1 week post partum

i wanted to document a few postpartum belly pictures, just like last time, because i know people want to know what it looks like after there's no baby in the belly. for decent reference, here's my last formal belly shot (at 34 weeks, because i hadn't taken a "real" 37 week set before delivering). imagine a few more inches/pounds there towards the end.

i gained 44 lbs this pregnancy. last time i gained 50 but went 9 days earlier, so i did a bit better this time around. i worked out right up until delivery but i have done nothing but breastfeed following the birth of rowan. i used a belly band as soon as i got home from the hospital and wore it all day (not at night). i still try and wear it because the pudge is hard to suck in. here's one week post partum: 

to be honest, i don't mind my side profile right now. but then, i have always looked a bit better from the side than from the front. i have a fairly narrow profile and things tend to look smaller than they really are. i gained a lot of weight in my thighs and hips and my belly is soft and squishy...the front view is not one i'll be posting ;)

at four days postpartum i had only lost 5 lbs (so, less than my baby weighed?). by three weeks postpartum i had lost 20 lbs. i won't start working out until 6 weeks, but i do hope to lose the remaining 24lbs a lot faster than it took me to get back into shape last time.

birth slideshow

the arrival of rowan alder in pictures (don't worry, nothing from delivery!)



rowan alder birth from alauna peterson on Vimeo.

waiting through "false" labor

 

36 weeks is bringing lots of questions as to what warrants a call to the dr. i know you can be dilated, have contractions, feel pain, and so and not be in actual labor...but i learned today that you just don't mess around with decreased fetal movement. 

this weekend i went into full force nest-cleaning mode. i spent hours on saturday doing laundry, vacuuming, mopping, and scrubbing. by saturday night i was in so much pain i couldn't sleep. i took a long shower to try and ease the frequent contractions and the feeling that the baby was breaking my hips apart and going to fall out at any moment. pressure like i felt when i was thinking about pushing last time. but then it went away and all i was left with was an entirely sleepless night. on sunday i rested and cleaned a bit more but realized by the evening that i hadn't felt the baby move in a number of hours. i often don't feel much during the day but by night time i always feel lots of movement, especially as i fall asleep. there was nothing, even after a few glasses of cold water and some external belly poking. i woke up this morning and still nothing so of course i got worried and called.

i was asked to come in for an nst and my dr. scolded me for not calling sooner. they take fetal movement pretty seriously, especially in the last few weeks as there is less room, potentially less fluid, and other issues. thankfully, the heartbeat was normal but no movement was being detected. my dr. noted that i was having contractions every 2 minutes (i couldn't feel them) but then i ate candy and started having "real" contractions and that caused the baby to move around. in the 30 minute nst i had two long, painful contractions and the baby moved enough that i could go home with orders to call again if i noticed less movement. 

she also did a full exam just because i was already there. in good news, i lost 5 lbs since friday (i assume water weight and the different scales between the exam rooms!), am measuring right on track, and am 2 cm dilated. the baby is still head down, so he'll probably stay that way and i am right on track as far as early/false labors go. i've been having strong contractions all day but when i time them, they aren't getting closer together or forming a pattern. i can feel the baby very low and the pressure on my hips and groin is becoming unbearable for most of the day rather than just at night while laying down. so, i guess...welcome to the last month!!

 

(these maternity images were taken by mr. h3b, the husband who will put up with my nagging and critique. he got some wonderful shots by which to remember this pregnancy.)

the most pregnant

today at approximately 11 am, i was (and still am) the most pregnant i've ever been. this baby has decided not to follow in his big brother's footsteps and come a month early. i am officially 36 weeks!

even though i didn't want another preterm delivery and the added worry that comes along with a tiny, perhaps not quite ready baby, i wouldn't have minded so much to be done with the whole pregnancy thing. i continue to be amazed at how different this pregnancy is from my first and how much harder in general it has been to manage. i know i can factor in the 3 year old that requires attention and energy, but from a sheer physical standpoint this one is so much worse.

i had never had a really noticeable set of contractions with finn until i was 2 hours into pitocin following my water breaking. i've been having braxton hicks with this one for months and they've really ramped up in the past month. for a few weeks now i've been having nightly contraction sessions with pretty painful cramping and the need to move and breathe through them. nothing to time or anything, but enough to keep me from relaxing. and relaxing? i can't. my pubic symphysis disfunction coupled with the nagging sciatica is so painful that i am starting to "sleep" sitting up. as of this morning, it no longer only affects me while i'm laying down. today the baby is so low that i haven't been able to escape the pain at all.

