WOW. It’s honestly pretty wild that I’m sitting here writing to you while 14 weeks pregnant with Bounds Baby No. 2! It feels like it’s been FOREVER since I’ve had the energy to work on one of these posts because right before finding out I was pregnant, I decided to create and launch Wellfed Mama – a new program helping you get informed, be prepared, and feel confident in the way you’re supporting your health through food in every phase of motherhood — from preconception to postpartum 😌
Safe to say, I didn’t time my conception and the creation of a brand stinkin’ new program best 😅; but, it all worked out in the end. I was able to give what energy I DID have all to Wellfed Mama and it’s probably my favorite curriculum yet.
But, back to Round 2 of pregnancy 😉
In this post, I’m sharing all about my experience with this 2nd pregnancy up to now. We’ll cover deciding to have another baby, trying to conceive again while breastfeeding, my experience in the first trimester (what was similar, what was different), the things that helped me navigate it all, the prenatal I took (and the one I’m currently taking), and finally, choosing prenatal care. Phew. 😮💨 So much to share with you!!! So, let’s dive right in, shall we?! 😜
Deciding on Bounds Baby No. 2
My husband, Darius, and I had always talked about having more than one child (specifically, 2); although, after having our first (Alex), Darius wasn’t quite as sure he wanted another 🤣. I knew I still did; but, I also wasn’t in a hurry to make that happen. I figured when the time was right for us, I would just know.
We also had some conversations about having siblings close in age because we both grew up with this. My brother and I are just 18 months apart, and he and his sister are only 14 months apart 😊. I have lots of cousins very close in age, and he has other siblings and cousins close in age as well. Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my cousins, and we made so many fun memories, so it’s something I always wanted for my kids too…but again, I didn’t want to force it.
I don’t remember EXACTLY how it went down, haha. But, as Alex approached the 1-year mark, I guess I started to make it known that I was potentially ready for another and at some point, Darius communicated (somehow 😅) that he was on board as well (although still never 100% haha).
Conceiving Again
I got my first period back at 5 months postpartum which I wasn’t exactly expecting 👀. I was exclusively breastfeeding, so I just assumed it would be longer before it showed, but nope – there it was at 5 months. The first few cycles after it showed were very irregular and just unusual (for me).
Starting in June of 2023, my first cycle was 47 days long, my second was 35 days long, my third was 53 days long, and then finally, my fourth was 30 days long 🤯. After that fourth cycle (around December 9th), things started to get a little more regular for me; however, my cycles remained lengthier than they were prior to pregnancy. Before I got pregnant with Alex, my cycles were almost always about 27-28 days long and now they were more like 30-35 days long.
Once my period had come back, I immediately tried to track my fertile signs, but taking my basal body temperature was a big-time challenge. Alex was still just 5 months old and waking up some nights to nurse. My sleep pattern was inconsistent and almost every morning, when she’d wake up, she’d immediately cry to be fed. It was so hard to remember to take my temperature let alone, to even be able to when she’d be calling for me to come get her and nurse her. I knew I needed to figure out how I was going to track my fertile signs in this new season of life, so I asked for a Tempdrop for Christmas.
The Tempdrop Fertility Tracker is a band you wrap around your arm near your armpit while you sleep that tracks your basal body temperature through the night. You can then sync your temperatures to the app on your phone every morning (or whenever you get the chance). This was working WONDERS for me (yay!) and I was finally able to record my temps for a full cycle in January! 🥳 (FYI it can still record your temps while your phone is in airplane mode, no Bluetooth required).
By January, we were both in agreement that we’d stop “not trying” to have a baby 😂. So, we did kind of “try” to conceive that month. However, I had JUST started to be consistent with tracking my temperatures and cervical mucus. Plus, I was also still breastfeeding Alex like 4 times a day, so my fertile window and ovulation were trickier to nail down. I was also used to shorter cycles, but since my cycles had become longer postpartum, my fertile window was later too.
