Me at my baby shower (with my first).
I do not want this journal to intimidate anyone or only bring out the bad parts of pregnancy. However, I really want to journal about what I’m going through. Every pregnancy is different. I promise, you do forget stuff, 🙂 which is why I really like to journal about my pregnancies. If you have any questions or concerns, talk to your physician/OBGYN/doula/midwife. Some of the notes/thoughts might seem silly and really unnecessary, but it’s what I was thinking about/feeling at the time. My fifth pregnancy notes will be in blue, while my seventh pregnancy notes will be in violet.
The first two weeks of pregnancy, you actually aren’t pregnant, if you are counting from the beginning of your last period. (This is usually a standard practice as many women don’t know the actual day of conception, but can remember their last period.) Conception usually happens during week 3 with implantation occurring during the 4th week.
Before Testing
Noticed I had been moody and started to get nauseous when brushing my teeth with my electric toothbrush.
Getting nauseous is almost always one of the very first indicators that I’m pregnant. With my seventh pregnancy, we actually knew the conception date, so I started testing really early. My first two tests were negative, but I knew I was probably testing too early.
My husband noticed I was nauseous and we just looked at each other, knew what the other was thinking without saying a word. We were remembering that two days after we celebrated my husband’s birthday, my monitor said that I had ovulated. We remember looking at each other on that day and saying “What’s done is done.”
Fast forward a few weeks and I took a pregnancy test (actually 5 of them, because some of them were expired (and yes, I buy the tests in bulk!)). They all had the same result.
Week 4:
Is this for real? I’m not sure I’m ready for this!
Made my appointment.
Whom and when do we tell?
Are my pregnancy symptoms really there or are they just psychological?
Do we have room at the dinner table? Room for another bar stool?
How will the child fit in if it’s a girl? How will Ashlynn feel about losing her “only girl” status?
Remembering when a child at Mom’s Day Out asked me if I was going to have another baby, the day or two after we found out. Weird, sixth sense!?! 🙂
Started reading Your Pregnancy Week by Week, 7th Edition. Read my review here.
Had a big meltdown over big, crumby mess in bedroom. God, why? I can’t do this! I can’t handle four children, why give me another?
How will we hang the pictures on the wall?
Feeling cold and overwhelmed.
I was out of town and looking forward to having a hotel room to myself to get stuff done. I was there for a Life Balance workshop that I was helping to host. I hadn’t tested positive yet, but I knew it was still a bit early. After the event I started to feel weird, a little “off.” It was cold outside and I don’t like being cold, so I was trying to come up with a plan so that when I got back to my hotel room that I could just stay there for the rest of the night without getting out again. Making decisions was so hard for me, I didn’t understand why. I started to get a headache and just felt like my body wasn’t really my own. I kept acknowledging the weirdness and wondering what was going on. I was hoping and praying I’d feel good enough to drive the five hours home. I stopped my the store, grabbed a microwave meal, water, headache meds (as I forgot to pack my headache oils) and filled up the van with gas (which also seemed harder to do than normal). I got back to the hotel, called my husband and begrudgingly got in bed. I was hoping that maybe a nap or even going to bed early and then getting up early, I could still get stuff done. Nope! The next morning I was able to get up in time to pack up and leave, I was at least grateful that I felt good enough to drive home.
A couple of days later, I tested positive and really started to wonder if implantation was happening the day I felt so weird. Then all the thoughts and worries started coming in strong: I’m too old for this; We were going to really focus on getting out of debt this year & now we’ll need to consider a bigger vehicle as ours is full, do we need a bigger house?; We are going to be so old by the time this baby is old enough to move out.
Week 5:
Smells are driving me crazy. I went to GNO and the ladies that were sitting next to me ordered wine and the smell was very strong. Feta cheese (I know some books say not to eat it while you’re pregnant, but it’s my favorite on salads) stunk so bad I couldn’t eat it (it hadn’t spoiled). I can smell myself and I smell different than normal.
Trying to decide who to tell and when.
Tired
Don’t really feel pregnant yet, but not brave enough to use my electric toothbrush. I have noticed that when I teach Barre, I’m getting winded a lot faster, but that’s it. Flu started making it’s rounds in the family and I’m pretty sure I have an ear infection. Got out another one of my favorite pregnancy resources, Gentle Babies.
Week 6:
very tired
thought process for lunch one day: broccoli cheese soup, fried chicken, City Bytes, Arby’s, french fries, chicken nuggets (I ended up having a salad!) 🙂
tired of feeling nauseous, but starving; I eat and still feel nauseous! 🙁
nose bleeds, let the fun begin!
started having weird dreams (an ex-boyfriend was in it, happens every time I’m pregnant, so weird!)
Getting ready for Christmas, still don’t really feel pregnant (a tiny bit tired, but could just be the season). Is it because I’m in much better shape than my last couple pregnancies? Flu is still being passed around. One person gets it for 24-36 hours, then we’re good for 2-3 days before another one gets it. Decided we were going to tell the kids at Christmas by putting a “Big Sister” shirt in the youngest’s stocking.
