Baby #3 21 weeks

Hey friends! Here we are! Baby #3! I meant to start writing about this pregnancy sooner but have found myself here at 21 weeks realizing that the days are going quick and this baby will be here before we know it!

It has been a little bit of a tough journey so far. After having Oliver I dealt with low thyroid levels and low progesterone levels.  In short that means that I went through months of panic attacks, doctor appointments, and negative pregnancy tests after we started trying for #3. Luckily, I have an amazing chiropractor who has helped me find natural supplements to balance my levels and a great and mighty God that I leaned into for peace and comfort and now here we are, 21 weeks pregnant!

When I was about 6 weeks along we found ourselves in the ER because I was having such severe nausea, diarrhea(sorry, TMI), and cramping. They found that I had a cyst on one of my ovaries and a subchorionic hemorrhage which is a blood clot that forms between where the baby attaches and the uterus and can increase the risk of miscarriage. After that we went home with some anti-nausea medication and we waited.  

The anti-nausea medication ended up making me feel worse so I decided to find all of the natural remedies I could to help. I used peppermint and lemon oil in my water, drank peppermint and lemon & ginger tea, used ginger drops and also had a ginger supplement. I also tried to get as much rest and sleep as possible.  Even though I felt so sick and was afraid of what might happen I tried to just pray and trust that no matter the outcome I would be able to see how God was working through this situation. I think this was one of the first times that I fully surrendered my fear to God and that was so hard but so freeing.

We had another ultrasound at 7 weeks which showed that the baby was developing normally and that the hemorrhage wasn’t getting any worse. That brought some relief and it was so good to see our little peanut and see the heartbeat! After that we had another ultrasound at 10 weeks that showed the baby was right on track and that the hemorrhage was stable and had decreased to about 10% of the area which my OB said was good and gave her no concern. The baby did lots of flips during this appointment and that was so fun to see!

Around 12 weeks I finally started to feel well again. I gained some energy back and I could eat some of the foods that had been making me nauseous again and I finally started to enjoy this pregnancy! It was around 16 weeks that I felt those first little flutters and now they’ve turned to punches and kicks! I am so excited to meet this little one but until then here is my 21 week update!  

21 weeks

How far along: 21 weeks

Weeks to due date: 19!!

Total weight gain: 14 pounds! Yikes!

Maternity clothes: Oh yes! With this being my third pregnancy I definitely started showing earlier and have been fully enjoying my maternity clothes!

Sleep:  It depends on the night. Some nights have been great and other nights I spend rolling from one side to the other because my arms keep falling asleep.         

 

Exercise: I got in a couple of 2 mile walks last week but really need to get into regular strength and cardio workouts again. I’ve been having a lot of low back and hip pain this pregnancy and I know part of it is a lack of strength training. From weeks 6 to 10 I was advised not to work out and I kind of fell off the daily workout wagon. I’ve gotten some strength days in here and there and have gone on a lot of walks but nothing like before.     

  

Best moment this week: We’ve had a lot of guests lately which has been so fun! This weekend it was Andy’s brother Dan and his family. They have 6 children so we moved our two kiddos in our room and let their family take over the spare bedroom and the kid’s room. Even though it can be a little chaotic in our small house there is something about being cozy and spending time together that I really cherish! I also had the privilege of taking their family photos! All the kids have such great personalities and it was fun capturing them! Plus they all have the most gorgeous eyes and the youngest two are twins! It doesn’t much better than that! 

Those eyes!

What I miss: Nothing comes to mind.

Movement: Oh yes! So much and I love it! Feeling the baby move is one of the best parts of pregnancy!  

Food cravings: Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!   

Making me queasy:  Not too much anymore. I have had some nasty heart burn though! Overall I’ve been feeling really good! The beginning of this pregnancy was really tough and I was so sick! It has been a relief to feel well again!

Starting to show: Yes, I am definitely pregnant! 

Gender:  We will know in 19 weeks!

Happy or moody:  Happy!

Things I've been experiencing this week: When we were in church on Sunday I could really feel the baby moving around and it made me so anxious to meet him/her! It amazes me how each baby just makes sense and fits right in to our family! I can’t wait to meet this little person that I know belongs in our family!

What I'm looking forward to: Our ultrasound! Even though we won’t be finding out the gender I’m so excited to see our little one again!

Size of baby:  A carrot