The Second Trimester Diaries! Weeks 12- 26!

Oh hey darlings!!!! I’m sorry its taken me so long to get my second trimester diaries uploaded….I’ve been extremely busy honeymooning!!!

Okay….. maybe I’m exaggerating…..

………A tiny bit………

………Okay you’ve got me……. A LOT!!!!!!!!

I mean……  This honeymoon has been slightlyyyyyy different to your standard five star trip of a lifetime.

There has been NO golden sand, NO sparkling sea, NO strawberry daiquiris on tap.

Instead there has been constant back ache, shooting leg cramps and even sometimes, a surprise dizzy spell. Yippee!!

The holiday of DREAMS I hear you cry!!!

Well my friends, this is as luxurious as its going to get for me for a while!! Not a long haul holiday in sight. Just a whole load of smelly nappies and sleepless nights. Oh how life changes! And you know what, I wouldn’t have it any other way in the world.

So I am sitting here writing this blog whilst bouncing up and down on my birthing ball. Nearly thirty five weeks pregnant, looking like Shamu, with a baby that is now apparently the size of a lion cub. WHAT IS LIFE! And wondering where on earth these last few months have gone??

It really has been such a long time since I sat down and updated you all on everything that has been happening in my pregnancy. I’m honestly so sorry about the delay, life got absolutely crazy for a while because I was working on location in Surrey for the last few months before Christmas. But I’m finally on maternity leave and wanted to make sure I didn’t rush this post as theres just so much to tell you.

A HUGE THANK YOU

Firstly, before I launch in with the baby updates, I just have to say how truly thankful I am to the incredible and supportive messages I got regarding my first trimester diaries. I don’t know what came over me but I was honestly SO scared to upload that blog and put my news ‘out there’.

As I mentioned in my last blog, this was mainly due to the fact that I know discussing pregnancy can be such a sensitive subject and I never ever want to seem like I am throwing my news in anyones face, especially if they are struggling to conceive or have been through some scary or sad times. No one knows what is going on in anyones life behind closed doors and behind their ‘perfect’ instagram photos and I would hate with all of my heart to upset anyone. Even writing this second trimester blog scares me, but I hope you all know that I will always try to be as sensitive as possible.

Writing my blogs about pregnancy and our little one will hopefully become a wonderful memory book for me so I can look back in years to come and re live this crazy time of my life. And if I have the added bonus of you lovely lot reading them too, with the hope that my advice or ridiculous stories help at least one person going through pregnancy and all the worries it brings, then I’ll be the absolute happiest girl alive.

Anyway, I’m digressing. What I simply wanted to say was that you guys are seriously all so kind and amazing and I’ve just adored sharing my journey with you all so far! So thank you!!! Hopefully there will be plenty more fun to come.

I can’t believe we are nearly there (we are weeks away as I write this).. I’m still so clueless…so unbelievably terrified… but most importantly OVERWHELMED AND BURSTING WITH EXCITEMENT, and I need my lovely online family with me every step of the way!!

So shall we turn the clock back a bit and rewind all the way back to September? Ohhh we have a LOT to catch on!!! Strap yourselves in, get that kettle on, and devour those short bread biscuits… because this is a BIG one!!!!

THE TWELVE WEEK SCAN.

The twelve week scan. Oh how that day will honestly live with me forever. 

So as you all know, I had to spend the majority of my first trimester working away from home in Bristol during filming for The Crystal Maze,  which although was such a fun and amazing job with some of my bestest friends, it was also one of the hardest times of my life. It was a total combination of the constant hospital tests I had to have, my horrific phobia of said hospitals, home sickness, pure exhaustion from driving up and down the M4 on a weekly basis, having to lie to everyone at work, and worrying 24/7 about whether our baby was okay that just left me a total shell of myself which was a total shock to the system. 

Although on the outside I appeared like I was fine (although a lot of my work friends have since told me they knew I wasn’t myself during that time) on the inside I was a constant mixture of worry, terror, fear and anxiety, whereas usually I am such a happy, go lucky, carefree girl.

