I added a bunch of questions you guys left for me after my Part One post this morning. Thank you again for sharing in our excitement. It honestly means so, so much to me!
More Pregnancy Questions
- Will you be sharing weekly pregnancy updates on the blog?
I started writing “secret” blog posts documenting my pregnancy and our journey at 8 weeks and will publish them soon! I have them organized in three-week increments (weeks 8, 9 & 10 together, etc.), but may share weekly updates if it’s something that might interest you guys. Just let me know!
(That pic was taken right after we found out whether we are having a boy or a girl!)
- How far along are you now?
17 weeks and 3 days.
- You said you went off birth control several months before you and Ryan decided to start trying. Did you get your period right away?
Yes, but my cycles were a little strange. At first, my periods were something like 42 days apart, then 40, 37, 35, etc. until eventually they normalized to my usual 28-30 day cycle.
- Did you use any ovulation predictor kits or track your periods before you decided to start trying?
I didn’t use an ovulation predictor kit, but I had been tracking my periods for a few months using the (free!) iPeriod app since my cycles were a little wacky when I went off birth control.
- Were you nervous to tell your family so early?
No. If anything happened, I knew I would lean on them for support and love, so sharing the news with them was important to me. My mom is also a nurse, so I really, really wanted to tell her so I could ask her a billion questions and have someone I love to reach out to in the early stages of pregnancy.
- How have you been feeling?
Okay. I actually started to feel worse and more nauseous when I entered my second trimester, which goes against pretty much everything I’ve read about morning sickness. I felt great for the first seven weeks, but right around week 7.5/8, I started to wake up feeling nauseous most mornings. Thankfully eating something immediately makes a BIG difference and I joke that I need a solid layer of food in my belly at all times or I will feel pukey.
I felt more and more like myself last week after a rough weeks 14 and 15, but then yesterday I ended up throwing up in the bathroom right after my pregnancy announcement post went up. I do feel very fortunate that once I throw up, I tend to feel MUCH better and can eat again right after and go about my normal day.
Though I want to go to bed by 9 p.m. most nights, fatigue hasn’t really been an issue (thank goodness), except for a few (3?) days where it totally knocked me on my butt.
- Do you have morning sickness?
Most of my sickness does seem to occur in the morning. I wake up feeling like I have a hangover most mornings, but eating something immediately helps a TON.
- Do you have any cravings?
My overall food preferences have changed pretty dramatically. I want ALL SALTY FOOD all the time.
As someone with a perpetual sweet tooth, this is so crazy to me! So far my biggest pregnancy cravings have included: Sandwiches (I follow my doctor’s advice and heat all deli meat up before eating it), chicken noodle soup without the chicken (I’ll seriously pick it out), burgers, chips/nachos, gummy candy (Sour Patch Kids, red licorice and Swedish Fish are the jam), eggs and fruit.
- Have you had a hard time eating healthy?
Yes. This was such a bummer because I really thought that the moment I got pregnant I’d feel all the more motivated to eat ALL THE VEGGIES and give birth to a little kale baby or something. Well, aversions are real my friends and most cooked veggies still make me want to gag. Thankfully raw veggies are appealing again right now and I’ve been obsessed with FRUIT for ALL of my pregnancy.
- Do you have any food aversions?
This is such a strange one, but the thought of tortilla soup makes me want to gag. The smell of cumin in anything is also very off-putting. Cooked vegetables still sound horrible (which is so sad) – I actually avoided Whole Foods for a while because I didn’t even want to see the cooked veggies in their hot bar. What!?
- Have you experienced any crazy pregnancy-related emotions?
Oddly enough, I haven’t felt overly emotional or weepy at all. I joke that I felt “really rage-y” around week 10. Ryan said he was “lucky to make it out of that week alive.” Haha! It was so strange… I just felt way more easily angered over stupid stuff than usual!
- Any mood swings?
Not really. Except for the very odd anger in week 10. Yikes!
- Any unexpected feelings or symptoms?
A lot of anxiousness and anxiety. I’ve truly never worried so much in my life. A lot of praying is going on in our household right now.
As for unexpected symptoms, I feel like everyone talks about the “pregnancy glow” but I hear much less about pregnancy acne! My skin was quite clear until a few weeks ago when I got more zits than I’ve had in years!! If the pregnancy pimples would like to go away soon, that would be grrreat. I recently switched up my skincare (just purchased some of the Belli products), so I’m crossing my fingers that will help a bit.
