by Melissa Willets posted in Pregnancy

Throughout my first trimester, I kept hearing from friends and family, "This is the worst of it. You just have to get to the second trimester."
Having been pregnant three times before, I knew they were right. Nothing is as bad as morning sickness. And the crushing exhaustion the first three months brings.
But let's not pretend the second trimester is a picnic. Maybe it's because this is my fourth pregnancy, but I'm still dealing with a host of unsavory symptoms, from head to toe. In fact, I've diagrammed my current condition so as to show every ache and pain I battle on a daily basis.

Let's start at the top, and work our way down, shall we"
Headaches. Whether from hormones or tiredness, or the 87,000 worries that come along with being pregnant, these haven't gone away simply because I am now 16 weeks along. Sinus congestion. It's allergy season where I live, but I have never had a reaction to pollen before. Stuffiness for me is just called being pregnant.
Heartburn. Goodbye nausea, hello nightly acid reflux!
Painful breasts. Wasn't the feeling that my nipples were open sores supposed to dissipate with the arrival of the second trimester" I guess my body didn't get that memo.
Lower back pain. Any other pregnant women in their second or third trimesters "enjoying" the sensation that their hips, back, and pelvis are actually realigning, without a chiropractor's assistance"
Ligament stretching. I reca...