I drove home from Bristol the night we wrapped in studio and the night before our twelve week scan (which was at 7am the next morning), and basically cried the whole four hour journey home. Tears of absolute fear for what the next day had in store for us, tears of exhaustion, tears of relief that I was finally going to be home and reunited with hubby and family, and tears of sadness that my time on Crystal Maze had come to an end. Oh and tears of FOMO because I was missing out on the wrap party. So what I’m trying to say is… I was an absolute MESS and didn’t even recognise myself.

We woke up (ha good one, as if I slept a wink) bright and early the next morning and left the house at 6am for our scan. Considering we had been apart for weeks on end and usually chat till we burst, me and the hubby sat in silence in the waiting room. There really was nothing to say, apart from hold hands, cuddle each other and pray that everything was going to be okay.

When we saw our little one on the screen and heard their gorgeous heart beat, I can’t even begin to explain the relief and pure happiness and joy I felt in that moment. It was as if the last twelve weeks of severe worry and horrendous tests just dissolved away into thin air and I have never felt such love for our future baby and Wayney like it. He was a sobbing mess, I was a sobbing mess, our family on FaceTime was a sobbing mess……the sonographer was……. NOT a sobbing mess. In fact she thought we had lost the plot. But we didn’t care one little bit. We had waited for this moment for what felt like eternity and I was cherishing every second. I even had to get blood tests done after the scan, and whipped my arms out without a second thought. SORRY WHO EVEN I AM????? 

Nothing, not even a terrifying needle was going to ruin this moment.

What followed after that was a dreamy day spent with family and Wayney soaking up all of the happiness and excitement, and finally being able to tell every one our news. It was one of the best days of the year and I could finally breathe again.

LIFE AFTER THE TWELVE WEEK SCAN

And just like that life totally resumed as normal. 

I was back in London about to begin a job on a new production that would contract me until Christmas. The weekly hospital tests were a distant memory (thank goodness) and I didn’t actually see another needle until the middle of October. SEE YA! GIRL BYEEEEE!

But the BEST part of it all was that over night I felt like the old Sammy was back. The one hundred stone brick that had been laying heavily on my chest and consuming all of my thoughts since early July had disappeared and I was finally able to start enjoying this special and wonderful time and get beyond excited for our future little one.

Lists, upon lists were written, spread sheets upon spread sheets were made, Pinterest boards upon Pinterest boards were created. I was officially in planning mode, and was living for every second of it.

There has been so many gorgeous highs that I have experienced during September- December, with a couple of little lows (mainly involving some unwelcome side effects which will give you all a good chuckle) and this next part of my blog will reveal all….

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SECOND TRIMESTER

I think its fair to say that you all know I didn’t enjoy my first trimester.

Whilst I always want to keep it totally real for you guys, I also don’t want to be doom and gloom and scare you all. SO I am so happy to say that this next part of my pregnancy diaries is based on all of my highlights and happy moments from my second trimester. And yay, there have been such wonderful wonderful times that I have experienced, which made any scary moment in the summer totally worth it. 

1) STAYCATIONS.

Before I got pregnant I would constantly see bloggers and friends on their ‘baby moons’ looking INSANE with their bumps on the beach. And yes, whilst that would have been ridic amaze to experience, sadly my job took over and the only transport I was able to experience was the bloody central line. *Sigh* It’s not quite the same as Emirates first class is it?

However it is with great pleasure I am here to announce that you don’t always need a sparkling sea to celebrate being preggers with, because our little one in my tummy has been extremely lucky to experience three incredible staycations in the last few months. Lots of pure British fun, filled with lots of tea, (decaf) country walks, (there was a lot of mud and breathless moments) endless games of Uno (i’m a sore loser) and a whole load of roast dinners. (I’m a human dustbin didn’t you know?).

