Baby Goldsmith #2 is now on the way! Set to arrive January 9, 2017.
This time we found out again at about 4 weeks. But it was very strange timing!! Date of conception and date of Nathan going out of town were a bit odd, but apparently it does happen!!
A few months prior to finding out I was expecting, I had set up an appointment with an OB to discuss getting back on the Metformin for my bloodwork-diagnosed PCOS, since we were trying. The OB decided the Metformin was unnecessary (since we had conceived naturally in November 2015 but miscarried at around six weeks), and wouldn’t prescribe it. So that month went by, and I decided to see a different doctor. This doctor, I just listed off the medications I was already on (as a new patient). The Metformin was one of those medications. I don’t know why or how it works, but I was on it for two weeks and Baby Goldsmith #2 was in the oven.
Month 1 of pregnancy with baby Goldsmith #2 was EASY.
No nausea, no real symptoms. This time I just decided to test randomly when my period was late (at about “4 weeks pregnant”) and surprise! We had been trying, but the timeline of him going out of town just didn’t match up, so we figured it was’t going to happen. We left it in God’s hands, and oh did He deliver!
Month 2 was HORRIBLE.
SO MUCH BLOAT. In the mornings I was fine, but by dinner I looked like I was 4 months pregnant. Seriously. I also developed “baby brain” this week. I found a previously opened bottle of orange juice in my kitchen cabinet. It was pretty gross! I could feel a lot of gas bubbles moving around, small sharp pains here and there, ridiculously sore breasts, and FATIGUE. Days and days of fatigue. I had forgotten how tired pregnancy makes you feel, but it is seriously unlike any other. Scatter-brained, had to pee more (waking up in the middle of the night) and some evening headaches. I think I needed to drink more water! So I upped my water intake.
Day two of week seven is when the NAUSEA started. There’s no way to describe pregnancy nausea except feeling hungover 24/7 with seriously no relief. It is not wanting to leave the house because of the fear of losing your breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner. It woke me up in the middle of the night and loved to make an appearance around dinner time. I seriously do not know what HM and I ate for dinner the entire week. It was so miserable. I put her to bed early so I could just curl up in my bed. I munched on small things, but everything they tell you to munch on is carbs, and my body just craved protein. Things I could keep down: cereal, yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese. Other than the nausea, my face broke out pretty badly and I cried watching the movie, “Rio”, which I have seen over a thousand times (HM’s FAVORITE movie).
The in-laws came to town at week eight so I was distracted and well-fed. The nausea was pretty bad, but I found a bottle of Diclegis from the last pregnancy and started to take it. It helped immensely! I was still exhausted, maybe even more so with the medicine. I had an appointment with an OB, but they don’t do ultrasounds until twelve weeks, so the waiting begins!
Month 3 slowly got better!
Still so. much. nausea. week nine. Mostly in the afternoons and at night. At this point I’ve gained 0 pounds. One night I called my mom in tears just begging her to come help me, so she booked a flight for the next week. We still hadn’t been eating much and poor HM had to stay inside except for a few random errands. I was still eating what tasted good – cheese, crackers, macaroni, granola bars, yogurt, pizza and cereal.
My mom came to town for week ten and we scheduled an elective ultrasound to see the baby. It was amazing! We went to Love My Baby Bump and they did a 2D to let me see the baby in there. They said everything looked great, no concerns! Baby had a heart rate of 176 🙂 I was still nauseated and really tired, but the end of this week started to seem a little better.
Finally started to feel better at week eleven! Nausea at night, but nothing like it was. Still hadn’t gained any weight, but started to show a tiny baby bump 🙂
Week twelve I was super moody. Almost bi-polar with moods. I wanted to cry at random things, like when I saw HM smile at another kid. Definitely less bloated and more baby-bump, occasional aches and pains in my uterus area as things shifted around. I took a bath this week and really enjoyed it.
I weighed myself at week thirteen, day two, and had actually lost 1.5 pounds since I became pregnant. All the nausea and lack of eating really took a toll on my body. No more nausea though, and I started to be able to cook and eat the foods that are good for me. I ran a 5k race on day 3, and although it was my slowest 5k EVER, I was still able to do it while pushing a stroller with HM in it! I had an ultrasound that morning, and they dated the baby to January 9th. Everything looked great and baby was very active!
Month four and second trimester!! Woohoo!!!
This month was SUPER busy – including the 4th of July, a road trip to Virginia, and an appointment with my midwife.
