We're Expecting Baby #4! Plus a First Trimester Recap
That’s right! I’m pregnant with our fourth child, and we couldn’t be happier!
If you’re already following along on Instagram this is not brand new information to you. We announced a few weeks ago, mainly because I wanted to start wearing maternity clothes in public and letting my already growing baby belly hang out.
HOW WE FOUND OUT
This baby was very wanted and prayed for, so it wasn’t a surprise to us by any means. However, it did take a bit longer to get a positive test this time around. Month after month went by where all I could think about was how I was feeling and whether that could be interpreted as a pregnancy symptom. Every headache, every time I felt extra tired, every time I felt slightly nauseous, I hoped and prayed it was because I was pregnant. And month after month it wasn’t.
On vacation in Wisconsin to visit family
By June, I was just kind of sick of the whole process, and we were on vacation with our extended family, so I kept putting off taking a pregnancy test even though I had my suspicions. I started feeling exhausted but just chalked it up to travel with little kids and being out of routine. The only thing that really stuck out to me as strange was that I would get sharp round ligament pains every time I rolled over in bed. I had never had that as an early pregnancy symptom before, so I wasn’t sure if it meant anything or not.
I really didn’t want to get disappointing news while spending time with our families, but finally one morning I woke up extra early and just HAD to know. (At this point I just wanted to know if I could have a drink or not).
We finally got our positive pregnancy test at 5:15 in the morning! I woke my husband up and showed him, silently cheering since we were sharing a bed with our toddler and I didn’t want him up so early.
We decided to tell my family right away that day since it was our last day with them before going to spend time with my husband’s family. We never get to announce in person since we live far away, so it was wonderful to be able to share the happy news face-to-face. We got to tell my husband’s family in person just a few days later.
(Normally I wouldn’t share with anyone, even family, so early in the pregnancy, but I would much rather tell them in person a little early than make 20 phone calls at the “right” time. We both come from large families so it takes FOREVER to tell everyone).
FIRST TRIMESTER RECAP
FATIGUE
From the moment I took the pregnancy test I’ve been beyond exhausted. I remember being tired during my other pregnancies, but the fatigue this time around has been almost debilitating. Now that I’m 15 weeks along I’m finally starting to have some days where I don’t NEED a nap to get through the day. Maybe it’s because I’m 31 now. I was in my 20s for my other three pregnancies. Or maybe each pregnancy just gets more tiring. Who knows!
I’ll usually be in bed by 8:30 and asleep shortly after, then when I put Lewis (2) down for his afternoon nap I’ve been letting Teddy (4) watch a movie while I take a quick snooze. It’s not ideal, but I feel pretty lucky that even though I already have 3 young kids, I’m still able to find time to get the rest I need.
NAUSEA
It’s the worst. Just a consistent feeling of wanting to throw up all day long. It’s especially bad after I eat. Or when I get hungry. So that’s fun.
I’ve been throwing up some mornings, but not every morning like in past pregnancies. As soon as I wake up I rush to the kitchen and try to blend a shake (high in protein, easy on the stomach) before my body decides it needs to throw up. Some days I make it, other days I don’t.
I haven’t had many aversions besides coffee (normal) and water. Yes, I’ve had an aversion to drinking water. I would take a sip and immediately feel so sick. It gave me the worst headaches from dehydration. I tried to stay hydrated the best I could with a natural electrolyte drink I order from Isagenix, sparkling water, and apple juice. I’m finally over that aversion, thankfully, and working on drinking 64+ ounces/day. (I need to keep adding more because I typically get terrible migraines during the second trimester, and drinking lots of water helps to prevent that).
Mostly I’ve just been eating what sounds palatable in the moment, which happens to be bland carbs most of the time. Toast with butter, cereal and almond milk, apple slices, and plain crackers have been my staples. I’m starting to add more variety each day as I start to feel better.
OTHER SYMPTOMS
Compared to my last pregnancy, I feel like the sheer number of first trimester symptoms is a lot less to handle. I have noticed, though, that I’m already experiencing some pain around my C-section scar due to my belly trying to grow and stretch, but the scar tissue not stretching. It gets pretty bad if I do a lot of activity, like going for a long walk or cleaning up toys around the house (which means bending over or squatting down a lot).
