Category Archives: Pregnancy

Baby / Pregnancy

Pregnancy Update — June

June 12, 2019

To answer some (unasked) questions: 1) Yes, I wear that dress a lot — my maternity wardrobe is limited. (And if you think you’re tired of seeing it, just think how tired I am of wearing it.) 2) Yes there is pretty much always clothes on the floor in our room, and 3) sometimes our bed is made, but most often it’s not.

Pregnancy brain has started a bit, though it’s not nearly as bad as it was with Prim (not yet anyway!) Although, I live in a perpetual state of “mom-brain” so maybe that’s why it doesn’t seem so bad this time around?

weeks: 19+

baby’s size: mango

i’m feeling: ok. My nausea is intermittent, reappearing randomly and without reason. I’m still tired a lot, despite my extra iron intake. At my 16 week check I told the midwife that I wasn’t feeling that great, and she informed me that with third pregnancies and beyond the first trimester symptoms tend to last a lot longer and then added “but you likely won’t get back to your baseline energy levels at all this pregnancy.” So… that’s cool.

food love: peaches, grapes, and bagels.

food hate: not too many things. Meat is always a tricky proposition during pregnancy for me, but right now it’s more that I’ll be “in the mood” for something more than actively avoiding another food or food group.

3 pros for june: 1. Summer seems to have officially started. Prim is done with preschool and we’re gearing up for summer swim lessons! 2. I recently ordered a maternity rashguard so I can start swimming laps again (my SPF 100 skin makes me avoid it if I have to put sunscreen on my back — tricky when you’re by yourself.) 3. KC and I just booked a little getaway for the two of us in early July. I’m so excited to relax and recharge (and fly without toddlers!)

3 cons for june: 1. The hot season is just starting and it is already HOT. I’m not sure how I’m going to survive the whole summer with this bump in the heat. 2. My stress levels have been all over the place this pregnancy. Sometimes I feel pretty good and even-keeled, while other times it feels like the world is caving in. Hormones are fun, guys. 3. I am already having birth anxiety even though I’m still months away from delivering. I feel like the anxiety gets worse with each successive pregnancy because your brain/body is like “Remember how it feels like you’re going to break in half when you deliver? FUN.”

currently living in: summer maternity dresses, and swimsuits when I can manage to be near a pool.

looking forward to: vacation!

dreaming about: having more time and more energy.

Baby / Motherhood / Pregnancy

Place Your Bets!

May 8, 2019

We already know the gender of this little one thanks to an early blood test, but feel free to take a guess before we officially reveal the gender!

1. If you have morning sickness, it’s a girl.  If you don’t, it’s a boy.
I’ve been sick 24/7 since the first day of week 6, and while I don’t have HG this pregnancy (thank the Lord) I am very far from not having morning sickness.  Result: GIRL

2. If you crave sweets, it’s a girl.  Craving sour/salt?  It’s a boy.
I’ve been craving a weird assortment of things, including a burger very early on (not anymore, ew), deli sandwiches, pickles, and lots of candy. Result: BOY/GIRL

3. Use a Chinese Gender Predictor to predict the sex, based on your due date and birthday.
Based on my due date and birthday, the Chinese predictor says it’s a girl.  Result: GIRL

4. If the baby’s heartbeat is regularly above 140 bpm, it’s a girl.  Below 140 bpm — it’s a boy.
Baby’s heart rate was routinely above 140 at each of our doctor’s appointment.  Result: GIRL

5. If you prefer sleeping on your right side, it’s a girl.  If you gravitate towards the left, it’s a boy.
I have been mostly sleeping on my left side this pregnancy.  Result: BOY

6. If you’re extra moody, it’s a girl.  If you’re even-keeled, it’s a boy.
I haven’t been too moody this pregnancy (I don’t think…) KC might have a different opinion.  Result: BOY

7. If you’re clumsy, you’re having a boy.  Graceful as can be?  It’s a girl.
I haven’t been very clumsy lately. Result: GIRL

8. More headaches mean you’re having a boy, less means it’s a girl.
I’ve had a few more headaches recently, but this was while I was in Palm Springs where it was super hot and I was most likely not drinking enough water. Result: BOY

9. If your hands are soft, it’s a girl.  If they’re dry, it’s a boy.
My hands haven’t been very dry recently (my cuticles are a mess, but that’s a whole other life issue.)  Result: GIRL

10. If you’re carrying high, it’s a girl.  If your belly is low, it’s a boy.
Maybe it’s too early to tell this one, I don’t know, but I’ve been carrying on the lower side to this point.  Result: BOY

GIRL: 6 points  BOY: 5 points

Baby / Personal / Pregnancy

Pregnancy Update — May

May 5, 2019

I am sloooowly getting out of the phase of all-the-time nausea/barfing. I’m still not feeling great and certainly not feeling like myself just yet, but the end is at least in sight and I have moments where I don’t want to just lay down and die, so it’s improving!

weeks: 14

baby’s size: orange

i’m feeling: mostly tired and barfy still, though this pregnancy hasn’t been nearly as bad as Lark’s was on the nausea front. I haven’t had to be on medication or hospitalized, so it feels infinitely more manageable — just crappy.

food love: pickles, sandwiches, and strawberries. Sometimes all together for lunch!

food hate: my food aversions have been a lot less pronounced this pregnancy. I’ve been able to eat meat (and sometimes even crave it!) which is a wholesale departure from my pregnancies with Prim and Lark where I couldn’t even THINK about anything other than white carbs in the first trimester.