Our first trip was a weekend away in the wonderful Cotswolds with my family to celebrate my gorgeous grandpas 88th birthday. I was around 16 weeks pregnant at this point, and this holiday was my way of totally relaxing and finally celebrating our news. I didn’t take one ‘blogger’ photo, I hardly even looked at my phone. It was spent with my family chatting, laughing, eating, drinking and just all being together and I soaked up every second of it.

The second staycation was the opposite end of the spectrum. I booked a weekend trip to my favourite hotel in London, ‘The Ned’ for the hubby’s bday in November. It was a surprise for him and it was one of my favourite weekends of the year. By this point I think I was around 21 weeks pregnant, but that didn’t stop us from living our very best life and staying up till 1am in the secret underground vault. I KNOW!!! You can read all about our fantastic weekend here, and I honestly urge all of you to experience this hotel at last once in your life if you can.

Well the saying save the best till last has never felt more fitting than now. My third and final staycation was actually only last month, where my hubby and family whisked me off to my favourite place in the world to celebrate my thirtieth birthday and baby moon. Soho Farmhouse!!! It was three days of heaven and I literally adored every single second of it. We relaxed in the spa, took outdoor bubble baths, ate every thing in sight, and had the cabin or should I say MANSION of dreams. I promise a blog post about this will be coming your way extremely soon!

Basically, what I want to say is, you don’t always need to hop on a plane to have a holiday or a baby moon. These three trips are ones I will cherish and remember forever and I wouldn’t have changed a thing about them. 

(Disclaimer alert- hubby if your reading this, ignore everything I am saying. WE WILL BE GOING ON A BEACH HOLIDAY THIS YEAR, ITS BEEN NEARLY 9 MONTHS SINCE I FELT MY TOES IN THE SAND AND IM SLOWLY LOSING THE PLOT. Okay byeeeeee).

2) PUTTING THE NURSERY TOGETHER AND BUYING FOR THE BABY

Nothing gives me greater pleasure than a to do list, and my god when you have a baby the lists are ENDLESS. I remember first getting engaged and starting to build all of my wedding spreadsheets and this felt exactly the same, but better. Ohhhh I had a new project to take on, and I was living for every second of it. 

Ive actually found reading bloggers ‘baby essentials’ lists and product reviews SO helpful, and I’m hoping I can now pass on all of my new found knowledge to you soon, so I am going to write a couple of blog posts in the next few weeks as to what we have brought for the little one and everything I am packing in the hospital bags eek.

One thing I would recommend is going to a ‘Baby Show’, if you can. Me, my mum and Wayne spent the whole day in Olympia last October and managed to get an insane deal on our pram and car seat, and even though it was one of the most exhausting and overwhelming days I experienced whilst being pregnant it was defiantly worth going!

I can’t wait to show you all the cute bits I have brought soon- watch this space!

PS Help me I’m officially bankrupt.

PPS. ASOS I miss you with all of my heart.

3) SECOND TRIMESTER APPOINTMENTS.

Hold on a minute what is this? Sammy you have put your midwife appointments in the HIGHLIGHTS. WHO ARE YOU???

Oh yes, it’s totally true. The second you hit 12 weeks the scary appointments go away and its all fun and games from then on. Honestly never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be counting down the days to visit a health professional and get my blood pressure taken, but ya know, life can be surprising like that.

So just to quickly run through with you all what happens in the second trimester, for the standard pregnancies in the UK you will get to visit your midwife when you are around 16, 25, 28, 31, 34, 36, 38 and 40 weeks pregnant. (With a 20 week scan done at the hospital too). There is nothing scary about this at all, it is just a very important way to check in with your midwife and ask any questions, get your blood pressure taken, test your wee and carbon monoxide levels and the best bit of all… hear your little ones heart beat. I literally can’t describe how special it is hearing that little noise, it gets me every time. From 25 weeks onwards the midwife also measures the baby and tells you their positioning which blows my mind. 

