Waiting for baby…
Are pregnancies like snowflakes? No two are alike?
As I sit here past my completely made-up-in-my-head-non-official “due date” (pro-tip - DO NOT assume baby #2 will arrive 2 weeks early just because that’s when #1 arrived. Yes mom I see you and you were right.)- I’m reflecting on my experience this time around and what I’m doing to prepare for this little guy’s arrival.
My weight gains have been interesting. I gained a little over 30 with Zac. With this guy, I haven’t done much different but I’ve gained about 10 more than that and a lot of that was in the first trimester (whereas I didn’t gain anything the first trimester with Z). I look about the same now as I did at this stage before, and am measuring the same. My theory - I lost quite a bit of weight in my postpartum year, lower than my natural baseline likes to be. I believe my body knew this going into this pregnancy, and helped me come to equilibrium for the better health of my pregnancy, baby as well as helping gather enough padding for this coming postpartum time. Our bodies know what’s up!
The major difference for me was in my need for self care. With my first pregnancy, when I experienced aches, pains and fatigue I could just chill out and put my feet up. Now, with a toddler to chase around I can’t listen to the signals to slow down as much as I could before. I have scoliosis which makes my hips/ pelvis uneven - so clearly pregnancy and the extra weight makes for some pain and discomfort. So I’ve had to be more active in my self care routine - having sitters in the house more often starting in the third trimester, and regular appointments with both an osteopathic doctor and prenatal massages.
Will labor be the same? Who knows! I’m doing the same prep as last time - the 6 dates per day, raspberry leaf tea (although not nearly as often as planned) and gelatin. Only time will tell if my experience is remarkably different or similar. Second babies just fall right out, right??
Preparing for the Fourth Trimester
The “fourth trimester” is the time frame after birth, where the baby isn’t quite ready for the outside yet and relies on mom for comfort and nourishment while they make the transition. The fourth trimester is also a time where mom needs to do a lot of healing and balancing, as well as resting and bonding with her new babe. So this time requires lots of support and help!
This is where things are diverging from my first born. With Zachary, he was our only little one to care for and my husband was able to take a full month off work. It was much easier to have a nourishing 4th trimester. With this little one, the hubs can only have 2 full weeks and then of course we will have our hands more full with a toddler plus a newborn.
My plan to make these next few months as slow and nourishing as possible - outsourcing and asking for help.
Outsourcing. I have worked with several food delivery companies (local and nationwide) for clients and patients that have wonderfully nutritious foods and delicious meals. Now I’ll be using them for myself! After a few weeks with lots of warming foods like stews and soups, I’ll be using Thistle for a steady supply of nutrient packed veggies, fats and proteins for my healing and balancing journey. (If you are interested in checking them out use code ALISON30 for a a 30% discount on Thistle - CA and NV only)
Asking for help. This is sometimes tough! But believe me mama, you can’t do it all. So often friends and family want to know how they can help and just need some direction on what you actually need. I’ve arranged to have family help me in these early weeks, mainly with my older son. I have about the first 6 weeks covered and will play by ear from there!
I’m also going to be adding in some hormone help this time by encapsulating my placenta. Yep, I’m doing it! Although there’s not a crazy amount of research here (and there probably won’t ever be) - there is emerging evidence that consuming the placenta (in this case via dried capsules) can help with both milk supply and reducing postpartum anxiety and depression. Neither were a major issue for me after Zac’s birth, but if my end-of-pregnancy-hormonal-meltdowns have told me anything, it’s that I may be a little more in need of this help now! I am really curious to see if I will notice any major differences between my two postpartum periods and will for sure report back!!
So that’s my plan! Make sure to follow me on Instagram for updates on my little man’s arrival, as well as more information about products that I love and use. And wish us luck!!
