Almighty Allah 
has bestowed upon married women the gift of pregnancy and nurturing a child within us to increase the Ummah. I would like to start off by congratulating all mums to be and wish you all a happy and blessed pregnancy! So here it is: the second instalment to the pregnancy diaries that will take you through all the trimesters right until the much-anticipated D-Day (the birth)!
Keeping up Sabr
The second trimester of pregnancy lasts from weeks 13-28, and is said to be the best stage out of all the three trimesters. This is primarily due to the fact that this is the time when the nausea should have subsided and we start to feel more refreshed and energized. However, if you are anything like me, symptoms of pregnancy do not diminish that easily! Alhamdulillah, Allah is the Best of all planners, and there are rewards to be gained from the Almighty from bearing the difficulties with patience.
Whatever health related issues I am faced with, and having experienced a miscarriage before this pregnancy, I still feel immense gratitude towards Allah . Even during difficult times, trusting that the Creator knows best is actually a testament to our faith in accepting the decree of Allah – He listens and responds according to the way we react in times of adversity.
Allah says to us:
“And We have enjoined on man (to be dutiful and good) to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness and hardship, and his weaning is in two years, give thanks to Me and to your parents, unto Me is the final destination.” [Qur’an: Chapter 31, Verse 14]
This verse made me reflect on the fact on the importance of showing gratitude towards Allah . It is very easy to sit and complain with all the symptoms we may be experiencing during pregnancy, but let us be positive in our mindset. Simply think that whatever hardship or weakness we face, we are doing so with the hope of gaining the blessings from the Almighty.
Diminishing the symptoms!
One of the new symptoms I began to experience was heartburn. Have you ever just finished eating and felt it all coming back up again? This often happens as the baby grows bigger, and can also be coupled with indigestion. One thing my husband suggested for me was to try watermelon as our beloved Prophet 
had prescribed the virtues of this blessed fruit; it does work in taking the edge of heartburn!
Here are some tips that gave me some relief:
Tips to combat heartburn during pregnancy
- Try eating the prophetic fruit of watermelonWatermelon can ease heartburn and help with indigestion and it is also a fruit recommended for us to eat by our beloved Prophet Muhammad
. It was narrated that Sahl bin Sa’d said: “The Messenger of Allah used to eat dates with melon.” [Ibn Majah] - Eat small regular mealsIt may be helpful as you get bigger to eat small meals regularly during the day, rather than three big meals. This can help to digest your food more easily and ease heartburn.
- Take rest when neededIt may be hard to gain some rest if you are rushing around with the family, but try to take rest regularly. As the baby grows, you may feel more tired, and rushing around could aggravate symptoms. It is important to get time out when you need it!
20 Week Anomaly Scan!
For many of us, the 20 week scan is one that we wait for with anticipation and excitement, as it checks the baby’s development and well-being. It also provides a glimpse of the baby, making us reflect on the creation of Allah .
Allah says to us in the Holy Qur’an:
“Allah Created you in the womb of your mothers, one act of creation after another, in three veils of darkness” [Qur’an: Chapter 39, Verse 6]
The three veils of darkness are understood as the abdominal wall, the uterine wall, and the membranes in which the uterus is enclosed. When you see your baby in the scan kicking away or simply resting there, it can be an overwhelming and wonderful experience. The experience of the scan, gives you a more detailed view of the baby in the womb, and made me appreciate how Allah has formed us.
The 20 week scan is also an opportunity to find out if you are having a boy or girl. Both boys and girls are a blessing from Allah so either way, we would have been happy. My husband and I agreed we would find out if the baby reveals itself, so we could get organized. In the end, they were unable to tell us the gender! Allah knows best and we were both content. Our main concern was knowing that our baby was healthy. Not knowing the gender leaves more of a surprise!
Positivity during the second trimester!
Time really flies and the second trimester passes through quite quickly with various antenatal checkups and a growing bump! It is important to remain patient in times of difficulty, stay positive and look forward to meeting your new arrival inshaAllah!
InshaAllah I look forward to sharing with you the highs, lows, challenges and tips through my final pregnancy diary for the last trimester up to the birth. I wish all expectant sisters a blessed journey through this special time!
Read the other parts of this series: Part 1 | Part 3
About the Author:
Tasnim Nazeer is an award winning Freelance Journalist & Author. Tasnim writes for a variety of print and online publications on the topics of human rights, Islam and world news. Her work has been featured in The Huffington Post UK, CNN International, BBC, Your Middle East, Islam Channel, The Muslim News and many more. Tasnim was the winner of the Muslim News Awards for Excellence 2013 Ibn Battuta Award for Excellence in Media 2013 for her human rights and interfaith journalism. She received the Ambassador for Peace Award from the UN Universal Peace Federation. For more information, visit her website or follow her on Twitter or Facebook.
