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!
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27 weeks!! It’s flying by!!
It’s always so wonderful to read these recaps! Very excited for you and your family!! ☺️
I wanted to suggest trying magnesium spray if you haven’t already. Transdermal absorption is the most effective way to get the magnesium you need and it will help with your cramping, sleeping, mood, and more! Look up Ancient Minerals website, they have a ton of information about how it helps! It’s been a huge go-to for me this pregnancy!!
Thank you for this recommendation! I’ll definitely look into it!
I am 22 weeks and 5 days and busting out of my other leggings. When I’ve looked at the Align leggings I’ve read a lot of reviews saying they have a lot of pilling. Have they held up well for you? Do you handle them specially?
they’ve held up well for me! i wash them in the washing machine but never put them in the dryer and always hang them up to air dry. i’m pretty sure lululemon is really good about returns so if you did happen to experience pilling, i’d assume you could take them back for your money back! they really are my favorite pants right now because they’re incredibly soft and very easy to pull up and down (no thick resistance) which is key for me since i go to the bathroom so much these days!
Chiming in to say I’ve had my align crops and full pants for 2…3 years? There is minimal piling I am just starting to notice. They were amazingggg for pregnancy and lasted me all the way through 39 weeks and great for post as well! Can’t recommend them enough!
I’m currently pregnant too and pants are soooo uncomfortable. Did you just go up one size in these? I have no motivation to actually go to the store:)
I actually got my pre-pregnancy size which I never would’ve done had I not gone into the store and had a woman there tell me that most pregnant women like the pants in their pre-pregnancy size. They’re very stretchy and the material almost feels thin but it’s NOT and still hides cellulite fairly well (if you get the black 😉 ).
I work at lululemon so just chiming in! The pants aren’t designed for any sort of cardio (spinning, running, HIIT) – that’s the only time I’ve really seen pilling issues is when people are wearing them for those types of workouts. Also try to avoid washing with towels and jeans as they can beat up the fabric. Otherwise just wash on delicate and hang to dry. I have 5+ pairs and have never had an issue – I live in them, literally 😉
Ahh, the mom pee! I’ve been working on my kegels and putting off seeing the pelvic floor PT, but I think it’s time. I feel like this is one of those things moms just put up with instead of taking care of it…being proactive is a great approach! Thank you for the nudge and hope we can all pee a little less in our future 😉
exactly. i’ve been dealing with it since chase’s birth and it’s been even worse during pregnancy. i definitely need to see a professional!
Yes! My baby girl is 6 months old today and I’ve been thinking about going to see a PF PT for a while but I’ve been putting it off. This is just the push I need. I’m pretty sure in other countries around the world it is just a normal part of postpartum care.
PS – I forgot about those pregnancy calf cramps, they are the worst!!!!
I am a PT, although I don’t do pelvic floor PT, I have worked with people who do and many people have amazing results. I would definitely recommend seeing one!
thanks for the encouragement! it’s definitely high on my list!!
Congratulations, Julie!!!
I do have a question for you… is bathtime with Chase hard to fenagle with the growing bump?? I am not showing yet, but my little girl is only 1 so bathtime is still quite hands on. I have no idea how that is going to go with a growing belly!!
so far it’s not too bad! just in the past week i’ve noticed it little stings of pain when i go from sitting to standing with him in my arms from the glider in his room but for bathtime, i try to lift him out of the tub using my legs rather than my back which seems to help. i’m sure it will get more challenging!
You look gorgeous! Hope you are able to sleep a little better and the leg cramps go away soon!
Yay!! Final third trimester stretch!
Ok so a few things…
1. I had my first two weeks early and went into labor naturally. With my second we were far from family in a new city and she did not come early (I totally had it in my mind she would since my first did… wrong) I did NOT want to induce but for a lot of reasons I did and I can’t believe how much stress that reduced for me about childcare for my first. I didn’t realize how anxious it made me until my mom was there and I knew he was taken care of. I had a good friend that I had lined up to take care of him until my mom got there in case it happened before. If it was during the middle of the night she was going to leave her husband at home with her kids and come over until my kid woke up. Then take him back to her house so her husband could leave/my mom got there. That way no kids are being moved around in the middle of the night. Just wanted to give you that idea.
2. I did pelvic floor therapy after my first and I wholeheartedly recommend it. Mine was for pain related issues but I think every woman should have one session post partum. It is a little vulnerable and awkward at first but totally worth it!
