Animal-Based Diet Pregnancy Experience Part 2 (2nd Trimester)

In this article, I share all about my experience in my second trimester of pregnancy following an animal-based or "Weston A Price" style diet. Prioritizing nourishing foods during pregnancy has been so important for me to continue feeling my best.

Before becoming pregnant, I had been following animal-based diet for over three years already—so it felt very natural to continue eating the same way.

Here I go into detail about how diet, mindset, exercise, and supplements have been supportive for me throughout my second trimester of pregnancy specifically. This has been such an exciting and joyful season of life.

To learn more about my experience with my first trimester, check out this blog post.

My second trimester experience

Overall, my second trimester went very smoothly. I felt energized, strong, and more like myself. We did a lot of traveling during these weeks and my body handled it very well.

That being said, with pregnancy comes a lot of changes and there were some new (mostly mild) symptoms I had during second trimester. I will share about that below and what I did to continue feeling my best!

12-14 weeks

Shortly before my second trimester began, I started to feel a significant increase in energy after needing to prioritize rest more during my first trimester.

Eating became a lot easier for me, and my nausea and low appetite started to disappear.

We decided to find out the gender of the baby through a blood test, and my sister threw us the sweetest gender reveal. It's a girl and we can't be more excited to meet her!

15-17 weeks

At about 14-15 weeks pregnant, I came down with the stomach flu. My husband had gotten it 9 days prior and somehow I avoided it even though I was the one taking care of him. He got it so severe that I ended up taking him to the ER in the middle of the night for IV fluids. When I was chronically ill, my husband spent lots of time with me in the hospital, so it was crazy to have the roles reversed. Thankfully, he recovered really well after getting the fluids!

The virus went through some more of our extended family, and I ended up coming down with it after a holiday gathering. Honestly, this was by far the most uncomfortable part of my pregnancy thus far! It was also the only time I've thrown up in my entire pregnancy.

I didn't get it as severe as my husband Jake did, but I wasn't able to keep anything down for more than 24 hours. Mostly because I am pregnant, we decided to try to get some IV fluids for me to support my recovery. Jake found a wellness center that did IV fluids nearby our house. It was the most pleasant "medical" experience we've ever had.

We made the appointment on the way to the center and within 10 minutes of getting there I was relaxing in a comfortable recliner with the IV fluids. Believe it or not, this was way cheaper than going to the ER through insurance (it was only $100). And of course, a night and day difference in terms of environment and service.

The nurse we saw said they often have pregnant women coming in because of their morning sickness.

I definitely would have been okay without the IV fluids, but it helped accelerate my stomach flu recovery and for that I'm very grateful! Modern medicine certainly has it's place.

The worst of the stomach flu was just the first day or two, but I found that my first trimester mild nausea and lower appetite returned after getting it. This lingered for about 2 weeks after before going away.
I lost an additional 5 pounds from the stomach flu (so a total of 10-12 combined with first trimester). This wasn't something my midwife was very concerned about as we knew I'd gain it back as my pregnancy progressed.
I eased back into eating normally after getting the stomach flu with nourishing foods like bone broth, raw dairy, and pasture-raised chicken. Soon enough I got back to eating eggs, beef, and bacon!

At 17 weeks pregnant, we traveled across the country to Utah for Christmas. I was feeling really good again at this point and the trip went well! We were able to do some hiking and rock climbing in the desert. Continuing to exercise consistently during my pregnancy has helped me to feel healthy and strong.

Random side note: Once I got further into my second trimester, I stopped having to get up so much in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. In the first trimester I was getting up 4-5 times a night and all of the sudden that just stopped, which was really nice!

18-22 weeks

At this point in my pregnancy, I continued to feel energized and lively.

Just a few days after returning home from Utah, we had an extended family member from overseas pass away. With just a few days notice, I decided to travel to Australia with my parents and grandfather for the memorial service, and we were gone for several weeks.

This was a really special and unexpected trip. I was proud of myself for being able to travel all the way across the world while pregnant—my body handled it very well. It was such a testament to how much I truly have healed over the past 3-4 years.