Week 7:
I have the flu! 🙁 This is awful. In bed for seven straight days. Can’t eat hardly anything. For 4 days all I could get down was water, broth, jello, and cranberry juice.
Took the kids a couple of minutes to understand the “Big Sister” shirt. Most were excited. My youngest wore the shirt over to my in-laws and my mother in-law instantly starting crying and was so excited, she really thought she wasn’t going to be getting any more grandkids. I’m glad at least a few people are excited. I’m really starting to get tired and my gums are starting to hurt. Flu is still going around, 1 at a time! I feel like I’m already showing (I have a very short torso & have had so many pregnancies, I feel like as soon as the hormones really start going, my body just goes ahead and expands, like it knows what it’s doing), but my husband thinks I’m crazy.
Week 8:
Food is starting to sound somewhat appetizing.
Taking a shower is a chore and requires a nap afterwards.
Now I have the flu. One night I could barely sleep, the next was horrible. I had a migraine so bad I contemplated going to the hospital. My stomach is in knots and I keep having to run to the bathroom, but not for sure which direction to face. I’m in so much pain, all I can do is stay in bed. Getting up to go into the bathroom makes me very dizzy. This sucks. Why do I always get sick when I’m pregnant? Had my prenatal appointment (I had already had an appointment set up before I got pregnant, so I just kept that appointment and changed it to a prenatal instead of a check-up). Internal sonogram, only one tiny heartbeat. Glad to hear that they no longer call it a “geriatric pregnancy,” it’s now called “advanced maternal age pregnancy.” Just another reminder that I’m old.
Week 9:
Still feeling sick, no energy. I really need to get back to being a mom, tired all the time.
Neat to see how my kids have reacted differently to me being so sick; one child draws me pictures; one comes in the room, looks at me, smiles, and sometimes will come and give me a hug, my daughter comes in and asks me if I need more water or what I need Daddy to do; my youngest will come and snuggle with me for a few minutes.
ER visit, started to bleed. Only lasted for a few hours.
Feeling overwhelmed.
Feeling like I got an answer to my question on rather or not I want more kids. Feeling of being done, last pregnancy.
Exhaustion has set in. Wondering if it’s going to be a girl. I’m getting headaches and having lots of dizziness (only happens with girls for me). I’m craving fruit and raw veggies. Protein is hard to get down (not a problem when I’m pregnant with boys, with boys I always crave Chili-Cheese Coneys and the thought of those makes me want to barf!). Working out is kicking my butt! If I take a class for me, I can only do about 1/3 of the workout and I feel like I’m going to die, when I teach, I have to take a lot of breaks! Nose has started bleeding. Gums are sore.
Week 10:
I can finally do 1-2 things before needing to rest. I’m so far behind on housework! Kids are watching far too much TV!
Bleeding
Usually don’t feel like eating, but I feel better when I do.
I feel like I’m either eating or sleeping. I can’t seem to eat very much at one time, but I’m wanting to eat every one to two hours. Worried I’m going to gain too much weight if this continues. Have noticed that if I do eat often, I don’t feel as bad, but sometimes it’s a chore to eat. Gums hurt. Very mucusy. Some blood tinged mucus. Can’t brush my teeth until lunch time now. It’s a struggle to go and teach, but I feel amazing and pretty “normal” afterwards. Finally picked out a prenatal vitamin, with the help of a super sweet lady. Getting ready for bed and noticed my boobs have gotten a lot bigger. They are heavy and feel dense.
Week 11:
Pizza has sounded really good.
Cheese sticks are my new best friend!
Kids are still watching too much TV.
House is still a mess.
We told the kids and their reaction was the best! They were very excited. Gave me a huge sense of relief!
Bleeding again & yeast infection.
I don’t feel like I’m handling this pregnancy well.
Very grateful for those who see a need and fill the need!
Exhausted. BMs are hard to accomplish and when I do, I bleed. Feel the best after I teach Barre. Nose bleeds. Hoping to start feeling better soon. Eat to Evolve meals are saving me! So good, healthy, fast to warm up or just grab! (How did I do pregnancies without these?!?)
Week 12:
no bleeding!
acne
nose bleeding
can feel the skin on my stomach stretching
Bloody mucus, nose bleeds, exhausted. Had a prenatal appointment, did the genetic blood work. Gained 3 pounds. Half of us got COVID. (I was one of them.) So tired, very congested (although I always seems to get congested during pregnancy). So thankful that most of my kids know how to cook and look after each other a lot. My oldest can drive and he didn’t get it, so he was awesome at preparing food, picking up grocery orders, etc. Very grateful I have raised capable kids.
