I’m so excited to be sharing this second pregnancy journey with you! In my pregnancy with Sophie I barely had a baby bump to speak of in the beginning so I felt a little bit like an imposter by titling my first trimester recap as a “bumpdate”, but I’ve started showing a lot earlier during this second pregnancy so it feels like a more appropriate title this time! (It may not be as obvious in the above image, but I assure you in person the bump is a lot more noticeable — haha)
As I mentioned in my announcement post this pregnancy is technically a “geriatric” or “advanced maternal age” pregnancy so my experience is definitely going to vary from my first. Of course, all pregnancies are different, but medically speaking there will be additional tests and likely some close monitoring to ensure a healthy pregnancy and delivery for both of us.
Just like with my first pregnancy, I plan to write these trimester update posts almost like long form diary entries to myself, but I also want to share my experience with you in case you are also pregnant, TTC (trying to conceive), or are just generally curious — especially about what you can expect from a [fairly average] pregnancy after turning 35.
And fair warning: these posts might get a little TMI (that’s the thing about pregnancy… you have to quickly get comfortable with all kinds of body functions), but I promise I won’t get too graphic in sharing my details. 😜 (That said, I’m an open book and happy to share anything you want to know if you send me a DM on Instagram!)
The morning that my period was supposed to start (Nov 1st) I decided to take a pregnancy test because my breasts had been especially tender (moreso than usual on the days leading up to my period). We had experienced so many pregnancy-related disappointments over the last year that I was fully expecting this test to yield the same negative results. I was honestly FLOORED when the test read “Pregnant”!
My first move (after processing the OMG THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING) was to schedule an initial appointment with my obstetrician. Unfortunately, my OB/GYN provider retired at the end of last year and subsequently her practice closed after serving patients for over 70 years! This meant I was starting from scratch by establishing care with a new provider… great. 😑 I will admit that the timing of this change was actually pretty opportune for me because of our recent move to the suburbs and as a result we are now farther away from my previous provider’s downtown Seattle office (in addition to the hospital that she delivered at). Thankfully, my retired provider was able to make a referral to a wonderful OB/GYN in our area that I could transfer my care to.
Of course, I have made the same lifestyle adjustments as my last pregnancy: cut back on caffeine —only 8oz of coffee per day and a very rare can of Diet Coke as a treat—, omitted alcohol, and have modified my exercise routine.
Additionally, I have been taking prenatal vitamins since I was pregnant with Sophie so that hasn’t changed, but now I need to be really diligent about making sure that I take them daily.
Knowing what I do from my first pregnancy, I have been trying to eat as much healthy food as possible as well as doing my best to get daily exercise while I am feeling stable (not nauseous or falling asleep).
It has proven to be quite a challenge because, just like my pregnancy with Sophie, nausea has been a bit of a hinderance when it comes to meals because most of what I could stomach for the majority of my first trimester were carbs (crackers, pasta, breads, etc.). To be honest, I wasn’t as successful as I wanted to be in being consistent with that goal, but I’ve been doing my best to work on both healthy eating and regular exercise when I can manage it.
My nausea / sensitivity to odors began during Week 5 this time so I’ve been keeping a barf bag in the car as well as in my purse for any time I leave the house; I’ve also kept a tin of Altoids handy because the strong peppermint is so helpful for keeping my nausea at bay. Thankfully, I didn’t end up needing to use any barf bags, but having them available made me feel more confident leaving the house in case I wasn’t going to be near a bathroom for a while.
I’m grateful that my nausea would come in waves (just like when I was pregnant with Sophie) which I know doesn’t sound great, but it meant that I would at least get some periods of relief throughout the day. When the nausea would really hit I reached for a can of ginger beer or ginger ale because the effervescence paired with the ginger really helped to settle my stomach. I know those options aren’t necessarily the healthiest due to their sugar content, but they worked really well for me on the occasions that I needed them.
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I have been practically living in my Bumpsuits for the past month or so as my belly has already popped a bit and anything with a waistband (including leggings) are just not my favorite right now. 🤣 I just wanted to sing their praises because I’ve absolutely loved wearing them so far. There are a LOT of styles available to suit anyone’s needs / preferences, but I have two of the Kate Bumpsuits in black because they’re the most versatile for my wardrobe. I opted for the spaghetti strap style because I always wear my Bumpsuits paired with another piece over them and I personally don’t need the added warmth of double sleeves for our climate. I HIGHLY recommend for your maternity wardrobe (and postpartum because hello comfy). I’ll have a more detailed review coming soon in addition to styling ideas!
*Please note that these unitards are NOT ideal for doctor appts because you will need to expose your belly / strip down at each checkup and it’s so much easier not to wear bodysuits / jumpsuits / rompers on these occasions (plus, there’s the frequent urination thing).
My first OB / GYN appt (during Week 8) was essentially just the medical office getting a baseline of my medical history and getting to know me as a patient… I filled out questionnaires, they took my measurements (height, weight, etc.), and confirmed the pregnancy via urine test. I got to meet my new obstetrician who had come highly recommended to me, being very experienced and a leader of her field in our region. I feel very lucky to be her patient.