Here are some significant changes & updates during these weeks:

I felt the baby kick for the first time on the flight over to Australia (at 18 weeks). This was so exciting and she continued to kick stronger throughout my second trimester
My nausea completely went away again and my appetite increased
During my trip to Australia, I noticed an increase in constipation, and after I returned home this continued. Keep reading to see what helped the most with this.
At 22 weeks, I had my anatomy scan and everything looked great! This was reassuring, as I was getting a lot of comments about "not looking pregnant" or carrying very small.

23-28 weeks

The end of my second trimester was a very abundant time! We enjoyed traveling, house projects, and starting to prepare for baby.

At about 22-23 weeks, I started having some mild round ligament pain and rib aches. The most helpful things for this have been to maintain good posture, continue exercising, and do stretching routines (tailored for pregnancy, there's lots of free ones on YouTube).

At 24 weeks, we took a trip to Salt Lake City. I went cross country skiing and winter hiking with some childhood friends (this was SO much fun). We also found some great seed oil free restaurants in the area and had the most delicious food!

Right after the Utah trip, we took a short trip to Puerto Rico. This trip was a bit more difficult for me than the others, as I realized I don't love the combination of being pregnant and hot. But the feeling of being in the ocean was amazing, I wish I could go for a swim on the beach everyday!

The highlight of the trip was definitely getting to swim in the bioluminescent bay (that's us in the water in the photo below, it really was that bright). It was fun watching Jake go surfing as well.

After so much traveling in my second trimester, I was really excited to be at home for a while! Pregnancy has been such a fun adventure so far, and I'm trying my best to embrace all the changes and take care of my body as best that I can.

Here are some other changes & updates from the end of my second trimester:

On my trip to Utah, I realized that raw milk really helped with my pregnancy related constipation (it's very easy to buy there). I've prioritized drinking it almost everyday since and it's been a game changer for my digestion!
I declined the glucose tolerance test and opted for a continuous glucose monitor instead.
I continued exercising and started doing more gentle stretching to help with mild aches in my ribs and hip flexors
I finally started to gain weight back and show a little bit during the end of my second trimester! I believe one of the reasons I've stayed on the smaller side is because of my long torso. And possibly lack of inflammation. Strangely enough, I have felt a decrease in inflammation during pregnancy.

What I Ate Second Trimester

The biggest change for me from first trimester to second trimester was that it was easier to eat more. My appetite had returned and my nausea was mostly gone as well—which was so nice! I continued to eat mostly animal-based.

These are the foods I focused on:

Pasture-raised meats (beef, bison, pork, chicken, etc)
Pasture-raised eggs
A2/A2 raw dairy
- Personally I feel very comfortable having this while pregnant and it helps me to continue feeling my best
Wild caught salmon
Bone broth

Other foods I had generally in smaller amounts:

Fruit (ex. berries, clementines, avocado)
Raw honey
Organic potatoes (cooked in tallow)
Organic white rice (cooked in bone broth and butter)
Chocolate made with high quality ingredients (ex. Honey Mama's brand)
Homemade ice cream

Personally I don't keep track of macros, so I don't know how many carbs I consume per day. If I had to guess it would be between 50-100 grams a day. I am on the "lower carb" side but no longer zero carb or keto. In pregnancy I've found that adding in some carbs with my meats (such as a little bit of white rice or potatoes) actually helps me eat more protein and digest it all better. I feel great eating this way.

Foods I generally avoid:

Ultra-processed foods
Inflammatory seed oils
Grains that have glyphosate or are fortified with synthetic vitamins
Refined sugars

These are things I don't have at all when in my home. If I'm eating out, I make an effort to find places with better ingredients (ex. seed oil free or farm to table), but I also realize my body doesn't need perfection. There have been a few times in pregnancy that I've eaten out at less than ideal places. And that's okay! In those scenarios I just make the best choice available and try not to worry about it. I believe stress and fear are actually some of the biggest toxins of them all.

