The Third Trimester

Four weeks to go before Baby Heid’s due date! I imagine once she’s here, I won’t find much time to blog about my third trimester so I’m sharing what my experience has been so far and will, at some point, come back and update it with any changes.

Photo: Anna Duncan Photography — please do not use THIS photo in any way, shape, or form.

MATERNITY PHOTO SESSION

We visited this quant little garden in Greenville for a maternity photo session with Anna Duncan and she did not disappoint! Having your photos taken by Anna is like hanging out with a longtime friend and she’s got so much talent! We giggled through the whole thing and enjoyed taking time to slow down.

BABY’S POSITION

At my 34 week appointment, my OB determined that baby girl is head down and facing the back, which is great! Here’s hoping she hasn’t turned around or flipped up since then! When it comes to labor, I hope she’s as ready to be out as I am to have her here in my arms!

IMPROMPTU HOSPITAL TOUR

Our hospital isn’t allowing tours during this coronavirus pandemic (thankfully, they have a very thorough virtual tour), but we wound up getting a glimpse of the hospital firsthand. I had been working pretty hard on my feet all day prepping for a work function and began to notice consistent and very uncomfortable contractions in the late afternoon. I called the doctor who told me to drink a lot of water and rest for an hour and that if I still felt the contractions to head to the hospital. An hour later, I still felt them, so off I went. At one point, they thought it was a bladder infection, but it turned out to be Braxton Hicks contractions. I’m so grateful that it wasn’t something worse! And on top of that, we’ve now seen the hospital where I’ll be giving birth and Mr. Heid got to hear the heartbeat in person for the first time ever.

Photo: Anna Duncan Photography — please do not use THIS photo in any way, shape, or form.

NEW THINGS THAT I STRUGGLE WITH

• Taking off my pants. Something about the way I have to bend in order to get them off just isn’t working anymore. I’ll be dressing myself in nothing but dresses and skirts when I have to go out moving forward.

• I thought I struggled with sleeping before, but now I’m laughing at my second trimester self. This trimester, it has been a true struggle to get in any comfortable position. My belly is heavy, my hip is tingly, my bladder is constantly full, my legs are tight, and there’s just so much pressure. But I still don’t have any swelling and I’m going to call that a win.

SYMPTOMS I EXPERIENCED (WEEKS 28-NOW)

Both my breast tenderness and my fatigue have returned, though neither are as rough as they were during that first trimester. This trimester’s new symptoms have included:

• Stretch marks — I made it so far without getting any stretch marks, and then BAM — I woke up one day with them all on the left side of my belly.

• Belly button pain — the stretching of my body from the 34th week on led to some belly button tightness and discomfort. It’s very weird to watch your belly button start to disappear/fill in.

• Facial flushing — it only happens to my right cheek, but since it doesn’t fit the descriptions of any serious conditions, my doctors think it’s due to the additional volume of blood in my body.

• Pelvic pressure — baby girl is pressing down, which makes getting out of bed or a seated position difficult and uncomfortable. It also sometimes makes walking uncomfortable.

• Hiccups — I will experience an occasional hiccup (not your usual series of them), especially when I go from laying down to standing.

PERKS I EXPERIENCED (WEEKS 28-NOW)

• Baby showers — We had three separate baby showers — one for my friends, one for my side of the family, and one for Mr. Heid’s side of the family. I would have loved to have one big one, but doing it this way allowed for my guests to reduce the amount of people outside of their circle that they would come in contact with. We’ve been avoiding our normal activities pretty hard, so it was soooo good to see people and catch up in person.

• Seeing our nursery come together.

• Hearing that sweet heartbeat more often than before due to an increase in appointment frequency.

• Cooler weather — I know this isn’t a pregnancy perk, but fall weather is definitely a perk for a pregnant woman. The second trimester was just too hot.

THIRD TRIMESTER STAPLES

• Body Butter | One of my friends gifted me with Shea Moisture All-Over Hydration 100% Raw Shea Butter and it has been suuuuper great on my belly that seems to be stretching bigger and bigger every day. It provides immediate relief.

