We’ve compiled a list of our top second trimester must-haves to get you through this exciting (but sometimes difficult) time. This post may contain affiliate links which means we may receive a small commission at no cost to you if you make a purchase using one of these links.
Welcome to the second trimester, when you’re really going to start needing some creature comforts and new wardrobe items. The first trimester has its challenges but you can probably get by with only buying a few essentials, like morning sickness relief, baby books, and prenatal vitamins. But the second trimester is a whole different beast!
Other helpful ‘essentials’ articles:
– 8 First Trimester Must-Haves
– 15+ Diaper Caddy Essentials For All Moms
– IVF Egg Retrieval Recovery Essentials
Top Second Trimester Must-Haves
Your nausea and vomiting may be history, but now you’re growing, achy, and maybe a bit overwhelmed. It’s all about COMFORT in the second trimester! Here are some of our top second trimester must-haves.
Self Care
1. Heating Pad
Hello, aches and pains!
At this point, you can probably, literally, feel your hips widening. You may be experiencing sciatica. Your lower back is also probably feeling sore due to carrying all this extra weight (just wait, they say). There is no denying, us mamas need some TLC.
Enter heating pad. What used to seem like such a basic pharmacy item may now be your new best friend. If you’re feeling this pregnancy, don’t hesitate to plug in whenever you’re going to be sitting still for a while – even at your desk! I used and abused mine during the IVF process, and my faithful companion has continued to take care of me through each trimester.
2. Cocoa Butter For Stretch Marks
We are again recommending cocoa butter for stretch marks because your belly will begin to show sometime in the early to mid-stages of the second trimester. By the end, you will have full-on popped!
If you’re feeling itchy all over, there is a reason why! Your skin is stretching as you make room for your little babe. The more you stretch, the more you may itch. The more you may itch, the more you’ll want to scratch.
DON’T!
DO. NOT. SCRATCH!
Scratching will only promote stretch marks while providing temporary relief. Slather on some cocoa butter and ride it out, mama.
I also really loved Tummy Butter by The Spoiled Mama.
3. Sleepy Lotion
As my hips and back worked to accommodate my mini, I ached pretty badly. I also experience numbing in my shoulders no matter which side I lay on. I found Sleepy Lotion by 8 Sheep Organics and love to use it right before bedtime to help me get a better night’s rest.
Not only do the essential oils support restful sleep, but they also relieve leg cramps, and ease lower back, hip, and ligament pain.
I also use it on my nipples from time to time which got fairly dry in the second trimester.
To Wear
4. Maternity Leggings
Around this time, you may start to notice that your favorite athleisure leggings and jeans don’t quite fit the same. What was once the perfect fit, now barely clasps shut. And, the fact that we are in the middle of a pandemic and not really going anywhere means that we can live in our leggings. Oh, happy day.
I knew it was time to get some maternity leggings when my favorite pairs started to roll, and when I was constantly pulling them up.
5. Loose Tops
Have most of your shirts become belly shirts? You may be limited to just a couple of token pieces from your closets these days, which means you must be running the laundry machine more often than normal. It’s time to upgrade your wardrobe with at least a few comfortable tops to accommodate your growing bellow.
Kindred Bravely has a great maternity selection, one of my faves thus far!
6. Stretchy Sports Bras
While you may want to buy one or two bras with underwire and structure, don’t go too crazy. As your breasts grow (and itch, maybe ache) and get ready to provide nourishment to another human, you won’t really want to be confined to uncomfortable bras.
Do yourself a favor and grab some comfy spandex bras… you’ll live in them now, and most like use them after you give birth as well. They don’t have any kind of hidden pockets for nursing, but they’re great for lounging around in comfort.
Comfort Items
7. Pregnancy Pillow
We already recommended a pregnancy pillow for the first trimester. If you haven’t gotten one yet, you’re really going to want one now. You may have been able to sleep through those first three months, but now you are growing, making something as simple as sleep a lot more challenging.
I love this U-shaped pregnancy pillow, which has been my go-to sleeping companion for months (sorry, hubs). I used it through my IVF aches and pains, and continued on with it through every stage of pregnancy. The bigger I get, the more my needs change, and this pillow continues to provide the comfort I needed both in the front and the back.
Once you reach about 20-weeks in your second trimester (5 months), it is recommended that you do not sleep on your back. This is because, at this point, your uterus has grown enough that it is sitting on top of your inferior vena cava when you are lying on your back. This blood vessel brings blood to your heart, and thus, your baby. But if your uterus is pushing against it, less blood will flow, leading to a potential risk of stillbirth.
Uh, no thanks!
Sleeping on your side with the support of a pregnancy pillow can make the position a bit more comfortable since we are now limited to either our left or our right (because obviously, the stomach is now out of the question, too).
8. Air Humidifier
Um, is it dry in here or is it just me? I can’t tell you how many mornings I woke up with a sore and dry nose and throat. I can’t tell you because it was basically every morning.
If you’re the same, get a humidifier for your bedroom and any other living area that you spend a lot of time in! Not only will you feel better, but your skin will also feel less dry. And let’s be honest, we are DRY right about now. What’s more, this particular humidifier has a slot where you can put a few drops of your favorite essential oil if you really want to take the comfort to the next level.
Related:
7 First Trimester Must-Haves
9. Foot Spa
Call me extra but this foot spa was a GOD SEND that I will never regret purchasing. Not only does it provide a lot of relief after spending a lot of time on your feet, but it’s just so relaxing after a long, stressful day.
This will also come in totally handy in the third trimester as you continue to gain weight, and ultimately get those swollen ankles and sore feet.
10. Bigger Bed
I’m a sprawler, I like my space, I like my pillows, and I sometimes sweat. Love my husband and all, but our queen-sized bed wasn’t cutting it by the time we reached my second trimester. This recommendation is definitely more of an indulgence than I would normally recommend – trust me, I totally understand it could be a very difficult time to justify the investment. BUT, if you can, and if you’ve been considering it anyway, now may be the time.
Our bed was due for an upgrade long before I hit the second trimester, but my constant discomfort, tossing and turning is what finally convinced the hubby that it was time to get a king-sized bed. Mama wasn’t sleeping and that’s no bueno for the little one.
We upgraded to a split king bed (two twin XL mattresses) on a dually adjustable base. We both read in bed often but our sleep schedules are not really compatible. And, with all we have learned about the negatives of back-sleeping, an adjustable base seemed like the safest way to get some relief at night. Plus, the adjustable base will make night-time sleep feeds all the more simple.
The extra space is also a plus for anyone who chooses to co-sleep.
What are your second trimester must-haves?
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