Pregnancy # 2

Oops - I meant to post this blog before we went on vacation last week! Maybe Justin isn't totally off when he says that I have pregnancy brain......

I haven't written much about this pregnancy because we are so busy with this cute little man:)

My second pregnancy has been similar to Caden's in the fact that I was pretty nauseous/sick for the first 15 or so weeks. With Caden I was super sick in the mornings, but with our little girl the hardest part of the day was the evening. I know that I was tired while pregnant with Caden because I was teaching and coaching, but I definitely feel like I am even more exhausted at the end of the day now. Maybe it has something to do with the little energizer bunny that I chase all day?:) I also think that my belly "popped" a little earlier this time. I'm not too upset about that because I don't so much enjoy the early part of pregnancy when it just looks like I have eaten a few too many donuts and not run enough miles to work them off!

Belly at 21.5 weeks (July 4) 

My cravings have been pretty similar: salads, broccoli, pasta....pretty much my non-pregnancy food cravings (minus the sweets)! I've also been eating a lot of peanut butter toast and yogurt with granola for breakfast and snacks and turkey meatballs with my pasta. I gained about 45 pounds with Caden (YIKES!) so we'll see what happens with this little one. I'm not too concerned about all the weight, but I really hope to avoid looking like I have gotten my wisdom teeth out this time around! 

At our last appointment Justin and I made sure to discuss our delivery options with our doctor. It used to be that if you had a  Cesarean section, all of your subsequent babies would have to be delivered that way as well. Many doctors now allow for a VBAC (Vaginal Birth after Cesarean), depending on the reason for your previous  Cesarean. Since I had to have a C-section with Caden because that little guy was breech, Justin and I really wanted to talk about the possibility of a VBAC. Our doctor assured us that I was a great candidate for a VBAC and that she would actually recommend that route. However, they are some limitations with a VBAC as opposed to a regular vaginal birth: M

• My contractions have to be constantly monitored, meaning I cannot move around. With Caden we took 12 weeks of classes on the Bradley Method and had really wanted a natural childbirth. I would LOVE to try that with this delivery as well, but my best coping mechanism for pain is movement so being confined to a bed will make that pretty difficult:( 
• Our doctor also said that sometimes a baby's heartbeat will drop a little during labor and with a regular vaginal birth they tolerate a few drops, as long as the heartbeat rebounds. However, with a VBAC, they typically take you right into the OR for a C-section. 
• They will also go ahead with another Cesarean if there is any bleeding or pain at the original incision site. 
• Our doctor let us know of the risk (less than 1%) of uterine rupture, which is a very serious complication. 
• They also won't induce if you've had a Cesarean, so if this little girl decides that she likes it in there for more than 41 weeks, we'll have to have another C-section. 

SO many things! I feel extremely blessed to have Justin by my side when making these decisions because he is a very thoughtful and logical decision maker. Our plan for now is to attempt the VBAC, but all we really want is a healthy baby and healthy mom so we will do whatever it takes to achieve that outcome:)


I will post an updated bump picture later this week as I catch up:)