We found out we were pregnant in November 2023 when travelling to India from our new home in Germany. Our families couldn’t be happier. Here is a diary entry from the second trimester of motherhood.

Month: March 2024

Reflection

1. How was the overall experience of motherhood so far?
   • The two weeks in the first trimester, which were filled with Nausea, were the worst experience so far. Things picked up after that. I got busy with many errands during the coming months like
     • January: travel to Luxembourg, driving classes, house search in Nuremberg and cleaning the Bietigheim apartment for shifting, supporting a friend with some agile knowledge share regularly.
     • February: travel to Hamburg, driving and German classes, house search, boardgame house parties with friends.
     • March: travel to Konstanz, ASPICE training, failed driving exam, writing workshop, pack up house and collect keys on 31 March for Nuremberg apartment.
   • I know what you are thinking. Who takes up so many changes in the fifth month of Pregnancy? I am glad my energy supported my plans. Some transitions were my choice and some not. Fortunately, all of them went well except the driving exam.
2. What brought me joy?
   • The excitement of moving to Nuremberg.
3. What challenges did I face, and how did I handle them?
   • Physically I faced mild challenges like hot flashes and shortness of breath in January, nose bleeds and eye burns in February, incontinence, weight gain and belly itchiness in March. They look mild now, but the eye burns and shortness of breath often gave me discomfort back then. My birthday pictures from February have me wearing anti-glare glasses due to the constant eye burn.

Highlights

1. Skill needed:
   • I worked out regularly at home and at the gym to achieve so many duties in parallel. Sitting 90 min for driving lessons each day, working on the computer, helping with house chores, doing other courses. They all needed me to stay fit and attentive.
2. Funniest or sweetest moment:
   • Shopping for the anti-glare glasses during eye burn days turned into fun when we found it was nothing serious.
   • Also, finding the apartment of our dreams in Nuremberg was a beautiful moment.
3. Moods:
   • 😖Cranky with the rush to pass driving exam before shifting to Nuremberg and 😴 Sleepy from the disrupted nights owing to the hot flashes.
4. Favourites:
   • Our travel to snow-clad Luxembourg was a memorable break from the hustle and bustle of daily life.
   • We played classical music to my pregnant belly each night. That calmed the baby and us.

Mom’s Well-Being

1. How am I feeling emotionally?
   • Anxious about the city change.
2. How am I feeling physically?
   • Energy was better than the first trimester.
3. Did I do something for myself? If yes, what?
   • Writing workshop was something that upskilled me in writing and felt therapeutic at the same time.

Gratitude

1. One thing I’m grateful for in motherhood:
   • Finding a trustworthy house owner in Nuremberg who trusted me when I said that I would not let the household income go down during maternity leave.
2. One thing I’m proud of:
   • Even though my cup was full, I managed to find time to participate and help my Indian friend with the agile topic.

Looking Ahead

1. What do I want to focus on?
   • My health and baby’s wellness. Nailing the driving exam before I head to India for delivery. Unfortunately, failing the driving exam in March meant that I will have to travel back and forth from Nuremberg for another attempt.
2. Any reminders or notes for yourself?
   • Keep noting symptoms regularly. Figure out how to improve driving.

More on my journey into motherhood will follow in the next blogs. To read the beginning of this journey click here. Do share your experiences in the comment below.