i had my 36 week check up this morning and i am measuring on track, blood pressure is good, and the baby's heartbeat sounds perfect. i had been getting internals to keep track of potential early labor, but now that i'm closer my dr. didn't even offer. i guess it doesn't really matter since i could be dilated and contracting for weeks before i go into labor. something new for me!

last time i was so nervous when it all happened so fast. i wasn't ready. i cried and hoped that maybe i could still have more time. now that i feel like i'm officially in the waiting game mode, i have no idea how it works. you just...wait? in pain? swollen and annoyed? i hate to feel down in these last few weeks because i know i will miss the movements and the round belly (not the round everything else). i've tried not to wish the time forward because i know (when looking at my suddenly huge preschooler) how fast everything changes and how quickly the little moments you are sure you won't forget just get swept together in one big "he was a baby once" memory. but, as i'm sure any other 36+ weeker can attest to (and since i'm new to the club and all, hi!), this month is going to be rough and i just might wish it over sooner rather than later.

34 weeks

i'm pretty pregnant these days. like last time, i've begun to battle some pretty bad insomnia due to bad groin pain and restless legs. lots of nights i can't fall asleep until 3 or 4 am and if i get to sleep earlier, it's not restful and rejuvenating. i am having lots of cramping and braxton hicks contractions which can be really tiring (and painful). i have nausea, headaches, and a bit of dizziness occasionally. i am hungry but most food sounds repulsive. this pregnancy is totally getting me down and despite heading to the gym multiple times every week, i feel much worse than last time overall.

in positive news, i've completed just about every preparation to get ready for baby. everything is washed and sorted. diapers and wipes, burp cloths and swaddles, new pacis and nursing gear...everything is neatly organized and just waiting to be used. i have my hospital bag to pack and we've got to install the car seat, but otherwise the baby could come and we'd be ok.

how far along? 34 weeks
total weight gain: 40 lb (i assume, i haven't weighed myself since 33 weeks and i was up 37lb then)
maternity clothes? yes
sleep: poor to somewhat nonexistent
best moment this week: feeling "done" with prep work
movement: he has taken to moving for hours at a time. rolling, kicking, pushing. typically only at night.
gender: boy
labor signs: lots of contractions and cramping, but at 33 weeks my cervix was closed
belly button in or out? popped
food cravings: fruit and desserts
what i miss: i miss being more agile. it is really painful to move these days
what i am looking forward to: just watching the weeks pass by, getting closer
milestones: i don't know that i hit any. the 40lb mark, perhaps?

31 weeks & baby sprinkle

 

somehow i'm 31 weeks pregnant. by looking at me, it probably seems more like 38 weeks...but i really do have a good amount of weeks to go yet. here's the comparison shot from last time. i'm about the same size, and only a few pounds less so i guess i just do pregnancy in a big way ;) but my outfit for the shower is entirely non-maternity and my face, hands, and feet aren't really swollen like last time.

this weekend my girlfriends threw me a lovely baby sprinkle. it was a perfect, small affair and i had a great time. it was nice to spend time with other moms of similar aged children and 5 of the 8 guests were pregnant - we had a lot to chat about! the food was delicious, the lemon cake was exactly what i would have picked myself, and everyone was so very generous in gifting some new goodies for this baby boy. i hadn't registered but they requested some sort of information so i did make a wish list. that's been helpful for me as well, since it's hard to keep track of the things i want or need yet. one thing we won't need - onesies!! this baby has more tiny onesies for summer than he'll be able to wear (except not really, since i recall changing those things a lot). i'm kind of excited for all of that...newborn clothes are the whole point, right?!

 

29 weeks

compare to 29 weeks during my first pregnancy. honestly i feel like i look bigger day to day than in these pictures. i have gained a similar amount of weight to last time but overall i look slightly less rotund.

i have fully crossed into 3rd trimester! this pregnancy is pretty different from last time and while i've continued ot work out, stretch, and maintain a better diet overall i feel so much worse. i am SO tired and my body aches while i am trying to sleep. my restless leg issues are coming back but worse is the constant, debilitating pelvic pain i experience when laying on either side. i had sciatica with my last pregnancy and developed it very early with this one. laying on my back at an incline is painful, but being on my sides is just as bad. i wince in pain at night and it makes me want to put off going to bed and getting rest because it's just more comfortable to be sitting upright.

this week we decided to stop pretending like we might move before baby comes and just get the stuff inside from storage. we moved finn out of the crib (more on that soon) and it's now in our bedroom taking up space and alerting us to the impending new baby every time we go in there. i bought a small dresser from ikea to store essentials but otherwise we won't have a nursery or changing table or any of those things close at hand. but, the baby has a bed and clothes and a car seat...it's progress.