As I write this our little one is heads down eek (this explains the 500 wees a day) and is weighing slightlyyyyyy bigger then they should be (oops, i’ve eaten too many chocolate buttons) but touch wood the hospital are happy with what they have seen and i’ll be getting measured again next week. 

And just to touch on our twenty week scan, this is obviously a really scary appointment where the hospital will look in detail at all of the developing body parts of your baby. It is totally fascinating how much you can see then compared to the twelve week scan, and I was, again, an absolute emotional wreck. Thank goodness all was okay and our little ones face from the scan pic now takes pride of place on our kitchen fridge which I kiss with delight every single day. 

Oh…but before I forget… the second trimester wasn’t totally void of needles. Soz. 

I had to get my flu jab and whooping cough jab around the 16/18 week mark. I actually booked these in to be done separately but when I arrived at the doctors for the first one they SURPRISED me with a two in one job. One in each arm. At the same time. STUNNING. Before I even got the chance to be like ‘OMFG bitch, back off with your two needles’, she had actually already stabbed me twice and sent me away. It literally took seconds so I had no time to process what was happening. Basically don’t be an idiot like me and build things up in your head because it truly wasn’t that bad. I did get horrible aches and pains in my arms for the next day or so, but it was just a lovely excuse to get out of doing any house chores, so every cloud and all that.

4) THE FIRST KICK.

Now the real highlight and best moment of the whole second trimester has been saved till last- the first kick. Nothing quite compares you for that moment!!

At my twenty week scan, where I still hadn’t felt any movement, the doctor informed me that this was probably because I had an anterior placenta. ‘A what??’ I cried.

But don’t worry this isn’t as scary or scientific as it sounds. It just meant that my placenta had decided to attach itself to the front of my body rather than the back or side, which meant that any movement would feel slightly reduced because the placenta was acting as a cushion. I was also warned that this would cause me extreme back ache (which I was already experiencing since week 13, but back to that later….) I was told that I could feel the first kick at any time up until week 25 and to not panic. (But that is easier said than done when literally EVERY person I would ever come into contact with would exclaim ‘have you felt the baby move yet?’)

Fast forward a few weeks, it was a cold, cosy Sunday night in November and I was chilling at my grandparents with Wayne when I was about 22 weeks pregnant. 

“OH MY GOD I JUST FELT SOMETHING POP INSIDE MY BODY”. I screamed.

The feeling came from absolute no-where. One moment I was laying out on their couch devouring a box of quality street, and the next minute it felt like there was a piece of bubble wrap inside my tummy that suddenly went POP. It happened once more that evening, and in a flurry of excitement I texted lots of my mummy friends, and asked my trusted new bffe/enemy ‘Google’ to see if that feeling was normal and if it was the baby, which to my delight they all confirmed, yes, yes it was.

I felt on cloud nine that I had finally felt movement, and ran into work the next day bursting with pride at my weekend news. (Gone are the days of my drunken stories, oh how life has changed hahaha). 

So, another week went by and the baby was popping away. I was slobbing out on the couch after work on night, (standard) I think around week 23, when all of a sudden I felt a sharp but harmless pain.

“OH MY GOD I THINK THE BABY JUST KICKED ME”. I screamed.

The next hour me and Wayney didn’t move, we were frozen to the spot and were just staring at my belly, praying for that to happen again. And then it did. Again, and again and again. We then started jumping up and down in excitement before laying down to wait for it to happen again. I mean it was the best movie we have ever watched and I seriously think it deserves an Oscar HA! As the days went on and I experienced more and more kicks I soon began to learn that our little one is wayyyyyy more active in the evenings, and just like their mummy, is a little piglet, because as soon as I have finished dipping my chocolate buttons in my tea (my new nightly ritual, you should try it, its stun) they wake up and come to life.

It’s absolutely mental to think that what started off as a few innocent little kicks each day in November has now developed into a war zone inside me, where I get pulled, punched and kicked non stop. Thanks hun.

I wouldn’t change any of it for the world though, it is truly my pregnancy highlight and I think once the baby is here I will genuinally miss feeling like I have bruised and battered ribs on a daily basis.