So happy for you and that sweet baby! Not finding out gender is really special. That moment at birth when husband announces it is something I will never forget ?
Oh also I love drinking Calm (magnesium) to help with cramps! Ask your doctor (mine approved it) just to make sure but it helped with cramps and sleep for me
I am currently 27 weeks pregnant and also not finding out the gender! I am in the same boat and totally unsure if its a boy or girl. All my dreams say boy but quite a few of the wives tales say girl so i think i am only confusing myself!
Congrats on the pregnancy. On mom-pee— after my first, I got Icon underwear. They are made to absorb a little bit and are washable. I can not recommend them enough! After my second I think the mom-pee has been better but I don’t even notice it anymore!
So excited for you! Yay for passing your gestational diabetes test : ) I had that when I was pregnant with my little guy and it is the pits! Nothing like telling a pregnant lady she needs to go on a low carb diet huh?!
So I definitely didn’t have any mother’s intuition about my baby’s gender either. I had my second boy 5 wks ago and we didn’t find out gender prior to the birth. I honestly had no strong feelings either way about gender until about 2 weeks before his birth when I started to be convinced that he was a girl! So it was quite the surprise when the doctor lifted him up for my husband and me to see him and I saw boy parts! It was such an exciting moment!!
I saw a pelvic floor PT after having my daughter and she helped tremendously! Although the peeing issues never totally went away 🙁 I’m pregnant now and it is definitely worse. I feel your pain on sneezing and peeing yourself. I want to get the mesh sling surgery after I have this baby so I never worry about being myself during exercise or sneezing/coughing again!
I saw a pelvic floor PT several times, and it sadly did not help for me. I still pee while sneezing/working out etc. I have been thinking about the mesh too…just worried about the recovery time.
Same!! I was so disappointed.. I think once I’m done haveing children I will just get the surgery.
We (well at least me, not so much my husband) were SOOOO worried about what would happen when I went into labor with baby #2 as we are in the same situation as you and do not have any family locally. I was also so worried about the middle of the night thing, but as my mother reminded me, people do go into labor during the day time too and, chances were good that it wouldn’t me an immediate need to rush off to the hospital situation. She was totally right and we didn’t go to the hospital until 3 pm so we had plenty of time to get our daughter settled at a friend’s house. That being said, we did have to have a plan just in case we had to unexpectedly rush off in the middle of the night. Our closest friends graciously agreed to be on call, and the plan was that the wife (who our daughter knows better) would actually come to our house and her husband would stay at their house with their 2 kiddos. This would mean no children would have to be woken up in the middle of the night, and our daughter would be able to wake up in her own bed and then our friend would help get her all packed up (aside from the small bag I had already had for her, some things couldn’t be packed until the last minute) and take her to her house where she would have stayed until we came home. Just a thought that maybe you have friends who would be willing to that and lessen the chance of disrupting sleep for anyone’s littles!
I also suffered leg and foot cramps during my first pregnancy and found that Powerade Zero helped tremendously. Weird, I know – my grandparents told me to try, and you know how parents and grandparents know allll the tricks, so I obliged! And, thanks for talking about pelvic floor physical therapy! I’m pretty sure I could also benefit from this since I have the same thing happen when I sneeze or cough really hard. I honestly thought it’s normal and something I’d have to live with forever. Good to know it’s totally fixable!
My oldest son is a few weeks older than Chase and my newest little guy is 6 weeks. Like you, we found out the sex the first time around but didn’t the second. I didn’t have a feeling either and my symptoms were also different so I thought maybe girl but ended up being a boy! We don’t have family near and had a couple friends on standby who said they could leave work if needed. Well I went into labor in the middle of the night and no one answered their phone at 3am so we ended up bringing our son to the hospital with us! It worked out fine and he was at daycare well before baby arrived but I totally get the stress of not having an exact plan for who will watch the older kid.
I can’t believe you’re already 27 weeks!! And how can they tell your baby already has hair?! That is absolutely crazy to me…technology has changed so much!
I had my baby a few months ago and my midwife recommended physiotherapy to me for my separated abdominal muscles. (Actually, she said that all women should get to see a physiotherapist after giving birth!) It has been awesome for getting my abdominal strength back, motivating me to take a gentle but serious approach to taking care of my body while my focus is mostly on my little one, and improved my pelvic floor strength. I definitely recommend it. My physio said that no woman should have to put up with the effects of a weakened pelvic floor.
I’m 25 weeks pregnant with my second and so many things you said resonated with me!