how far along? 29 weeks
total weight gain: 30 lb (ugh)
maternity clothes? yes
sleep: as i said above, painful
best moment this week: pulling out all of the baby gear for 0-3 months
movement: he is a slow, pressured roller. kicks only down low and i rarely see his movements across my belly like with finn. he hangs out on the right side only.
gender: boy
labor signs: none
belly button in or out? popped
food cravings: i'm not craving any one thing, but i do love fruit and ice cold drinks. i eat a lot of candy :(
what i miss: a pain-free, 8 hour sleep session (see you in 2014!...)
what i am looking forward to: continuing to prep for baby, finally
milestones: last week in the 20s...then it's 10 weeks or less from here on out (haha, this is from last time and it's still true!)

24 weeks

compare to 24 weeks of first pregnancy. i think my belly is smaller this time!

this picture is actually 24 weeks 4 days because i didn't get around to taking one on sunday when i usually do. it was an eventful day, though, as i managed to fall on the snowy sand dunes of our beach. i slid and caught myself, but i did land on my belly and felt some cramping and tightening just after. to be safe, i called the dr. and they wanted me to be monitored. i spent 6 hours (typical for a fall on your stomach at this point in pregnancy) with the monitors watching his heartbeat and my (very small, infrequent) contractions. in the end everything was/is fine and baby is still healthy.

i have been battling an awful cold for the past 2.5 weeks and haven't managed to work out or eat well, so i softened up and for sure gained a few pounds. most of it, as i can tell, has been in my thighs :( i'm hoping feeling better and spring weather (when it comes) will help me to stay motivated in the later months.

 

how far along? 24 weeks

total weight gain: 22 lbs :(
maternity clothes? yes, mainly for comfort
sleep: pretty good aside from the sciatic pain and pelvic pain
best moment this week: finn's 3rd birthday party with family and friends (unrelated to pregnancy)
movement: yes. he moved the most/biggest just after the fall while i was monitored and it was crazy!
gender: boy
labor signs: none
belly button in or out? stretched
food cravings: lemon! i made homemade lemon curd for a variety of desserts and breakfasts
what i miss: feeling healthy, pelvic bones that are not breaking apart
what i am looking forward to: we're still actively house hunting with fingers crossed!
milestones:i made it to 24 weeks, viability, so that feels (obviously) good. my next appointment is for my glucose test, which feels surreal like it's impossible that i could be that far along already.

21 weeks

compare to 21 weeks from my first pregnancy.

i think i look much rounder in the belly this time. depending on the time of day and how much food/water i've consumed, the belly can appear much larger! i'm feeling pretty good at this halfway (and a week) point but i have bad sciatica on my right side and it definitely affects my movement and sleep. i am still working out 3 times a week on average and have continued to do my hour long kickboxing class thus far. my goal of holding a 30 second plank throughout my whole pregnancy is continuing strong. i don't think i weigh less than last time around but i am stronger/fitter so i guess that's what's important!

how far along? 21 weeks

total weight gain: 17 lbs this morning (down 2 lbs from 18 weeks?)
maternity clothes? yes. i actually just cleared out my closet of tighter fitting/nice non-maternity items
sleep: pretty good aside from the sciatic pain
best moment this week: hmm, it wouldn't be walking around chicago for 3+ hours (fun but ouch)
movement: yes, rolls and kicks but baby doesn't like when i put my hand on my belly to feel
gender: boy
labor signs: none
belly button in or out? stretched
food cravings: lemon! i made homemade lemon curd for a variety of desserts and breakfasts
what i miss: honestly, i want a cocktail so bad!!
what i am looking forward to: buying a house so i can start planning a nursery
weekly wisdom: i think i'm going to delete this from the survey...i never have any!
milestones: just past halfway

18 weeks

compare to 18 weeks from my first pregnancy.

i have been feeling a lot of movement, especially at night. mostly just rolls and swirling feelings, but every so often i get a clear, single jab or kick. a few days ago i got a good one and asked mr. h3b to try and feel from the outside. we waited and baby did the rolling after only about a minute. so movement felt on the outside by another person at 17w6d. i checked back on my last pregnancy and the time frame was very similar.

how far along? 18 weeks
total weight gain: 10lb. i didn't gain any weight between 11 and 15 weeks, but then came the holidays
maternity clothes? some of both. maternity is more comfortable, though
sleep: decent overall. i get up to pee 1-2 times per night
best moment this week: feeling movement on the outside
movement: yes, but not hard kicks yet
gender: we find out on jan 25
labor signs: none
belly button in or out? in but shallow
food cravings: tomatoes in balsamic vinegar
what i miss: i always miss champagne!
what i am looking forward to: finding out the gender in two weeks
weekly wisdom: splurge on a few nice maternity items. last pregnancy i bought myself more expensive jeans and loved them. they are still too big on me right now, so i need alternatives. i found some great skinny jeans that were way more than i'd normally spend, but i can wear them almost daily and i (think i) look good and thus, feel good.

