Pregnancy round 2: First trimester

Well here we are again… excited to announce that baby number 2 is coming in strong!

In preparation to write this, I read over my first pregnancy blog with Massi and it was such a wonderful trip down memory lane and reminded me of one of the reasons I love writing about pregnancy.

So this is me, trying to organise my mumble-jumbled pregnancy brain thoughts into some kind of logical order for all of you other pregnancy-story-loving ladies out there!

The big question… when is the right time to grow your family?

Deciding on baby number #1 felt like such a big deal.

However I’ve found just as much decision making needed to go into baby #2.

Is it better for Massi to have a sibling close in age? How long do I need to recover physically after a C section? Should we enjoy him on his own for a little bit longer?

I won’t lie… I googled “ideal sibling age gaps” at one stage!

In the end (as always) we went with our hearts.

We have always wanted children close together if we could.

Massi has been the best addition to our lives and there was no part of the newborn-ness or raising a young child that put us off wanting to go back and do it all again (mind you… he has finally started sleeping through the night so 2-3 hourly night wakes will be an adjustment again!).

Breastfeeding and fertility

My main barrier to conceiving was always going to be how my cycles would return with breastfeeding.

I was fortunate to have a wonderful, complication-free breastfeeding experience with Massi. My first cycle returned at 7 months postpartum which I was surprised about given that I was still feeding overnight (I had read that night weaning was one tactic to improve fertility).

They certainly were a bit random from then on and not at all regular but fortunately I had tracked my cycles in the past and therefore was very in tune with when my body was ovulating.

We were so blessed to successfully fall pregnant when Massi was around 11 months old. I found out on Christmas Eve and I couldn’t quite believe it, even though we were “trying” it still feels very hit and miss when your cycles aren’t regular.

Early days of pregnancy

Surprisingly I’ve had much less anxiety and nerves this time round compared to my first pregnancy.

I had a strange feeling of confidence that everything was going to be OK. Fortunately we were able to have a dating scan around 8 weeks which confirmed a heartbeat which is always a reassuring sign.

My overriding feeling for the first trimester was it all being a little bit “surreal”.

Fortunately, this pregnancy is off to a very easy start. I have only felt slightly nauseous for a couple of days and otherwise feel mostly normal.

Last pregnancy I was smashing hash browns like they were going out of fashion whereas this time I haven’t had any particular cravings/aversions.

The main symptoms I’ve had are fatigue and constipation.

I remember saying one afternoon to my husband “Why am I so tired?!” to which he replied “Maybe because you’re growing a human?!”. I’d actually forgotten!

You get so used to being a little bit tired with general #mumlife that I forgot that pregnancy was the most likely cause for my fatigue.

When women said they forgot how many weeks pregnant they were for subsequent children, I never understood. But I get it now!

Massi is always at the forefront of my mind.

Is he due for a nap? Has he had enough to eat? Does he need some more playtime outside? Have I packed enough nappies? Should I leave now and time the car ride with his sleep?

All of this chit chat is constantly running through my head that this poor child number 2 is already neglected!

I do still check my pregnancy app every week (with Massi I refreshed it 3 times/day!) and I try to tune in and connect with the baby most days but other than that my focus is on being Mum, not pregnant lady. I’m sure there are some women out there who feel me!?

Round up of the first trimester

Exercise routine

Fortunately I am much fitter than when I fell pregnant with Massi.

I started HIIT style training when I was 9 months post-postpartum and I really enjoyed it.

I continued that through until the end of my first trimester but then gave it up because it was no longer easy to modify for pregnancy.

Luckily for me, I know how to change exercises to suit my pregnant body but I didn’t feel like I got a lot of guidance from the coaches, which made me feel uneasy.

Currently I am walking, stand up paddle boarding (this is a new hobby and I’m loving it) and doing my own Pregnancy Posse workouts!

I am hoping to join a yoga class soon, as I am feeling much stiffer than usual.

I have the occasional right SIJ niggle (which is a past pregnancy thing for me) and I am doing my pelvic floor exercises at least once every day and am pleased to report I am yet to wet myself haha!

Future planning

My OB is more than happy for me to attempt a VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean) which is something I’m very motivated to trial.

I would love to experience a natural labour and birth so I plan to do everything within my control… keep active, eat well, stay mobile through my hips and pelvis, practice meditation and mindfulness, prepare for a natural birth (I’m thinking I might trial a hypnobirth course this time so if anyone has any recommendations please let me know!) …

and the rest I will leave up to the universe.

I had a great birth with Massi and fortunately we never experienced the traditional “side effects” of a C-section.

I was 100% healthy and had a fantastic, complicated free recovery.

Massi was healthy and had no issues with sickness/immunity at all.

Breastfeeding was great and my milk came in right on time with no troubles.

So if I need another C-section I am A-OK with this scenario too.

Regardless, I am just feeling super blessed to have been lucky enough to carry another healthy pregnancy.

I’ll scribble some more pregnancy thoughts down come the end of trimester two!

xo Physio Laura