around 20 weeks or think of a fun way to announce it on Facebook!
Register
Now that you know the gender of your baby (or you’ve decided for sure to wait and be surprised) it’s time to make your baby registry. As I mentioned in my post about the Do’s and Don’ts of creating a baby registry, whether this is your first or fifth baby, you should always create a Target baby registry. If you register at Target, not only will you receive a host of great and unique features like a universal registry (add items from any website), price matching, and group gifting, but you also receive a FREE gift (valued at $50+) just for signing up, PLUS a 20% discount on all remaining, non-purchased registry items as your approach your due date if you have a Target REDcard (or 15% without)! Since you can literally create a registry and add items in less than 10 minutes, there is no reason not to make one!
As a mom, I really appreciate how Target goes above and beyond to make the baby registry process simple and enjoyable for moms. You can do it from the comfort of your own home at Target.com or you can head into the store, pop in and grab a drink from Starbucks, then hit the baby aisle and quickly scan all the items you’ll need (and want) for baby. You can also download the Target Registries app for SUPER easy registry maintenance. With the app, it’s so easy to browse through all of the baby categories and quickly add things to your registry. You’ll have it completed in no time!
It’s clear to me that Target takes a lot of time to find the newest and coolest baby gear to bring into their stores. I frequently find items in their baby section that even I haven’t even heard of yet (and I consider myself an expert in the baby field!). They have ALL my favorite, chic brands, like aden+anais, Tula, Dock-A-Tot, 4moms, Joovy, Skip Hop, and more. These are excellent brands that you don’t always find at other retailers. If you’re a first-time mom and really unsure of what to put on your registry, Target will walk you through the whole process so you don’t forget a thing. They even provide you with a list of the best Mom’s Picks from Baby Center!
In the excitement of adding cute baby gear to the registry, many moms overlook (or underestimate) the most important thing: diapers! My go-to diapers are Pampers! Every new mom needs diapers (lots and lots of diapers!), in fact, it’s my favorite baby gift to receive! Give me ALL the Pampers!
Get a Prenatal Massage
I never did this during my first pregnancy, the thought never even crossed my mind honestly. I had the pleasure of receiving a prenatal massage during my second pregnancy however and now it’s a treat I indulge in every pregnancy! As your body is growing and things start shifting around in there, you’re likely to develop some aches and pains. When your body starts feeling sore and tired this is just a great way to reduce stress and indulge in a little me-time.
Prepare Baby’s Room
Pretty soon you’ll be bringing home armfuls of adorable baby clothes and gear from your baby shower. The first thing is to decide where your nursery will be. Our first nursery was originally a guest room, so we had to spend some time cleaning out the closet and removing the furniture that was originally in there. If you’re planning to paint the nursery (or have your husband paint the nursery as I did) now is a great time to do that too. It will give the paint plenty of time to dry before you start filling the room with furniture and decor.
How adorable are these nursery items?! They are from Cloud Island, Target’s newest exclusive brand for your nursery! I just cannot get enough of the Cloud Island brand! They have so many adorable pieces for boys and girls and everything is so affordable too!
Take a Babymoon
This is the perfect time to take some time away with your spouse because many health practitioners will caution you about traveling once you reach your third trimester. Before you know it, the two of you will be quite busy taking care of your new bundle of joy and that will infringe on your quality time together. Take a week or weekend away to enjoy one another – it may be awhile before you manage to take another trip just the two of you!
More than anything, take time to just enjoy the 2nd trimester! So many great things happen during this time, from the gender reveal (if you decide to go that route), to seeing your belly pop out, to finally feeling your baby’s first kicks. It’s an amazing time and you’re going to love it!
Second trimester is safe and you feel excited during this phase. Hence, second trimester is the righ time to do hell lot of things from personal care to future planning. Good article.