12 weeks

compare to first pregnancy here. i don't think i'll be much smaller in the belly this time around, but i'm hoping to keep working out and maintain some sense of athletic ability so i can bounce back slightly easier. i'm crossing my fingers!

how far along? 12 weeks

total weight gain: 5 lbs (in my boobs and legs)
maternity clothes? no
sleep: pretty good, very tired
best moment this week: seeing baby on u/s
movement: none
gender: we'll find out in january
labor signs: none
belly button in or out? in
food cravings: salads and comfort foods
what i miss: cocktails!
what i am looking forward to: finding out the gender
weekly wisdom: hmm, i don't have any :)

2nd pregnancy thus far

while i'm in my second trimester now, i wanted to make sure i wrote down a few notes from the first trimester before they are long forgotten. it's true what everyone says. the second flies even faster and there's just not the same amount of time to dedicate to every little detail of the pregnancy.

we found out that i was expecting our 2nd baby on october 2, 2012. i was 3 weeks and 2 days pregnant...or barely at all. it wasn't unexpected so i was anxious to test and find out. i had a lingering cold that just would not go away and i was feeling slightly tired with an extra sore, swollen chest. i had tested two days prior (way too earlier, of course) so when i tested with fmu that morning i didn't expect much. at just 9 dpo i really wasn't expecting to see anything even if i was pregnant. i was wrong and saw that faint second line on an internet cheapie test. i left it on the counter for husband to see when he hopped in the shower and i went back to snuggle with finn on the couch. (oh, the differences began early!) when he didn't notice all morning, i asked him if he had seen the test. since he assumed it was an opk, he didn't think twice about the strip laying there. he brought it out with a grin and said "that's a positive pregnancy test, then?" and gave me a big forehead kiss (still sick). he was mostly excited to find out the gender and when i reminded him that we had to wait 20 weeks he asked when things would be "safe" enough to tell. i reminded him 12 weeks or so and he said "ugh, i forgot there's so much waiting!". indeed. i tested a few more times with internet tests and then requested a digital just to see it say pregnant.



my symtpoms leading up to and within the week of taking my pregnancy tests included:
-swollen, tender breasts
-spotting from days 7-13 (just like last time!)
-cramping
-slow to roll immune system

for posterity's sake, here's me before everything gets stretched out for a second time:


my symptoms during the first tri were almost exactly the same as last time. i was very hungry for comfort foods and extra salty, briny foods like olives and pickles. i was sick almost everyday between about 1 pm and midnight but i only threw up on the two occasion in which blood was involved (an ER visit for finn and a blood draw for me). the worst part for me was being so tired. with a toddler, you just can't rest. anyone who has more than one child surely agrees: the first pregnancy is the likely the easiest and you just don't know it until the next time. i started feeling less sick around 13 weeks and am just starting to feel a bit more energy. i've been working out at least 3 days a week (unlike last pregnancy) and i'm hoping i can maintain a lower weight overall compared to last time.

postpartum belly

just what you wanted to see!

but really, i'm an open book type of gal. if you read my birth story, you can handle a few pictures of my soft and jiggly, stretch marked, post birth belly.

here's my last belly pic:

 

here's 2 days after birth:

here's 1 week postpartum:

i weighed myself at our pediatrician's office (sadly, i didn't fit in the baby scale) and i've lost 15 lbs so far. i eat peeps, hamburgers, and shamrock shakes. i drink water constantly, breastfeed 10 times a day, and pump at least three times a day.

35 week belly

compare to 21 weeks in same shirt.

how far along? 35 weeks
total weight gain: 49 lbs
maternity clothes? yes
sleep: painful x 100
best moment this week: buying that freaking rocker!
movement: yes, he has settled quite a bit, but still rolling
gender: boy
labor signs: not really, just cramping and the occasional contraction
belly button in or out? the button has popped fully, has turned dark purple (blegh)
food cravings: shamrock shakes (more of a general march craving rather than a pg one)
what i miss: rolling over in my sleep without looking like a beached whale while feeling like my body is breaking apart
what i am looking forward to: getting past labor and having a baby
weekly wisdom: don't paint a large room at 35 weeks (seems like common sense vs. wisdom...)
milestones: i hit 35/35!

