Seventeen months ago I wrote a post on this very topic and now we are back full circle as we expect baby #2! While there are a lot of things that are/ were the same, it is also so different this time around! But I guess, like any good story, we have to start at the beginning.
I knew I was pregnant before I took the pregnancy test. I could just tell. It was the morning of my 31st birthday (May 10th 2019) and I decided to take a pregnancy test. I then proceeded to take two more through the course of the weekend to just be sure. All three of them told me I was pregnant. It was good that in my heart of hearts I had a feeling before taking the test because each time I stared down at that “Pregnant” I freaked out a little. The kind of freak out that is a mix of “this is so exciting” and “we are crazy!” We did some quick math and realized they would be just under a year and a half apart.
We knew we wanted kids close together but didn’t really know what that would mean for baby #2 but God did. We feel like this pregnancy and this time was all Him (it always is!) So while we feel like we are going to have two babies at the same time, we know that this is exactly what the Lord has for us and we couldn’t be more excited to grow our family!
This time around we told family right away. I mean like the Monday after I took all the pregnancy tests. We were almost 5 weeks at that point and I was afraid the first trimester fog/terror would hit me any moment. I NEEDED family and close friends to know because I couldn’t just retreat this time – I had a 9 month old who still needed me all day long! Also I knew that no matter what happened, I needed those people to know anyways.
I was right, the sickness hit me. Exhaustion, nausea, no appetite, being bothered by smells – it all hit me. Family & friends came over to clean the house and watch Hilde while I napped. They brought meals and picked up groceries so that Hilde and Bruce could still eat even when the thought of most foods made me gag. Bruce changed the poppy diapers and let me sleep in every morning. It was a game changer to have so much help! My first trimester was hard but it wasn’t the same kind of hard as my first trimester with Hilde. I had more energy and was able to get out of the house and do things. I don’t know if this pregnancy just was a bit easier or if my body knew I couldn’t slow down as much with a 9 month old. Either way, I was thankful for a bit more energy and life than I had my previous first trimester.
I went in for my first doctor appointment at 6 weeks but didn’t get an ultrasound at that appointment. I had to wait until my next appointment at 12 weeks. That was crazy for me! With Hilde we got to see her little bean at 8 weeks so waiting four more weeks felt like forever! But on June 28th we went back in and saw baby #2 on the screen and that beautiful little heartbeat!
Just like last time I opened it up to questions on my IG post & stories and I am excited to not just tell you the story of the first trimester but also be able to answer your questions about it!
YOUR QUESTIONS
How long did you have to wait to get pregnant again after a c-section?
So technically they want you to have at least 18 months between babies to try for a vaginal birth after a c-section. We will not meet that mark and will probably have another c-section because of it. But as far as getting pregnant again, you just have to wait until you are all healed up (about 6 weeks the same as a vaginal birth!)
Do you feel like you are showing already/ showing sooner?
Yes! Way sooner. I went to Disney World at 14 weeks and wore my normal clothes the entire time. This time around I am already wearing maternity items and had to pack a lot of clothes away! My bump can be pretty visible and it cracks me up.
I had just gotten down to my pre- pregnacy weight, washed all my summer clothes (that I didn’t get to wear last year) and then found out I was pregnant! haha. I wore those summer clothes for about a month until I had to pack them back up!!
What are you hoping to do different this time around?
I haven’t thought of this question at all yet so its a bit to think on! Already I am less stressed about this pregnancy. My first one came with so much anxiety because it was all new. This time around I am used to how my body is feeling and moving. I am able to know and set expectations for myself. I already have pregnancy clothes and my all time favorite pregnancy pillow so things are less new and more comfortable.
I’m way more lax on what I am eating than I was with my first. I followed all those rules the first time and now I am just focusing more on eating healthy food that fuels my body and, while I was in my first trimester, just eating anything that I could stomach!
I do want to bring a name tag to the hospital for the birth. You know one of those “hello my name is _____” haha. I forgot ours with Hilde because things were so crazy with the last minute c-section but I still think it is so cute!
That’s all I can think of now!
Were you nursing when you conceived?
I was! And I still am. Whoever said you cannot get pregnant while nursing is wrong. lol. We dropped nighttime feedings early on because Hilde loves her sleep but we were still consistently nursing during the day. When I went in for my first appointment my doctor told me to keep nursing as long as I wanted.
Hilde has been weaning herself these last couple months. She wants real food all the time now. We still nurse in the morning but that is it! I plan on having her fully weaned by the time baby #2 gets here.
Have you thought about names?
Ish. But just like last time, we can’t make any decisions until we know if we are having a boy or a girl.
How did you know you were “ready” for number 2?
We didn’t! God did. Haha. But in all honesty, I don’t know if you are really ever perfectly ready for another kid. Babies are so much work but they also are such a joy! We know it is going to be crazy now but it will also be so fun to have them so close together!
Are you finding out the gender this time?
Heck yes. Always. I love to plan.
Are you going to stay in your current house?
This question is like a knife in my heart (dramatic much?!) but the answer is yes. We plan on staying here. Our house is great. Really it is! The Lord has blessed us with this space and it really works for our family. When we bought it 7 years ago we didn’t plan on living here for longer than 5 years and we also didn’t want to have kids in this house so a lot of me wants to move. But then the market when CRAZY in Colorado and while we can sell this town home for big bucks, we also have to buy another home at big bucks and really it makes more sense to stay! The kids will share a room for now and we have some house projects we may try to get done to fix somethings we don’t necessarily love about this space. But all in all, this house is good for us and we are thankful for it.
Would love to hear how you are going to balance it all!
I have no idea! haha.
Did you always plan to have kids so close together?
We knew we wanted kids close together but this close surprised us! Either way, we are so thankful and really thrilled that they get to be so close in age!
I remember the feeling of “Can I love another child the way I love my first?” Have you had that thought? Spoiler: You will love them all so incredibly much!
You know what, I hadn’t thought about this yet! I did feel guilty (I may write a post up about this) when I found out I was pregnant because Hilde would no longer be my baby. But I haven’t worried about this yet!
What prenatal vitamin are you taking?
Rainbow Light Prenatal One. The one that I took with Hilde started giving my hives after she was born (like my hormones switched up on me and made me allergic?!?) so I found a new one for this pregnancy and I love them!
Thank you so much for being a part of this community and being a part of my tribe! It is such a joy to share our story with you and share in this exciting season! XOXO
