Update @ 21 Weeks Pregnant

Cliche but time is flying and crawling all at the same time. I’m 21 weeks pregnant (and some change!) and excited to be over halfway to meeting our last baby!

I left a question box on my Instagram stories and thought it would be fun to answer your questions about my 4th pregnancy so far!

I’m also including a few of the things that have been helping me survive this pregnancy :).

If you missed our announcement, here it is ;).

How are you feeling?

When people ask me this in public, I answer… I’m fine. And then they say, you don’t SOUND fine.

It’s probably true for everyone with multiple kids that each pregnancy is a little more difficult because you’re a little older and have at least one child to take care of.

I just *feel* much more pregnant much earlier this time, if that makes sense. Walking, getting out of bed, bending over – they all hurt. So if you have any genius tips for alleviating pain and pressure, I’m all ears.

When is your exact due date?

I’m due 2/22/20 – I went to 40 weeks on the dot with Quinn, 39 and some change with Cooper, and was induced at 39 with Emmy. I have her birth story written here.

How early did you feel the baby move?

You would think I would know 100% if and when I was feeling actual baby movements by the 4th time around but honestly, I was questioning it when I felt those first infrequent flutters and bumps. I’d say probably around 15 weeks for that, then around 18 weeks for actual ‘ok, that’s a baby moving in there’ movements. Now this baby is bumpin’ around in there and we can regularly see and feel movement from the outside.

Do you follow any specific diet while pregnant? It looks like you haven’t gained much weight.

I follow a stricter ‘diet’ (generally somewhat low-carb) when I’m not pregnant but I don’t do anything special when I’m pregnant as far as eating goes, aside from taking a prenatal and dropping alcohol ;).

I’m treating this pregnancy like it’s my last, so I’m indulging the cravings and not worrying about weight gain at all.

I am still going to barre3 3-ish times a week to stay moving, which I think helps as well.

Lastly – and don’t hate me – I carry all my babies small. It’s just the way my body looks while pregnant. All of my kids have been in the 6lb range (6lbs 4 oz, 6lbs 14oz, and 6lbs 1oz) and both myself and my husband are on the small side as adults, so I’m ok with small babies.

Weight gain?

Around 10lbs – again not on purpose, that’s just what my body has done.

What are some of your pregnancy must-haves?

When did you start showing with your other babies?

I would say to get to the whole ‘strangers being able to clearly tell’ phase, it’s been about 20 weeks in all my pregnancies.

Are you finding out the sex of the baby?

We are NOT… until he or she is born ;). We’ve been surprised by the sex of the baby every time and I love it – wrote about it here.

If you had to guess… boy or girl?

If I HAD to bet… I’d guess boy. Even though my pregnancy experiences are somewhat similar, my emotions vary widely between my girl and boy pregnancies.

What are you doing now that you know you won’t have the energy for later?

Everything… ha! Trying to rock Q4 (the end of the year) with work/blogging while also prepping the nursery, moving Em into a big girl room, annnnd celebrating the holidays as a family of 5. No big deal ;).

But seriously I’ll stock up on ready-made dinners/meals (if you’re in STL, I love Time For Dinner) and go through the bins of old newborn clothes from the other kids. I’ll *probably* sign Emmy up for some kind of ‘big sister’ class at the hospital so she’s a little prepped on what’s going on.

Any recommendations for a long layering tank?

I have this one coming this week – this is the brand I wore in previous pregnancies and it worked really well, just can’t find it 3 years later.

Are you over it yet or one of those unicorns who enjoys pregnancy?

OVER IT. Being pregnant is a gift and a privilege that I don’t take lightly but it is also really hard work. Hard work that I wish my husband could do for me ;).

Go-to pregnancy/nursing bras?

Does none count? Seriously my boobs have been SO sore this entire pregnancy. I do love these for pregnancy and nursing – they are NOT sexy by any stretch of the imagination but they’re comfy and easy and keep everything hidden that needs to be hidden.

Any morning sickness/nausea?

Not since about 11 weeks, thankfully. Even in the first trimester, I never actually get vomit sick but the all-day nausea is a real bitch. Mine has never been debilitating but my only real advice is to eat whatever sounds edible without guilt and try to stay as hydrated as possible. I do like ginger ale, too.

Any tips for trying/getting frustrated waiting?

It just depends – patience is helpful but also do not be afraid to advocate for yourself if a doctor is brushing off your concerns. It’s a fine line between waiting and taking further action but never be afraid to call/go in and ask a ton of questions. You’re not the doctor – unless of course you are a doctor 😉 – but you’re the customer so find someone who you like and trust to help you.

Any advice for first-time moms?

I’m glad you asked so my advice isn’t unsolicited anymore ;). If it’s your first pregnancy…

1. Try to enjoy the time alone with your significant other, and just by yourself. There will still be life after baby, it just takes more logistics.
2. You will be a GREAT mom. If you care about whether or not you’ll be a good mom, it means you’ll be a great mom.
3. You’re about to fall in love the hardest and fastest you ever have or ever will. I have had the luck to experience it 3 times now but there’s just something magical about experiencing it for the first time. Embrace it.
4. ASK FOR HELP. When someone asks, ‘how can I help?’ or ‘do you need anything?’ say ‘yes, please! can you throw in a load of laundry/pick up lunch for me/hold the baby while I shower’? Chances are most of the people asking to help you are moms themselves and they get it. There’s no award for doing it all yourself. I PROMISE it’s more rewarding to feel the love from your village than it is to do it all on your own.

Do you have any name theme?

We don’t really have a theme but have Quinn (girl), Cooper (boy), and Emerson (aka Emmy, girl). We like names that aren’t overly popular but that aren’t too unique, if that’s a thing.

Do you have a birth plan/birth preferences? Natural/epidural/midwife/c-section?

My plan is to have another VBAC if possible; Quinn was an emergency c-section 7 years ago but I’ve been able to have two vaginal deliveries after that, so I’d love to have a third. I 100% plan to get an epidural and have a hospital birth with a doctor – no plans to use a doula or midwife.

What made us go for #4? How did you know you were ready for another?

It was always our family’s plan to have 4 kids and we wanted them somewhat close in age. The distance between our kids has gotten longer with each baby – the first two are 22 months apart, two and three are 32 months apart, and three and four will be almost 3 years apart.

Honestly, we’re both just ready to move on from ‘the baby stage’ and it was time to get rollin’ if we were going to have a 4th!

Thank you for reading and following along with me on this (crazy) journey! Let me know if you have any other questions below 🙂