I had been unsure about the new OB I was seeing at a clinic about 30 minutes away from where I live. Last appointment, they barely asked any questions, did a PAP which I wasn’t sure about, and then I was out of there in about ten minutes. This time, they asked a ton of important questions including my history with HM’s birth, how I wanted to deliver, whether I was planning to breastfeed, etc. They completely put my mind at ease and have decided to refer me to a specialist near my house to ensure I am a good candidate for a VBAC, which would be ideal this time around (as long as the cholestasis doesn’t return). I would love for this baby to bake as long as possible!! (Though I may not agree with that at around 39 weeks…)
As far as symptoms, I felt great this month. No nausea, only some constipation (I had to take a daily Colace) and occasional bloating. I had more energy this month but my belly has really exploded out – pregnancy definitely shows faster the second time around!! I tried to stay active which was not too hard because of chasing an 18-month-old around 😉
Month five was pretty uneventful. HM and I stayed with my parents in Northern Virginia for a few weeks and my in-laws in Southern Virginia for a few weeks, and everything went pretty much as normal! I went to a cross-fit gym in Charlottesville at 20 weeks with my in-laws and had a pretty good WOD – back squats, wall balls, farmer’s carry, cycling, and hill sprints. I was able to do a complete workout with no problems, though the running started to get a bit uncomfortable.
Only new symptom this month was the arrival of the always-fun Braxton Hicks contractions! They are definitely more intense this time around. I also started to feel baby’s gently tickling kicks right around 20 weeks.
Month six was a lot of the same, felt a lot like I wasn’t really pregnant, just outgrowing all my clothes! We went to the beach with my parents and I really felt great the whole time. Lots of good food, time at the beach and pool, wonderful breezy naps, and tons of ice cream!! At around week 23, my mom, HM and I drove from the beach back home to TN. I had to pee more often, but otherwise couldn’t even tell I was pregnant. When we got back to TN, I had my high-risk ultrasound with maternal-fetal-medicine. I LOVE the specialists there – they definitely put me at ease and are encouraging my attempt at a VBAC!! Since I have a uterine abnormality (arcuate uterus), they have suggested I not travel after 32 weeks, so there goes my plans for Thanksgiving this year. HM also started pre-school so I can stay home two days a week and NAP!!
During week 25 I had my teeth cleaned. They couldn’t do x-rays because of the pregnancy, but they actually encourage the cleaning. Apparently your gums are more susceptible to gum disease when you’re pregnant. I also had to get a filling which was a story for a different day. It was not fun!
I have been seeing the same chiropractor since the end of the first trimester. I HIGHLY recommend seeing a chiropractor during pregnancy. It can get pricey, but is absolutely worth every ache and pain and misalignment. My body likes to reorganize at night while I’m sleeping, and an adjustment is worth every penny.
Third Trimester!!
Week 27 is what I like to call “Viability Week!”. Even though they would attempt to keep the baby alive at 24 weeks, at 27 weeks they are much more developed and more likely to survive. Just a lot of gas this week, and kicks getting much stronger!
Week 28 I had an appointment with my midwife which was basically just to get my TDAP and Flu shots, plus the always-fun 1-hour glucose test. She used the doppler to check baby’s heartbeat which was 150, and we briefly spoke about my attempt at a VBAC! Everything else was pretty standard. I’ve gained about 19 pounds total this pregnancy, which is a lot better than last time! (Last pregnancy I gained 40 pounds!) Though I do have 12 weeks left…
HORRIBLE sciatica pain and acid reflux this week. I went for a walk and almost couldn’t make it home I was in so much pain down my butt and right leg. A friend suggested doTerra DigestTabs for the acid reflux, and so far so good with that! I have also escaped the stretch marks SO FAR… I have a feeling they’re coming!! Baby kicking like crazy, and we had an elective 4d ultrasound to see little man. He is head down and LOW, so right on my sciatica nerve. He also loves pushing his head against my placenta, so we had a little trouble getting good photos.
Month nine was fairly uneventful. I became much more uncomfortable around week 38, couldn’t sleep, horrible acid reflux, horrible SI pain, and painful breathing. Everything was miserable. I pretty much napped from week 39-40. My mom flew in at 39 weeks to help us with HM when the baby was born. She ended up being in town for three weeks!
Baby didn’t come as planned, so it was an unsuccessful VBAC. They didn’t want to induce me, so we scheduled a repeat c-section. It actually went fairly well, and baby EJ was born on January 11, 2017 at 12:24pm!