Week 13:
craving carbs
able to do some freezer cooking
learning that getting up and moving is hard, but I feel better when I do
Evenings seem to be harder than mornings this pregnancy. I feel better when I eat every two hours and get up and move, but making myself do either is so hard. Tired, but not always falling asleep for naps, but I still take the time to rest. I have to eat right before I go to bed otherwise I get up in the middle of the night starving. Headaches on and off and I’m not crazy, we’re having a GIRL!! (Girl pregnancies tend to be harder on me.) Can definitely tell I’m pregnant now.
Week 14:
hurts to cough or sneeze due to stretching
I really think I felt the baby move even though the books say its too early
insatiable
acne
Sleeping is really messing up my neck. Lower back is starting to get uncomfortable. I think I’ve felt her move once or twice the past two weeks, but books say it’s too early for that. If I’m in bed, I need to hold my belly or sit up if I cough or sneeze because it causes discomfort in my belly. My regular clothes (pants) aren’t fitting well, but maternity clothes are still too big.
Week 15:
nose bleeds
stretching
only gained 3 pounds so far
laundry is finally caught up
insatiable, always hungry
Week 16:
cravings
stretching
may have to get out body pillow to sleep
very tired
for sure felt baby move, most of the time just feel a shift in pressure
bought
people have started to ask to touch my belly
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Week 17:
exhausted
I remember reading somewhere in my first pregnancy that a pregnant woman’s body, that is sitting down, is exerting as much energy as someone who is climbing a mountain.
need to eat every few hours
lifted weights and strained stomach muscles
itchy skin
scheduled sonogram; scared for gender results
dizzy
back discomfort
foot cramps
dry mouth at night
Week 18:
depressed
lifted weights
boy
he moved around a lot during the sonogram
tired
irritable
Week 19:
sono results: need to see high risk doctor and get another sono: cried so hard; nose bled, took 10+ to get it to stop
lifted weights
high risk appointment: ended up with an amniocentesis; harder emotionally than physically; the amnio was less painful than getting blood drawn; I said “ow” when the needle was inserted, but the pressure or the baby kicked surprised me but it didn’t hurt too much, it felt like one of my kids came up and punched me the stomach, while waiting to talk to the doctor, I had the overwhelming urge to run to my children and hug them; we ate, picked up the kids and then took a nap
got out my maternity clothes
Week 20:
prelim amnio results= no genetic abnormalities 😉
belly cramps
felt weird this week
saw belly “popping”
hubby saw and felt baby kick
Week 21:
not famished this week
stretching/cramping
final amnio results= no chromosomal abnormalities
bending over=uncomfortable and heartburn
bad gas
Week 22:
bending over is getting harder
bad nose bleeds
not as hungry
heartburn
Week 23:
had our first ever 3D sonogram; fell in love with him; looks like his brothers
1 kidney appears to have dead tissue the other is still a bit bit, but appears functioning
craving toast with butter and honey
nose bleeds
foot cramps
not as hungry
heartburn
sitting on couch; sharp pain, couldn’t move, tears in my eyes, had to focus on breathing
Week 24:
foot cramps
chest touches belly when bending over
nose bleeds
not as hungry
Week 25:
Husband is amazed how active the baby is, it feels like he’s training to be a corkscrew diver.
foot cramps
very uncomfortable pressure when he’s in certain positions
bad nose bleeds
Week 26:
not as hungry
nose bleed improvement
my daughter is obsessed with kissing my belly
gained about 20 pounds from when I was sick
Week 27:
had to take off wedding ring, it was getting too tight
heartburn
not able to eat much at one sitting, but I feel hungry every three hours or so
Week 28:
ankles are sometimes swollen at the end of the day
did
workoutnoticed that when I suddenly feel tired that I really need to eat
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Week 29:
signs of milk coming in
heart burn
baby had hiccups
his movements/pressure are starting to get uncomfortable
Week 30:
he found my sciatic nerve a couple of times this week
very active
heartburn
nose bleeds
Week 31:
swelling
itchy skin
skin stretching=uncomfortable
heartburn
Week 32:
heartburn is making it hard to get and stay asleep
all over pressure
minimal patience
Week 33:
felt weird the past couple of days
foot cramps
craving cereal
minimal patience
Week 34:
thoughts of labor are starting to scare me
nasal congestion and big baby=very hard to breathe
rotating pressure- Braxton Hicks
Week 35:
frequent BMs
pressure down low especially at night
Week 36:
going to the bathroom all the time
emotional: crying b/c of discomfort, but really not in pain
feet are extremely swollen
smell different (B.O.)
maybe dilated to a 1 and 50% effaced
Week 37:
bottom is always achy
very painful contractions
already feeling like I can’t do this
thinking everyday is one day closer
Week 38:
crazy “witchy” (but with a B)
no patience, littlest things send me into a range or sobbing fit
peeing every 10-20 minutes it seems
will this be the last time we sit down as a family of 6
will this be the last time I snuggle my 3 year old as the baby
dilated to a full two and very effaced
wanting to be able to hug w/o a belly in the way
want to feel womanly or sexy again
feeling like he’s never coming out
feeling desperate: walking like crazy; did
for an hour; sex