- How much weight have you gained so far? Do you have a baby bump?
I hadn’t weighed myself in months before stepping on the scale at my 8 week appointment. Since my 8 week appointment, I’ve gained about 8 pounds, but I was about 5 pounds heavier than my usual weight at 8 weeks. It’s so strange, but I honestly feel like I’m showing most in places other than my belly right now. My arms and thighs are bigger and I feel like my hips are widening. My stomach definitely looks thicker and my belly button looks a little different, but I don’t really see a defined, round baby bump yet.
- You’ve mentioned before that you are scared of giving birth. How are you feeling now?
I’ll be 100 percent honest… I am still quite scared. And I don’t see that changing anytime soon, given my not-so-great history with anything medical. I am horrible with needles and was sweating and shaking going into my first round of blood work. When I told the doctors I was really bad with needles, I almost expected them to laugh and say something like, “Ha! Good LUCK with childbirth!” but they were all so understanding and kind.
Around 11 1/2 weeks, something rather unexpected happened though that has helped put my mind at ease. I was able to see an ultrasound before my first round of blood work and see our baby MOVE for the first time. This flipped a switch in my mind. I was still nervous about the needles and medical stuff, but I realized, as I watched our baby move, I would do anything for that little fuzzy black and gray image dancing back at me. I keep thinking back to that moment and feeling whenever I start to worry about actually giving birth and it helps a lot.
- Have you thought about how you will decorate the nursery?
Yes!!! I am SO excited about this! Ryan actually started painting the nursery a bit last weekend when I was in Chicago. I’ll share more pictures and nursery inspiration photos once I announce the sex of the baby, but I love a very calming/neutral look with lots of whites, creams and beiges.
Workout Questions
- How has working at the gym/teaching been going?
Pretty well so far! I fortunately feel great during Spinning classes and still love teaching PiYo, barbell strength and boot camp classes (<– I don’t take them, I just teach/correct form), but I always, always make sure to have a snack immediately before a workout and something to eat in my bag right after I am done to help fight nausea. The other day I told Ryan I’ve felt super lucky that the days I’ve felt the worst during pregnancy have seemed to fall on a weekend or a day when I didn’t have to teach, so that’s made sticking to my gym schedules easier than I anticipated.
- How long do you plan to continue teaching?
As long as I can! I spoke with my doctor and was given the green light to continue exercising at the same level I did pre-pregnancy, which means I can also continue to teach. Woo! My boss was particularly happy to hear I’ll be staying on the schedule for a few months since there’s a bit of a pregnancy boom going on at our gym right now.
I was planning to teach water fitness outdoors again this summer, but I don’t think that will be a go anymore simply because my doctor said it’s important not to get overheated. If we can figure out a way for me to teach in the water, that would be great! We’re talking about it now…
- Have your workouts changed at all? Do you plan to continue working out throughout your pregnancy?
The main way my workouts have changed is that I’ve all but cut out running. I tried taking Sadie for a run a few weeks ago and it was just really, really uncomfortable. (Things just felt heavy down there – sorry if that’s TMI – but my doctor said that’s normal and encouraged me to pay attention to how I feel.) I ran a little on the beach in Sanibel but it was more of a walk/run. I’m just trying my best to listen to my body and right now workouts that feel the best include barre, spinning and strength training.
In the beginning, I also had to opt out of a number of early morning workouts simply because I woke up feeling so crappy.
I really, really hope to remain active throughout my pregnancy. I have no plans to stop exercising, but will continue to listen to my body and take rest days when I need them. Walking almost always feels great, so that’s a plus!
Sadie Questions
- How do you think Sadie will handle a little brother/sister?
Oh gosh. Saaaadie. The funny thing about this question is that it’s one we’re asked all the time by friends and family. Clearly they know Sadie is one heck of a needy little girl.
I have absolutely no idea how Sadie will react to a little one. She’s super gentle, so I am not worried about aggression or anything (though we will obviously take all the proper precautions when we introduce her to the baby), but I do think she’ll be jealous and a little miffed by any sort of shift in attention.
Ryan and I love Sadie like crazy and hope to continue to give her all the love, exercise and attention she deserves and craves, understanding that things obviously do change when a baby enters the picture. Sadie is our little love machine and I cannot wait to do lots of family walks and outdoor activities with Sadie and our new addition when the time comes.
- Do you think Sadie knows?
