We are so blessed! All your sweet messages have meant the world to us and we're just so excited to finally share our news. Can you believe we're on the final countdown already? Just about 7 weeks till due date, but babies have their own agendas so it could be less till we get to see that sweet face not on a black and white screen. AHH! (in a good way)
There were so many great questions asked on our stories and I tried to cover most of them, but some needed much longer answers so I compiled them here. Hope it's insightful for those TTC or considering it or give you what you were looking for if you were the one who asked the question.
TTC & PREGNANCY PREP
HOW DID YOU PREPARE? BOOK YOU READ? TREATMENTS?
We made an appointment with my OBGYN several months before we thought we may want to start TTC at which we were able to chat about what changes we should make or habits we should adopt before TTC, lifestyle changes, what to expect going forward…really any questions we had or they had about getting pregnant, being pregnant, what to expect, etc. It was really helpful and I recommend taking the time to go with your spouse to an appointment with your OBGYN and just chat.
I also started reading Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler several months before we started TTC and it was so enlightening. Seriously I was taught nothing in my middle school sex ed class and can’t believe I made it to 30 without knowing how everything works.
I stopped my birth control and started taking prenatal vitmains several months before we started TTC.
LeBraun and I both love collecting and analyzing data so we started tracking and analyzing each cycle. We took my waking temperature daily and monitored our chart to know when my fertile phase was and when ovulation would occur.
For the first couple months we did “double blind tests” to confirm that we were understanding the charts correctly. For that we used PREGMATE Ovulation Test Strips Predictor Kit off Amazon. Basically they are small dip sticks that monitor when your LH surge occurs. I would do the test and only LeBraun would read the results when each was ready. We marked both to identify and confirm when ovulation occurred each month.
I also had started visiting an acupuncturist about six month before we started TTC since going off my birth control was reeking havoc on my hormones. I truly think it helped even me out. Once my cycle regulated a bit we were able to focus on different pressure points based on the phase of each cycle.
I’m also a huge advocate that regular exercise works wonders so we keep consistent with our workout routine as well as adding in a bit of gentle yoga as a way to meditate and relax.
HOW WAS STOPPING BIRTH CONTROL?
Ugh it was awful. I’ve been on birth control for more than a decade so my naturopathic doctor recommended taking a Vitex supplement to aid in the “withdrawl” process, and I thought everything was good until my first period arrived. My hormones went BERSERK. I lost 10 pounds in a week and felt like I was stuck in a never ending hangover. I could only keep down water and Pedialyte. Fortunately my period came back my first cycle and was consistent every month after that. I know it takes some bodies several months before returning.
After a couple months of crazy hormones I found a local acupuncturist who happened to focus on female health and fertility. I truly believe that the combination of consistent treatments, tinctures, and Chinese medicine teas really did help bring me out the other side. Once we switched to TTC mode, she focus on different areas that corresponded with my cycle to encourage fertility, implantation, warmth, and relaxation.
PRENATAL VITAMINS?
I’ve been taking MegaFood Baby & Me 2 for months. I love that they are made with real, wholesome foods. You’ll take two tablets per day. They are rather large and I have to break them in half because I’m terrible at swallowing pills.
Around week 8 my stomach started to feel uneasy swallowing large amounts of water so I switched for about two months to Smarty Pants Organics Prenatal Formula since it was easier to chew four gummies daily. The formula is not well-rounded as MegaFoods but I was able to keep them down and that was the point.
PREGNANCY & BABY
WHEN IS BABY'S DUE DATE?
Our sweet little one is due December 5, 2020.
HOW HAVE YOU FELT? ANY MORNING SICKNESS? ANY CRAVINGS OR AVERSIONS?
I’ve been great! I’m INSANELY thankful for an easy first trimester. We found right the same time they issued Stay At Home orders for COVID-19 so it kind of worked out. I was able to spend my days on the couch watching Netflix and Hulu. I did feel bad not being able to cook or focus on my normal activities with LeBraun working so hard, but I’m back in the swing of it now.
My understanding is that the craving would strike and you have to have that item like NOW or an aversion being you don’t even want to see or smell something. I haven’t had anything like that. I think I ate a little less veggie-heavy meals and more carbs than normal, but from what my friends have told me, that’s pretty standard for first trimester. Food I definitely ate more or less of were:
- Cravings/Eating More - Potatoes, Avo Toast, Mexican
- Aversions/Eating Less Of - Mushrooms, Broccoli, Tomato Pasta Sauce
The worst smell was when my brother put on some Icy-Hot. That was the only time I really thought I may throw up, but the smell has always bothered me so maybe it was just intensified.
FIRST TRIMESTER FEARS & ANXITEY?