I take a liquid calcium magnesium supplement and that REALLY helps with leg and foot cramps, constipation, and can help with sleep! Tropical Oasis BY FAR the best tasting brand and I buy it on Amazon.
And the mom-pee… I am right there with you! I battled four different colds between January and the beginning of March, each with sneezing and coughing…not fun for a pregnant woman!
I could recommend a pelvic floor PT near Freedom Park, if you are interested (although it’s not super convenient to your north CLT location)…apparently, men and nuns also have pelvic floor issues…and it’s not all about kegels!
I am 17 weeks with my second, and I wish we could have a long conversation because I nodded my head at so many things you wrote.
You look so gorgeous, Julie! I just love hearing about your pregnancy! 27 weeks…the time is going by so fast! I hope you are having a great week! Xoxo
I am seeing a pelvic floor/women’s health PT for pain-related issues. I do not have incontinence or prolapse. I am a 41 year-old mother of two children (13 and 11), a runner, and very active. My PT has identified so many areas I struggle with (the pelvic floor and beyond!). I have learned so much about my body. It has been life changing.
I love reading your comparison between this pregnancy and Chase! I am 9.5 weeks pregnant and have a 10 month old. Some days (like today) I feel so good and then other days, I feel absolutely terrible. It goes back to, you win some and you lose some and that is ok.
Pelvic floor – I THOUGHT I was home free from my first. I never had issues. But now, most of the times I throw up (nausea) I pee myself a little bit so that has been fun.
I think it’s pretty awesome that you guys chose not to find out your baby’s gender until birth. One of the things that stressed me out during each of my pregnancies was the people who would “argue” when they would find out what I was having (of course they’d always say it was the opposite). Hope the uncomfortable-ness subsided soon for ya.
For pelvic floor/DR rehab and strengthening postpartum, I highly recommend the Mutu System. I’m not a coach for them or anything (I think they are set up that way? Not really sure . . . haha!); I’ve just been really impressed with the program. You should check it out!
My first 2 pregnancies were exactly the same; no nausea, food cravings galore, weight gain and highly in love with my husband (if you know what I mean). We had 2 boys. My third pregnancy was polar opposite; all day nausea that lasted until 8 months, little weight gain, food aversions and not very amorous. Went for the ultrasound and found out we were expecting ANOTHER BOY!
Hi Julie! My husband and I don’t have any family in the area we live either (my family is 4 hours away and his is 10!). I know you have mentioned that your family goes to church- are there any “empty nesters” at your church you are close to that could come be with Chase when you go into labor? We have several close “older” friends who were on standby with our son (I had a scheduled c-section, but just in case I went into labor before that… which I did!). I had plenty of young mom friends who were absolutely willing to watch our daughter when I went into labor, but I was like you and didn’t want to bother them since they have littles of their own. Prayers for you guys and your growing family!
Ugh!!! I totally feel your pain! I’m 15 weeks pregnant with baby number 2 and now when I jog, sneeze, or cough, I pee. It’s so frustrating! I did go to pelvic floor therapy for a few months and didn’t really hit it off with the therapists so I might try a new place next time around.. goodluck and keep us updated!!!
Hey Julie, I saw a pelvic physical therapist after my first baby and she was amazing and worked wonders. I had severe (4th degree) tearing and so I had a lot of scar tissue down there plus a hard time with leaky pee and sometimes #2, sorry probably TMI 🙂
The physical therapy was amazing and really helped. Basically you lie on the table and she internally massages the pelvic/ bladder muscles (definitely not the scientific name). It feels a little embarrassing at first, but she was so professional and quickly put me at ease. As a heads up, if you do have scar tissue that they are working on stretching it is quite painful at first….but having been through child birth, its not anything thats insurmountable. For insurance coverage I had my OB formally prescribe pelvic PT so that it was covered, otherwise I think it can get a bit expensive. Hope that helps!
Hi Julie! I am a pelvic floor PT. So glad you’re planning to see one! There’s so much more to it than just kegels. I love working with post partum mamas. It’s wonderful to see women taking care of themselves. Because as I like to say, “Leaking urine is common but never normal.”?
I have two boys and had two extremely different pregnancies. With my first son, I felt great with minimal nausea and few food aversions. With my second son, I was nauseous all day until about 18 weeks with lots of cravings and aversions. I thought maybe that meant I was having a girl, but I was blessed with another boy. Being a boy mom is so fun…and crazy!
