Ah I’ve missed writing. I always think about coming here and sharing something. God knows what but here I am.. sharing my second pregnancy details. I’ve been reading back through my posts from when I first found out I was pregnant with M and it just makes it all feel like it was only yesterday.
And here she is, my beautiful, happy, thriving 19 month old. I feel I’m coming to a point where I will stop sharing her with the world. I’m beginning to feel really uncomfortable the older she gets and the more I see/read I’m the news and I don’t know how she will feel about it when she’s older. As much as I love to share her cheeky face, part of me wants to keep all that for only the people that know us.
4 weeks pregnant
The day before I was due on I decided to do a test. I just had this gut feeling I was pregnant but Josh just said I was wishful thinking, as we had only just said we would like to start trying for a second. I waited for the second line but it didn’t show so I went and tidied the kitchen and returned back to the bathroom to find the faintest second line. I knew it and I knew that even the faintest line meant HCG had been detected in my urine. How did I know? I kept getting heart flutters about 2 weeks before taking the test. This was something that I had experienced the first time around and had gone to the doctors about as I was worried it was something else. I was also SO tired and more so than usual, even with having a toddler to entertain. I like sleep as it is but I would be in bed and asleep for 9pm most evenings. I kept feeling a little nauseous too, but didn’t know whether it was cause I was hoping I’d be pregnant or because I actually had morning sickness. I was also really emotional and would sob at anything! So, even though it was early, I’d say at 2 weeks I was getting symptoms!
5 weeks pregnant
I got my midwife appointment but it’s not for another 3 weeks, which will feel like forever. I feel like some days I even look a little pregnant but that might be due to me being extra hungry and eating more.. though I have read that hormones can cause swelling and second pregnancies show earlier than firsts. My boobs have started getting really sore now too, which I wasn’t expecting so early on. I can’t remember if the symptoms are much the same as last time but I thought this time round I’d try to document it a little better.
6/7/8/9/10/11 weeks pregnant
Oops. I stopped documenting how I was feeling. We went through a rough patch of sleep with Mali so the times I did get chance to sit for half an hour I decided to catch up on sleep instead. I got to see my lovely midwife again, who I had had throughout my pregnancy with M and luckily at the birth too. It was an hour long appointment going through things and taking bloods, recording height and weight. I pretty much had nausea every single day, all day, much much worse than last time but snacking often definitely helped. Thankfully, there was no actual sickness!
12 weeks pregnant
We finally got to see our baby. What a feeling! To see them there on the scan wriggling around, with little legs, arms and a heartbeat. Nothing will ever compare to that first moment you find out that they’re doing okay. From here on the nausea seems to have subsided and I’m feeling less tired. That could be cause Mali has actually started sleeping a lot better again though.
Looking back, here are a few things I’d tell myself for when second baby makes their appearance.
- You know your baby best. Don’t let any doctor tell you different.
- Soak it all in. Even the really hard bits. They don’t last forever and they’ll be big before you know it.
- The housework can wait.
- Eat well. Get all the best foods you can. If you can’t find time to cook ask someone to do it for you.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
I’m sure I have a lot more things to add to this so I’ll do an update in my ‘second trimester’ post.
I just want to add, I am so grateful to be on this journey again. I know how hard this can be for people to see/read and there are lots of different reasons why. Getting pregnant and being able to carry my own child is never something I will take for granted and is something I find totally unbelievable and fascinating. Sending so much love to anyone going through hardship.