Feeling so overjoyed to announce that we’re pregnant with baby #3! Praising the Lord for this sweet blessing that we have prayed so deeply for. I thought I would share a Q&A here with some questions I’ve received since announcing on Instagram the other week.
WHEN ARE YOU DUE?
I am due at the end of October! If baby decides to come late, November might be the birth month. I’ve always loved fall so I think having a fall baby will be so fun. I love thinking about how the baby will be here for the holidays this year. That’s going to make them extra special!
HOW ARE YOU FEELING?
I have been feeling so much better but I will say that I was very nauseated and fatigued until about week 13. It lasted much longer than I remember with either Augustine or Corinna. I would wake up and need to eat right away, and every 2-3 hours so that I didn’t feel sick. Luckily I didn’t need to throw up but my stomach would just get a funny feeling. I also needed to lie down in the afternoons and it took a lot more energy to make and prepare dinners. By the time dinner was over, I was heading to the couch to lie down and once the kiddos were in bed, so was I. I really got a lot of sleep the first trimester. Grateful to have my energy back now, though!
WILL YOU FIND OUT THE GENDER?
We’re going to wait to find out. We did that with Augustine and it was such a special moment at delivery to find out he was a boy! We did a gender reveal with Corinna which was special too but I’m really looking forward to the surprise again.
DO YOU HAVE A PREFERENCE EITHER WAY?/WHAT GENDER DO THE KIDS WANT?
The kids both have been talking about a baby brother, and I think that would be really special. Matthew and his older brother are very close so I’ve always loved the idea of having two boys. I know sisters are special too though! Whatever the Lord gives us, we will be so grateful for. I know His plan is perfect!
HOW HAVE THE KIDS BEEN FEELING?
They are sooo excited!! I feel like because of their ages they are very aware of what it means for me to be pregnant and they just can’t wait for the baby to be here. They talk about it all the time – who will hold the baby first, what the name will be (they have names chosen!), and who gets to share a room with the baby. It’s very sweet and cute and makes Matthew and I smile so big when we hear these conversations! Also, they have been praying for this baby for the past year so to tell them that God answered their prayers was so wonderful!!
NAMES CHOSEN?
Matthew and I always have the hardest time with names. During my pregnancy with Augustine, we fell in love with Corinna for a girl name but of course we had a boy! We didn’t decide on Augustine until he was a few days old but I think we went in with a few boy name options. The other option for him was Phineas but I don’t think that’s one we’re considering this time. As soon as we found out we were having a girl, we knew that was our Corinna! Matthew and I have some work to do this time around! If any of you have any girl/boy names that sound good with Augustine and Corinna you’ll have to let me know. For boys we like strong/unique names, and for girls I love the feminine/unique ones. I’ll have to share our lists at some point if you’re interested!
ANY TIPS TO GET PREGNANT MORE QUICKLY?
I wish I had the best answer and I’m so sorry for anyone dealing with infertility. It’s so sad and discouraging to want something so badly and not get the answers you want. With Augustne and Corinna it was a much quicker process to that positive pregnancy test. I would say something to really look into is what are you eating and taking vitamin/supplement wise. Once we got on a better diet (more pro-metabolic) that seemed to help a lot. Also, I started taking liquid collagen after reading about all the benefits and really focusing on gut health with a pre-,pro-,and post-biotic. Oh and my afternoon fruit/veggie drink (greens and fruit powder added to water!) has been another way to make sure I’m getting all the right nutrients. I’m still doing all three of those as a regular part of my health routine, and my midwife highly encouraged it too.
ANY CRAVINGS?
I wish! I haven’t had any cravings really, and no real aversion except that leftovers sounded really awful to me. Normally I’m all about eating what’s left in the fridge, but it was very unappealing to me. Usually during the later part of my pregnancies I crave granola and shredded wheat so we’ll see if that happens again!
HOW TO STAY ACTIVE?
I had absolutely no interest or energy to work out for the first 14 weeks. Now I’ve started to feel more up to going on longer walks and doing some arm workouts. I usually love to workout but when I’m pregnant I really don’t have a lot of energy for it. Being pregnant during the summer is hard too when it’s really hot outside. Luckily my two cuties will keep me busy, I’m sure!
WHAT’S BEEN DIFFERENT WITH THIS PREGNANCY?
Besides the longer-lasting fatigue, I’ve also had headaches more often which have been very hard to deal with. I’ve realized that they’re stress related and usually I am not a stressed/anxious person. I’ve had to really pay attention to drinking more water and also taking rests when I feel them coming on. I’ve also started to show a lot sooner this time around. I guess my body just knows what to do but I feel like I was showing for sure at 8 weeks with a little bump. I announced my pregnancy with Augustine at 16 weeks just barely showing, and now being 16 weeks I feel huge! During my first trimester, I lived in my maternity leggings (wore these with Corinna and have loved them despite odd reviews). Another unique thing about this pregnancy is that I felt the baby move for the first time much earlier. Just the other day, at 15 weeks 4 days, I was laying in bed on my back and felt some movement that I knew was baby! It was so special and exciting because I wasn’t expecting it at all. It’s truly amazing what goes on in a woman’s body during pregnancy and I am thankful that it’s an experience I truly savor and enjoy, despite the fatigue and headaches!
Any other questions you’d like me to answer? Feel free to leave them below! Thank you all so much for your encouraging messages, emails and comments the past week. This baby is such a blessing and already so incredibly loved!!
xox
SOME NEW BUMP-FRIENDLY ITEMS I PICKED UP
dress from Doen (not bump friendly anymore bc of the side zipper but highly recommend in general)
