Category Archives: pregnancy

Organizing for baby #2

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Getting organized for baby #2 has been pretty easy. The fact that our kids will be so close in age helps because most of the baby clothes, toys, etc that we got for Ryder we still have and are in good condition. There are a few additional items we needed or things that needed replacing from wear and tear.

In order to keep an organized list of what we needed for the new baby, I actually created a private baby registry. Every month I buy things off my registry. Sort of like checking things off a list. For Christmas or my birthday when my mother asked what I wanted, I would send her a link to items on the registry! Funny how things have changed. I used to ask for items for myself for my birthday or Christmas. Now I ask for things for my kids, that make my life easier! 😂

I’ve had people ask if I’m going to have a baby shower for this second baby. My answer is no. I’m a traditional person. So I think it’s only proper to have a baby shower for your first child. I find it weird when people have baby showers for their other children. A “sprinkle” I totally get. Those are small and typically you are just given diapers. Not to mention it’s an excuse for a party! But a full on baby shower…..no. ❌

I definitely feel more prepared for this second baby. Having kept all of Ryder’s baby things and making my lists keeps me organized and free of stress. The fact that we aren’t moving houses at the same time we are bringing the new baby home is definitely making it easier this time around. Lesson learned. 😂

Over it….

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I used to love going to the gym. It was my place away from everything. Now I sort of dread it. I literally pray that I’ll just make it through a short workout each time. The pregnancy struggle is getting real!💪🏻

I’m in the last few weeks of pregnancy and everything is getting hard! Putting my shoes and socks on is a battle. Not only can I barely see my feet but I can barely reach my feet to get shoes and socks on! I also get winded just walking around. I had to sit down and breathe after just doing laundry! I’m constantly tired and want to lay down but can’t because I have a toddler running around like crazy. I’m always hungry but I’m running out of belly room so I have to eat tiny meals all the time which is exhausting in itself. I barely sleep at night because of the leg aches, back ache, and overall discomfort. Don’t get me started on the constant need to pee. I’m literally on the verge of going to buy adult diapers! 🤦🏼‍♀️

On a positive note, I have no major swelling. My feet and hands look the same as they always have. I had a little swelling with Ryder that caused me some discomfort but none this time around! My hair and nails also look great. My hair struggled at the beginning of my pregnancy but it’s made a turn for the better! It’s looking shiny, healthy and growing long fast!

Needless to say, these last 6 weeks will feel like they take the longest. Maybe Cam will be like Ryder and get here a little early. In all honestly I wouldn’t mind! I’m ready! Literally! 🤷🏼‍♀️

Fibroids

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Ever heard of a fibroid? I knew very little about them before I found out I had one when pregnant with Ryder.

Fibroids are non cancerous growths found on, in or attached by a stalk to the uterus. However, just because they are non cancerous doesn’t mean they aren’t without risk.

While pregnant with Ryder my fibroid grew to the size of a softball. That’s really huge! Mine was pedunculated, which means it’s attached by a stalk. I could actually move mine around sometimes which was really creepy. One time while at yoga I was laying on my back. My fibroid was in the middle of my belly under my belly button. I was able to move it over to the left side just by pushing it. 🤢

Not only did the fibroid take up space in my belly that Ryder needed, it was pulling in a lot of blood. I had to check in with a specialized doctor once a month, aside from my regular prenatal visits. They would measure the fibroids growth each time. There was actually talk about surgically removing it while I was pregnant. It caused me a lot of pain and discomfort. However I was willing to suffer the pain to avoid surgery. Going under while pregnant was not something I was willing to do unless it was life threatening. There’s too many things that can go wrong or put my child in danger so it wasn’t worth it to me. Pain for a few months was a better option.

I got on a strict diet in hopes of reducing the fibroid size. I ate only non hormone, grass fed beef and antibiotic-free chicken. I also got organic milk, eggs, veggies and fruit. I avoided anything packaged or overly processed. I reduced my sugar intake and increased my water intake. I was even very careful what restaurants I ate at. I saw a reduction in the size of my fibroid by a couple centimeters. That doesn’t sound like much but when you’re limited on space, any little bit helps!