If I had to guess, this is exactly what I think will happen to me. My pregnancy has been different but I keep imagining a boy when I deliver our baby in a few weeks. It’s not a gut feeling or anything, but I have the hardest time picturing a girl even though I’d truly be thrilled either way!
I went through the same worries about childcare for my daughter when I went into labor with my son. I had a bunch of different options so that if one fell through I wouldn’t freak out. I paid my daughters swim teacher who was a college teacher to be on call for the week leading up to my due date. That way if it was the middle of the night I knew someone would have their phone on and because she didn’t have kids of her own she could come to our place and we wouldn’t have to wake up my daughter. I also had two different friends who offered to have her over. It ended up that even though my water broke in the middle of the night we didn’t head to the hospital til the morning so we just dropped her off at a friends house and she spent the night there (which she still talks about because it was her first sleepover and she had such a fun time). We gave the friends tickets to the rodeo so while they were watching our daughter they had a fun activity to do with the kiddos. So excited for you Julie!!!
I saw a pelvic floor physiotherapist after having my son (he was big and I had a long time pushing plus an episiotomy) and it’s been a huge help! I had a hard time with always feeling the urg to pee and seeing a physiotherapist made a big difference. I really recommend seeing someone who has specific training with regards to the pelvic floor. It’s been so useful!
I just finished my pelvic floor therapy and it was so helpful with ab separation, pain from stitches/scar tissue, and problems I didn’t even know I had like weak glutes and really tight hip flexors. My PT told me to stop any exercise that makes me pee, and only attempt if I can tighten my pelvic floor/pull in my abs enough to prevent the peeing. I went for 6 weeks, and my therapist probably could have found tons more things to work on, but it tends to be $$$. Totally worth it though to at least get to a point where you aren’t peeing all the time:)
I craved steak while pregnant with my daughter. It had to be filet mignon so it was an expensive pregnancy for a few months.
I’m so happy for you! You are looking fabulous as always.
I am having a bad aversion to meat and just reading this made me shiver LOL
I am so, so, so happy for you!!! I 100% think you are having a girl (even though I know of people who had very different pregnancies who ended up having the same gender) but as a mom of two boys myself (who is done having children) I would love for you to have two boys because I know you would be such a positive boy mom – and that’s something I feel like is lacking on the internet these days.
It took me an entire year to get pregnant with my second son, our rainbow baby, including my second pregnancy that ended in a miscarriage. SO many people would see me out with my son, or ask if I already had children, and they’d say, “You have to have a girl!” Everyone made it seem like it would be so disappointing if I had a second boy and it really hurt my heart! After all we’d been through to even be pregnant again, we just wanted a sibling for my son so, so badly! I was so afraid of the reaction we’d get if we found out we were having a second boy (I just couldn’t handle a lack of excitement from anyone!) so my husband and I ended up finding out the sex but we didn’t tell anyone (except for our parents and my husband’s sister). Once my son was here everyone was excited about him (of course!) though I did have TWO hospital workers tell me within the first 24 hours of his birth that I needed to have a third to have a girl. Come on people!!! I think society is still very fixed on the whole husband and wife image with a boy and a girl and a dog and a white picket fence.
Now when people tell us we need to have a girl (it just happened today!!!) I just think to myself “Our family is perfect. No one is missing. These are the children I’m meant to have.” I always think about the baby I lost and who they might have been, but it is the biggest source of comfort to have my rainbow baby here now. He wouldn’t exist had I not gone through that tough road to get to him, and he’s just meant to be mine.
There are lots of benefits to having two boys!! They’ll be the best man in each other’s weddings! I’ll share more if you have a second boy! Of course having a girl will be wonderful too! I think most women (especially ones who had great relationships with their own moms ) long to have a daughter. I love the name Ella if you have a girl. Maybe Ella Grace? And Brady if you have a boy! Maybe Brady Owen. 🙂
sooo excited for you!!!!
Oooh I get this. Everyone said that with my second pregnancy, a second son, and once he was born I was like…ok so…is that somehow less than a perfect family or something? I think I’ve snapped at enough people now in my third pregnancy that the “I hope it’s a girl!” comments are at least dying down. When I announced on social media I even hashtagged #nottryingforagirl because I’m so over it. I would love a third boy OR a girl.
I am just absolutely shocked by what some people are willing to say out loud!!!! My husband is convinced that if we had a boy and a girl, they’d focus on something else they thought we were lacking. It’s just how some people are. Even my friend who has two boys and then had a girl is constantly being told that her daughter needs a sister! She’s like, “Come on people!!!!!!! I can’t handle FOUR!” 🙂
I love your hashtag so much!
