Baby #2: First Trimester

So I don't know if I will document this pregnancy to the same extent that I documented being pregnant with Jack (weekly updates may be too much this time around), but I would like to track my experience, and my blog seems like the best place to do that.

It's really hard to believe that I am 14 weeks already. Like before, I am high risk for blood clots, so I get to give myself daily injections in my stomach. This is probably my least favorite part of being pregnant.

Minus a few scares in the first trimester, this pregnancy hasn't been too difficult. That being said, it is different. I have had about 3 weeks of mild morning sickness, I eat a lot of pickles to combat a metallic taste in my mouth that always seems to be there, and have had a decent amount of fatigue. Like my pregnancy with Jack, I am working out 4x a week and plan to continue until I give birth.

Here is a brief recap of my first trimester:

Week 3-4: Pregnant? 

Suspected I was pregnant when I had hip pain and an excessively strong sense of smell and a periodic metallic taste in my mouth.  

Week 5: Positive. 

Confirmed that I was pregnant. Had typical early growing pains and heartburn. 

Week 6: Nauseous. 

Thankfully no throwing up. I felt like I was starting to show right away, but I was probably just hypersensitive. Below you can see the start of a baby bump at 6 weeks (or maybe I was just bloated).

Week 7: Anxious. 

This was a week marked by lots of anxiety. At the beginning of the week, I had some brown discharge/spotting. This was very scary and I was convinced that I was going to miscarry again. We went to OB a week early and saw the baby and heard a strong heartbeat of 150, which was encouraging. There was also a potential blood clot in my uterus with the baby that was worrisome (though it explained my spotting). 

Week 8: Hopeful. 

No real spotting this week. I started to share my news and it felt good to let go of the fear. I had an ongoing metallic taste in my mouth – pickles seem to neutralize the bad taste. I have been eating lots of pickles throughout this pregnancy. The medical term for this is dysgeusia, and I have it bad.

Week 9: Peace. 

By the end of the week, I was feeling oh-so-very-tired! Which is a good thing, right!? Ultrasound at end of week showed a baby that was on track in growth and had a strong heartbeat of 182. We also saw what appeared to be a blood clot at 7 weeks was actually a mass with its own blood supply. This was cause for greater concern, but we did our best to be at peace with this development.

Week 10: Beach. 

Enjoyed a relatively relaxed vacation (for us). I discovered that walking on sand does a number on my pelvis and hips. Everything hurt! I was also extra tired all week and experienced some mood swings and the start of some mild morning sickness. It's a good thing I told my family beforehand that I was pregnant... there was no hiding a slightly pregnant belly in a swimsuit!

Week 11: Tired. 

This was the most tired I felt in this pregnancy so far. I also experienced several headaches, but that might have been from working out and then not eating or drinking enough. Working out felt really good this week. I thought it would be hard to come back after a week of vacation, but working out always makes me feel better. Continued morning sickness this week.

Week 12: Relief. 

We saw a high-risk OB after some concern about high hormone levels (coupled with the mass in the last ultrasound). There was talk of a partial-molar pregnancy, which is enough to scare anyone. Thankfully, our high-risk ultrasound showed us a perfect baby. No mole and no sign of the mass that was apparent in the 9-week ultrasound. We were incredibly relieved. God is good. We believe in the power of prayer. This was my worst week of morning sickness yet.

First Trimester Overview:

So far I have had zero weight gain, though I am starting to have a more obvious baby bump. I haven't had a lot of cravings this trimester – the thought of food makes me not want to eat. However, I am eating lots of pickles. I don't think this is a true craving, it just balances out the metallic taste in my mouth. So far I have had a lot less heartburn than I had with Jack. 

That about sums it up. I will have periodic updates throughout this pregnancy. 

Baby #2 First Trimester  |  Second Trimester  |  Third Trimester