• Wedge Pillow | This Boppy Pregnancy Wedge has been such a versatile pillow for me. I’ve put it under my left hip for extra cushion, under my belly for extra support, between my knees, and as like a shoulder side pillow when I sleep sitting up. It looks useless, but for me, it’s been so nice. Shout out to my friend who passed it down to me!

• Hand Cream | I don’t know if it’s due to pregnancy or constantly washing my hands during this pandemic, but my hands have been so dry. I bought a mini travel sized version of Old Whaling Co. Body Butter to revive them. Their seaweed and sea salt scent is my favorite.

• Friends and Family | There’s so much to get done before Baby Heid arrives, and there’s no way we’d even be as far as we are without the help of our family and friends!

xo,

K

The Second Trimester

My second trimester is coming to a close and I’m sharing that part of my pregnancy journey with you! First off, the difference in symptoms between the first trimester and the second is like night and day! As I mentioned before, I was constantly worried about whether or not Baby Heid was thriving in there, so when the symptoms started disappearing I had to remind myself that this was normal for the second trimester. More on those further down!

THE 20-WEEK ULTRASOUND

The 20-week ultrasound was a high point for us! I went in to the appointment (alone, again — thanks, COVID), and the tech walked me through everything she was doing. She measured and documented every centimeter of Baby Heid and all of her organs. At first she was very stubborn about moving, but finally she uncovered her face and gave us that glimpse of her sweet little profile. Then it took about another 15 minutes of jostling to get her to show us the other side of her heart. At the end of the ultrasound, I was able to video call Mr. Heid so that he could see her and hear her heartbeat (FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!) — it was such a magical experience even if it wasn’t how we imagined it would be, especially for our first child.

They put her gender in an envelope for us to open together later and let me know that they had zero concerns over our baby’s development — everything looked and sounded great, and she was right on track for her originally estimated due date.

After the appointment, we drove over to our favorite bakery and opened the results in the car. As we slid the ultrasound shot out of the envelope, we saw in big letters, “IT’S A GIRL!”

We definitely thought we were going to be having a little boy because most of our friends who’d had kids recently had girls (though, two people in our family and one friend did just have boys haha). Needless to say, we were very surprised, but we are stoked regardless! All we want is a happy, healthy babe and so far she’s on track!

THOSE LITTLE BABY KICKS

Two days later, Baby Heid started kicking! The first night it happened, I wasn’t sure if what I was feeling were truly kicks, but after a few more times I was certain.

Nowadays, this girl is kicking, hiccuping, and rolling around — some days more than others — and I have an understanding of what other mamas meant about those bladder kicks *ouch* She seems to be on a schedule for when she’s awake versus moving around. We’ll see if that continues in the third trimester and out of the womb…

During week 24, I saw my stomach bounce from a kick, so I placed Mr. Heid’s hand where she kicked to try to feel it. As soon as I did, she stopped kicking. This happened several times until one night later that week he was finally able to feel it!

NEW THINGS THAT I STRUGGLE WITH

• Anything that involves bending/squating and reaching down at the same time. What might those be, you may wonder? Oh, just buckling my own sandals, shaving my legs, painting my toenails…

• Sleeping because of nerves in my left hip, but we’ll just call that practice, yea?

• Purchasing maternity clothes. I want to try them on first and that’s impossible these days.

• Breathing. I take a lot of deep, slow breaths because regular breathing feels like I’m not getting enough air.

SYMPTOMS I EXPERIENCED (WEEKS 13-27)

Let’s talk about what disappeared — my skin sensitivity has lessened, my nausea is gone, my boobs don’t hurt, that bad taste went away, and I’m waaaay less tired (though, it’s still hard to get out of bed in the morning and I’m ready for a nap by 2 or 3 p.m.).

New symptoms for me have included:

• Heartburn (if I bend over, so I just don’t bend over — all squats now haha)

• High body temperature (this kid + summer are warmer than warm)

• Tailbone pain (still)

• Upper back aches (hello heavier belly)

• Belly itches (not often though, thanks to my moisturizer linked below)

• Difficulty breathing (see above)

Thankfully, I haven’t had any swelling in my hands and feet or any high blood pressure!

PERKS I EXPERIENCED (WEEKS 13-27)

• Learning the baby’s gender!

• Feeling those baby movements!!

