Pregnant Again – What Does a “Fit and Balanced” Life Mean to Me Now?

When I started my blog back in 2022 – still on Cafeblog at the time – my son Ádi was only a few months old. I was full of ambition, plans, and momentum. Writing about movement, about “reclaiming” my body, about how to take care of myself as a mother felt good. Somewhere along the way, that mindset was born: fitness is not just about aesthetics, but about the relationship we have with ourselves. Back then, as a new and slightly insecure mother, I was enthusiastically trying to find balance between my baby, my body, and my mental well-being.

And now, here I am again: pregnant. Second round. And even though one might think, “I’ve done this before, I know how it works,” reality quickly reminded me that no two pregnancies are the same. Even if it’s the same body, the same woman, the circumstances, hormonal responses, physical capacity, and life situation can be completely different. The question of how to live a fit and balanced life as a mother of a small child – and first and foremost as a pregnant woman – has taken on a whole new meaning for me.

The first big difference between my two pregnancies became clear very early on. When I was pregnant with Ádi, I exercised, stretched, paid attention to movement throughout, yet I still gained a lot of weight. At the time, I felt like I was “doing everything right,” and yet my body didn’t change the way I had imagined. This time, however, almost nothing worked until week 14. Most of my days were spent wandering around the apartment, trying to survive constant nausea and feeling unwell. And what was especially exhausting: it didn’t stop at night. There were times I woke up because of nausea, starting the next day already completely drained.

In that state, the phrase “conscious lifestyle” sounded more ironic than motivating. For weeks, healthy eating meant nothing more than buttered bread or a buttered roll. Simply because that was all I could keep down. There were no salads, no colorful, vitamin-rich plates, no smoothies – just whatever went down and didn’t come back up. And as hard as it is to accept, this too is part of pregnancy. The first lesson this pregnancy taught me was that things don’t always go by the book. You can’t always be conscious and intentional. Sometimes, simply eating and drinking at all is an achievement.

Many people don’t talk about it, but the nausea and sickness of the first trimester are driven by serious hormonal changes. Rising levels of hCG, a slowing digestive system, and heightened sensitivity to smells all contribute to the fact that even the thought of certain foods can turn your stomach. This isn’t “being dramatic” or weakness – it’s biology. And while some lucky women barely feel a thing, many – myself included – struggle deeply during this phase.

Now that I’ve entered the second trimester, the nausea hasn’t completely disappeared, but I’ve found something that has made everyday life more manageable. After consulting with my doctor, I started taking a medication that is safe for pregnancy (similar to Wombee, based on vitamin B6 and antihistamine-type ingredients), taken morning and evening. It’s important for me to emphasize: any medication during pregnancy should only be taken on medical advice. For me, it has helped reduce the constant, overwhelming nausea. Yes, it makes me a bit sleepy, but in return I no longer feel like my entire day revolves around feeling sick.

As I slowly began to feel a little better, the question of movement came up again. Not exercise. Not “getting my body back.” But movement as a tool to help me feel more at home in my body. In the first weeks, even walking was a challenge. I had no energy, felt dizzy, and sometimes just getting out of bed took serious effort. That’s when I truly understood that movement during pregnancy cannot be an expectation. It’s an option. An option I can choose when my body allows it.

Now, at the beginning of the second trimester, I’m gently trying to return to movement. No training plan. No stopwatch. No performance goals. Just small things: stretching my lower back in the morning, taking short walks during the day, doing a few gentle exercises for my back and hips in the evening. These may seem insignificant, but they make a huge difference in how I feel. Movement helps my circulation, eases back pain, and supports me mentally. It feels like reconnecting with my body, which I somewhat “lost” during the first trimester.

One of the greatest lessons of my second pregnancy has been acceptance. Accepting that I can’t always be a “perfect example” of a pregnant woman. Accepting that right now, the goal isn’t getting back in shape, but feeling okay – as much as possible. Accepting that some days are simply about survival, and that this is enough. Being a mother and being pregnant at the same time is an enormous emotional and physical challenge. I have a small child who needs my attention, energy, and presence, while my body is building a new life. This is a double load that cannot be measured by the same standards as a pregnancy without children.

Nutrition remains a sensitive topic for me as well. When I can’t even look at “perfectly healthy” foods, I try to let go of guilt. In the first trimester, it already matters if you manage to get enough fluids and calories in. Now that things have slightly improved, I’m slowly returning to more varied meals. I’m not dieting, not restricting – I simply try to include protein, vegetables, and fruit whenever it feels okay. Pregnancy isn’t about perfection; it’s about adaptation.

Emotionally, this pregnancy is completely different from the first one. Back then, everything was unknown, filled with fear and expectations. Now I have more experience – and with it, more realism. I know not every day will be pink and glowing. I know there will be difficult moments. But I also know that my body has already walked this path once. That gives me a quiet kind of trust. Not the belief that everything will be easy, but the feeling that I’m not entirely at the mercy of it all.

When I look back at the woman who started her blog in 2022, I see an enthusiastic, motivated mother who desperately wanted to do everything right. I still want to do things right – but now I know that “doing it right” isn’t always visible. Sometimes it simply means allowing myself to rest. Sometimes it means accepting buttered bread as lunch. And sometimes it means being grateful for a short walk in the fresh air.

This second pregnancy is not about perfection for me – it’s about honesty. Honesty with myself. About admitting that there are hard days, moments of failure, and times when it feels like my hormones are in control, not me. And that’s okay. A fit and balanced life is no longer an Instagram-worthy image for me, but an internal state that changes from day to day. If today all I managed to do was eat something, drink water, rest a little, and survive the nausea, then today I lived a fit and balanced life – by my own definition.