How Far Along: A little over 15 weeks now. I found out I was pregnant at 4.5 weeks, so it’s felt like an eternity to get to this point and be able to talk about it all.
Gender: It’s a girl! We are happy to be having another girl. We know girls, I have all of Quinn’s old clothes saved, and I grew up with a sister and know how special that bond is. I’m really happy Quinn will have that.
Feeling: I started feeling really crappy at around 6.5 weeks. I was nauseous all day (like hungover feeling without the fun the night before) and felt like I needed to eat every 2 hours. My diet consisted of cereal, toast, baked potatoes, bagels and cream cheese, and lemonade. Honestly, this wasn’t always easy for me to let go and do because I’m such a health freak, but I had to listen to my body and just go with it. I completely stopped cooking dinner (sorry hubs!) and really nothing but carbs + butter/cheese sounded appetizing. I mean coffee didn’t even sound or taste good!
Then it started to shift that if I ate something first thing in the morning I would feel pretty good until about 2-4pm then I would feel so sick and so exhaused. I tried to get in more protein and veggies early in the day knowing I’d just want a baked potato with butter and cheese for dinner.
Thankfully week 13 I seemed to turn a corner and starting feel less sick in the afternoon and evenings. I still feel hungrier during the day and need to eat frequently, but I can tolerate veggies and animal protein again. It feels good to have more balanced meals, but I’ve promised myself I’m going to let myself enjoy this pregnancy and not stress about the food piece.
Maternity Clothes: I not wearing anything maternity just yet, but it’s getting close. I’ve been wearing my Lululemon align pants and joggers A LOT And all my other leggings fit, but I know that soon I’m not going to want those waistbands digging into my belly. I got this jump suit Heather has and it’s so comfortable to wear around the house and to bed. I have these Zella maternity leggings and I plan to get these maternity leggings as well. I didn’t really save my old maternity clothes and I don’t want to buy too much this time around but a few pairs of leggings and oversized tops.
Sleep: In the beginning of the first trimester I had bad insomnia and would also wake up around 1-2 am with nausea/stomach aches and have a hard time falling back asleep. My doctor recommended Unisom and that has been so helpful for sleep and also has helped with the nausea in the middle of the night. So far sleep hasn’t been too big of an issue, but I know it will get more uncomfortable the bigger my tummy gets!
Body Changes: I’m showing SO much sooner this time around and I know that is normal. For a while it was just a lot of bloating and blah, but now at 15 weeks there is a definite bump. My boobs are huge too which I don’t mind lol, but they are sore and itchy which is uncomfortable.
Exercise: Even though I didn’t feel great in the first trimester I still tried to keep up with staying as active as possible. It honestly makes me feel better mentally and physically. I am riding the Peloton bike 2-4 x a week either doing a ride + arm toning or a bike bootcamp. I’m also doing barre (online Barre3 and Pure Barre) 2-3 x week and walking as much as possible when weather allows. I am obviously taking it easier on the bike and trying to keep my heart rate in an appropriate zone. My output stinks which is hard for me because I’m competitive, so no PR’s for me for a while, but #worthit.
I taught and took Pure Barre my entire pregnancy with Quinn and felt like it was a great strengthening and toning workout for pregnancy. I swear it was one of the reason my labor and delivery was so fast and straight forward. So when I found out I was pregnant this time, I immediately rejoined Pure Barre to compliment the cardio I’m doing on the bike.
Cravings: I was so nauseous for about 8-9 weeks that I really didn’t eat anything but carbs (crackers, cereal, toast, bagel, baked potato) + fat (butter, cheese, nut butter) on repeat. I didn’t have any cravings for specific foods, but mostly aversions and trying to figure out what I could tolerate best. Luckily the nausea shifted so it was really only a problem starting around 2-3pm, so I tried to get in a more balanced lunch with vegetables and protein then would usually end the day with a bowl or cereal or baked potato with cheese.
Symptoms: I didn’t start to experience pregnancy symptoms until about week 6-7. That is when the nausea started, my boobs got huge, and I felt bloated. I started to break out a lot again likely due to hormones and adding back so much dairy and gluten into my diet. It’s calmed down now thankfully, but my skin isn’t as good as pregnancy, but oh well! I also have really bad sciatic nerve pain on my right side. I remember having this with Quinn. I continue to get monthly massages, chiropractor, foam rolling, and my acupuncturist is working on it too.
Mood + Energy: First trimester I definitely felt exhausted in the afternoons. A wave of exhaustion would come over me and I felt like I just needed to sit on the couch. I let myself just put on a show for Quinn and veg out if I needed. My mood has felt pretty stable over the past few months. A little anxiety here and there, but nothing extreme thankfully. I’m also have insomnia some nights, so that will make for a less energized next day. I guess that is just my body preparing me for what’s to come!
On My Mind: I was really just taking the first trimester day by day. It’s a really nerve racking first few months to get through with all the tests to make sure the baby is viable and healthy. I also felt 24/7 sick and that started to feel like groundhogs day with no end in sight. I’m relieved that’s all behind me and I can focus on getting baby girl’s room ready and enjoying time with Quinn.
Looking forward To: I’m looking forward to my second trimester and feeling better! I haven’t really cooked since the beginning of October, so I’m hopeful to get back in the kitchen meal planning and cooking. I’m also looking forward to getting the baby’s room ready!
Thank you for following along!
xx, A