Being that I am of advanced maternal age and I’m not starting this pregnancy with my body in the healthiest condition, my doctor strongly recommended being very strict with my diet as well as exercising for an hour, five days a week to help keep pregnancy weight gain at a healthy amount (the goal she set for me is to gain only 20 additional lbs). Since I am already sensitive about my size (still mentally combating the toxic diet culture that I grew up in) that element of the appointment didn’t exactly make me feel great, but I know that my doctor is just looking out for my (and baby’s!) best interests — trying her best to help set us up for success in pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum.
I did get to see baby on a brief sonogram at this appointment as well! I saw their tiny heartbeat blinking on the screen which was just as amazing as it was when I saw itty bitty Sophie for the first time! Baby was measuring well and everything looked as good as it could at that juncture — *cue my huge sigh of relief*.
During Week 12 I had my nuchal translucency scan to look for any glaring chromosomal abnormalities (in conjunction with a two-part blood analysis). This nuchal translucency screening is a non-mandatory scan (meaning it will likely not be covered by insurance 😓). The scan experience was AMAZING. The baby no longer looked like a tiny shrimp (🤣), but like a real baby!
I will note that the elective Noninvasive Prenatal Test (NIPT) blood analysis is also an opportunity to find out the baby’s gender before the 20 week anatomy scan! During my first pregnancy we waited until the anatomy scan to find out the baby’s gender because it was our first baby and my husband was actually able to be present for that appointment (due to COVID restrictions), but we wanted to know sooner than later this time because we want to order nursery furniture ASAP and start planning!
*Note: you do NOT have to do this specific test to learn your baby’s gender, but because I was already having this blood analysis done I figured it would be a good opportunity to find out! (In case you missed our announcement, we found out that we’re having another little girl!)
I’ve been following along with my baby’s growth via the What to Expect app just as I did with my first pregnancy so it was cool to see how our little one is progressing just as described in the app. I can’t wait for our anatomy scan around 20 weeks to see our little munchkin again!
To get a good visual during this scan the imaging center requests that you drink 32 oz of water before your appointment so that you have a full bladder that helps create a gentle pressure in your abdomen to showcase the baby. I highly recommend following the 32 oz guideline or even going a bit beyond that for great images of the baby (my 40oz Stanley Quencher really came in handy for this hydration boost!).
It’s always so exciting to be able to see your baby and it’s absolutely fascinating to watch them moving around inside you. The scan had me a little anxious just because you never know what the sonogram technician is going to discover… but thankfully everything looked great and baby was measuring well!
I will note that my heart rate has been elevated at my doctor appointments, so my care team and I are making a point to monitor my blood pressure. I ordered a blood pressure cuff to use at home and I check myself twice a day to get a fair assessment. Right now, my care team has ordered me to report my daily blood pressure readings (systolic / diastolic & pulse) every two weeks and we’ll make adjustments from there depending on how those results are looking.
I want to note that I am taking this seriously and want to make all the best choices for the health & safety of our baby and for myself, but I have a hard time believing that I have a blood pressure issue at this point. I am certain that my BP has been elevated at my appointments because (1) I foolishly drank a 12 oz cold brew before my first appt which really had my heart pumping (SUCH a silly mistake to make before a doctor appointment!!!), and (2) I suffer from general anxiety, but especially what is commonly called “white coat syndrome” so I’m often especially nervous in most medical situations. The at-home blood pressure cuff measurements help to prove to my physicians that my heart rate is normal when I am in my own relaxed environment. I will note that high blood pressure / hypertension can arise during pregnancy (especially for mothers over age 35), but it typically regulates after giving birth.
Additionally, I’ve been ordered to start taking Low Dose Aspirin (aka “Baby Aspirin”) to help minimize the risk of preeclampsia (and other concerns) as well as to fortify my placenta’s development. You can read more about aspirin use in pregnancy (especially as it pertains to Mothers of Advanced Maternal Age [over age 35]) in this article by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
At this point we also started planning how we wanted to surprise our family with the exciting news! Since this isn’t our first pregnancy and our parents are already grandparents, we wanted to surprise them with the news of our pregnancy, but without the “you’re going to be grandparents!” type of message.
I thought it might be cute to mail cards to everyone for Christmas (which was great as not to raise suspicion since the holiday timing happened to coincide with the end of our first trimester… again 😆) with verbiage saying “Your Christmas Gift is on backorder… until July 2024! Surprise — Baby #2 is on the way!” which also included a sonogram image (we used this customizable card from Etsy and I just scanned our sonogram printouts and then printed the same image out on cardstock for each card).
Every day that passes is a true blessing, but those first few months honestly felt like they were moving excruciatingly slow. However, now that now that we’ve reached the 12 week mark (when loss risks drop significantly) and we’re entering the second trimester I feel like I can finally “unclench”, relax a little bit, and start to actually enjoy this pregnancy! It seems wild that we’re already 1/3 of the way to meeting this new baby… the past few months have both flown and crawled by.
Thanks so much for joining me on this journey! It’s such a relief not to have to keep this secret anymore because I’m not great at lying / keeping [my own] secrets! 🤣 Please let me know if you have any questions in the Comments section below; I’m happy to answer them as best as I can. 😊
Sending hugs!
xx, Natalie
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