I wasn’t sure if I had conceived that cycle. When I conceived on the first try with Alex, I immediately knew I was pregnant. I just felt different after my ovulatory phase. My energy remained the same, rather than dropping like it typically would entering my luteal phase before getting my period again (among other things) and I just FELT I was pregnant. This time, I didn’t feel that way. But, I was still hopeful…
I took a pregnancy test when my period would “normally” show up (although, again, I was breastfeeding and my cycles were never consistent), but the test was negative 😕. Darius and I talked about going into trying this time with “chill vibes” and “no pressure,” but we both couldn’t help but feel somewhat disappointed. Plus, I then got paranoid and worried I wasn’t ovulating (even though my temperature chart showed otherwise).
I had a thermal shift happen on Day 18 (highlighted in blue) with more than 3 consecutive high temperatures following it, so I’m pretty sure I ovulated by this day, but we *did it* a few times much earlier (because I thought I’d be ovulating earlier), and then again the day I potentially ovulated (or the day after). All that to say, I assume that my timing was off.
At this point, I thought maybe it was time to start weaning Alex off some daytime feeds slowly to see if my cycles would get more regular. But, I didn’t want to try that until after she turned 1 (February 24th). So, on my next cycle, we tried again and I made it a point to pay VERY close attention to my cervical mucus 👀.
I ended up ovulating around Day 17 here as well. I didn’t want to get my hopes up because I was worried I was going to end up disappointed again. I didn’t feel any real changes in my body after the ovulatory phase, and I just didn’t *feel* pregnant. Maybe it’s because I was protecting myself from thinking I was or convincing myself I was just in case I wasn’t again? 😣
Time went by SO SLOWLY for the next couple weeks, and I wanted so badly to take a test as soon as I could. I took one around Day 31 of my cycle, and it came back negative again 🫣. I didn’t even tell Darius about it…I was confused because part of me was confident I did conceive (even though I didn’t want to allow myself to believe it justtttt in case). I felt down all week, but for some reason, I didn’t give up hope. I guess something deep down inside me was telling me I WAS actually pregnant. So, I waited another week and tested again on Day 37. This time, it was positive! 🥳
No, I didn’t get pregnant on the first try this time, but I did conceive on the 2nd because I was able to use my temperatures and cervical mucus readings to assess what happened that first time and adjust accordingly. This is why it’s so important not to follow predictions on your tracking app or make assumptions yourself based on previous cycles. On my first attempt, I was timing intercourse based on when my fertile window USED TO BE prior to pregnancy, back when my cycles were VERY regular. However, my cycles no longer looked this way. I was breastfeeding postpartum, my cycles were longer, and I ovulated later.
The First Trimester Round 2 ✌️
It was now time to prep myself for another first-trimester experience 😅. I was expecting all of it again – the nausea, the food aversions, the tiredness,...but it went a little differently this time around.
My symptoms did kick in about the same time as before – around week 5ish?
Nausea
The nausea was similar to what I experienced the first time around – it was on and off for most of the day, was usually worse in the afternoons, and was the worst if I didn’t have something in my stomach. I tried to eat every 2-3 hours to keep myself from feeling terrible all the time. Luckily, once again, I wasn’t throwing up at all. Phew. 😮💨
Anytime I felt the nausea coming in, I ate something and I made sure whatever I ate, it contained some sort of protein to keep my blood sugar from spiking. This helped SIGNIFICANTLY. If I wanted crackers (which I wanted often), I’d make sure to pair them with some high-quality cheese or some peanut butter. My favorite quick-grab snacks ending up being:
Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers with Raw Goats Cheddar or MaraNatha Peanut Butter
Purely Elizabeth Chocolate Sea Salt Granola w/ added raw nuts, some yogurt, or more peanut butter.
