Pregnancy – Page 3

21 Weeks Pregnant

June 30, 2016

This week has been a lot of fun. We had Vacation Bible School at church. My kids really enjoyed it – until the last night. They both lost it and pitched royal fits but, it happens, right? VBS gave my kids something different to do this week which was nice. I also enjoyed doing the craft room with all of our littles. We have a ton of kids at our church and I love getting to work with them. They are so much fun. Also, hello 21 weeks! I’m over that halfway mark which is both scary and a little relieving at the same time. I am praying so hard for this baby to grow, grow, grow and hang in there. I have had a lot of cramping and pains again this week, but it has been a tough week to really relax. My MIL kept my kids for a few hours the other day and I got a lot of work related things done, but I swear I am having the hardest time relaxing. I have learned that resting does not come easy or natural to me, but for the health of my baby boy, I’m just going to have to get over it because I can tell a big difference in the days I do rest and the days I don’t.

21 Weeks Pregnant

20 Weeks Pregnant – Halfway, Baby!

June 23, 2016

I am 20 weeks pregnant now, and in some ways this pregnancy has flown by, but in the last two weeks, it has come to a screeching halt. I talked a little bit about my complications last week and about moderate bedrest yesterday and let me tell you, while I am thankful I’m not on full bedrest (yet, anyway), I am not enjoying not being able to lift my babies or run in the yard with them. I’m not enjoying not being able to go many places and having to be really careful when I do. I am already tired of “laying around” and it has made these last two weeks slow to snail speed. I am praying so hard that this placenta previa resolves itself in the next couple of months so that I can get back to business as usual.

20 Weeks Pregnant

What to do When You’ve Been Put on Moderate Bedrest

June 22, 2016

I am not a doctor or medically trained professional. I advise you to seek the advice of your doctor when placed on moderate bedrest. I am only speaking from my own personal experiences with my own diagnosis.

Last week, after learning that I had complete placenta previa and started spotting and cramping, I was put on “moderate bedrest.” I’ve had a lot of pains this time around that have been very different than your typical round ligament pains. It took me by surprise because I am still young and my first two pregnancies had zero complications. I had never heard of “moderate bedrest” until last week. I though there was only “bedrest.” Who knew there was such a thing?

The first thing I did was ask my doctor a ton of questions and then talked to a close friend of mine, who happens to be a nurse, about everything. They told me all the information I really needed to know and my doctor gave me instructions on what to do and not to do. I still did a lot of research on my own and found this article written by the APA that was also very helpful. For me, moderate bedrest means that I am on complete pelvic rest. No exercising and I was instructed to rest as much as possible to ease the pains and keep from bleeding again. Also, I am at a high risk for preterm labor, so operation keep baby in has commenced. Resting will help this process.

What to do When You've Been Put on Moderate Bedrest

Gender Reveal and 19 Weeks

June 15, 2016

Gender Reveal

This week has been a bit of a roller coaster. We went to the doctor last Friday to find out the gender of our baby – or rather, have it confirmed. Confession: Ryan and I found out while we were in Florida, but because I was only 16 weeks, I wanted to have it confirmed before announcing it. While at the doctor, I also found out I have complete Placenta Previa with this pregnancy. Sigh. This means that if it does not resolve itself by the end of my pregnancy, I will have to have a c-section. I will also more than likely have to be on bed rest for a little while at some point and am at a high risk for pre-term labor. Not something you ever want to hear.

16 Weeks Pregnant

May 25, 2016

I can’t believe I am already 16 weeks pregnant! Little baby is growing along nicely as you can see! I have definitely popped these last couple of weeks. My stomach went from flat and easy to hide to POP and I basically had to tell everyone because it was getting so obvious. The news of this little angel absolutely knocked me off my feet. This pregnancy has been so weird and different than my other two. I didn’t find out I was pregnant until I was 7 weeks along and didn’t go to the doctor for the first time until I was 10 weeks. I have been very sick, but that has slowed up a little bit in the last couple of weeks. I’m hoping it will move on completely soon. To say we have been shocked about this pregnancy is an understatement. I’m not getting into logistics here, but even my doctor said “God must have really wanted you to have a baby right now.”

