Congratulations! You made it to the second trimester! During my first 3 months of pregnancy I read countless articles that said how great the second trimester was. Unfortunately, my experience didn't match my expectations. Don't get me wrong there are some great moments during the second trimester! But I think it helps to know that you won't hit 14 weeks and suddenly your unpleasant symptoms will be gone. So here is my list of what I wish I had known to expect during the next few months. (Your experience may be different, but this was my expereince)

1. Morning sickness may continue through the second trimester, mine actually got worse. I was vomiting more often but the nausea didn't last as long. It didn't really settle down until I was 22 weeks along and even then I still had bad days where I was throwing up. Thankfully my food aversions did go away and I was able to eat my beloved vegetables again! Want my tips on how to cope with morning sickness? Check out this post!

2. Aches and pains start earlier than you'd expect! I thought it was way too early to be feeling back pain and round ligament pain, but I was wrong. Remember your body is shifting everything around inside! So even if the baby only weighs a few ounces, your body is still off balance from all of the shifting. Top that off with the fact that you have a new hormone causing all of your ligaments to spread and it can lead to some uncomfortable pain. I didn't know what round ligament pain felt like and I can best describe it as it feels like you bruised your pelvic bones! It feels different for many different people but just know to expect it! The back pain will only get worse, so I'd suggest splurging on a back massager. I use one like THIS every night and morning and it really helps!

3. Acid Reflux/ Heartburn. People warned me that when morning sickness went away you'd likely get heartburn and that it was even worse than morning sickness. I've had heartburn before and didn't think it was awful. What I didn't know was that they weren't just talking about the burning feeling under your ribs. They were talking about acid reflux, when stomach acid sits in your esophagus. Mine was so bad that for a week I would wake up every morning at 5 AM and have to vomit. On Christmas Eve I threw up all day and couldn't keep any food down because it was so bad! Tums helped a little bit, as well as small meals and avoiding all the food they suggest staying away from. I eventually started taking Zantac to help. Make sure you talk to your doctor before you reach for the Zantac.

4. Bladder Control. You have to Pee more frequently than you did during the first trimester. Every article I read told me that this gets better in the second trimester- so NOT true! There is more pressure on your bladder making it feel like you need to go to the bathroom even if you don't have much in your bladder. It's even worse when your baby starts to kick your bladder!

5. You may not start showing for a while. I remember thinking that I'd have a baby bump at the beginning of the second trimester but I was hardly showing at 4 months! The worst part about this was that you still wouldn't know I was pregnant by looking at me! My friends and family members knew I was pregnant but strangers still couldn't tell! I wore a lot of pregnancy shirts like THIS.

Hang in there girl, I know pregnancy is rough but I promise it's all worth it! Just a few more months and you will have a beautiful baby in your arms!