I would absolutely LOVE to have two boys!!! Being a mom to one boy is just my favorite thing in the world and I can only imagine the joy that comes with having two! I actually ran into a woman at the park the other day who was pregnant with her second boy and was almost in tears because she said so many people said exactly what you said happened to you when she said she’s having another boy — the comments were almost disappointment for her and it made me so upset for her. I cannot imagine! Any baby is a blessing (last year only further reiterated this in my mind) and as the mom of one boy, I KNOW the joy and love being a mom to a boy brings! So glad you absolutely love being a mama to your two boys!! <3
Yes, I too have two boys and love it! People seemed disappointed for us but if they knew the struggle it took for our second, 16 months of trying and one early loss. Both my pregnancies were different too. First one had 18 weeks of morning sickness, second one just typical nausea for 12 weeks. Best wishes for you, Julie
there’s something very special about brothers 🙂 Sometimes moms I meet are taken aback by how excited I get when they tell me they have three – or even four sons. I always say, “That is SO amazing!!! Just imagine when they are all grown men and showering you with love on Valentine’s Day!” I honestly think it’s so special. But I think they are taken aback because they are not used to hearing positive comments about having all boys. I think men sometimes get comments like this when they have all girls. It’s just all so silly! I always tell people, “Well, I have two brothers so I’m used to being THE girl!” lol 🙂 And when they say, “Your husband needs a princess,” I say, “I’m his princess – Sara even means princess” ha! 🙂
I love how you feel about this Julie!!! And especially how much you love Chase and being a boy mom now, so why would it be different with the second? I had to stop reading two different blogs of families I’d followed for years…one had two boys then a girl and the other had three boys and then a girl…I just couldn’t handle their comments about how life was finally happy because they had girls. It was too much for me. I don’t want anyone to pity me for having two boys (SO silly!) My husband and I feel so, so thankful to have two healthy children and honestly feel like having two boys is perfect for our family (b/c we don’t know any different!!) 🙂 That poor mom at the park – I so understand how she’s feeling. The comments are endless. It used to bother me a lot but just doesn’t anymore. I loved my second boy’s nursery so, so much (a teal theme!) and bought him all the cute outfits I wanted to! I had so many people say, “I know you don’t need any new clothes because he can just wear his brother’s. If you’d had a girl, then I would have bought you outfits.” People. are. crazy 🙂 🙂 🙂 Every single baby is such a blessing!!!
As the second of two girls, I would hate to think my parents were disappointed that I was me and not a boy!
When I was pregnant with my son, I got SO many awful comments like “you’re having a boy? I’m sorry.” NOT OK! We’re not able to have any more children, and I have had people say to me that it’s too bad I’ll never get a girl – and I’m like, really? I’m more sad about not having another kid, boy or girl!
My situation is fairly different, but when I started medical treatment a few months ago, I lined up about 5 sitters (I used a free 30 day Sittercity trial) that were generally available, and let them know that when I needed them, it would be at random times and fairly last-minute. You might want to try something like that, that way you could have someone come over to your house and be with Chase, especially in the middle of the night, and it will help keep his routine as normal as possible. The big plus to that also being that you would then have a bunch of well-vetted sitters available to come over if you needed a second set of hands with two babies, as well as future date nights! I would usually have them come over for 2ish hours when I was home but busy with other stuff (usually on nap strike days when I was already at my wit’s end) so I could get to know them and see them interacting with my son, but also get other things done around the house.
I’ve even gotten comments like, “oh so you’re having a boy so now you have one of each, you must be done?” or “one of each, the perfect family!” and it truly blows my mind!
one more thing!! My friend who had no family in the area had one of her good friend’s husband’s go to her house in the midde of the night when she went into labor. That way she didn’t have to wake up her child. Once he woke up, the husband took him to his house and he stayed there until family could arrive. It worked out really well!!
I’m 29 weeks with #3 and also have no intuition about the sex! We didn’t find out for my last pregnancy either and even as they were about to take me to the OR for my c-section my doctor asked me to guess but I had no idea. I love being surprised and I would never go back to finding out in a sonogram (we did with our first).
We have no family locally either and I have a lot of anxiety about going in to labor. I have a scheduled c-section but obviously the baby may not be aware of that schedule. I have a one year old and three year old so it’s a bit of a handful for anyone to take on. Hopefully it will be fine. I have wonderful friends who are willing to come to my house in the middle of the night! Ideally I’ll just make it to my scheduled date though. I totally get the anxiety. It’s tough not being able to just have a concrete plan.