Here's a video showing an example of what I eat in a day first trimester:

Why I Refused the Glucose Tolerance Test

At about 26 weeks, I decided to decline the glucose tolerance test. I didn't feel comfortable with taking the glucose drink and knew that wouldn't be an accurate representation of what my blood sugar was doing (I never wake up in the morning and have a bunch of sugar like that).

My midwife gave me these alternative options:

Glucose test with grape juice (instead of the chemical glucola drink)
- Honestly I would have been okay with doing this, but thought there was a chance I would have a false positive because my body isn't used to having that many carbs without lots of added protein.
Finger pricking 4x daily for 2 weeks (fasting and 1 hour after each meal)
Continuous glucose monitor for 2 weeks

I chose to get the continuous glucose monitor. Honestly the reason I chose to do this was because I thought it'd be interesting to see what my blood sugar was doing, not because I felt the need to do the test.

My midwife ordered the CGM to our pharmacy and it was only $30, so very affordable. Putting it on was easy and painless. I barely noticed it was there.

As I expected, my blood sugar remained stable throughout the 2 weeks I wore it. I did have to scan it with my phone four times a day to get a reading (using the Freestyle Libre app). This was the most inconvenient part, but at least I didn't have to prick myself.

After sending the data to my midwife, she said "Everything looks perfect. You do not have gestational diabetes".

For future pregnancies, I think I will just decline this screening all together. Gestational diabetes is not something I'm concerned about, especially with way I eat. Something important I learned during my chronic illness healing journey it's okay to say no to a doctor or to disagree with them.

Ultimately, they can't make you do any testing or intervention. It's always your choice whether to accept or decline. I'm not suggesting that medical providers can't give good guidance, but rather that you know your body best.

What helped my symptoms during second trimester?

My symptoms during second trimester were overall very mild. Even to this day (I'm 31 weeks when writing this article), I haven't had any sort of back pain or soreness since I was 5-6 weeks pregnant. I haven't experienced any joint pain either. I'm so grateful!

Here are some of the things that helped with the changes / symptoms I did experience in my second trimester. See my first trimester blog post for what helped me then.

Constipation & Digestion

Probably the most bothersome symptom for me was constipation, but the worst of it lasted just a few weeks (before I found what I needed for relief). I had a short window where I was quite uncomfortable.

These things typically help with constipation for me:

Taking walks after meals
Making sure to chew my meals thoroughly (not eating in a rush)
Starting the day out with bone broth or meat stock
Magnesium & mineral supplementation
Lowering stress levels (yes, stressing or worrying about constipation can make constipation much worse)
Chocolate made with quality ingredients (ex. Honey Mama's brand)

There was a time during my second trimester when even these weren't enough and my constipation persisted. My midwife recommended more fiber and out of desperation, I tried it. I even tried drinking some prune juice. The increase in fiber did not help me at all.

When we were traveling in Utah, I drank a lot of raw milk because it's so easy to buy there. I realized that my constipation improved greatly after I drank it. Ever since, I've prioritized drinking raw milk and haven't had the constipation return. It was the most helpful thing I tried by far!

Round ligament aches & pain

Due to the stretching of the round ligament during pregnancy, it's very common to experience soreness or pain in the hip flexer area, lower abdomen, or the groin.

This has been very off and on for me in my second trimester. I'd say the most consistent thing has been my right hip flexor feeling sore and tight. Here's what helped:

Stretching (there are lots of great free videos on youtube geared towards relieving pregnancy aches and pains)
Gentle chiropractic
Glute massage (my husband actually learned how to do this at a birth center class we took, which was very helpful)

Rib soreness

At about 19-20 weeks, I started feeling some rib soreness, especially when sitting down or slouching (likely due to baby growing). This is what has helped:

Stretching
Maintaining good posture
- Instead of a desk chair, I sit on a yoga ball when working on the computer—this has been a game changer for my posture and helps relieve rib soreness!
Swimming (when I got in the water any soreness I had completely went away)
Laying down on my side

Supplements in Second Trimester

I didn't change my supplements from first trimester to second trimester at all! For more details on the supplements I've chosen to take and why I don't take a typical prenatal, see my first trimester blog post.

