Baby 3: First Trimester Recap

Well summertime is just around the corner…and so is my third trimester! Now that I’m nearly into the third trimester I figured I should write about my first trimester before I completely forget it all.

Going back to the end of 2021, I suspected I was pregnant when, on Christmas Eve, I gagged while trying to eat peanut butter toast. A perfectly normal breakfast for us, one that I usually enjoy, just didn’t sound appealing and I couldn’t even finish one little piece of toast. The next day, Christmas Day, we were leaving my parents’ house and I was either carrying gifts or a child, but whatever it was had me extremely winded… also odd. When my cycle was one day late on December 27th I took a test which immediately popped up positive. I thought I was only four weeks along and was shocked at both the extremely early symptoms and the dark pink positive line, but we found out a few weeks later at the midwife that I was a week further along than I thought. So there you go; the early story of Baby 3!

Symptoms and What I Ate

Even though I gagged easily in the first trimester (like eating the toast on Christmas Eve, also every time I brushed my teeth or changed a diaper…) I never actually threw up, and I didn’t even feel that nauseous. I didn’t feel great in regards to my stomach, but it wasn’t terrible, and I was able to stay feeling well thanks to lemon lime Sparkling Ice waters, the lime flavored Outshine popsicles, under-ripe bananas, and oddly enough, uncured salami haha! Other things I ate often in the first trimester were: California sushi rolls, bean burritos (super unusual for me), and avocado toast. I could not stand peanut butter, eggs, and even chocolate was iffy for me! I also started quickly on my prenatal vitamins – I took these vitamins while pregnant with and while nursing Selah so I just immediately ordered them again. This was my first time having my first trimester be in the winter so maybe the colder weather helped me feel better, maybe it’s because it’s my third, or maybe it’s because it’s a boy. Whatever it was, I was thankful that I made it through the whole first trimester without being sick. (Other than when I caught a stomach bug from my girls.)

Now, nausea may have been no biggie, but the exhaustion was (and sometimes still is) so tough! I also got covid at 6 weeks pregnant which wore me out, though thankfully nothing too severe, and that + pregnancy had me falling asleep on the couch as soon as the girls went to bed. I struggled to wake up in the mornings, I felt like I couldn’t make it through the day without a nap, so most days I would try and sneak in a power nap when possible. And as has been the case with all my pregnancies so far, coffee just wasn’t it. I could usually handle a cup in the morning, but later in the day it was too revolting to think about a second cup. Sleep was the only thing that could cure what ailed me.

Exercise

As I wrote in a recent post about body image, my exercise routine has remained largely the same for the past year and a half. I get in five super short morning workouts a week and walk about three times a week. This has felt both enjoyable and sustainable for me and I plan on keeping this up! I did take some breaks at the beginning of pregnancy, though, due to exhaustion, then covid, then a stomach bug a month or so later. But on those days that I didn’t feel I could do squats, or bicep curls, or get out for a walk, I would just do some nice gentle stretching. This way I could still get some movement in – this is something that has only recently become important to me – and that movement felt good for me. When I was six weeks pregnant, dealing with backaches and headaches thanks to Omicron and I was exhausted and queasy due to the teeny life in my womb, the last thing I would want to do would be squat jumps! Some gentle stretching is sometimes all you can muster, and as one of my midwives said to me during my last pregnancy, any movement is better than no movement.

Thankfully now that I’m 25 weeks my energy level is much better! I do still take power naps when I can (just woke up from one before typing this blog hehe), but exercise is much easier to accomplish now. This morning, for example, I did a quick 10 minute workout of skater jumps, squat jumps, then grabbed my dumbbells for wall sit with bicep curls, walking lunges with chest press, tricep kick backs, and delt flies, then ended with some Spinning Babies stretches. After breakfast and getting the girls dressed I was able to get out by myself (thanks to my husband for working from home!) for a 1.5 mile walk. I got a little sweaty, but didn’t feel like my exercise was too intense, and it was very enjoyable!

If you are in your first trimester right now… rock on, mama! Find what feels right for you, whether it’s popsicles or salami, walking or stretching, and keep it up. You’re doing great! Get some rest…and enjoy your Pinch of Crazy!

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First Trimester Recap

If you hadn’t heard, now you know! Baby Mills #2 is coming in April 2020! I briefly spoke about my pregnancy in my most recent post, and have also shared on my social media, but I wanted to give a more in-depth recap of our journey to Baby 2, how my first trimester went, and what I ate – this is a food blog after all 😛

Journey to Baby

On June 25th, 2019 I took a pregnancy test which, much to my shock, came back positive; I didn’t have any symptoms other than being late. We had talked about wanting to start trying soon, but weren’t quite there yet. However, we were so excited and planned to tell our families on July 4th festivities. Sadly, this little one never made it that far – we lost our darling babe on July 2nd. Due to our recent move, a surprise pregnancy, and the holiday, it took what seemed like forever to finally get in to see a doctor and make sure everything had passed and was okay. But I eventually found a team of midwives that we (all 3 of us!) adore! They tested my hormone levels to make sure I didn’t have any pregnancy hormones left, and said we could start trying again at any time.

We weren’t exactly “trying”, but also weren’t preventing, and when I had three consecutive days of slight, annoying nausea, and still no cycle after the miscarriage, I decided to take a pregnancy test on July 30th. Again, positive! We were simultaneously nervous and over the moon. Almost immediately we visited the midwives to test my hormone levels and make sure they were rising appropriately – they were! We even did a very early ultrasound at 6 weeks to make sure everything was in the right place, and got to see our teeny tiny grain of rice baby flicker ever so slightly with a heartbeat.