16 Weeks Pregnant

Another Little Blessing

May 20, 2016

I am so excited to finally share our news that we have tried to hide for a while now, but it is getting increasingly more difficult to keep it a secret. A couple of months ago, I started feeling really sick. I thought it was probably stress related. I had lost a few pounds and wasn’t really sure what was going on. Then it hit me. I was a week late. I took a pregnancy test audit was negative. I once again chalked it up to stress and decided to move on. Two weeks later, I threw up before church. I felt awful and immediately my mind was racing. What on earth was going on with me? I took another test the next day…positive. Another little blessing along the way! To say this news knocked Ryan and I off our feet is a bit of an understatement.

Another Little Blessing

The shock of our new little angel has finally started wearing off and we are starting to get really excited. This was not our timing at all. We had planned to have more children, but wanted to wait another year or two so that we could focus on our house (moving, decorating, investing in furniture), but once again, God had another plan for us. He has bee teaching me a lot over the last couple of months. I have learned that life is constantly changing and it is easier sometimes to not always have a plan and instead go with the flow. That is what we are doing. We are trusting God and His timing. We are also going to have to invest in a larger SUV, so any suggestion, mommas?

Keep Baby

I feel so relieved to finally share this news with you all. I hope this helps explain one of my hiatus from blogland lately. I have been really sick this time around, but have started having more good days than bad as far as that goes. Now that I am feeling better and summer has arrived in Alabama, I am looking forward to getting back after it. I am just over 15 weeks along and we are due the first week of November! I am so excited to meet our little turkey baby!

3 Ways to Prepare Your Toddler For The New Baby

August 13, 2015

I was so worried about preparing Hampton to be a big brother before Sophie-Rae arrived. Looking back, it’s silly because I know now (and I really knew then) that it would take time and experience. However, I still tried to do a few things to prepare him as best I could. He was only 18 months old when she was born, so it was difficult to explain to him that a baby was coming and would be staying. He did get to where he would rub my stomach and say “baby,” but he didn’t fully understand until she was here.

Here are a few tips on how to prepare your toddler for the new baby:

Before the baby gets here:

Read them books about becoming a big brother/sister.

Talk to them about the baby often.

Let them help you set up the nursery and prepare for the baby.

Once the baby gets here:

Let them help with the baby by bringing you diapers/lotion etc.

Spend quality one-on-one time with them every chance you get.

Buy them a special older sibling gift.

Do you have any advice to add? How did you prepare your children for a new sibling?

Things to Do For Yourself Before Baby

May 26, 2015

Before your sweet little bundle of joy arrives, it is very important to take care of yourself and enjoy some “me time.” You won’t get very much of that after the baby arrives, and even when you do, all you can think about is your baby. It is important to take care of yourself and enjoy a bit of pampering before the big day comes because then it will be all about the baby – for a while.

Here is a list of things to do for yourself before you have your baby:

Manicure/Pedicure

Movie with Friends

Girls Night

Get a Massage

Read a Book

Haircut

Eyebrows Waxed / Spa Day

Deep-clean the house

Go on a date (or 5) with your husband

Relax

Would you add anything to this list?

Pregnancy Style: What to Splurge On and What to Save On

May 20, 2015

During my pregnancy with Hampton, I bought a few things I wish I hadn’t wasted money on. Although during your pregnancy, time seems to stand still and you feel like you’re pregnant forever, you are really only pregnant for 9 (or 10?) months. Only about 6 of those months will you actually need maternity clothes. Here is a list of maternity items that are a must have in my book and a few that were a waste of money:

What to splurge on:

Maternity jeans from The Loft. They have an amazing fit and I wore them throughout my entire pregnancy. They are really great quality and I even scored mine while they were on sale! Definitely watch for those sales. Jeans are a staple piece in my wardrobe. I wear them all the time, so I could not due without them.

