I know I have been seriously MIA on here and I apologize to anyone who reads this blog regularly! I just haven’t had the energy or motivation – partly, because I am expecting #2! And partly because I was in a really writing-heavy Masters course that required 3 paper submissions. I’m just finishing it up in the next 2 weeks and I hope over the next month, as I take a break from the podcast too, to get back into the groove of updating this and sharing more information!

I thought I’d provide an update on me, Maggie, our family, and how the first trimester has been in the mean time. I’ve been thinking of lots of topics to cover related to pregnancy, and I also have a second part of the exercise myths post to complete – I haven’t forgotten! I love this blog as an outlet and being able to share useful information with others and I’d really like to get back to it. I’m going to use it to share my pregnancy week by week from 12 weeks forward as well – I know, as a mom (first time and beyond) we like to read and hear other peoples experiences. So I want to share mine as much as I can.

So first off, Maggie turned 18 months of July 8th

You may have noticed I skipped a 17 month update for Maggie – this was mostly because I was also SO tired and I just forgot and by the time I remembered, she was almost 18 months away so I figured why not wait until after her 18 month checkup to provide an update.

Maggie knows over 20 words now – some are her own “words” and may not sound complete, but she uses them with purpose! She successfully hit all her milestones for her 18 month appointment. Her weight and height are somewhere around the 35th percentile (she is smaller!) and her head remains high in the 90th percentile (as it was at birth ha).

The past few weeks have been challenging for us as parents because Maggie has been going through something – we’re not sure if it’s teeth or a growth spurt or a combination of both, but she’s been eating a lot and having some crying episodes. Daycare drop-off has never been a challenge for us but the past 2 weeks she hasn’t wanted me to leave – I think it may just be some separation anxiety. She also does not like when we use the word no, even though it’s her favourite word. She has had a few crying episodes where she basically screams and can be very difficult to calm down – if it’s near bedtime cuddling calms her down, but during the day or when we’re out and about (since we can be a bit more now) it’s a bit harder to manage. I know she’s experiencing emotions so we try to be patient and understanding with her but it’s definitely been a month of learning for us! And we’re not perfect or seasoned parents so we’re still learning how to deal with this kind of stuff. I’m hoping that this “phase” is over soon!

Other than that she has been well – she is active, a great sleeper, and a great eater as always.

…And I’m pregnant!

So we are expecting baby #2 early next year, sometime just after Maggie’s 2nd birthday. We are so excited!

But the first trimester has not been kind to me this second time around. I had a fairly east first trimester with Maggie – just tired, no nausea. I did dry heave but only with the smell of Nespresso during that pregnancy (which drove my husband mad because we had just got the machine as a gift for our wedding).

This time I had nausea SO bad by 6 weeks I had to start Diclectin at night time. I have done a ton of dry heaving, all throughout the day and nothing in particular seems to trigger it. I have had cravings – more salty this time around, and I’ve been a huge fan of vinegar and any fermented foods. With Maggie my cravings were carbs & sugar. I’ve definitely still had carb cravings this time, and fruit as always (with Maggie I also liked citrus) but it’s been a bit different and my taste has definitely been a bit more particular than last time. One day I love something, next day = not so much.

As I near the end of the first trimester now, I can feel my nausea getting better. It is mostly triggered now when I am hungry, so I try to have healthy snacks at regular intervals. I also avoid over-eating or eating anything that causes too much bloating since this aggravates it in the evenings as well. Sour candy has also helped a lot! I did avoid coffee also for about 2 weeks but have since been able to drink it but I am adding a milk in (usually drink it black).

So, to help other mamas (I know we love to symptom spot & share/compare symptoms) my top (maybe TMI) symptoms for me of first trimester:

• Breast tenderness/aching (from about my 4 weeks to 11 weeks ongoing)
• Nausea (from about 6 weeks to present, though not as bad now as it was the past 4 weeks)
• Exhaustion (from beginning and ongoing)
• Bloating, gas (from about 9 weeks forward)
• Constipation (intermittently from about 9 weeks)
• Cravings and aversions on/off, varying (see above)
• Increased vaginal discharge (10 weeks forward)

Have I had days where I have less symptoms? YES especially the very early weeks – I found out I was pregnant pretty early and I had no symptoms until about 6 weeks which is pretty typical. Last pregnancy I didn’t have any symptoms till 7 weeks, and some people barely have any at all! It can be a totally different experience for everyone – so don’t worry too much about how you compare to others. And yes – everyday can be totally different. If you’re concerned about a decrease in symptoms though, don’t be afraid to speak to your provider.

“Did you know you were pregnant?”

I know this is a common question people have re: symptom spotting. Any signs you were pregnant before you tested?

Last pregnancy I had tingling in my breasts, that was my only “pre-positive” symptom. It was something I’d never felt before my period so I knew it wasn’t normal for me, but I also for some reason took forever to test because I was convinced I wasn’t pregnant.

This time, I didn’t really have any precipitating symptoms, but I also tested a lot earlier (first positive was 8DPO). What prompted me to test was that I woke up that morning and felt 1) hot and 2) shaky, like when you’re really hungry or you drink too much coffee.

I was testing my temps for the few days before and they had remained elevated, and I tested as soon as I woke up and there was a spike! I had never done BBT (basal body temperatures) before but I knew that was sometimes a good sign, and as I had been doing OPKs (ovulation predictor kit) before too, I knew I was 8DPO and that it was *possible* to get a positive but not likely. Well, I got a faint positive test. It was a squinter, so I tested again for the next two days because #gottaknow and the second day I did a digital – it was certainly positive!

I think it’s important for everyone to note that any really early pregnancy symptoms (like around the time your period is due) would be really the same as before your period symptoms, since both would be related to progesterone that early. With my first pregnancy, I thought my period was coming for sure because of this. This one was a bit different, but every pregnancy can be so different!

Week 12

So that is up to 12 weeks for me. I have been feeling a bit better this week. We also had our Nuchal Translucency (NT) ultrasound done – everything was good and dandy with that & my bloodwork. Baby is quite long – 72 mm crown-to-rump compared to Maggie (also at 12 weeks) who was 58 mm! My midwives said we might have to adjust my due date because of this but we’ll assess more factors at my 16 week appointment.

Oh also fun fact:

WBCs and some other blood components have different ranges while you’re pregnant.

Some OBs/providers will give you a chart, but if you read your results from a lab online they’re likely going to only show you the ranges for what is considered normal for a non-pregnant adult. So don’t be alarmed – if you do get access to you results early, WBCs and neutrophils are two things that can notably be changed but have a full discussion with your care provider if you have questions/concerns!

In the mean time, here is a list of lab value ranges in pregnancy.

I’ll provide my 13 week update at the end of next week!