Would you recommend going up a size in the align pants?!
After my daughter was born I was left dealing with a prolapsed bladder (I think because she basically just shot out of me so fast). It didn’t hurt, but was extremely uncomfortable (think tampon hanging out of you 24/7). I did 6 weeks of pelvic floor physical therapy, which helped sooooo much! I also did Barre weekly, which really helped to strengthen all those muscles. Thankfully after just 6 months I was cleared to run and lift again.
Since your family is out of town, as mine and my husbands too, what do you recommend as far as how early to have visitors when the baby comes? As much as I want family around, I also know I will be overwhelmed as a first time mom and want to soak up every moment as a new family of three.
Julie! Looking good, girl! I hope you continue to be able to stay active! As far as the no family around thing — you know I’m with you on that! Perhaps the situation will work out fluidly and you’ll be able to have a friend watch Chase over a Saturday and Sunday when you give birth hehehhe! Anywho – I guess I don’t have the intuition either because I was convinced I was having a girl and we found out at 15 weeks it was a boy. Love these updates, lady!
Hi Julie!
I’m a Pelvic Floor PT working in Durham, NC and I can recommend some PF PTs in Charlotte if you need! You look awesome girl!
Just wanted to say thank you for mentioning Mom-pee! We’re thinking about TTC for #2 and I’m so afraid I’m just going to be peeing everywhere all the time!
Hi Julie! I specifically work with pre and postnatal women ( following a recommended trip to a pelvic floor PT). A huge thing you can work on even during your final trimester is diaphragmatic breathing. This will not only set you up one step closer to improving incontinence issues, but will also help you to properly align your breath, engage your inner core, as well as activate & relax your pelvic floor. I’d highly recommend after seeing a PT to follow up with a trainer who is certified in postnatal exercise ( Girls Gone Strong, Jessie Mundell, & Fit For Birth have amazing & thorough courses).
Thank you for sharing your pregnancy journey with us!
Kaitlyn
I’m truly so happy and excited for you and your family! I’ve been a long time reader (I just don’t tend to comment much :). I also had a challenge getting pregnant after having our first with no problems. We now have a healthy 5 month old and I truly appreciate how you are open in your writing about this pregnancy.
We also don’t have family around and my biggest concern the entire pregnancy was how to handle childcare for our 4 year old! I lost so much sleep over it. We decided not to fly family out because I just never knew how to time it perfectly. So we picked three different people to be “on call” for us. We just wanted them to know our daughter and her to be comfortable with them. We made sure the school was prepared in case they had to pick her up. We made sure she understood what would happen. Then I let go of my control and just trusted it would work out, which it did!
I’m also a physical therapist and I highly recommend a women’s health PT! It can be so helpful both during pregnancy and afterwards. I also posted a quick workout I give my clients for pelvic floor a while back if you wanted something to try at home before you can make it to a PT. http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com/pelvic-floor-exercises.
Sorry of the long comment and good luck with everything!!
Jessica
I’m praying for a happy, healthy delivery and baby no matter what the gender! It will be great no matter what. Whether or not you have a boy or a girl, Chase and the new baby are sure to be great friends! They will be great friends and playmates even if they’re opposite in gender. I’m an only girl who was raised with two brothers and we all got along famously!
Magnesium REALLY works for cramping! Have to chime in and agree with everyone else who recommended it.
So glad everything’s moving along really well. Very exciting! <3
Julie you look beautiful! I do not have any kids yet but we may start trying in the next few years. Your perspective on the comments you get from people about the gender has made me more conscious to what I say to people. I think it’s important for us to realize most women just feel blessed to be pregnant and would be happy with either a boy or girl!
If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t have any inclination about baby #2 either! I swore it was a girl again, only because that’s all I knew and my pregnancy felt similar, so I was truly SHOCKED to learn it was a BOY! It will be so fun to be surprised on delivery day! And I’m sure everything will work out with Chase when you go into labor – and I’m sure your friends would be more than honored to help you out! 🙂
2nd baby is way harder I gained 20 with my first and 30-35 with my 2nd and I was more exhausted bc you already do so much as a mo m . First baby looked great, worked out 5-6 days, and cooked so healthy. 2nd baby with a toddler worked out not so much, rested, ate Mac n cheese or whatever was convient bc I was tired.