Finding out I’m pregnant…again!
I’m pregnant! NOW WHAT?
Isn’t pregnancy funny? You spend some portion of your life trying to not get pregnant, another portion trying desperately to get pregnant and somewhere during one of those two seasons of life, you just might end up pregnant!
I’m guessing if you’re reading this- that may be you, maybe you’ve just found out you’re pregnant! CONGRATULATIONS!! or you’re still considering your future, and that’s great too!!
So let’s talk about it! I’m currently also finding myself in this, “NOW WHAT?!” stage. This is actually my fourth pregnancy- my husband and I had one miscarriage before being blessed with our two precious little boys, so this will be our third child. Each of my pregnancies has been different, so I expect no less out of this one- which shouldn’t surprise us, right? Each kid is different, so why wouldn’t their beginnings also be different?
Just a little bit of background on me, when we found out we were pregnant the first time, we were absolutely over the moon! At that point in time, my husband and I had been married for 7 years; we dated for 4 years before we got married, we finished our degrees, we focused on our careers, we bought a house- we were ready for baby! Unfortunately, God’s timing for us, said nope, not yet! So when that pregnancy didn’t make it to term, we were devastated. A few years later when we finally ended up pregnant again, I was a nervous wreck! Almost to the point of missing out on the excitement of pregnancy. So fast forward to now- I’ve just found out we’re pregnant….AGAIN and this time it was a complete surprise! A wonderful surprise, but a life changing surprise nonetheless. SO NOW WHAT?
I know everyone’s situation and relationships are different, but for me, the first thing I wanted to do was tell my husband! You know, after I stood in the bathroom staring at the mirror going “Ok, God now what? Are you serious? Another one?! How can I handle another one?! I’m scared, can we afford another one?! Can my patience and nerves handle another one?! I mean THANK YOU, yes thank you Lord, but I AM SCARED!”
The first time we got pregnant, I made these cute little bottle labels so I could hand my husband a cold beverage when he got home from work with this little label that said “Baby H, brewing until March” but this time, after I caught my breath, and convinced myself I wasn’t going to pass out from the shock, I tiptoed upstairs, woke my husband up, and said “Ummmmm we need to talk”
That day I went ahead and called my doctor so we could confirm with a blood test and get the process of scheduling my first OB appointments started.
Once the blood test came back positive, the excitement really starts to sink in for me- up until that point, I’m still holding my breath, unsure of this blessing from God. Ok so let’s summarize our journey up to this point!
If you are trying to conceive or trying to not conceive, I recommend tracking your cycles. By tracking your cycles, you may be able to predict your ovulation and fertile windows, but also will start seeing a pattern of your cycles so you’ll know something might be up if a cycle runs long or short or whatever. The Apple Health app is the tracking method I use; it’s super easy on my phone or with my watch so it only takes a second to log my cycle and/ or any symptoms like cramping. I also highly recommend reading this book: Taking Charge of Your Fertility . It was so helpful in teaching me about my body and my cycles!
Pay attention to your body! My pregnancy-tell is my dreams- I do not often dream, especially super vivid dreams….unless I’m pregnant. The morning I wake up after a super vivid dream, I’m reaching for my at home pregnancy tests!
Highly recommend keeping some at home tests on hand. Much easier than not knowing or having to run to Target and spend $20 on a single stick!
Once testing positive- TAKE A DEEP BREATH, you’ve got this momma!!
Pause and talk to God- thank Him, lean on Him, hand this pregnancy over to Him- the health, the timing, the stress, the money, the excitement, all of it, He can handle it!!
Figure out the communication plan that works for you. For me, that was telling my husband, right away!
Together my husband and I, talked through the remainder of our “communication plan”- when would we tell our parents, when will we tell our other kids, when will we tell our church, when we will tell our friends, etc
Call your OB. Hopefully you already have an OB but if not, start researching and find somebody that you’re comfortable with. Ask around, find out from your friends who they see and who they trust. You can even schedule interview appointments to make sure this is an office where you’re going to be comfortable. You’re going to be spending alot of time (and money) in this office over the next 9 months, so it’s important to find one you trust and feel comfortable in!
Try to relax, take a deep breath, ENJOY THIS TIME!! It goes by so fast and with every day this tiny precious life inside of you is growing and changing.
CONGRATULATIONS Momma!! I am so excited for you and to be on this journey with you. Stay tuned for my next post in this pregnancy series!