Monday, March 10, 2014

Weeks 8 -13


So much for the weekly updates, huh? I underestimated the enveloping force that is being pregnant while running after a toddler. I will try to sum up the last few weeks:

Weeks 8 & 9

Woo boy, these two weeks gave me a run for my money! Nausea, exhaustion, crazy hormones (i.e. an emotional basketcase)... If it wasn't for quite possibly the most helpful and sympathetic husband in the world, I don't know what I would've done. Aside from a few particularly bad moments, the nausea was actually fairly manageable, and not nearly as bad as it was with Abigail. It was more like a dull ache that hung out in the pit of my stomach. I found that keeping at least some food in there, along with staying hydrated, really helped. The trouble with food was finding something that both my nose and stomach could agree on. These two weeks were definitely the most difficult, but luckily things improved drastically later on.

The cravings have been out of control this time!  I don’t remember any particular hankering with Abigail, except for pepperoni pizza in later trimesters. This time, though, they’ve been strangely powerful! I admit, though certainly not proudly, that I even indulged (gorged?) myself on McDonald’s one night. A horrible thing to do to my delicate growing baby, but man did it satisfy. I seem to want carbs and starches, specifically junky food like cheeseburgers, French fries, Italians, and sandwiches. I am obviously a huge advocator of real, whole foods prepared from scratch at home, but pregnancy cravings are no joke! There was also a terrible incident with chocolate cake (homemade, at least), that involved two failed attempts, tears, and lots and lots of leftover cake and frosting that did not go to waste. I can honestly say I still can’t even think of chocolate cake without getting a little nauseous…

Weeks 10-12

Each day after weeks 8 and 9 brought me closer to feeling normal again. I would still have a bad (super nauseous and exhausted) day here and there, but overall it was much better. I had a few headaches, but nothing like the 4-5 day monstrosities I had with Abigail. I did take acetaminophen twice, after trying all my natural remedies, but I really regret that and will just barrel through them from now on.

Week 13 

We have finally reached the second trimester, huzzah! Aside from a touch of nausea here and there, I’m feeling pretty great. I try to nap with Abigail most days, and go to bed with her at night, to stave off the exhaustion. I miss my peaceful alone time at night with the husband, but it’s worth it not to be a zombie all day. Lately, though, I’ve been staying up as late as 9 o’clock! ::gasp::

I broke out the maternity clothes! I’m definitely showing now, just passing the “is she fat or is she pregnant?” phase. The maternity gear is still a little big, but it’s much more comfortable than my regular clothes. I also ordered a few more things from Old Navy (who knew they did maternity?). I purposefully didn’t buy a lot last time around, as it seemed unnecessary to waste money on clothes nevermind stuff I’ll only wear for a few months. I wore my husband’s t-shirts mostly, with my one pair of maternity jeans. BUT, I realized that spending a few extra dollars on some nice things to avoid feeling like Frumpy Baggypants all the time is worth it. I tried to invest in pieces that would be wearable postpartum, too, including a few empire waist dresses that will last me well into the third trimester and be functional for nursing. 

Oh, I almost forgot! I had my first prenatal visit with my midwife, and she is awesome! I will have a separate post about it, including our birth plan.


The Grumpy McWhinypants Corner
  • I’m still battling the acne, though I just started oil cleansing and am hoping that will help.
  • I’m pretty tired of being tired.
  • The pain on the top of my hip is still there, though isn’t too bad lately. It gets me mostly when I sit in one position for too long.
  • I have had a touch of heartburn a few times, but nothing unbearable. That comes later…
  • The most difficult thing I have dealt with so far is the pain of nursing. Abigail still nurses a few times a day (morning, nap, and to sleep at night) and oh boy, it hurts like nothing I've ever felt. I hoped it would ease up after a while, but it only seems to be getting worse. Sadly, it's changing my original plan for breastfeeding, but that is for another post.


The Menu

Oh goodness, I’d like to go ahead and skip this part. We’ve eaten out more than I would like to admit. A few nights of cereal and chips for dinner. Lots of pasta and sauce (hey, at least the sauce is homemade?) On good days, I made pancakes, bread, muffins, granola, or cookies. I tried two new recipes, cheeseburger goulash and taco pie, both were meh and won’t be repeated without drastic alterations. Lots of eggs and oatmeal. Snacks are usually apples or bananas, homemade yogurt with my granola, or clementines. 

~

Pre-pregnancy Weight: 110 lbs

Current Weight: 120 lbs

Total Gain: 10 lbs

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Supplements
  • Prenatal vitamin
  • Biokult probiotic
  • 2 teaspoons FCLO/Butter oil blend
  • Magnesium body butter throughout the day, with magnesium oil sprayed on at night before bed
  • (I had to cut out the magnesium powder as it did not agree with my stomach)
  • I recently purchased all the bulk herbs for homemade pregnancy tea and hope to have a recipe up on my main blog soon! I will be drinking a quart of it a day.

1 comment:

  1. Glad to hear the nausea is letting up. I was still breastfeeding Little Ish for the first half of my pregnancy with Lily. It was definitely an otherworldly sort of ouchiness. I wasn't at all sad when he gave up breastfeeding cold turkey a couple of days after his 1st birthday.

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