34 week belly

 

this shirt fits so well! compare to 19 weeks and for "fun", 12 weeks in the same shirt. ahaha, i thought i had a belly then.

how far along? 34 weeks
total weight gain: 43 lbs +
maternity clothes? yes, i am so big (green shirt not maternity)
sleep: interrupted
best moment this week: spending time with my husband on valentine's day just enjoying our child free time - i can't wait for baby h3b, but it was nice to focus on us and not just pregnant me...
movement: yes, more rolls than kicks
gender: boy
labor signs: nope, only some cramping
belly button in or out? the button has popped fully
food cravings: cold, frozen things. also, i can eat 16 oz of cottage cheese (dean's) in one sitting
what i miss: not breathing like i just ran a mile by the effort exerted to get into bed or to walk to the kitchen
what i am looking forward to: getting more of the nursery finished up in the next week or so
weekly wisdom: start packing the hospital bag - i got snacks, nursing bras/tanks, soft head bands, and some extremely attractive hanes underwear. nice to have new things, even if they're XL granny panties.
milestones: uh, can you count calf stretch marks as a milestone? ::sheds single tear::

movement

i finally caught some good movement on video the other night. while baby h3b is a mover, he is also quite camra shy. whenever i bring out the flip video, he settles down and refuses to do his crazy rolling. this video has some quiet points, but you can see a ton of movement near the middle.



and you can compare that to a few clips from earlier in my pregnancy when he was doing kicks rather than big rolls. i don't have the date to know exactly when these were, but between late 2nd tri and early 3rd tri.

33 week belly

a picture from the morning of my second shower. no standard belly shots this week!

how far along? 33 weeks
total weight gain: 43 lbs +
maternity clothes? yes, i am so big
sleep: interrupted
best moment this week: attending my second shower and putting away more stuff in the nursery
movement: yes, more rolls than kicks
gender: boy
labor signs: nope, only some cramping
belly button in or out? the button has popped fully
food cravings: push pops. they don't have plain ones at our grocery store!
what i miss: peeing only 2-3 times a day, rather than 20 or 30 times
what i am looking forward to: picking out the @*%*$ glider
weekly wisdom: don't drive 6+ hours at 33 weeks. ouch
milestones: i've had my showers. we have baby gear, enough to bring him home (almost, just waiting on car seat and mattress). now we finish everything up and wait.

32 week belly

how far along? 32 weeks
total weight gain: 43 lbs (yes, i've crossed the 40 lb mark)
maternity clothes? yes, but even my leggings and mat jeans are cutting into my belly
sleep: from 2/3 am to 10 am
best moment this week: putting together nursery furniture (mr. h3b) and putting away baby items
movement: yes, more rolls than kicks
gender: boy
labor signs: nope, only some cramping
belly button in or out? popped, stretched
food cravings: none
what i miss: having a perky chest (they rest "lightly" on my belly now...)
what i am looking forward to: my shower this weekend
weekly wisdom: ankles and wrist rolls plus some stretching before getting out of bed each morning helps with the swelling pain
milestones: um, i think i may have mentioned the whole over 40 lbs of weight gain in 32 weeks...

31 week belly

how far along? 31 weeks
total weight gain: still up 37 lbs
maternity clothes? yes
sleep: some nights, yes
best moment this week: having my first shower
movement: yes
gender: boy
labor signs: none
belly button in or out? popped
food cravings: none specifically. mr. h3b did make a 10 pm taco bell run...
what i miss: taking a decent picture, especially if my face is involved.
what i am looking forward to: unpacking and playing with all the baby stuff I got at my shower :)
weekly wisdom: get sleep whenever possible. cherish sleep.
milestones: i got my first belly stretch mark this past week :( just a small one near my belly button, but it is there.

30 week belly

how far along? 30 weeks
total weight gain: awkward pause. 37 lbs. o.m.g.
maternity clothes? yes
sleep: thank you benadryl
best moment this week: painting the nursery!!!
movement: yes
gender: boy
labor signs: none
belly button in or out? popped
food cravings: see soft serve sundae story
what i miss: putting on my shoes like a "normal" person. or fitting into my shoes.
what i am looking forward to: one of my showers this weekend!
weekly wisdom: wear an apron while you cook. the belly gets into everything
milestones: realizations. i'm 30 weeks now. i have a room for the baby with baby appropriate things inside of it. this is really happening.

a belly shot outtake, courtesy of my sister.