I think she is 100 percent clueless.
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Congratulations, Julie!! So excited for you both – I have read your blog for a long time – so excited! I wanted to chime in on the anxiety stuff – that is definitely one thing I did not expect when I had a baby – I thought it would be a lot more happy feelings and excitement, but it’s amazing how much worry comes with that! It was this big roller coaster of emotions for me. So, just wanted to let you know you’re not alone there at all. Most of the people in my Mommy group feel the same way too – my hospital did postpartum lunches for moms with babies 2-12 weeks old – that’s where I met my group. We started a Facebook group and do playdates and nights out now – I only share because I think it’s one of the things that was the most helpful for me for the anxiety part after the baby was born!! Would highly recommend finding one. But only a non-judgy good one – if people are judgy (I’ve heard some horror stories) run for the hills!!
Congratulations again!! 🙂
So much of your experience so far sounds like my pregnancy! My craving for salty foods was like no other. Also I felt fantastic up until week 7…and then it’s all down hill from there, just kidding you’ll look back after baby is born and say it wasn’t that bad.
I was also terrified of giving birth, my son was just born in November, and the best advice I can give you is be educated. Take a birthing class with Ryan and talk about all that you are learning and the fears that you both have….even fears of the life you two have made together changing. It’s real.
And also if you can stay in shape and strength train! The last time I hit the gym was the day before I went into labor and let me tell you my body was strong and ready and it made a natural delivery much easier. I wouldn’t do it any other way.
So congrats, and enjoy this exciting time once you become a Momma you will be changed forever.
Congratulations!! I didn’t get the moodiness until towards the end of my pregnancies, and it was always commercials that got me. I didn’t have any aversions, but with my 2nd pregnancy I couldn’t get enough of cuties, I ate those things by the ton.
That’s so funny that you think she’s clueless – our dog Bo definitely knew something was up as soon as we found out (4 weeks!) He didn’t want anything to do with me throughout the pregnancy; it was like I smelled funny or something! Haha But he adjusted fine and now he has a 1.5 year old little brother harassing him constantly 🙂
Congratulations!! I’ve been reading your blog for years and am so happy to hear this news! Would love to see weekly bump dates!
I was TERRIFIED before I got pregnant and all throughy pregnancy, but it went much better than expected. Try to think positive!
Congratulations! I’ve been a long time reader and really envy the fact that you and Ryan waited to have children until you both had stable jobs and a home. My husband and I did things a little backwards and had our first daughter in our early 20’s and it was rough but we made it. We now have 2 little girls and are looking to buy our first home.
Do you plan to return to work after having the baby or do you plan to be a stay at home mom?
Congratulations Julie, this is so exciting! I’ve been a long time reader of your blog and am so happy for you. I am also pregnant with my first baby and am due August 4th! I’m jealous that you already know the sex – we’re finding out this week 🙂
Congrats, Julie! I have read your blog for awhile now – and I am also pregnant & due July 30th! 🙂 I am 19 weeks today! It will be so exciting reading your posts & going through my pregnancy alongside my favorite blogger! xo, Kaitlin
Everyone is SO different. I tried to keep running for as long as I could but I felt like Santa Clause, like a I had a bowl full of jelly in my abdomen that was jiggling all around (picture Tim Allen on the treadmill). But I had to train walking at an incline for a snowshoe trip that I’d already planned that ended up being 12 miles in my 7th month!! Also, I would consider myself, pre-childbirth, to have a phobia of giving birth. I could barely talk about it, or even think about it sometimes, without bursting into tears. It got so bad before getting pregnant my husband was questioning whether we should actually get pregnant. My only advice, pray about it, have people pray over you, etc. You know it’s going to happen at this point (which oddly helped me), so there’s no going back.
Congratulations!! I’ve been a blog ready for a couple years now and love to see this transition. So funny, I have two people in my life right now that are due with their first babies in September. And now someone else expecting their first!
Congratulations!!!
I’m not really sure how I happened upon your blog a couple years ago, but I totally got hooked when I learned you were originally from Palatine and, of course, reading about Sadie 😉 Recently you posted your breakfast and you went out, but had eaten a little something before that which included cereal and I thought hmmm, that’s a lot of food, I wonder…So happy for all of you! Enjoy!!
