Just in case you’re catching up, here are my past pregnancy-related blog posts from this pregnancy:
Let’s dive right in, shall we?
PBF Baby #2: Pregnancy Weeks 24-27
- 24 Weeks
Flashback: 24 Weeks Pregnant with Chase
As I entered the 24th week of my pregnancy, the symptom that surfaced with a bang was the return of foot and calf cramps. I remember these popping up in the later months of my pregnancy with Chase and they are no fun! They seemed to be exacerbated by travel (I drove to Florida and flew to Illinois this week) but I’m doing my best to stay hydrated and stretch them out as much as possible when the killer pain kicks in. I found myself feeling rather unmotivated to work out this week and kept the three workouts I did on the lighter side. I also felt easily stressed out multiple days in a row and completely exhausted by the end of the week.
- 25 Weeks
Flashback: 25 Weeks Pregnant with Chase
This week I’ve been a bit emotional for personal reasons though I think some of my feelings could be attributed to pregnancy hormones and just feeling everything deeper and stronger. On the bright side, I feel like I’ve felt more grateful and head-over-heels in love with my family than ever. When I think about the fact that our family is growing, it only exacerbates these feelings. Physically, I’ve noticed a bit of heaviness down there when I run at the gym and while it’s nowhere near as uncomfortable as the heaviness I experienced with Chase, it’s still enough to cause me to opt out of running for stretches of more than a couple of minutes at a time.
One thing that’s kind of fun? I’ve become belly obsessed this week and constantly find myself rubbing and touching my belly when I’m at home. Whenever I wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom (which is, um, A LOT), I find myself rubbing my belly and it’s oddly comforting to me. I just love that little one growing in there!
- 26 Weeks
(The kangaroo pouch on my sweatshirt coupled with the way I’m holding Chase disguised my bump a bit so this is admittedly not the best belly pic from this week but it was the only one I had!)
Flashback: 26 Weeks Pregnant with Chase
This is the first week of this pregnancy that I’ve started to really feel the physical weight of my belly and the 20+ pounds I’ve gained. Shortness of breath surfaced for me really early (within the first few weeks) but my growing belly and increasing weight are feeling more and more noticeable to me. I’ve been taking more breaks than ever at the gym, modifying more and more and listening to my body. Throughout this pregnancy, my only fitness goal has been to try to remain active and healthy, so simply showing up at the gym feels like a victory even if I scale things back in a major way some days.
We had a prenatal appointment with a specialist this week that involved an ultrasound and it was so, so nice to see our little one! We found out that our baby is measuring ahead (a big change from Chase when I was always behind), already has hair and is approximately 2.2 pounds. YAY!
Sleep this week was pretty horrible nearly every single day. Aside from waking up constantly to go to the bathroom, I kept finding myself tossing and turning for well over an hour in the middle of the night multiple nights in a row. I’m not physically uncomfortable in bed and yet I felt absolutely WIRED most nights from 1 to 3 a.m.
- 27 Weeks
Flashback: 27 Weeks Pregnant with Chase
I had some nausea surface again toward the end of this week and felt a little more sluggish than usual. There were also a few afternoons where I felt totally exhausted by 4 p.m. but thankfully my energy level in the mornings was usually pretty decent so I didn’t begin the day feeling too pooped other than one day last week when I opted out of my usual workout and kept things pretty low key… well as “low key” as possible while still caring for a crazy 2 1/2 year old.
I also felt low motivation when it came to cooking and preparing healthy food and while I managed to eat some kind of vegetable most days, I had cereal for lunch or dinner a few days this week which hit the spot and felt good on my stomach. I’m also so, so unmotivated when it comes to putting any effort into my appearance these days. I’m almost always sporting leggings and a sweatshirt and rarely take the time to do my hair and put on any makeup beyond a swipe of mascara here and there. Anyone else go through this during pregnancy!? I’m not sure if it’s because I’m becoming increasingly uncomfortable, a little more fatigued or what but getting ready often sounds like the least appealing thing in the world to me right now!
The big milestone of this week was heading off to my OB/GYN’s office for my glucose tolerance test. I mentioned this on the blog during my pregnancy with Chase, but my mom had gestational diabetes with both me and my sister and since many doctors believe there is a genetic link, it’s something I’ve always been a bit nervous about so I was relieved to receive my results at the end of the week and learn that I passed the screening.