Oh lord, so many! Obviously the first trimester is a major development time for baby and although our bodies are made to handle it, they are also capable of identifying any abnormalities and that’s terrifying. All the new sensations—aches, pains, cramps—really get your mind going. Once you see the positive test your mom instincts go crazy and you’ll instantly do anything to protect your baby which at that point is considered an embryo and only between the size of a poppyseed to a plum. Some cramps are okay and some are not. Which one do I have? Why does my shoulder hurt? Online it says shoulder pain could be an ectopic pregnancy, do I need to go to the hospital? On and on and on… Plus it doesn’t help that you’re first appointment typically won’t be till your around 8 to 10 weeks along which leaves you wondering for a month or longer if everything is going according to plan. You have to trust your body, trust your baby, trust the unknown…it was honestly really hard for me.
Not to mention that we were going through all of this in the middle of a freaking worldwide PANDEMIC! We found right right after Stay at Home orders were issued. Obviously not how we envisioned our first pregnancy experience—not being able to tell our family and friends in person, not being able to travel or enjoy a babymoon, not being able to go to workout classes, or just go about our normal everyday activities. Even our daily walks around the neighborhood didn’t feel safe. We were confined to our house/backyard (we are introverted people so it wasn’t as bad for us as some) but it still made it difficult to feel like myself sometimes.
This is also the last time it will truly be “just us” so having to cancel all our summer travel plans, ticketed events, illustration markets, and even being able to come into town for our nephew’s birth was very overwhelming.
Y’all know everything started changing. Everything has changed. What we have always known was gone. I know that probably sounds extreme but when your life is also in the middle of changing forever it’s A LOT to take in. Will LeBraun be able to be in the delivery room with me? I can’t do this on my own. He’s not allowed in my doctor’s appointment? What if they tell me the worse news? I can’t handle this on my own. Will we be able to see our families? When will they be able to meet our baby? We’re missing out on possibly one in a lifetime moments and memories. We are supposed to be able to do this together. Why? Why? Why?
(And that’s just a small insight to basically how everyday went for me)
Thankfully going into 2020 we didn’t set goals or resolutions, but had a simple wish which kind of turned into our manta to manifest: “healthy pregnancy, healthy delivery, healthy happy baby.” Anytime we started to feel overwhelmed we just took some time to breathe and repeat.
We keep the house well stocked so we didn’t need to expose ourselves to anything or anyone by having to go to the store. Instead I was able to use the time to post up on the couch, watch a ton of movies, and get some rest. LeBraun was able to catch up on a bunch of work. We didn’t feel bad for not getting enough done in a day which is typically how my days go. We didn’t feel like we were missing out on anything because all the events we planned on attending were canceled. We spent time in the backyard with some beautiful weather doing prenatal yoga every day. The ability to slow down was a blessing I truly believe, even though the reason for it was terrible.
That was probably wayyy more than needed to be said, but it feels good to have written it out. It’s all part of our story now.
HOW IS BABY DOING?
It’s the strangest thing only having appointments once a month. For the four weeks between appointments I have no idea what’s going on. I’m not visible showing so I can’t see that the baby is growing healthy and my symptoms change daily and the added anxiety of COVID is not helping. But we’re keeping it positive over here and just know that baby is doing well and growing/changing every day!
WHEN DID YOUR BUMP "POP?"
Apparently first pregnancies tend to “pop” later so I'm not concerned that I don’t have a bump yet. In the morning my stomach looks the same as it always has, but the pregnancy bloating has been real for me so by the end of the day I look several months pregnant no matter what I eat throughout the day.
WILL YOU FIND OUT THE GENDER?
We’re Team Green/Gray all the way! There are so few true surprises in life and honestly we don’t have a gender preference so we’re waiting until delivery to find out. Our prayer is simply for a healthy, happy baby! It’s been exciting everyday wondering who will be joining us this winter.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE GENDER IS, AS OF RIGHT NOW?
When I first saw the positive test I instantly felt like baby was a boy and I’ve only had one gender dream so far in which baby was a girl so honestly I have no idea. Odds are 50/50, right?
DO YOU HAVE A NAME PICKED OUT?
We’ve been making a list of names for years that we love and over the next few months will be narrowing it down. We plan on bringing a list of our top three to five names for each gender to the hospital and once we meet our little one we will decide. We do know our baby will share both of our last names, whether as a double barreled last name or mine as a secondary middle name, we’re not sure yet.
HAVE YOU PURCHASED ANYTHING YET?
LeBraun and I have been collecting future baby things for years. Whenever we travel we pick up a classic children’s book from the place we’re visiting. Now we have a small library of books, but the first outfit we bought for us for baby was a traditional Roots heather gray sweatsuit (Zippered Cabin Park Hoodie // Cabin Park Sweat Pants). LeBraun and I both love Roots and their sweats collection. When we saw it at the store we couldn’t leave without it. Fact: Everything is cuter in tiny sizes!
The very first thing we purchased after our positive test was an adorable knitted hockey outfit (with skates!!!) from Grandmabilt on Etsy as a reveal gift for my dad.
Y’all know hockey is a huge part of my family’s life and although our team is the New York Islanders, Hockey Canada will always be apart of our lives which is why we fell in love with this set.
Otherwise we plan on keeping it pretty minimal. Our wardrobes and lifestyle are pretty minimal so we’ve only boughten a few things so far. Since baby will be a winter baby we have been able to score some cute items on sale from last season. Hooray!
