20 Week Bumpdate: Halfway Through the Pregnancy

A little update on all things pregnancy!

Today is a crazy day because we’ve officially reached the halfway point of this pregnancy. Say what now?! It’s one of those things that is going by slowly (I’ve been waiting for a bump for like ever) but at the same time is just flying by.

The last two weeks in particular have been insane as I found out the gender through a Harmony Blood Test* and also started to feel the baby kick and move pretty much everyday! It makes it all the more real, and all the more exciting.

*The Harmony Blood Test is a non invasive screening that tests for additional genetic disorders and can also be used to determine gender. In Canada it is an additional test that you have to pay for. It is an extra precaution that you can take, even if your doctor ordered screenings are good.

I have a feeling that the second half of this pregnancy is going to just fly by so I’m trying to get organized as much as possible. I’ve finished my registries (Babies “R” Us for my Canadian family/friends and Pottery Barn Baby for my US counterparts!), compiled a crazy excel spreadsheet with everything we need to buy inclusive of product links-and I’m hoping to get the nursery furniture ordered by the end of next week.

While it sounds like I have everything under wraps there’s still so much to do- we have to renovate the larger bathroom upstairs prior to the baby’s arrival, which means that we’re actually holding off on painting the nursery until that is done. I also have to slowly purchase all of the things on that pesky spreadsheet 😉 And since we’re certainly not the Rockefellers over here, that means spacing things out month by month.

A prenatal class and a CPR class are also high on my list of priorities so I’m definitely going to be busy!

Here’s a rundown of how everything else is going:

Symptoms:

I’m happy to say most have subsisded although I still get the sporadic evening when I don’t feel so good. Going from being nauseas 90 percent of the time to 5 percent is not bad and I’ll take it! It’s getting a little more difficult to sleep however, and that I can imagine will only get worse. I do have an amazing pregnancy pillow that has given me many lovely nights sleep- I can’t imagine the quality of my sleep without it!

I’ve also had some nosebleeds which are alarming at first until you find out they’re a completely normal symptom. Exciting, right?!

I’m parched all the time (again, another symptom) and get pretty tired if I move around too much. But all in all things are looking up from say one month ago.

Bump:

I finally have a bump! This one’s pretty exciting for me because what people don’t tell you is that prior to having a bump, you just look well, chubby. I looked like I indulged in a few too many cheeseburgers and slices of cake. The bump is finally there and with it comes this weird stretching feeling that I’ve been getting at the end of the night. Like I can actually feel the skin expanding to accommodate baby!

Stretch Marks:

I’m typically prone to stretch marks (have them on my knees, lower back and upper thighs) so I’m a bit nervous on this front. I have none so far, although I’ve heard that if you’re going to get them, chances are they pop up towards the last few weeks. I did invest in a tub of Mama Mio Tummy Butter however. I have a few friends that have sworn by it during their pregnancies so I’m giving it a go! It feels pretty amazing on my skin especially at the end of the night when I feel that stretching. And Ara actually likes the smell which is a good thing!

Cravings:

No crazy cravings right now- I’m loving comfort foods like burgers and fries, but I think that’s just because at the end of the day I’m tired and want to eat something satiating and comforting!

Products I’m loving:

Definitely my pregnancy pillow and Mama Mio butter that I mentioned above! And I’ve started to try out some maternity clothes. For me fit is the most important thing when it comes to dressing myself. I know some people hate the concept of maternity clothes but if it looks better on me than my regular clothes, I’m going to go for it!

For the record, at this point in time all of my pre pregnancy jeans do fit- they are just not comfortable and give me some lovely muffin top 😉
I just ordered these jeans from The Gap– I should get them early next week and I can’t wait! (They are currently 50% so such a good deal!)

I purchased two pairs of the Lululemon Align pants after hearing that they are the best for pregnant ladies! I got a cropped one for working out in and a longer pair to wear out and about. They are so soft and have lived up to their reputation. I sized up, however the salesperson told me that women go either way with the sizing. Because I tend to gain any extra weight in my butt/hips, I felt it safer to go up a size! They are a bit pricy but well worth it.

And I bought a few of these HM tops (I just wore it in my last IG picture here!). Super comfy and very flattering! I have the white and the grey and just ordered the pink as well! At $14 a top you can’t go wrong. I went with a medium because I didn’t want it too tight (remember that muffin top I was telling you about?!)

We go for our 20 week scan this coming Monday and while I’m nervous, I’m more excited than usual! Since I’ve been feeling the kicks I feel more reassured that baby is doing ok. That wait between the 12 week ultrasound and my 17 week appointment for example was torture! I had no idea if everything was ok and could only just wait to see. This time I feel good and can’t wait to see the baby at the doctor’s office!

Happy Friday friends and stay tuned as I’ll be sharing a full round up of of my second trimester maternity picks in a few weeks!