My fibroid shrank to the size of a golf ball a few months after I delivered Ryder. I was told it would likely never really go away, but that it shouldn’t cause me any major problems.

My fibroid has grown a little this second pregnancy but no where near the size it was with Ryder. I’m still cautious what I eat. And I still feed my family only organic, grass fed beef, antibiotic free chicken, some organic fruits and veggies (certain foods you don’t have to buy organic, ex: avocado, bananas, etc). Fibroid or no fibroid I give my family the healthiest food I can always! It’s best for all of us. 💙

Glucose Test

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I passed my glucose test!!! Sounds ridiculous to be excited about something like that, but I seriously am. I’m a healthy eater but those things can be so easily thrown off. I failed it with Ryder the first time because I drank milk the night before 🤦🏼‍♀️ So I got stuck doing the 4 hour test after that, which I passed, but it was absolutely miserable! You literally have to sit in the doctors office for 4 hours! To make matters worse my doctor at the time had no WiFi or extra plug outlets in her waiting room. (First world problems I know!)🤷🏼‍♀️

This time around I asked lots of questions and made sure to do a little research. I made myself a 3 day meal plan and stuck to it. I avoided simple carbs, dairy and sugars. I ate only meat, eggs, and veggies. I avoided fruit the day before just to be safe. I also drank more water than normal. It worked because I passed this time around! Whoohooo!

I was seriously dreading sitting in the doctors office with a 1 1/2 year old for 4 hours. 😩 One less stress to worry about!!! It’s smooth sailing from here now! ⛵️

Pregnancy and Autoimmune

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If you thought you were exhausted, achy, etc just being pregnant, try being pregnant while having autoimmune! My body is constantly overworked. It’s straining daily just to keep me and baby healthy while also battling against itself.

If you’re unfamiliar with autoimmune, it’s a non communicable disorder/disease. So you can’t catch it from someone sneezing near you, coughing, blood, inheritance, etc. They actually don’t know what causes autoimmune diseases.

In short, your body’s immune system protects you from disease and infection. But if you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake. The classic signs of an autoimmune disease are exhaustion and inflammation, which can cause redness, heat, pain and swelling. Depending on the autoimmune disease, for some the symptoms can actually be worse.

So for me, not only is my body working to grow a baby and protect the baby, but it’s also fighting against itself by mistake. My body feels overly exhausted daily. I also get a lot of non pregnancy related aches and pains. Combine that with pregnancy discomfort and I’m just one big ball of fun!

If you know someone who has autoimmune or even someone pregnant with autoimmune, give them a big hug or do what you can to try to be sympathetic! (Or if you’re like me, leave them alone and just be understanding 😂) They’re definitely fighting a difficult battle. 💪🏻

Pregnancy and workouts

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I think it’s interesting to see a “new aged” doctors view vs an “old school” one. My first pregnancy I went to an older doctor. Despite being perfectly healthy, she put me on SO many physical restrictions while pregnant. She wouldn’t allow me to lift more than 20lbs or get my heart rate above 140. She told me to limit back exercises and avoid any workout involving my core.

This second time around I have a younger doctor. Her views are quite a bit different. She gave me no restrictions other than to not push myself too hard and to rest when needed. Since I lifted weights pre baby, she saw no reason to restrict my weight lifting. However, she recommended I not push myself more than my usual. Adding heavier weights than what I’m used to would obviously not be a good idea. But I was allowed to run, lift weights, etc as I please. She also saw no reason for me to worry about my heart rate. Since my body was used to workouts pre baby, and baby and I are currently very healthy, she saw no risks in me getting my heart rate above 140. She did say to make sure I could breathe well and wasn’t struggling or wheezing. You want to be able to get enough oxygen to your muscles and the baby.

I love how people are finally accepting fitness in pregnancy rather than running scared from it. Restricting workouts doesn’t benefit the mother (unless there is a physical need for restriction.) It actually has so many amazing benefits!