On My Mind
- Boy or Girl?
(Flashback pic to the cupcake we cut into to find out Chase was a boy!)
I am shocked by how much I am LOVING not knowing the sex of our baby. I truly never, ever thought I would want to be surprised but last year had a way of changing a lot of things inside of me. I really, truly am so beyond excited to snuggle a baby again in a few months and get giddy all over when I think about holding a boy OR a girl in my arms.
I feel like I’m the only mom out there without any kind of mother’s intuition about what her baby might be! People ask me all the time what I think we’re having and I have NO idea. I constantly think of our baby as a “he” but part of me wonders if this is because of Chase. I also picture giving birth to a baby boy and envision Ryan saying, “It’s a boy!” when I think about that moment, but again, is this intuition or past experience!?
When I take the time to look at this pregnancy, it has felt very different from my pregnancy with Chase in a number of ways ranging from nausea (all-day vs. a couple of hours in the morning), clearer skin (my face and upper back were Zit City with Chase but I’ve had very clear skin this time around), more rapid weight gain all over, a higher, rounder belly and completely different cravings and aversions (I wanted red meat like crazy with Chase and the thought or smell of nearly all animal protein made me want to vomit for months this time around). All of this makes me wonder if we’re having a girl so I basically feel clueless on a daily basis. Everyone around me, including Ryan, thinks we’re having a girl.
- Childcare for Chase When We Go To the Hospital
I don’t know why this stresses me out so much but it does! Without family in the area, I’m not sure what to do about Chase when I actually go into labor in a couple of months. I have some absolutely incredible friends in the area and I know if I asked any of them to help out with Chase they would, but I feel bad because many of them have their own little ones to wrangle or full-time jobs that wouldn’t allow them to just drop everything and hang with Chase while I give birth. I know it will come down to asking a friend to help (my friend Carrie was unbelievably kind when I needed her to watch Chase for hours at the last minute for my second D&C) but I cannot help but feel envious of those who have family close by who are willing and able to come over to hang with their kiddos at the last minute. I hate thinking of waking Chase up in the middle of the night and bringing a groggy, cranky toddler over to a friend’s house for them to then try to settle back down in the middle of the night while we rush off to the hospital. I know it will all work out, but it’s just a logistical thing we have to think through.
- Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy
One of the items I have on my must-do list for postpartum recovery after our little one arrives is meeting with a pelvic floor physical therapist. To be completely honest with you guys, I’ve struggled quite a bit with what I’ll call “mom pee” ever since Chase was born. If my bladder isn’t completely empty and I sneeze, I’ll often pee a tiny bit and it’s only worsened during pregnancy, despite doing all the kegels in the world. When I briefly mentioned this on the blog in the past, I had a couple of you chime in urging me to meet with a pelvic floor physical therapist and it’s something I’ve had on my mind ever since. It’s a must for me after our second baby arrives because I want to be proactive with my postpartum pelvic floor recovery now that I know it’s not something that, for me, will likely just improve on its own over time. If any of you have personal experience in this area, PLEASE let me know!
- New Maternity Favorites
I don’t have too many new things to share since my roundup of pregnancy favorites from last month’s recap, but here are a few new maternity favorites from the past few weeks:
ASOS Cold Shoulder V-Neck Ruffle Blouse (Pictured above and only $24!)
Lululemon Align Leggings (By FAR the best purchase I’ve made in months thanks to your amazing recommendations! SO comfy. I live in these things.)
Aerie City Sweatshirt (Not maternity but it’s oversized and slouchy – and on sale for $25! – and perfect for a growing bump. I’m wearing it in the 25 week bump pics above.)
- Nursery Inspiration
I am just now beginning to think about our little one’s nursery but don’t feel too much pressure to get everything in order before our baby arrives because I know they will be sleeping with us in a bassinet in our room for several months. Still, I had a lot of fun pinning inspiration pictures on Pinterest and love a subtle combination of mustard yellow, mint green and, depending on whether we have a boy or a girl, blush pink or navy blue. Exciting to think about for sure!
