Second Trimester with Myasthenia Gravis

The second trimester is typically said to be the best time of your pregnancy. For me and my growing belly, I have to agree. With nausea settling and my bump actually starting to be visible, here are some of my second trimester highlights and advice for MG mommies.

Appointments:

The Gynecologist was very insistent on seeing me every month as to monitor baby and my progress. While at times this seemed excessive it was always worth the sneak peek at our baby and to know that all was well. Our 20-week scan was at a specialized fetal assessment center for an in-depth evaluation. Currently, there are no known side effects of the medication I am on or having MG per say on the baby therefore this was to clarify any abnormailites.

When going for any tests relating to abnormalities in your baby it is best to have an idea about what your decision would be if that test comes back positive. This also means that if you are placed in a high-risk category for anything you can decide if you want further testing to clarify the results or not. As we had decided not to terminate, unless baby would have no chance of survival outside of the womb, we would not have gone for further testing such as amniocentesis. Thankfully no problems were picked up and we got some beautiful sneak peek photos.

Gender Reveal

With all the scans this is the prime opportunity to find out your babies gender. Once again discuss this decision with your partner prior to your visits. We wanted to find out but we were still surprised! My husband even more so than me. He kept asking the Dr it was really true and we were really going to have a little boy?!

Many people take this occasion to have a party to reveal the babies gender. We decided just to tell our family and close friends personally and then to post on Facebook. Less stress and therefore less side effects towards my MG, but still exciting. Decide on what will be best for your health and therefore ultimately your babies health.

Figuring out the HOW TO... Scouting possibilities 

This is a great time to think about both your needs and the needs of your baby.
I know I will need personal support as well as changes to the physical environment, therefore, I have been trying out and researching things to assist. here are some of my revelations so far:

- Baby carriers: Look for correct back support and carriers that can grow with your baby.
- Lightweight car seats and prams: An average car seat weighs 4kg +. Include a squirming baby and lifting this in and out of the car can cause serious fatigue issues. Look for either lightweight travel systems or a fixed car seat and pram.
- Cots and co-sleepers: We decided that a cot will be best as I am an extremely sensitive sleeper. We bought a second-hand cot that we could adapt, making it higher so I wouldn't have to bend too much initially to put our little boy down.
- Heights of changing table and furniture: Most hardware stores sell 'feet' that can be used to increase the height of furniture. Try to aim not having to bend down below your waist. Now is the time to do some DIY before your bump gets in the way of everything.

Draws with extra 'feet'

Growing baby and growing body

After dealing with cravings your body will start to show changes as your baby grows.
Clothes: Try to find comfy clothes that will last for a while in your pregnancy. Stretchy banded pants and shoes with Velcro are great as it also limits the need to fine motor tasks such as doing up buttons.
Food increase: Make sure to still keep a healthy diet and not give into too many cravings. Remember to avoid food high in magnesium as it will affect your MG.
In shower moisturizer: Appealing to out vanity, many creams claiming to stop stretch marks can be found on the market. One thing I found helpful was using an in shower moisturizer. This is a quick solution, decreasing another physical task. So far this has proved very effective for me.

The absolute best thing about my second trimester was starting to feel my baby move!