• More cooperative hair — I know that may sound odd to some of you, but I have course hair that I get relaxed every few months to make it easier to manage. My hair has been even thicker than it already was, but has also held its smoother texture for longer — hype!

• Building a registry

• Nursery planning

SECOND TRIMESTER STAPLES

• Body Pillow | I read reviews on the pregnancy pillows and they were pretty unconvincing… I found great reviews on this EnerPlex Never-Flat Body Pillow. I took the advice of a few reviewers and removed some of the stuffing to create a dip for my belly and it’s been perfect!

• Butt Cushion | I sit a lot for my job and my tailbone pain has NOT subsided. I found this Everlasting Comfort Seat Cushion to put in my office chair and it has been extremely helpful — that and getting up more often.

• Moisturizer | I received a few samples of Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Massage Lotion in the baby boxes from my registries, and it is awesome. The moisture lasts all day — sometimes I get in the shower and wonder why my belly is so smooth already — that’s the lotion at work! It has more of an almond smell than a cocoa smell, isn’t greasy, and goes on super smoothly.

• Face Masks | Guys, this virus is real and I’m not about catching it. I purchased the Wake Up and Fight Mask in Dark Chambray and Rifle Paper Co. Rosa Natural. Both are from Hendley & Bennett and have filter pockets (I use these). Protect yourselves, protect others — wear a mask.

• Activity Book | My sister got me The Big Fat Activity Book for Pregnant Women as a gift and it’s hilarious! It has fun pregnancy anecdotes, puzzles, journaling sections, coloring pages and more. Great for moments of down time. Know a mama on bed rest or one whose family won’t let her lift a finger because she’s pregnant now? Pick this up for her!

• Non-slip Socks | I’ve been rocking these Muezna Non-Slip Socks in the house because there are slick spots on our hardwoods and I’ve already slipped once during this pregnancy. These will come in handy at the hospital and after Baby Heid comes home.

• Swimsuit | It’s summer, so it’s time to hit the water! I was hesitant about purchasing a maternity swimsuit because I didn’t know which route to go. After ordering several suits, I landed on this We Cuffle Ruched Tankini. The two piece factor means I don’t have to struggle with getting that wet swimsuit up and down for the bajillion times that I have to pee. I was going to go for a bikini top to really rock the bump, but then I read that too much sun on the bump can affect the baby, so I went for a tankini (anyone have differing thoughts/research on this??). The ruching on the sides allows me to adjust the top as my belly has grown. Side note, if you are considering this suit, know that it comes in Australian sizes (which is teeny weenie, so don’t be afraid of the size).

Overall, I’m super proud of what my body has done to grow a baby — it’s not easy emotionally or physically, but I’m here for it! I’m soaking in the last month of my practically symptom-less second trimester (by comparison) as I’ve heard the third trimester is a doozy.

xoxo,

K

The First Trimester

OUR PREGNANCY STORY

Mr. Heid and I have been talking about what our future family might look like for years now. Sometime during our engagement, I asked him how long after marriage he wanted to wait to start trying for kids. I remember we were in a grocery store parking lot, but I don’t remember what prompted the question. He shrugged and said, “I dunno. I mean probably not very long…”

I was a little surprised, though I really shouldn’t have been — like I said, we’d been talking about family planning for years. On top of that, we’d been friends for 12 years, of which we’d been dating for five. We definitely felt like we’d had plenty of “just us” time. So we got married in October, began trying in January, and found out I was pregnant in March! I want to take this moment to say that I know it’s not that easy for everyone to get pregnant, and I hope anyone who has struggled or is struggling doesn’t become saddened or disheartened by this post. I used the Ovia Fertility Tracker while we were trying and let me tell you — I’m saddened and embarrassed to say that I learned so much about my reproductive system through this app and the research it prompted. The South Carolina sex education system is severely lacking, and that’s an understatement.

The morning I found out, I hit the mall and purchased a pair of baby Vans, made Mr. Heid a sweet note, and put it all together to gift him as an announcement. We called the doctor and were told we’d have to wait four weeks for an appointment because the ultrasound wouldn’t be able to detect anything that early.

