The second trimester – a chatty catch up

We are well into the second trimester over here (27 and a bit weeks) – baby is practicing it’s little dance moves – which happens to include a lot of rib-jabbing. I read also that the baby is more sensitive to light now and may even have a kick or response if you turn a flashlight over your belly. We did give this a go – and baby then turned bum-up on us, so I think it’s fair to say that it was giving us the stink-eye for trying to blind it. Sorry baby.

I thought I would share a real life little event from the other evening in bed:

It’s moments like these when you are thankful that you do have a sense of humour and that husbands jokes are actually quite funny. (And also that you’ve read several reports that clearly state it is much easier to look after a baby if you don’t kill your husband.)

The second trimester has been WAY more friendly than the first trimester – I can say that for sure! Although I have had some crazy bouts of heartburn and (strangely) swimmers ear – which I’ve read is a fairly common pregnancy related surprise where I feel like I’m underwater on the left side. If you’ve been in one of my yoga classes recently and we’ve chanted OM at the end and you’ve thought, “wow I’m out of tune” – I can assure you – it’s ME, not you.

I have way more energy and gusto than I did in the early days, although it’s getting more laborious to turn over at night, even though bump is still fairly small!

I’ve really been enjoying teaching the pregnancy classes and mom and baby yoga classes in Earlsfield and it’s wonderful to a) connect with other pregnant mamas and b) get a little insight into what my future holds! I really do feel like I’m not only teaching the pregnancy classes, but fully IN it too.

I’m actually very excited about birth (call it first-time-naivety).

I’ve been doing a lot of practices that are very grounding and nourishing for me and I feel it in my nervous system for sure. I’m on a 54 day continuous streak of meditation, I’ve been consciousness-streaming writing every morning (as I’ve been teaching on the Creative Current course that I’m currently running) followed with a gratitude list of 10 things every day. At night I’ve been doing a yoga nidra or a hypnobirthing track, as well as my usual yoga/movement practices. I have to say I am feeling very grounded, inspired, steadfast and calm and I hope to continue this feeling through labour right into motherhood and the fourth trimester.

I’ve been thinking and planning a lot for the Fourth Trimester and am currently on Emily Carson’s planning for the fourth trimester course – which I will share more about when I’ve dived deeper into it! (Last night was our first/intro session – and we had an interesting embodied practice of clocking things within the body and our environment). I honestly believe that the more grounded, calm and steady I am, the better mother I will be.

Speaking of the Fourth Trimester, I’ve been looking for a Closing the Bones practitioner for quite a while now – and had put off my search as I couldn’t find anyone, when yesterday a friend tagged me on instagram in a postnatal post – and within hours, I had found, connected, booked and paid deposit for a Closing the Bones ceremony for the post natal period – which I’m really excited about. Just a little reminder that the things we are seeking are always presented to us in the moment that we need them and not before.

I remember reading about Closing the Bones long before I was ever pregnant and thinking – Yes! That sounds magical! I need some of that! I do feel that gifting myself these things in the post-natal period is not just WONDERFUL for my own body, mind and soul, but really it’s sending a very powerful message to my subconscious as to the kind of mother I want to be: A mother who is giving from a cup that is filled up, overflowing.

In fact, as I’ve been putting money away for the postnatal period (#thatfreelancelyf), I’ve created very separate pots – one of which is specifically dedicated to “Mother Love” – which is literally money I’m saving away to spend fantastically indulgently on MYSELF.

We have booked our flights back to South Africa for March/April next year (as my brother and fiancé have pushed out their wedding to Easter), so let’s just HOLD THUMBS that Corona plays ball. It’s a strange thing to book “3 seats” to fly – as our tiny minion will be in tow.
Airport lady: “Could I have the baby’s name?”
Warren: “Um. No. It doesn’t have a name.”
Airport lady: “Um.. ok, well what does it say on the passport?”
Warren: “Well, no it’s only coming in December, we have no name. And no passport.”
Airport lady: “Oh, ok! Well in that case, you will have to check back in when the baby is here! And congratulations! Up until 2 years, kids travel free!”

So that’s sorted then, Warren and I will be doing ALL our travels in the next 2 years, while baby is still free and after that – we are going NOWHERE.

Luckily Corona has prepared us well for this. We are very seasoned professionals at going NOWHERE.

It’s been great to get a bit more chatty over here and if you’ve been following along this journey with us (thank you!) I hope it’s given you a little update of where we are… we have a few other big life things coming up soon and I’m looking forward to sharing more about that when I can!

Until then, stay well

Xoxo