Second Time Around — Life Insatiable

Namaskaaram All,

I cannot even deal with how cute the baby is. Turns out I completely skipped half of my first trimester because the above scan is 16.5 weeks. So the due date has now been pushed forward, which I am ecstatic about.

Were we expecting this? Nope. Did we plan for it? Nope. But heart of hearts I wanted another bubba soon. We are obviously over the moon but under estimated the reality of the situation.

I have about 10 minutes of energy to write this post after which I will need to find the recharge battery to start my day with a 3 year old.

Every pregnancy is different and that was something I was very aware of. What I had conveniently forgotten was the level of fatigue you experience in the First Trimester.

Intense would be an understatement for what the first tri felt like. Believe me, there is nothing you can do about it apart from rest when you can especially if you already have a toddler at hand and his/her schedule to deal with.

The reality of my second pregnancy is that I haven't been as obsessive as my first one. Drooling over the scan pictures or looking at http://www.whattoexpect.com on a weekly basis to gauge the growth of baby bean. Or strolling into baby shops and starring at onesies not being able to decide if I wanted just whites or yellows.

I did feel guilty for all of the above, but I have a toddler that runs on a schedule and my main concern was to always keep myself energised for him. That does not mean I do not love this bean I am growing like a champ. Because GIRL POWER.

So here are a few things I learnt to manage during the First Trimester. And might I just add, it took ridiculous amount of effort ha ha. But you just have to do it.

Managing Fatigue

I started feeling fatigue a week before I figured out I was pregnant. I couldn't keep up with my workouts. I was struggling to find the physical motivation to just get up out of my bed every morning. It was just this overall sense of feeling heavy and lethargic. In all honesty I put it down to attending Press events+ writing posts and creating recipes for the videos I had planned through summer.

The guilt of not being to continue or cope with the pace I was usually used to was eating me up. I went to the extent of even telling my GP I felt burnt out and never even for a second give pregnancy a thought.

I cut off myself from all social media to rest my mind and found I still felt extreme exhaustion. That is when I decided to get tested and voila.

Listen, real talk. When you already have a child + his schedule. The only way is to pace your energy levels through out the day. It took me a bit longer than I wanted to realise how to manage this pregnancy fatigue. It's natural and its normal too. You aren't alone.

Listen to your body.Rest when you need it. You will thank yourself for it later on in the day
5 Minute meditation. First thing you wake up or before going to bed. Just a simple breathe in, breathe out to reboot mentally and prep yourself for the days events.
Pause when you need to. And by that I mean Slow Down

Vegan Diet

So this is my first time growing a baby as a vegan. And let me tell you straight up its been hard. So so hard. Because with this one, I've been craving Dairy + Chicken!!

Why? I do not have the answer to that. But its confession time and straight up I had a chicken wing and a cappuccino + an indian dairy dessert called Faluda a few weeks back.

The guilt consumed me but again, a plant based lifestyle is still a transition for me and after "satisfying" my craving I was done.

Have I touched meat since, nope. My system didn't take to it very well and I have to sincerely apologise to the plant based gods and my body. Yes yes I know overdramatic. To some people it may not be a big deal but for me its about discipline and principle.

To be honest, I've been so exhausted to cook a decent meal. So it's been a lot of juices, smoothies. Porridge bowls and just cut up fruits and lentils.

My go to meals have been Dosai and Idli. Those of you that follow me on Instagram know its been my jam.

Green juices are another favourite of mine to rustle up in the morning or the previous night. I try and get in a lot of Spinach whenever I can but sadly I have gone off my favourite leafy green. So the best way I found was to throw it all into a juice.

I make sure I try and get as much goodness as I can in every meal I have been chucking together. Literally there has been no cooking for a long time. My tastebuds are all over the place so its been largely plates of cut up fruits, sautéed chickpeas and steamed veg. Still trying to keep it as healthy as possible for bean.

But believe me there have been evenings where the carving for an Extra Large Pizza, a bottle of 1 Litre Coke and just lots of cheesy Nachos has been out of control. But I have been rescued by where we live as the shops and cafes shut at 5 or 8pm latest and we have no Uber Eats or Deliveroo services.

Good Times!

Fitness

Two words, Fresh Air. Get acquainted.

In the first tri, even washing hair is a chore and laying on the couch for hours on end is the ideal dream. And that is all I did for the first couple of weeks before getting absolutely bored and missing my workouts and the outdoors.

I miss working out like a beast but at the same time I like this paced out fitness routine as well.

In my first pregnancy, I was extremely active and didn't really gain much weight so post baby was able to lose that weight pretty quickly as well. But with my second, I started showing a lot sooner, the weight gain has been pretty rapid and of course Juno keeps me active but that just means he is my only cardio for now and I am completely okay with this. Accepting that your body will change when you go through pregnancy is a battle in itself but eventually with patience and handwork you will and can lose that weight too.

So I've had to be creative with the way I keep fit to carry my body as I get bigger and to make me feel amazing too. You know that post workout feeling *sigh*.

Walking- Get those steps in. I make sure I clock in an hour of walking everyday. It just gets me in such an amazing mood and I know the bean loves it too. And it blatantly helps you keep your weight gain in check. Ain't nobody got time for Gestational Diabetes.
Yoga- My most favourite. But y'all knew that already. Ofcourse advanced levels of backbending and headstands aren't my go to at the moment. But a simple stretch, Plank and Cat/ Cow has been magic for my back. Gives me clarity, refreshes my mind and connects me to the baby bean. Happy days. You can also contact your local Yoga Community and find out if they hold pre-natal classes as well. Obviously please check with your OB before proceeding with any exercising.
Dance- Believe it or not, this wasn't something I practiced in my first pregnancy. But with a toddler on hand, it keeps me Cardio'ing + entertains him widely. Winning.

Me Time

Find your 'feel good' and stick to it. Make it that one thing you do everyday to take care of yourself. Whether its reading, writing, filming, editing, walking or even just taking time to beat that face.

For me it's been journaling my weeks of pregnancy, just as I did for Juno. Reading back those pages makes me smile so hard because he is exactly how he was in my belly and it blows my mind.

It's fun, its cheap and its one of my favourite memory keepsakes too.

Every week has been different and will be. It is all going to be one big event.

So telling myself to just enjoy the process has been a major effort sometimes. One of the most important things for my everyday existence to keep my hours of the day positive. And I will go to any length to find that positivity and reset my mindset if I am not feeling so great one one of the days.

Growing a baby is a absolute priviledge regardless of all the swelling going on for the next few months. And I enter it with a whole heart and incredible amounts of gratitude.

My mantra this time around. Stop comparing both your pregnancies. Rather learn from the first and be patient with yourself.

Congratulations to all new mummies all around the world. I hope this helps any of you looking for different angles of managing the second pregnancy. And also babes know you aren't alone.

Lots of love guys!!