Despite that making sense, I was still stunned at the amount of time I’d have to wait. Two weeks later, our state shut down for quarantine, and two weeks after that, I was able to see our little static fuzz of an embryo on ultrasound and that squiggly line that was a heartbeat. Mr. Heid wasn’t allowed to go in because of the new virus restrictions (more on pregnancy and coronavirus later). The rest of pregnancy was very nerve-racking for me — I don’t like not having control over my own body and I hated not being able to confirm that the baby was still thriving. Each appointment is a month apart (meaning a whole month between hearing those heartbeats) and you can’t feel baby’s movements until the second trimester. This, I did not handle well at. all. I constantly worried — going through thoughts of “Everything’s fine because I’m not bleeding...” to “But how do I knooowww??”

Here are some of my other first trimester experiences in a nutshell…

THINGS I HAD TO CUT OUT THAT I MISS

• Runny eggs

• Raw batter of baked goods (those pesky eggs)

• Deli meat

• Kombucha

• Tuna sandwiches (though, I can have them occasionally)

• Alcohol (which I hadn’t been drinking since just after our honeymoon in January anyway)

SYMPTOMS I EXPERIENCED (WEEKS 5-12)

• Tailbone pain (yup, it’s real)

• Nausea, but no vomiting (and my doc gave me a prescription to ease that)

• Constant bad taste in my mouth

• So many pee breaks

• Insane levels of fatigue

• Breast tenderness

• Sensitive skin (my favorite face mask burned)

• One really “fun” emotional spiral (it covered the virus possibly ruining my baby’s first Christmas, Mr. Heid losing his job due to the pandemic, me needing to eat more vegetables, what if the baby’s stopped growing, what if the vet can’t diagnose what’s wrong with our dog… like I said — fun.)

• Zero fucks given about bullshit. Like I’ve lost a ton of patience and care about the stupid, unimportant things that others have chosen to make a big deal out of. There are too many other important things to focus on in my book and my family is at the top of that list.

AVERSIONS & CRAVINGS

The smell of the fresh peppers and just the sight of ham both make me gag. I craved cinnamon ev.er.y.thing. and the deli meats (minus ham) that I could no longer have. The worst part about that is one of my favorite local delis closed permanently during the virus *ugh*

I’ve incorporated a lot of water, veggie quiches, Raisin Bran, and Multigrain Cheerios into my diet.

I’ve always associated scents with memories. As it turns out, being under quarantine was not something I handled well. That coupled with constant nausea and a heightened sense of smell meant the body wash, hand soap, laundry detergent, and dish soap I was using were all offending me in the worst way. They had to go and I’ll probably never bring them back into rotation.

FIRST TRIMESTER STAPLES

• The Ovia Pregnancy Tracker has been very useful in helping me keep track of how baby’s progressing, my symptoms, my doctor’s appointments, and my milestones. The app is pretty customizable and includes tools that explain what your and baby’s bodies are going through during each week, helpful articles, medical and food safety lookups, and more!

• The Bump Pregnancy Tracker has most of the same information, but I enjoy their articles more and they have a really cool 3D view of how your body looks with baby inside. I don’t know how to explain it, you’ll just have to download it!

• My 30 oz RTIC Tumbler has also been my favorite! I honestly don’t love drinking water, and it definitely has to be ice cold when I do. Having this tumbler by my side has helped me reach my water intake goals, keeps my water cold, and I have to refill it less often — win, win, win!

THE ANNOUNCEMENTS

• For the parents, we got RetroViewers from Uncommon Goods and had custom reels made to include photos of us as kids with our parents. Then the last two frames of each reel had a photo of my ultrasound and a photo of us with our positive pregnancy test. We came up with what we thought were convincing excuses to visit our parents during quarantine, and we gave them the RetroViewers as “early Mother’s Day presents” while we were there. My dad and mother-in-law didn’t believe our excuses and had a feeling we were going to announce our pregnancy.

• We had recently gone through family photos while organizing some things during the quarantine. For my sister and siblings-in-law, we slipped a copy of the 8-week ultrasound in a stack of photos that we were giving them. Since my brother is out in Cali, we mailed him a copy along with a card announcement!

Stay tuned for the second trimester recap!

xoxo,

K