Tiredness
I also felt VERY TIRED 😴, just like I did the first time around; except this time, I had a toddler to care for and entertain throughout the day, so I’d say it definitely made things more challenging 😅. When I felt tired the first time, I could lay on the couch and work from my laptop, take a nap whenever I felt I needed one (because I worked from home), and I could be “lazier” with meals,...but this time, I had to make sure Alex was fed breakfast, lunch, dinner, AND snacks, plus I had to keep her somewhat entertained throughout the day. I tried to “chill” on the couch as much as possible and just lay around beside her while she played, but it wasn’t easy, partly because I felt guilty about it. I consider myself to be pretty proactive and “involved” as a mom, so sitting on the couch while she entertained herself felt weird to me…but, I had to do what I had to do to conserve energy throughout the day and make it to bedtime 🤣.
Food Aversions
So, this was nice…I didn’t really have many food aversions this time around other than to beef jerky (that sh*t was gross to me) and I was never in the mood for hot beverages like coffee, matcha, or herbal teas which I normally LOVE to drink. Odd. Dark chocolate was another weird one I just didn’t want anything to do with.., but, otherwise, I was eating pretty much everything else. This helped make things A LOT easier for me because I was able to eat what everyone in the house was eating and didn’t have to make too many adjustments there.
I did have random desires for things pop up…like I’d randomly REALLY want a bagel with cream cheese or a grilled cheese sandwich 🤣 but, once I’d satisfy the desire, it’d be gone for a while again.
Other Symptoms
I experienced constipation 💩 REAL QUICK and it SUCKED 😫 I was really struggling to get poops out and I thought it was wild considering I was eating a variety of foods (most foods I’d normally eat with plenty of fiber that typically have me pooping beautifully). I guess my body and organs just shifted a lot quicker and a lot sooner this time.
I also broke out pretty bad — likeeeee I hadn’t broken out like that since I came off hormonal birth control when I was 23 🤯. I thought maybe it was constipation causing it? Because again, I was eating my usual things (for the most part). Yes, I was having more carbs here and there, but it wasn’t a big enough change to warrant THIS type of skin reaction. Anyway, I think I figured out what was causing it eventually, but more on this below…😉
Last thing I’ll add…I was incredibly uncomfortable laying in bed at night very early on compared with my first pregnancy. I didn't really feel uncomfortable sleeping until later in my 2nd trimester the first time around; but this time, I was uncomfortable by like week 6 😒 and had to sleep with a pillow between my legs almost immediately. I purchased this one and I’ve been using it ever since. Either way, sleep sucked very early on.
What helped me…
Here are some additional things that helped me navigate everything I just shared with you:
Meal prepping: Making a plan for the week’s meals was game-changing. I just did NOT have the energy to try and figure out meals every day…I mean, I barely had the energy to cook them 😆. But, knowing what I was gonna prepare, batch-cooking, and making big portions to have leftovers helped me conserve some energy.
Popsicles: I found these popsicles at Sprouts and they were perfect. I’d occasionally have them after meals when I’d just crave something cold. Plus, they have no added sugar.
Sparkling water: I kept Spindrift’s in the fridge at all times and had at least one a day to help curb the nausea. FYI you can buy a 30-pack of these at Costco and save A LOT of money.
Prune juice: After a week or two of being constipated, I started drinking some prune juice after dinner and I do think it helped a bit.
Afternoon napping (while my daughter napped): Although I was always tempted to try and get something done during Alex’s naps, by the afternoon, it felt like what my body really needed was to REST 🥱. Taking a nap (or at least attempting one) while she did also helped me recharge enough to make it through to bedtime.
Going to bed early: I’m not sure if it would’ve even been possible for me to stay up past 10 pm, but I almost always felt EXHAUSTED 😰 by the time Alex went down for the night. All I’d want to do is PLOP onto the couch and watch some TV before getting in bed by like 9:30 pm 😅.
Moving my body (even a little): Although I never actually wanted to or felt like it (I didn’t even want to go for morning walks), I usually tried to move my body in SOME way and it did usually help me feel better. I either went for a short walk outside or opted for some yoga or pilates in the backyard (fresh air was always nice).
