First Trimester, Month Two, Week 8

This week was a big one for doctors appointments! Sophia had her one year pediatrician appointment and I also had my first appointment for this pregnancy! While my lower appetite, fatigue/going to bed early, some nausea and gagging continued on, one major symptom that I experienced the first two times and was still missing this time as a dead giveaway to being pregnant was breast tenderness and soreness. This is also the first time I was pregnant and still breastfeeding though, so I wasn’t totally surprised? But I definitely have questions for the pediatrician and my midwives! Do I need to stop? When do I need to stop? HOW do I stop?

Sophia has been so into solids that nursing has kindof been slowing down anyways – and to be honest I was definitely experiencing some times where maybe I felt ready to stop before I was pregnant – but now I’m definitely having mixed emotions about potentially ending this milestone and all of this bonding time with her! I go between “she’s getting so big and OH MY GOD SHE’S JUST A BABY” several times a week, especially in regards to being pregnant again. Telling our pediatrician that we were expecting again gave me one of my favorite reactions so far. You know how you can just tell someone is genuinely happy for you? Thank you for that Dr. Bovee, it was just what I needed! Among the excited reactions we definitely had a few mixed reactions for the first time, which was an off putting feeling – maybe it’s the having more than 2 kids or having several young kids all at once…but that’s a post for another day! She gave me the green light to continue to nursing, letting me know that my supply may naturally drop or Sophia may naturally want to stop because she’ll be able to tell a difference hormonally and that’s okay!

The midwives greeted me with a “back again?” and a smile; I’m excited to be in their care for our third baby! It’s an absolute hike to the office, but 100% worth it. There was a time when they were only 20 minutes away, then I followed the midwives to their new office thinking “it’s only 20 minutes further, no biggie.” And then we moved 35 minutes the other direction and now the office is a little over an hour with no traffic. The actual appointment was a quick, stereotypical prenatal appointment and we were in and out in a flash since I didn’t really have many questions and this isn’t my first rodeo. I did get the all clear to continue breastfeeding as long as I want; I do know that toward the end of pregnancy nipple stimulation is one of the *tricks* thought to help induce labor, but we have months before that would even be a consideration, and realistically I feel like I would want to be stopped before that late in the pregnancy so the transition is easier for the babies and myself.

One thing I liked about waiting a little while to *officially* find out I was pregnant is it didn’t feel like I had to wait as long for my first appointment/ultrasound (finding out at 3 weeks with Sophia felt like FOREVER). I didn’t have any nerves up to this point, but being in the office I was definitely holding my breath until I saw that little gummy bear on the ultrasound screen. These were some of the most clear early ultrasound pictures I’ve gotten! During the ultrasound baby’s heart rate was at 170! When we first found out I was pregnant, I naturally assumed and got excited about continuing as a *girl mom* and this definitely goes along with the old wives’ tale of a higher heart rate meaning a girl. Layla and Sophia were both hanging out in the mid 150s so this definitely fits the bill! Maybe I’ll try and list out some of the other symptoms and see how many line up with the gender wivestales!

• Baby Size: as big as a gummy bear! 0.5 in long
• Weight Gain: +/- 0
• Symptoms: Some nausea, low appetite, evening fatigue
• Nutrition (Cravings? Aversions?): Nothing really sounds that good to eat, so just trying to keep in routine
• Exercise: No changes – most “exercise” comes in the form of outdoor walks with the girls
• Overall Mood: A lot of the usual, along with some excitement and my fair share of mom guilt that comes with knowing your babies will be sharing their time even more in a few short months
• Movement: None yet!
• Best Moment This Week: Getting to see our teeny bean in our confirmation ultrasound!
• Looking Forward to: Halloween is next week! Sophia doesn’t really understand yet but Layla has been talking non stop about it!