Now I am 18 weeks pregnant (almost halfway!), Baby is the size of a cucumber, and while I still think about, and feel sad about, the sweet baby we won’t meet on this earth, I am so thankful to feel these precious baby jabs in my womb. It is frightening that there are so many variables that can cause a pregnancy to fail, but all I can focus on is that for now I have this little, wriggling life inside of me, and he/she has a rambunctious big sister who loves to kiss them already and even put lotion on them! Rather than fretting about what could be, I will choose to cherish these moments.

10 weeks, 12 weeks, 15 weeks

Symptoms and Cravings

Nausea: the dreaded symptom of all pregnant mamas, yet, this time around, it was an odd comfort to know that my hormones were high and Baby was well! Miraculously, I never vomited due to morning sickness *praise hands* but had plenty of food aversions, uncomfortable nausea, sensitive gag reflex, and was sensitive to smells.

One of the first foods I quickly had to give up was eggs of all kinds. I thought my first pregnancy barf was coming one morning when I was 8 weeks pregnant and peeling a hard boiled egg for Zemirah. Gag! So then instead of our standard boiled eggs and oatmeal (which was also hard for me to stomach), we would usually have toast and a big glass of my Berries and Greens Smoothie; something nice and cold, sweet, and with hidden veggies – which were another food aversion.

I started craving dairy, which we hardly have in the house. I made a big lasagna with gluten free noodles, spinach, and lots of cottage cheese, I also ate cheese-sticks for snacks, bowls of cottage cheese, and made my Spaghetti Bake with Balsamic Glaze with ooey gooey mozzarella! The dairy craving has passed now, but I have found with this pregnancy that my stomach can handle dairy much better than my non-pregnant stomach can.

I have been craving all things tart and sour since the beginning of pregnancy, and still am! Green olives and/or kalamata olives are a standard snack for me, along with pickles or banana peppers, and at the beginning of pregnancy I couldn’t get enough ice cold lemonade! Instead of drinking the overly sugary, overly dyed kind, I chose to get Simply Lemonade, made with water, lemon juice, and cane sugar. A deliciously sweet/tart treat I’ve enjoyed this pregnancy is Annie’s Sour Bunnies – an organic, real sugar chewy treat!

Sandwiches! Oh my word, I could not get enough sandwiches at the beginning of pregnancy. They were light, refreshing, cold, and I could put lots of tart condiments like mustard, pickles, banana peppers, and put extra veggies in there like greens, tomatoes, or cucumbers. Not to mention, I could pile them high with meats! The sandwich craving has passed for now, and I’ve lowered my bread intake, but I was just letting myself eat as much whole grain bread as I needed to to stave off the nausea while filling my belly.

Speaking of meat…yes I craved meat at the beginning of pregnancy. Which was weird for me because I wasn’t like that with Zemirah. Maybe it’s a boy??? But I was all about big, juicy lettuce wrapped burgers or tacos, Slow Cooker Pork Roast with Veggies with pork or beef, and have made a lot of Roasted Chicken with Carrots to satisfy my cravings while getting some vegetables in, too.

My eating habits have pretty much returned to normal now; I still have more carbs than usual due to my growing appetite, but I am eating more vegetables and little to no dairy again. However, I felt perfectly comfortable letting my body dictate how I needed to eat those first few months and just steering it healthier. Because while I might have been craving deep fried mozzarella sticks (yep, I was) I knew I could satisfy that craving and feel better in my body by eating a cheese stick and some crackers with hummus…probably with a handful of olives, too. Yum!

Activity

While pregnant with my first, Zemirah, I struggled to be active and exercise. With this baby, though, I am fortunate to be a Stroller Strides instructor so I have to get outside and exercise at least twice a week! And on those mornings where I thought I wouldn’t even be able to hold down a piece of dry toast, I found that movement and fresh air really helped cure my nausea. My goal for each day is to move my body, whether that’s instructing Stroller Strides, going to one of the other classes offered with Fit4Mom, going for a long walk, and some days when it’s hard to get out of the house, that may just look like some stretchy yoga. One of my midwives told me, “any movement is better than no movement” so if all I can manage one day is a few downward dogs, I’m counting it!

I’ve also given myself more grace to rest and nap this time around. I can usually find a hundred other things to do rather than lay down, but I know I need to get rest for this little baby. Oftentimes, I nap when Zemirah does, but on days where I have to work, I make sure to have time to sit and quiet my brain. Nearly every night, I go to bed early…usually on the couch and then my husband cruelly wakes me up to go to the bed haha! And if I’m feeling extra sleepy when my alarm goes off, I snooze until Zemirah comes and wakes me.

Basically what I’ve learned in this Crazy season of having a toddler, multiple part time jobs, and being pregnant is that it’s all about grace. Grace to not post a new recipe here every week, grace to not have a spotless house, grace to sleep in, grace to eat toast or cheese. And whatever season you’re in, you deserve some grace, too. Eat that dessert, take that power nap, leave your dishes overnight, whatever you need to do for a little breathing room…and enjoy your Pinch of Crazy!

This post contains affiliate links; if you purchase using the links, it is of no extra cost to you, just a small commission for me. Thank you for supporting A Pinch of Crazy!