Personally I try to get in as much of my nutrients as I can through food, but I do believe supplements can be a supportive tool. For me, supplementing minerals and magnesium have been the most impactful!

Exercise in Second Trimester

Exercise has been so important for me in pregnancy. Not only does it give me more energy, but it makes me feel strong! There's nothing quite like physically feeling strong throughout pregnancy—it's empowering.

These are the forms of exercise I continued through second trimester:

Daily walks
- I enjoy taking walks after meals and I find it helps with digestion
Rock climbing (3x week)
- My body is very used to climbing now, and it's something that I feel great doing while pregnant! Soon after finding out I was pregnant, I stopped bouldering and switched to top rope climbing. That way I wouldn't have any risk of falls.
Prenatal Workouts & Stretches
- My favorite youtube channel for this is Pregnancy & Postpartum TV
- I'd highly recommend her free workout, yoga, and stretching videos

Especially during the end of second trimester, I found daily stretching to be so helpful with round ligament or rib soreness (for me this has all been mild so far). It also feels good knowing that the stretches and exercises I've been doing can hopefully help me prepare for a smoother birth experience.

Nervous System Support During Second Trimester

Second trimester was when my pregnancy started to feel more real. Even though we were busy and traveling a lot, I made it a point to take care of my nervous system.

Nervous system health is directly correlated with physical health, and I believe prioritizing this in pregnancy is just as important as prioritizing nutrition.

These are some things that have helped me regulate my nervous system while pregnant:

Spending time in nature & grounding
Connection & quality time with friends and family
Paying attention to my thought patterns and making sure I was speaking kindly to myself (it sounds silly, but this can make a huge difference)
Replacing social media scrolling with reading books for fun
Meditation, visualization, and breath-work

I've also found it supportive throughout my pregnancy to get occasional acupuncture, gentle chiropractic, or massage.

Plans for Birth

I'm planning to have a natural and unmedicated birth at a local birth center. This is where I've been receiving prenatal and midwife care. The birth center has "birth suites" where they create more of a home like environment, but they are very close-by to the hospital.

Because of my experience with chronic illness, I have a lot of medical trauma surrounding the hospital and would prefer to avoid it if can. But I know sometimes things don't go as planned, and if there's a true emergency, we would be grateful to receive care at the hospital.

Honestly even going to a holistic birth center has felt more "medical" than I'd like at times, but overall it's been a positive experience for us.

I'd love to do a home birth in the future. Unfortunately when I started looking around for home birth midwives, they were already booked for my due date. Now I know to reach out earlier next time!

Overall, my plan for birth it to trust my body and let go of fear. I believe that birth can be a positive, empowering experience and I'm actually looking forward to the challenge!

The book "Hypnobirthing"* by Siobhan Miller was really insightful for me. I love the way she goes into the science of birth and how important it is to feel safe for birth to go smoothly.

*affiliate link

Animal-Based Pregnancy Q+A (YouTube)

Here's a pregnancy Q+A video from my YouTube channel answering many of the common questions I've been asked! I also have a playlist on my channel called "pregnancy" where I have all my pregnancy related videos in one place.

Conclusion

That wraps up my experience with my second trimester of pregnancy! I'll plan on making another blog post about my 3rd trimester and postpartum journey.

If you are currently pregnant or hoping to be soon, I'm cheering you on. Pregnancy can be so different for everyone, but I do believe there always things we can do to better support our bodies while carrying our precious little ones. My best advice is to give yourself grace, nourish yourself well, and trust your body knows what to do. Don't forget to be proud of yourself—growing a human is a huge deal!

I hope this article was helpful! I'd love to hear from you in the comments. Thank you so much for visiting my blog. Be sure to follow along on Instagram and YouTube to learn more about my chronic illness recovery journey.

Ribeye Rach