Amanda says
I have a few things to relate to here! We also didn’t find out the sex of our most recent baby (born last month) but I say intuition be damned! I was sure it was a boy and we had a girl so you never know! Also I was very excited for my husband to announce the sex, however our baby was put on my chest immediately so we actually had to lift her to see the sex! So know it could go anyway 🙂 also, we opted to paint the nursery before (a light blue) and then add gender specific decorations after, which I would recommend! Having a toddler and a newborn, I can’t imagine taking the time to completely decorate the nursery now! Get what you can done 🙂 love following your journey!
Ps they just opened a burn near my house and I started going while I’m on maternity leave! I love it!
Heather says
And having one baby is annoying too…..I get ALL the rude comments. People love to point out how easy I have it (meanwhile I work full-time with a toddler), and also get lots of comments about how having one child is a cop-out. Actually, having one child is not always that easy. There is tons of pressure to play and interact ALL THE TIME. Meanwhile, my friends with more than one kid have the luxury of saying “go play with your brother and sister.” I don’t have that option. I am the playmate. People are just basically thoughtless sometimes. I truly believe they don’t mean to be rude, so I let most of it roll off my back. Yet still…..
Jodi says
The stress and anxiety about leaving my first was the main motivating factor for my second (and 3) being a planned homebirth (midwife and doula present.. live in Jax FL, love Fruitful Vine). Not sure if that is an option in NC, but if you need to do a late night drop off at a friend’s house and it is made out to be an adventure he’ll adjust just fine and have fun! Just my thoughts, hope that makes sense:)
The Curious Frugal says
I know for some people it can just be so uncomfortable or they feel self conscious but I loved my pregnant belly! Is it weird that on occasion I miss some of my cute maternity clothes? Lol
Kaley says
I am an OT, and thankfully, I worked for a company at one point who had a PT that specialized in women’s health. She was amazing. I didn’t have much of a problem with incontinence, but I did have some low back pain, which can also be an indicator of pelvic floor weakness. I actually went while pregnant and after I delivered. In the beginning, she used an ultrasound machine a couple times to ensure that I was doing my kegels properly (a lot of women do them incorrectly), and she also looked to make sure my TA muscles were activating correctly. I did kegels with a very simple TA activation exercise (very frequently at first), and they helped a ton! You might consider going before delivery (if your OB is okay with that). Another tip- there are apps to help remind you to do kegels regularly. When retraining, you need to do them like 8-10x a day, so it’s easy to forget! Start off doing them lying down, then sitting up, then standing to make it harder. Hope you see improvement soon 🙂
Kristin says
I am sure someone might have mentioned this already but have you thought about having your Mom come into town a week or so before your due date? We were in the EXACT same boat as you when we had our second baby…no family at all and scared our friends just couldnt drop what they were doing (and we didnt find out the sex of the baby either…best. thing. EVER!!!) Anyways, my Mom ended up flying down a week before my due date which ended up being phenomenal. We took that time to really spoil my firstborn, cooked a ton of meals together for the freezer, and when I did go into labor a few days after my due date I was able to labor at home practically the entire time bc my Mom took care of my son. I know its hard to plan the exact time you might need help but if theres anyway your Mom can be flexible on when she comes that might solve your problem!
Katie says
Hi! I am a pelvic floor physical therapist in Atlanta and am so excited to hear you are making this a priority after your new little one arrives! I think it is so important and all postpartum moms should get checked out. If you have any questions about the process please let me know, I would be happy to help!
Shannon says
It’s great that you’re so proactive in thinking about what to do with Chase! I don’t have kids, but my best advice would be to have a plan a & a plan b..but don’t stress yourself out too much once you have those figured out! I was 3 when my brother was born & he was 6 weeks early. My parents were walking around a carnival about 20 minutes from home when my mom’s water broke, so they quickly rushed to drop me off at my grandparent’s (luckily they were only 5 minutes away,) without pjs or anything of the sort..& especially not my blanket! Which, for a 3 year old, is a big deal. Eventually, someone was able to go get my mom’s overnight bag the next day, but point being, even the best laid plans can go awry & wherever you have to drop Chase off, at whatever time, won’t emotionally scar him :p I only vaguely remember being dropped off (probably from hearing the story from my parents) & now it’s just an entertaining story!