We are so excited to announce we are pregnant and will be the ‘Dupon Family of Four’! Baby number two is on the way in early spring 2024. While we have kept baby number two to ourselves for the past little bit and are so excited to recap the first trimester. By the time this post goes live, I will be well into my second trimester. Time is absolutely flying by!
Symptoms
During this pregnancy, I started to feel random bursts with nausea around five weeks. Nausea kicked up intensity during week six and onwards. I really did not have a break from constant nausea until around the 10 week mark.
However, I am fortunate to be able to eat and subside the feeling for a few minutes. Compared to my first pregnancy, I did throw up.
This was the peak for me where I felt exhausted after traveling for work, was coming off of a time change and was overall feeling like a hot mess. Plus, I was weaning from breastfeeding our little one of 17 months.
Outside of nausea, I have had a few headaches with auras, which are pretty normal for me. I did feel a bit more out of breath and tired than normal.
The feeling of being out of breath was actually one of the first signs where I just ‘knew’ I was pregnant. I told Spencer if I was not pregnant I needed to go see my heart doctor because something was ‘clearly wrong’ since I was winded going up the stairs. Thanks progesterone! We are always considerate of how my body feels when it comes to my congenital heart defect.
Food aversions and cravings
I am actually very surprised about the amount of food aversions I have had this trimester (ie all meat, eggs, the spice cabinet, anything ‘too sweet’ or ‘too sour’). I truly felt I have been eating ‘nothing but carbs’ for many weeks.
Baby number two is currently fueled by oatmeal, gluten free pretzels, and homemade sourdough bread (and sourdough cinnamon rolls). I have been embracing eating all the carbs simply to settle my stomach.
When comparing this pregnancy to last, the one thing I have in common is my love for bread with almond butter. In my first pregnancy, I could enjoy anything with ginger, craved preggo pops and loved eggs. Now, they all make my stomach turn.
Oh, the smell of dog food still makes me want to hurl. The worst of all smells is meat. Raw meat, cooked meat, you name it – it smells rancid and I want to throw up.
I have not had any food cravings during this trimester.
Exercise
Exercise has been reduced this entire trimester. Baby number two has me enjoying short walks outside, light stretching and the occasional bike ride.
I often feel too hot, just plain tired and nauseous. This has caused me to avoid weights since I was six weeks pregnant. I was previously working my way through a postpartum fitness course through Mamaste. I plan on purchasing the prenatal fitness program.
How we found out
Baby number two has been prayed for and loved for many months. We are lucky enough to say we were blessed with baby number two at 16 months postpartum.
I actually had Spencer look at the test to ell me if I was pregnant. For our first pregnancy, I surprised him. He read the test in the morning and came and woke me up to tell me our daughter was going to be a big sister and I was officially pregnant.
It’s funny how consecutive pregnancies just hit a little bit differently. There are a lot of emotions which feel slightly different than the first time. Happiness, joy, excitement, a little bit of nervousness, and full confidence were the emotions rushing over me.
Stella and little one
At this time we think both Stella and little one are completely oblivious to the changes which will be happening as our family expands this spring.
Things we will be doing different
While I loved everything about my first pregnancy and postpartum journey, there are some minor differences I would like to make early on. This time around I am focusing as much as possible on pelvic floor engagement (as well as release). Also, I plan to focus more on breath work in preparation for labor. Additionally I would like to understand the labor and delivery process to its fullest extent. I felt semi-prepared during my first delivery. Spencer and I did take a childbirth course (also through Mamaste), but we did not make it to the pushing and labor prep. Our little one came a bit earlier than anticipated at 36 and 6!
Additionally, I would like to make meals in advance like last time, though I will probably start a little bit earlier than 36 weeks.
How are we budgeting for baby number two?
In regards to budget, we have known for a while we wanted to expand our family – lord willing. We have considered costs affiliated with the first year of a little one, including medical bills (for mama and baby), items we may need to purchase and what we already have on hand.
If you have taken a peek at my favorites, you will see high quality items where we feel it matters most. We took a lot of time educating ourselves on what we wanted for our first little one and any more little ones to come in the future.
For example, we bought the best quality stroller and car seat, while we are less focused on the quality of clothes. We plan on reusing items like the bassinet, mattresses, clothes, bottles (for when I go back to work), car seat, stroller, toys and a bath tub support.
Items we anticipate needing to purchase in the future include an upgraded stroller for two and a toddler bed for our little one. Though we love our crib and have the crib converter, it might be time for us to transition our little one over to a toddler bed. More to come on this in the future!
What questions do you have for me about baby number two? Let me know below! We are so excited. Thank you for joining along this journey!
[…] These are my tried-and-true items which I have utilized for my first little one and will use for my second child (and any additional, lord willing). For the mom-to-be, it is important to consider creating a baby […]