Maternity leggings. I bought mine at Motherhood and love them! You can get away with wearing your regular leggings for most of your pregnancy, but I loved having the tummy panel in the maternity leggings so that they didn’t leave that awkward ripple across your stomach. Leggings are a pregnant woman’s BFF. Trust me.

GapFit Maternity capris were my go-to for workouts. Again, I could wear my normal workout clothes for most of the pregnancy, but towards the end, it was nice to have a pair that had a tummy panel. They were so much more supportive and comfortable.

Pink Blush Maternity: pretty much everything on this site. Their clothes are great because you can wear most of them even post-pregnancy, and I have been very thankful for that. They are also my go-to for special occasion pieces because they are so affordable compared to other maternity stores. My Easter dress was from there along with this tunic I wore on Valentine’s day.

What to save your money on:

Old Navy, while I absolutely love them for my non-pregnant body and for my kids, their maternity clothes never seemed to fit me right. I was pretty disappointed in their pants, especially. Maybe they fit other body types, but definitely did not work for me at all.

Maternity shirts. Save your money on these. I bought one when I was pregnant with Hampton and I do still wear it occasionally, but it is ribbed on the sides and therefore I will not be able to wear it post-pregnancy. I learned that the best way to save money is to buy a size up or wear tunic style tops. These are loose and flowy so they are perfect throughout your pregnancy as well as postpartum. This way, you don’t waste money on ribbed tops AND postpartum shirts.

My favorite postpartum piece so far:

My Jessica Simpson compression tank (similar here). It is breast-feeding friendly and holds your stomach in which is so nice right after baby. I wish I had bought another one. It is so comfortable and I have absolutely loved wearing it postpartum.

Check out my post on How To Have a Stylish Pregnancy!

Maternity Style: How To Have A Stylish Pregnancy

May 13, 2015

One thing I didn’t do a great job of that I wish I would’ve done during my first pregnancy was show off my bump. I was constantly trying to hide it because I was very self conscious of the weight I was gaining. This time around, I was determined to show off my baby bump no matter how big I got. I am growing a baby. There is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of and every reason in the world to feel proud and show it off. So, that’s my first bit of advice. Don’t be afraid to show off that growing baby and belly! You are growing a human and that is pretty amazing!

Here are some tips for having a stylish pregnancy:

-Size Up. You’d be surprised with how much you can wear throughout your pregnancy by buying one size larger. You will also be thankful for these pieces after you have your baby.

-Leggings are a must have for pregnant women. They are stretchy, comfortable, stylish and pretty much perfect. You will be able to wear yours for a while, but you might want to purchase a pair of maternity leggings during your last trimester. They are just so comfortable and fit so much better. They also have a tummy panel so you aren’t dealing with an extremely noticeable band across your stomach.

-Tunics Are Your Friend. You won’t even have to size up for these. I loved wearing tunics during both of my pregnancies. You can wear them with your leggings or jeans and they are so flowy that you can get away with wearing them throughout your entire pregnancy. Not only that, You will wear them after your pregnancy as well. They are in style and aren’t going away any time soon.

-Belt It. Do you have a super flowy dress that makes you feel like you’re wearing a tent? Throw a belt on and Wa La! You’re showing off that adorable baby bump!

-Maxi Dresses are your best friend. No matter the season, they are always in style. I received this one from Pink Blush Maternity and wore it all the time during the winter months. They are so comfortable and stylish. The perfect combination for a pregnant woman.

-Splurge On Maternity Jeans. I don’t know what I would’ve done without jeans this winter/spring. I have worn them to death. They were definitely worth the $40 I spent on them. I know you don’t want to spend a lot of pieces you will only wear for a few months, but the chances are, you will wear them again if you want multiple children. Jeans are a huge staple in my wardrobe. I couldn’t do without them.

How did you style your bump? Do you have any other tips?