I’ve also already noticed some Braxton Hicks belly tightening already when I try to push myself too hard.
CLOTHES
I started showing around 7 or 8 weeks, so I’ve been ready to wear maternity clothes from the very beginning. I realized as I was going through my stash of maternity clothes that I really don’t have that much. However, since this will likely be our last baby, I don’t really want to spend much on more clothes. I’m going to be working with a capsule wardrobe, I suppose, doing laundry often and re-wearing pieces as much as possible.
I have filled in the gaps with a pair of adorable and stretchy denim shorts and a comfy black jumpsuit from PinkBlush. I got some great deals during their Labor Day Sale! I’m also keeping my eye on BLANQI products for support, namely the leggings and the support tank. Maybe next time there’s a sale I’ll pull the trigger!
Mostly I plan on wearing my Gap Pure Body maternity tank tops with kimonos, cardigans, and open chambray or plaid shirts.
EXERCISE
Nonexistent.
Ok, I’ll try to go for a walk here and there when I feel up to it. Other than that, literally nothing. And I don’t even care.
Now that I’m starting to feel better, I want to get back into my MUTU System core work so I don’t make my diastasis recti any worse. I’m also trying to remember my posture and alignment.
Maybe soon I’ll feel up to more strength training like squats, upper-body work, lunges, or calf raises, but not yet.
BABY #4
So far everything seems healthy with our little babe. I had an ultrasound at 12 weeks, and everything looked great with the baby. The only (minor) concern was that we discovered I have placenta previa. That could easily change as the pregnancy progresses, and my OB seemed to think at my last appointment that it might end up moving toward the back, so I’m praying that’s true.
Other than the ultrasound, I’ve been able to see the baby moving around on the small sonogram machine at every single appointment. It’s incredible how quickly they grow from a little peanut to looking like a human being!
We will find out the sex of the baby at the next ultrasound (around 20 weeks), and I’m thinking of possibly doing something fun for the kids to reveal the gender. Maybe the pink or blue colored frosting inside a cupcake or something like that. Could be fun! Teddy and Pippa both want a girl. Since the beginning of my pregnancy, I have had a strong intuition that it’s a girl, but now I’m starting to doubt myself. I guess we’ll know soon enough! I would be so happy with either a boy or a girl.
WILL WE KEEP TRAVELING?
A lot of people have asked me if we’ll keep traveling with the addition of a fourth child. The answer is YES! This blog isn’t going anywhere, and my love for travel isn’t either. Our travel plans are certainly slowing down for the time being, and I’ll take a nice long maternity leave after the baby is born, but I do want to sneak a trip or two in before that teeny tiny babe becomes a crazy toddler on the move!
Things will definitely be a bit trickier now that we’re moving into big family territory. It means having to book suites or vacation rentals instead of normal hotel rooms. It will eventually mean buying an extra plane ticket. It will mean more gear and snacks and heads to keep track of.
But I’m up for the challenge! My goal is always to encourage parents to make travel a part of life no matter what stage they are in. And sometimes that means changing your definition of travel. We’ll keep doing a lot of road trips and exploring areas close to home, and maybe saving up for one big trip a year. Big families can travel! Families with little babies can travel! Families with toddlers can travel! We just need to be more creative about it.
(Speaking of which, if you’re a parent of a large family and you travel with your kids, give me all the tips!)
FIRST TRIMESTER MUST-HAVES
Lifesavers and Preggie Pop Drops
All-natural electrolyte sports drink
Lemon & Peppermint essential oil
Gap Pure Body maternity tank tops
Bella Band & BLANQI Maternity support band
Coconut Oil (all-natural makeup remover AND moisturizer for your tummy!)
Gap Maternity joggers (SO comfortable)
Tylenol (I know, I know. I try to take it as sparingly as possible. But when I get migraines during pregnancy, I’ve yet to find a natural solution that works. I’ve talked to my OB about this and he said Tylenol is ok when I need it, and lots of water).
Bralettes (found these amazing ones on Amazon. So comfortable and so cheap).
STAY TUNED
for some more blog posts on traveling while pregnant and baby updates!
