Pregnancy Number Two

It feels very surreal to say I was pregnant again, and that it has already passed! If you read my pregnancy announcement at the end of my most recent health story, you know the conception of this little guy was oh so very different than with our first sweet girl. I’ll recount it shortly here before diving in because it is so meaningful.

I breastfed our first, Riley, for a long time, and therefore hadn’t received my period during postpartum for over 2.5 years. This past December I weaned her to one bedtime feed and then woke on January 1st with my first period! I heard from the Lord in my heart that day saying I would fall pregnant this year. It was so clear and I felt a peaceful certainty around it. We knew we wanted a second but weren’t sure of the timing seeing as I hadn’t been cycling and 2023 was very stressful with traveling and having to move homes.

I woke one month later on February 2nd to a positive pregnancy test! I took it a little early because I just knew I was pregnant, and laughed so so good when it turned positive. I just knew it would! There was no doubt or surprise. This was already the opposite of conceiving Riley. It took me 6 years to figure out what my body needed to cycle and fall pregnant, with ever changing health issues. When I fell pregnant with her I was in utter disbelief. I don’t think even now I fully believe she is here. She is my walking miracle. My second pregnancy feels every bit as miraculous but on the opposite end of the spectrum. I believed it and knew it and it has been the most wonderful ride.

With Riley I had a zero to sixty experience with morning sickness, and it lasted several months. With Owen (our boy who has already been born from this second pregnancy) it was a nice slow and gradual build up to a climactic nauseous week and then a slow decrease back to normal by 15 weeks. The rest of pregnancy was easy going but I did have more aches and pains and tiredness as a mom of an energetic toddler who dropped her nap midway through the year. We also started homeschool in my third trimester for the first time! All so fun, but definitely more tiring.

I had things like varicose veins, more swelling, and aches in my joints by the end of the day from being on my feet so long. But it was all in the realm of healthy and normal and okay. I was healthy, he was so healthy, what more could I ask for? It was tougher preparing food for postpartum too but I still managed to stock an outdoor patio freezer pretty well, thanks to Riley’s help most days. She was a super duper helper and really made this pregnancy feel more magical with her excitement and thoughts she would share — her questions too, all so precious and sweet.

I had a midwife for a home birth this time around like I did with my first and she was wonderful. We really connected on another level and Riley adored her. My biggest concern was making sure my bladder was taken care of during labor because I had an injury to it during Riley’s birth (which you can read about here). She was savvy to helping me and supportive in all the ways.

A really big difference between this pregnancy and my first was my mental health. At the beginning of the previous year I had a massive anxiety break down. After suffering from panic attacks and extreme anxiety the first 2.5 years postpartum with Riley I sought help. Far too late but better late than never. Thanks to a really wonderfully suited therapist and a registered dietician I was able to process and move away from my anxious state into a place of balanced calm. I was incredibly thankful for this, and still get teary thinking of how transformative this work has been in my life.

My pregnancy felt so wonderfully euphoric. I was clear headed, positive, laid back, and just not really worried or fussed about a thing. This has continued into postpartum and wow do I feel the difference. So important to take care of yourself, therapy is amazing and I am grateful for the help from my RD in rebalancing my minerals in my body that were severely depleted. I highly encourage this to all mamas who feel depleted and off balance after growing and birthing babies.

I’m off to write Owen’s birth story now, the end of pregnancy was so sweet and memorable. His birth was even more so. Thank you for being here and reading my story. Or really, Owen’s story. He was so active in my belly and constantly on the move — I joked he was trying to find a weak spot out and Riley would say “I think he is looking for the door mama!” Thankful to grow these two humans and wishing all the other women growing babies out there the very best. And to those who are trying to, keep the faith, you have a path to motherhood. Your efforts will not be lost. I believe in you. All the love - x Jessie