Unanswered Questions

From countless people, I had the same questions over and over about being pregnant for the second time and with a girl this time. I thought I would break it down for my friends and for future reference for my sweet Caroline (hoping that she gets to experience it someday).

With Andrew: I was pregnant all over, and I didn't get that round pregnant belly until the last few weeks. I got sick many mornings right after breakfast, but then I felt fine all day long. I nibbled my way through the day, and that kept me from sleeping at my desk or getting sick again. I first felt Andrew's fluttery movements around 21 weeks, and a few weeks later, I began to have Braxton Hicks contractions that continued regularly throughout the pregnancy. I didn't wear maternity clothes until about 6 months, but I could still wear regular shirts until the very end. My belly didn't have that round pregnant look until the last few weeks. I ran until I was 5 months pregnant, and then we walked regularly up to (and including) the day my water broke. At 39 weeks and 5 days, I labored (unsuccessfully) all night and then had a C-section. Andrew was delivered at 9:11am. He took a few seconds to cry, and he weighed 7 pounds & 13 ounces. The recovery was extremely painful and walking took a lot of effort and time. Eventually, I was back to walking an hour a day with Andrew in the stroller.

With Caroline: I was pregnant out front (mostly). I immediately had a poochy tummy and bigger boobs, which my doctor attributed to the "estrogen dump" when the baby's sex was assigned to female at 10 weeks. With that sudden growth spurt, I was thrust into maternity clothes right then. I was nauseous ALL the time and nothing seemed to help; however, I never once actually got sick. Around 15 weeks, the sickness stopped, and I started to feel Caroline's flutters. She never stopped. She moved often and with a good amount of force. I had Braxton Hicks from about 22 weeks until the end. I ran until I was 6 months and then I didn't exercise very much at all. My pelvis was sore most days, so we only walked a couple times a week (followed by serious heating pad usage). My maternity shirts BARELY fit over my belly by the end because it was all out in front. At 39 weeks and 1 day, I arrived at the hospital 2 hours before my scheduled C-section, and the doctors delivered Caroline safely at 8:54 am. She weighed 7 pounds & 1 ounce and screamed the second she was out. The recovery has been a great deal easier, and walking (although very slow) feels pretty good.

With Both Babies: I followed my gut and my cravings and tried not to stress about the weight I gained. Both babies needed lots of ice cream, candy, and chocolate. I enjoyed a few sips of wine here and there, napped as often as possible, and went to bed very early. I packed on exactly 30 pounds with each baby; however, the weight looked and felt very different. Both pregnancies yielded beautiful healthy babies. :) You can see the final belly shots for each baby. For Andrew's pictures, I wore blue shorts and with Caroline I wore red. Caroline seems to poke straight out!

:)

Anne