3 pros for may: 1. The weather has been so nice lately — warm but not too hot, and it’s getting me really excited for all the summer barbecuing. 2. Prim’s birthday is this week — I can’t believe that this girl is going to be FOUR! Seems like just yesterday I was 14 weeks pregnant with her and thinking I looked SO pregnant (hahaha! Yeah right!) 3. I just took a girls trip to Palm Springs with some of my best mama friends — my first trip away from KC and the girls together — having the time away to relax and reconnect was amazing!

3 cons for may: 1. My nausea isn’t gone yet, nor is the crazy exhaustion of the first trimester, so I’m still not really feeling that great most days. Looking forward to hopefully feeling a little more normal in a few weeks. 2. The US medical system is proving to be a lot more annoying than the Netherlands one (shocker.) I constantly feel like I’m just a chart or another statistic at all these appointments, and fighting to have a “natural” pregnancy seems like it shouldn’t be this much work. 3. Sometimes I think about how much longer to go in this pregnancy and get really overwhelmed. Having been through this before somehow makes things both easier and harder because you kind of know what to expect.

currently living in: maternity dresses — so comfy and breathable. I mean, if I can pretty much avoid wearing pants altogether for the next 6 months I’ll call that a win.

looking forward to: the second trimester and a bit more energy.

dreaming about: naps and more naps.

Baby / Favorite Things / Pregnancy

Pregnancy Post: 5 favorite things for the second and third trimesters

March 3, 2017

^^ end of pregnancy style: a t-shirt that barely fits and “I can’t be bothered” hair ^^

My second pregnancy was a bit different from my first (and not just because my first took place in the US and the second took place in the Netherlands). The second pregnancy I was chasing a toddler around and didn’t have as much free time to really revel in being pregnant. Not that I didn’t enjoy it — I actually really enjoy being pregnant (aside from those first weeks when I was puking every second of the day); but with your first pregnancy there’s a lot more preparation to be done. I read a bunch of pregnancy books while pregnant with Prim and did all sorts of research on what gear to purchase and who made crib mattresses that weren’t filled with toxic chemicals.

The second time around I read part of a book that was pregnancy-related — not even the whole thing. I think I used belly butter to prevent stretch marks like five times total. And I hate to admit that I was less than diligent about keeping up with my prenatal vitamins (I mean, I remembered to take them most of the time…)

Here are the five things I actually did use during my second pregnancy that I would recommend:

  1. Dr. Teal’s Lavender Epsom Salt Bath Soak: I’ve said it before and I will say it again — there is nothing like a bath when you’re pregnant. Towards the end of my pregnancy I would fill up the tub and toss in some of these bath salts (which are so affordable by the way, you can even get two huge bags for $17!) I would chill out and listen to a podcast, feeling little Lark kick and roll around in my belly. Total bliss.
  2. Breathe Right Nasal Strips: A weird and not-so-fun fact about pregnancy — many women suffer from swollen sinuses, which makes it hard to breathe at night (it’s like having a sinus infection ALL THE TIME). These strips work wonders so you can breathe at night without resorting to probably-not-safe-for-pregnancy medications or the ever so attractive sleeping with your mouth wide open.
  3. H&M Mama Maternity Wear: You guys already know about my love for H&M maternity jeans, but I have to say that I wore H&M maternity wear almost exclusively during my second and third trimester this pregnancy. Their maternity wear is inexpensive and on-trend; and while I won’t say that it will definitely hold up through multiple pregnancies, the price point makes it worthwhile in my opinion (because you never know if you’re going to be pregnant in exactly the same season next time!) And yes, I’m totally tempted to purchase these even though I’m no longer pregnant. (KC’s nightmare — my baby fever + overalls. Wedded bliss!)
  4. Hypnobirthing, Fourth Edition: The Mongan Method: I have to admit that I did wayyy less birth prep this time than I did when I was pregnant with Prim. I didn’t even read this whole book, but I did read through the breathing techniques and found them really helpful during labor. If you’re looking for a book to read to prepare for a natural birth, I would definitely recommend this one.
  5. Wireless Bluetooth Speaker: We didn’t purchase this speaker because I was pregnant, but I loved using this speaker during both of my labors. As I mentioned in both Prim’s and Lark’s birth stories, we played music throughout both of my labors which really helped me chill out and relax. We have gotten so much use out of this little speaker (outside of the delivery room also!) that I can’t not mention it. I wouldn’t hesitate to purchase it again.

If you’re expecting or trying to get pregnant, I hope this list is at least a little helpful. And since I’ve gone from one kiddo to two, I’ll try to do a baby-gear recap on what I would recommend if you’re planning a registry and hoping to have more than one child (because I would definitely get a different stroller if I could do it over!)