I have almost no back or hip pain this time around. I credit that to my workouts and the fact that I still have most of my strength. I have way less joint pain and I’ve had very few headaches compared to what I had the first time around.

Obviously you should talk to your doctor before participating in any physical activity while pregnant. But don’t be afraid to go for a walk, lift weights, etc if given the green light. Your body, and your baby will thank you!

Pregnancy Flu

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Pregnancy flu….never heard of it? That’s because I made it up. Well, the name at least. 😂 Not to be confused with morning sickness. This is way worse and it hit me REAL hard yesterday.

It’s just like the normal flu, but not caused by a virus or bacteria and not contagious. It’s caused by hormones and a growing child sucking every bit of life out of you. Sounds harsh, busy seriously that’s how it feels.

I’ll wake up some mornings feeling like death. Nausea, headaches, body aches, you name it. Luckily the “pregnancy flu” doesn’t last as long as the normal flu. However it does come and go when it wants.

Good news is, there’s a cure! It’s called birth! 😂 Once your adorable little one is here your hormone levels start to settle and the pregnancy flu symptoms disappear for good……until the next pregnancy if you decide. It’s a miserable experience and completely exhausting but so worth it in the end. I keep trying to remind myself of that when it takes over…..💙

Pregnancy Hangover

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A few times a month I wake up feeling EXTREMELY hungover. It literally feels like I drank 2 bottles of wine to myself. Yet I haven’t had a drop of alcohol and I drank plenty of water the day before. 🍷

Apparently it’s the pregnancy hormones. They can actually give you a feeling of being hungover! 🤢

It’s one thing to consciously make the decision to drink, and possibly drink too much therefore leading to a hangover. I however have zero control over this feeling. It’s like my body just says, hey you haven’t drank in a while, let’s have some fun and make you feel hungover without the actual alcohol involved! 🤦🏼‍♀️

Seriously, pregnancy and hormones are so weird. And so not fun at times. 🤔

Pregnancy Hair

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Pregnancy hair…..people talk about how beautiful their hair looks while they’re pregnant. That it becomes more full and soft. However, there are a few people that don’t have this wonderful result. I’m one of those people this time around. My hair definitely got thicker, but it also became more dry and brittle. 👎🏻

With my first baby it was full and soft. It stayed that way after I had him. I got lucky and didn’t lose chunks of hair like some women. 👩🏼

With this second baby, my hair has gotten thicker but the softness left. My hair started to feel more dry, sort of straw like. It also became more brittle and would break and split at the ends. It confused me because I eat just as healthy with my second as I did my first baby. I’m also working out just as much and making sure I drink tons of water. My doctor says it’s just due to hormones that are completely out of my control. Luckily my hair stylist recommended a hair mask that has helped tremendously! It’s made my hair feel soft and healthy again. 💈

Nounou is the name of the hair mask I use. It’s by Davines. You can get it in salons or on Amazon for $38. I actually just found it online at Walmart for $17! 💰

If your hair is dry and brittle, I definitely recommend giving this mask a try! 💙

Maternity item not to skimp on….

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When I was pregnant with ryder, around month 7 I started getting light headed a lot. I actually collapsed in the grocery store once. We went to the doctor and they put me in the hospital for a day to run tests on me. I came back perfectly fine. I was as healthy as can be. But the light headedness kept happening.

Then one day it hit me……It was my pants! I’m not even kidding when I say that. I was wearing my same leggings and workout pants that I wore before I got pregnant. Now that my belly was bigger they were getting tighter and starting to cut off circulation. So after a workout or just having worn them all day, the lack of circulation would get to me and make me light headed.

I know it’s so stupid. I’m sure you’re wondering why I didn’t buy maternity pants/leggings. In all honesty, I didn’t think I needed to! My leggings still fit so I figured why buy new ones!

I have learned my lesson! Just because they fit your legs doesn’t mean it’s fitting to your belly. Even light pressure around your waist can restrict blood flow. They make maternity pants for a reason!