The Goodmester

My friend calls the second trimester the "goodmester" and honestly, I can't complain. I've felt so normal most of the time that I forget I'm pregnant, until I walk past a mirror or feel the baby kick. I think I'm finally at peace with the new morphed body, which is a good thing because there ain't no hiding the fact that I am carrying a stowaway on board - I can dress incognito if I choose, but with the weather finally getting warm it's been more fun to wear all the cute little maternity tank tops that I got last month.

Ok, the lowdown on maternitywear:

Old Navy - good cheap basic stuff. Their jeans are hip. Their maternity selection is varied, so go to more than one store if you have the option

Gap - I only went to one location which apparently wasn't the "good" location in our area, but the clothes didn't really do it for me and they were much more expensive

Motherhood - what an experience, to go into a store and be able to try on anything you see! Something I used to take for granted. I scored big in their clearance rack, got some stuff that was a little fancier, "go out to dinner" kind of clothes. Also they have swimsuits.

Babystyle.com - they also have a good clearance selection, which is especially helpful if you are looking for stuff that is off-season (ie has long sleeves and is warm)

I found I have to take it slow with maternity clothes shopping - seeing my thick body from all angles was a little overwhelming and twice I left with lots of cute clothes but feeling like a fat cow. So I guess I'm not quite at peace with the new figure, after all.

Physical activity is still the best cure for this funk, for me. After a slight dip in month five, I am climbing at my pre-pregnancy levels and I went swing dancing last night for the first time since I started showing. Loads of fun!

(Months four and five, my blood pressure was low as my body was trying to make enough blood to fill up the new dilated circulatory system. Also lost some muscle during this time. Blood pressure is back to normal and the muscle I still have seems to be working right, although blood still has a lower concentration of red blood cells than normal, so oxygenation of the muscles is still not what it will be later!)