Your little flutters most likely are baby. I remember thinking I was crazy because I started feeling what felt like a fish swimming in my belly at around 15-16 weeks, but my doctor assured me it was baby! It’s a while before it’s regular. Maybe another couple weeks. At 20 weeks, my husband got a BIG kick for the first time. Very exciting stuff!
Based on your cravings/aversions, I’m going to guess boy 🙂 I was a huge baker, but hated sweets when I was pregnant. Chicken made me so sick. I was all about red meat, eggs, and pasta!
Enjoy every moment! Hugs to big sis Sadie!
Congratulations Julie!!! I am SO happy for you!! I only read a few blogs and I have been reading yours for years!! I am so excited to hear about your pregnancy journey and to squirrel away any tips for when I (eventually) start my own family. I have no doubt you and Ryan will make wonderful parents!! xoxo
So exciting! I craved eggs and salty food while I was pregnant too. I couldn’t run much, but loved taking my dog on long walks whenever I could-we averaged 9-12 miles a week until my little guy was born in Novemeber.
I am not sure if you’ve heard of Hypnobabies, but I recommend it! I used it for my natural birth and some of the breathing and visualization techniques helped me during apointments when I was feeling anxious. I also felt like it really helped during labor-I hate needles and hospitals, but really didn’t feel as anxious as I expected.
I am looking forward to reading about your pregnancy!
Congratulations Julie! I had my first baby last June and I was the same as you – hated needles and was super nervous about giving birth. Hopefully I can ease your mind a little when I tell you that it wasn’t even close to as bad as I had built it up in my mind to be. And I did it NATURAL, (although not by choice, I didn’t have time for an epidural.) I will say that it takes a lot of endurance though. I think I was much more tired and worn out than in pain through most of it! You’ll do great and you guys are going to be AWESOME parents! Congrats again!
Julie! Congrats! It’s so funny to read about your cravings and aversions because I had the exact same cravings and aversions as you when I was pregnant with my son. I ate all fruit all the time. I only gained a total of 18 lbs because I had NO appetite for sweets. I’m pregnant again (I have a strong feeling it’s a girl) and my cravings and aversions are totally opposite! Funny isn’t it?! Wishing you a happy healthy 9 months!
I feel you on the anxiety! I’ve never been a worry wart but when I was pregnant, it’s all I felt like I could do! As for the fears of childbirth, definitely take a class. We did the Bradley method, which is long and about natural birth, but it really helped me feel prepared. I was induced and I wasn’t scared or nervous at all! It helped my husband understand what was happening too! Good luck you will be a great mom!
I hope your morning sickness subsides soon!
Other than the MS, our pregnancies sound pretty similar. I also didn’t want to eat anything healthy, which stinks. I stopped running because it was very uncomfortable too.
I can’t wait to find out what you’re having! 🙂
Pregnancy is such a funny thing! I’m pregnant right now too and I can’t stand the thought of eating chili, blah! It used to always be a weekly staple meal for my family in the chilly months. I wish you the best of luck with Sadie after your little is born. We adored our dog too prior to our first, and unfortunately it was a hard challenge for us to keep up the dog’s previous routine. Lately it was really shown in his attitude and personality. First and foremost, he dislikes our child very much and generally runs to the other room 🙁 Hopefully this will change when our kids can take the dog for walks! We do try to make the dog feel like the family by inviting him into our child’s room for his bedtime routine and night time snuggles on the couch, and hopefully more outside time with the weather warming up soon. It’s a challenge and something you have to work hard at balancing, so again I wish you guys the best of luck with it and congrats!
Haha I love the answer to the last question. When my time comes, I’m sure my dog will have some serious jealousy/protective issues. Right now he barks at anybody, even us, who comes close to our friend’s babies. He didn’t even want the dad to change the diaper. It’s weird because he doesn’t bother the baby at all, but just makes sure nobody is in his bubble.
Julie-I am super excited to follow along through your pregnancy. I have been a follower for years and plan to keep reading!
Congrats!! Very exciting, I just found out my sister is pregnant as well! Due in September 🙂
Congratulations! I have been a reader for some time now, but rarely comment. I just wanted to say that I’ve so enjoyed your pregnancy posts – you have such a great outlook. Wishing you all the best as your pregnancy progresses!
Congrats!! I’ve been anticipating this day for many years when you would finally be pregnant! I was SO scared for labor. I hate needles/shots and get stomach aches when I have to go to the doctor because I’m so scared. I used to hide/cry in the corner when I was little. Needless to say, my labor went sooo well, and the needles/IV’s were not a big deal at all!!!