P.S. I know a lot of what I’m writing may sound “whiney” or like I’m complaining, but that’s not my intention in sharing this with you by any means. I’m SO grateful to have been able to conceive on the 2nd try while also breastfeeding my 14-month-old, but I also like to be as honest and transparent about my experience as possible with you.
Weaning
I don’t want to get into this too much here, because I’ll probably save it for a later post; but I do want to mention that I was also weaning Alex off her day feeds during my first trimester 😅. So, on top of the hormonal shift that was going on with getting pregnant, I was also experiencing shifts due to weaning. In other words, it’s hard to fully distinguish what I was experiencing as a result of pregnancy and my first trimester vs what I was experiencing because I was weaning Alex off breastmilk. But for context, as I type this at 14 weeks, she has officially weaned entirely.
Prenatal Vitamins
The number one question I get asked is “What prenatal are you taking?”
When I was pregnant the first time around, I decided to make my own prenatal. I was taking beef liver capsules, magnesium, omega 3, and a probiotic. I was happy with this because I knew what I was getting from my diet, and I was confident I was getting the nutrients I needed to build a healthy baby with this combo. This time around, I wanted to give another prenatal a shot (I had tried Perelel before, but ended up throwing it up in my first trimester and moved on to making my own prenatal). I decided to try taking Needed as it’s one I often recommend to clients; however, I’m almost positive it was causing my terrible skin breakouts 😫
I think it’s possible the amount of nutrients in the prenatal was just too much for my body to absorb, and it was trying to eliminate the excess by any means possible. I’m pretty sure it was detoxing through my skin; so I decided to stop using it and see if my skin cleared. Sure enough, it did. So, back to building my own prenatal, I went. I’m currently back to what I was taking throughout my first pregnancy: the beef liver, magnesium, a probiotic and I’m about to add in an omega-3 supplement.
Just to be clear, I’m not saying Needed is bad or that you shouldn’t use it or other prenatal vitamins. I’m just saying it didn’t work for ME personally. I still think it’s a great choice and I would still recommend it to others to try.
Deciding on Prenatal Care
It’s about time we wrap this thang up, so let’s do it with what I’m planning for prenatal care. As I type this, I haven’t OFFICIALLY made a decision 😅. I’ve been back and forth between going back to the birth center where I gave birth to Alex (Magnolia Birth House) and having a home birth for a couple of reasons.
For one, giving birth at Magnolia was a GREAT experience and I felt fully comfortable and taken care of by everybody there 🙂. It’s also mostly covered by my insurance, so what we’d have to pay for the prenatal care and birth is MINIMAL. However, I did imagine having a home birth my 2nd time around, especially after feeling so comfortable giving birth the first time at the birth center.
At first, I didn’t think my insurance would cover any of it. However, a friend of mine was also planning for a home birth and told me she spoke with her provider (same as mine) and was able to get it partially covered. So, I called my insurance provider for the deets. Turns out, she was right and they’d cover 60% of the cost after the deductible was met; However, what we’d have to pay out of pocket would still be a lot more than it would be if we were to give birth at Magnolia again.
I decided to reach out to midwives doing home births regardless to see if it would help me come to a decision. I reached out to 3 in the South Florida area. One got back to me right away, but she was going to be out of town the week before and the week after my due date…bummer 🫤. Then a couple weeks went by without me hearing back from either of the others and I thought maybe it was a sign…
But, then I decided to reach out to the same friend that told me about her insurance coverage and she shared her midwife’s contact information with me. I hadn’t asked her for it before because she lives about an hour north of me and I just assumed her midwife didn’t handle births in my area, but I was wrong. I hopped on a phone call with her and everything sounded great. The only thing I was uneasy about was that in rush hour traffic, she’d be about an hour and forty-five minutes away from me. She assured me she wasn’t worried about it, but there’s a small part of me that can’t help but worry about it a little bit…
So, that’s where I’m currently at with the situation. I do think I’m leaning toward a home birth, but I guess you’ll just have to wait and see…😉