SECOND TRIMESTER SYMPTONS

WAIT WHAT!!!???!!!!!!???!!!!!????!!!.

I THOUGHT YOU DIDN’T GET ANY SYMPTONS IN THE SECOND TRIMESTER?? I hear you cry, and hunnnnnny I FEEL YOUR PAIN.

I was promised a beautiful, breezy second trimester from magazines, blogs, and articles I read.

“You’re going to feel like you again, like an invincible goddess, you will have SO much energy, all of the horrible symptoms from the first trimester will disappear into thin air, giving you time to relax and recuperate until the third trimester hits you…..”

….UMMM NOPE. NOT TODAY.

I’m sorry guys, and I hate to break it you, ummmm how do I put this bluntly?….

….It’s simply NOT true!!! (I’m sorry)

Look you miiiight be one of the extremely lucky ones whose symptoms dissolve into thin air….. or you might be like me, who felt like they aged 1008 years over night.

Let me digest….

Symptom Number One: Leg Cramp

Well this has been fun. I’ll try and paint a picture for you. 

Imagine it’s four in the morning, you’re in a deep sleep dreaming of swimming through a chocolate river, when all of a sudden you wake up in severe shock because YOU ARE BEING STABBED IN THE LOWER LEG. Yep. This has been my life since October.

This sharp, continuous pain has hurt me so much that it actually takes my breath away each time, and I promise I’m not being dramatic, I once screamed out loud to Wayne ‘AM I DYING?’. (Okay maybe slightlllllly over the top).

That my friends is the joy of the second trimester leg cramp.

The NHS casually confirm on their website that this spasm does indeed feel like you are being repeatedly stabbed, sureeeeeee, and to get rid of the pain you need to start moving around when it’s happening. Look huns, I dunno about you but when I’m in the middle of this VILE HORRENDOUS HELL at 4am, the last thing I want to start doing is dancing around the flat. In fact even if I wanted to I simply couldn’t because the spasms literally have me frozen to the spot, wincing in agony and not being able to move until they stop a few minutes later.

This delightful event occurred at least once or twice a week during my whole second trimester, and it would always, ALWAYS happen in the middle of the night. Spoiler alert for the third trimester diaries- it’s still happening. I love my life.

Symptom Number Two: Severe Back Ache

So, not quite as dramatic as being stabbed in the leg, however this symptom is was way way way more annoying. It decided to introduce itself to me in week 13 and is a very clingy, needy and unwanted symptom that has decide to attach itself to me and not leave me alone since. Ladies and gentleman let me introduce you to the wonderful world of pregnancy back ache.

I have no idea if it is because I am little at five foot one so growing a baby has strained all of my back, if it is because I have an anterior placenta or whether I am suffering Pelvic Girdle Pain, (or all three?) but I have truly been in agony since the middle of September. I guess the long commutes on the central line/M25 didn’t help either, and by midday I would always have to walk around the office with a hot water bottle hanging out of me in severe pain. I’m so sexy. 

I’m still in absolute agony now at 34 weeks and quite frankly have had enough of this pain, but I’ve also weirdly become so used to feeling like this that I can’t remember what life felt like when I didn’t have back ache. I’m praying that after giving birth everything will go back to normal, so I will update you in a few weeks. Until then, hot water bottles are my best friend in this entire world. 

Symptom Number Three: Wetting Myself

I would love to remember a time in my life where being told a funny story meant that I laughed and that was it. Instead, I have to hold and clench every single muscle in my body to ensure that I, Sammy Summers, at 30 years old, doesn’t wet herself. Cool. 

Spoiler alert: I have wet myself. Many a time. Usually at night when hubby makes me laugh so much, to me then going deadly silent. “Oh no its happened again hasn’t it?” He exclaims. Then we both burst out laughing all over again, and I wee a little bit more.

Did I mention that I realllllly love my life. 

P.S Lets not talk about sneezing. K bye.