I know you shouldn’t compare labor and delivery stories, but it was honestly WAYYYY better than I would have ever imagined. Honestly…it was easy! I did get an epidural and was scared of that getting put in, but it was honestly no big deal at all! Good luck with everything. I can’t wait to read more about it.
My baby days are long gone. Really enjoy living it through your eyes. Enjoy the journey.
Eep! Congrats! Is it weird that I had a feeling this would be announced soon? lol! I’ve been following your blog for years and I am just so excited for y’all! Sending prayers for a healthy and non-nauseous remainder of your pregnancy! 🙂 xo
My guess is you are having a girl!
CONGRATS!!! I will definitely be tuning in for weekly updates!
congrats on your pregnancy! I’m really going to enjoy reading your journey because I’m also due on August 10th! We’re having a boy! Hope your nausea goes away soon!!
Ohmygoodness! I am so excited, it feels like one of my friends is pregnant when I am reading your posts! I am definitely interested to hear all about your little one. My friend found out she was pregnant at 20 weeks (eek) and is due at the end of May, so it will be really interesting hearing about both of your different experiences as you go through the different stages after her! Okay I am way too excited about the pregnancy of someone I have never met…..
Congrats again! So excited for you! And I’m loving all the baby q&a!
Real quick–have you ever tried Murad products for your skin? I recently bought the aha/bha cleanser as well as the regular face wash they have and they have done absolute wonders on my skin! Just a suggestion in case you haven’t tried it!
Congrats! I also had bad aversions to cooked veggies and couldn’t stand to smell them, look at them, let alone eat them for a while- so funny the weird things that happen during pregnancy! All the best to you, can’t wait to watch your journey. Motherhood is awesome 🙂
That pic of Sadie is beyond cute! I still cannot get over just how excited I am for you too! 🙂
Hey pull your peanut butter fingers out of your marshmallow ass.
Hey pull your peanut butter fingers out of your marshmallow ass.
I laughed out loud SO hard at your response to whether or not you think Sadie knows, “I think she is 100% clueless.” Like i’m dying over here now. so funny!!!
I will say, if she’s anything like my dog was when I was pregnant, she’ll know something’s going on and be so protective of you! (if she isn’t already!)
I am so excited for you and Ryan. I have been following your blog for while now and absolutely love it. One of my best friends (also a reader of your blog) and I spoke of this moment and couldn’t wait for it to happen. So exicted for you guys! Can’t wait to find out the gender. I am guessing boy! All the best in your journey!
Congrats! I am new-ish to your blog and I love this new news. It’s so refreshing to have someone who is in the workout/gym industry (is that the right wording??), but is so real about workouts while pregnant. I haven’t experienced pregnancy yet and I am working on getting in better shape to help that part of my life, and you are just so inspiring. I love the realness you share. Thanks! 🙂
So it’s definitely a girl. lol. Congrats!!
That’s so awesome, congratulations!! I just gave birth to my son two weeks ago and even after experiencing childbirth twice, the idea of going through it again sometime in the future is terrifying to me. The Bradley Method definitely helped me get through without drugs ( I didn’t take the class, but the books were crazy helpful if you can look past the fact that they were obviously written over 20 years ago), and having my husband as a birth coach made a huge difference. The pain was relatively short lived and by the time I was holding my baby I’d completely forgotten that it hurt at all 🙂 You’ll do great!
If you can find a way to teach water aerobics in the water – do it! The best I felt in the later months of my pregnancy was when I was in the pool. It was like heaven.
I had really similar cravings (we had a boy…). My absolute favorite thing when I was pregnant was all things grapefruit – especially the grapefruit gummies you can get at Fresh Market. My husband got on a first name basis with the employees at Fresh Market in those 9 months.
Congrats again!! I’m pregnant with our first and due on August 4th, so I’m in a very similar place as you! It’s a crazy ride and so different than I ever expected it to be.
Just thought I’d throw this out there…my husband and I are currently taking the Bradley Method course on childbirth and husband-coached birth and it’s absolutely fantastic. We’ve learned so much already and we’re not even halfway through the course. I’ve said many times that I can’t imagine going through labor and birth not knowing the information we’ve learned in this class. I’d highly recommend looking into it if it’s offered near where you live!
I saw this, this morning and thought I would share. I was cracking up!
http://barkpost.com/pregnancy-announcements-with-dogs/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=barkbox