I figured a good place to start would be a first trimester recap.

Morning sickness/Nausea

I’ve had the worst nausea of my pregnancies this time, and it’s actually how I could tell I was pregnant before I’d taken a test. The mere mention or thought of things I didn’t find appealing would make me nauseous. The nausea was pretty bad for 10-11 weeks and would come and go after that. I still have it now but much less frequently. What has helped me most is raw ginger.  

Fatigue

This was another clue that I was pregnant — it had been my #1 clue for my other pregnancies too. When we had family visiting in October, I realized I was really sleepy and couldn’t stay awake as late as I normally would hanging out. The fatigue eventually got so bad I wondered if something was wrong because I felt like I couldn’t stay awake or get the energy to move off the couch. The mom guilt kicked in because of it but when we told the boys the baby news and they were excited, I felt much less guilty.

Food Aversions/ Cravings

I don’t really have any food aversions (aside from my increased dismay about touching raw chicken), and I never have when pregnant, but I always have cravings. This time around I wanted lots of fruit and sweets.

Body Changes

I started off this pregnancy 10-15 pounds heavier than my previous 2 pregnancies. I wasn’t very happy about this and I’ve been much more mindful of my weight to try to keep the weight gain at a healthy pace. Since I now have a scale (after 5+ years of not owning one), I weigh myself more, which is both good and not so good. I didn’t really gain any weight the first trimester (fluctuates 0-2 pounds depending on the day) but I felt so bloated, and got bad acne in the first 8 weeks, which has returned in the 2nd trimester. My hair is also much flatter and almost straight. I’m feeling much better body image-wise now and constantly amazed at how I change with each pregnancy.

Emotions

Being pregnant during a pandemic is certainly challenging. For one, I’m home so much more, especially now that it’s winter. During my previous two pregnancies, I commuted into Manhattan everyday and it was kind of nice to have both the distraction of commuting and working, and it felt nice getting to dress my bump up. 

The upside to working from home is getting to be with my babies, of course, and not having to stand on the subway (not everyone gets up for pregnant women..) While I do miss the interactions with people while pregnant, sharing news in person, and my husband at prenatal appointments, I know this time shall pass and it’s all a part of our story. 

All in all, I am just so grateful to be expecting again. It’s a gift to be able to grow a life inside of you, and nothing compares.