Symptom Number Four: Dizzy Spells

I’m actually still loling to myself at this one, because I am just so extra and embarrassing. 

To clarify, there have been three little incidents where out of nowhere I have felt extremely hot, dizzy and genuinely nearly fainted, and of COURSE they have all been in public places. Only me.

The first time was when I was about 15 weeks pregnant and had booked me and Wayney one of those private one to one sessions at Mamas and Papas on a Sunday afternoon. I had spent the whole week looking forward to it as it was the first time we were officially shopping for the baby. Half way through the session I started to feel really hot. The next thing I remember is losing my hearing, the room totally spinning and getting really panicky. I got whisked away from the shop floor by Wayne who saw what was happening and instantly sat me down and got me to drink a whole litre of water whilst I slowly came too. It felt like a weird panic attack, the type I usually get after a hospital procedure. But where on earth had this come from? I mean we were only shopping for goodness sake. Once I had the water I instantly felt like better, and then was so hideously embarrassed by the whole fiasco I apologised to the shop and went straight home. Might just stick to online shopping from now on ha!

This happened again out of nowhere during a work rehearsal in the studio in late November, but I recognised the signs before I felt too unwell. As I was getting dizzy and breathless I took myself outside the studio, downed some water and sat and rode it out. I felt a lot more in control that time round, but it was still scary because I didn’t have my comfort blanket of Wayne being there to calm me through it (and didn’t tell any work friends because I was scared of causing a fuss). 

The third time was the most embarrassing of all. It was a few days before Christmas and I had just wrapped on the studio show I was working on. Work had been INTENSE and I spent the whole of December doing ridic hours. The morning after getting in from work at 1am I went out for brunch with Wayney, who had planned a whole day out in London for my birthday celebrations. I felt a bit ‘off’ on the way to brunch but didn’t say anything and put it down to exhaustion. Well you can imagine what happens next…. One minute i’m about to tuck into my fry up… the next… I’m nearly on the floor. Wayne said he has never been so scared as I suddenly went white as a ghost and was slowly losing conscious. Oh god i’m such an embarrassment, I hate myself hahahaha. Again, I have no idea where it came from, probably exhaustion, but I don’t remember much about the incident, purely that I started to feel really sick, ridiculously hot and dizzy, had a loss of hearing and then BAM… see yaaaa.

The midwifes have said this can happen during pregnancy, and its caused by your blood sugar levels dipping quickly, so now I just always make sure I carry water and choc with me everywhere i go in case it happens again. Any excuse to have a packet of buttons in the bag!

Symptom Number Five: No Sleep.

Once upon a time there was a girl called Sammy Summers who loved to sleep. Until one day she got pregnant and then woke up every hour of the night. And she didn’t live happily ever after. The end. 

Oh my goodness guys, I think that is what we call a ‘WRAP’. If you are still reading this, and my ridiculous ramblings, then wow, I honestly cannot thank you enough as I know this was a beast of a blog. I have adored writing it and pouring my heart out to you guys, and these personal posts are now strangely becoming my favourite blogs to write.

Thank you so much for all your support and love with my pregnancy. My next blog will be based on every-thing I am packing for the hospital bag eek, so please stay tuned for that!

Oh and before I love and leave you, here is a link to everything I could not have lived without in my second trimester.All the comfy clothes, yummy toiletries and pregnancy essentials. I’ll continue to update this all the time too!!

Love you all loads,

Sammy and bump!

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Here are all of the products/clothes that I cannot live without during Pregnancy!

• Disclaimer- This post contains products with affiliate links, that will earn me a tiny bit of commission if you choose to purchase them. (It doesn’t cost you anything extra). All items on this page I own or have used and as always, I will 100% tell the truth on everything!!

P.S For any one using the app Like To Know It, you can now find me on-https://www.liketoknow.it/summersholiyay or add me on Summersholiyay! YAY!!

HERE ARE SOME OF THE ITEMS ON ME.