As I quickly approach the arrival of my baby boy, it was so nice to read this lovely story from Lauren about getting ready for baby number two! I can't imagine being eight days late! Wowza!
Meet Lauren
Pregnancy can be really tough, and pregnancy when you already have kids is definitely challenging! I was 10 weeks pregnant when we celebrated my son's second birthday. We had about 15 kids and their parents come to his birthday party at a gymnastics venue, and there was a lot of preparation, setup, and of course, socializing for his big day. It was fun, but exhausting for me at the peak of my morning sickness. I made it through the party, but as we were returning home and pulling up to our house, I jumped out of the car, ran inside, and barely made it to the bathroom to throw up! Not fun, but it goes to show, you do what you have to do. It's such a relief once the nausea subsides after the first trimester, but of course, a whole new set of symptoms and challenges replace them. Ahh, pregnancy.
I'm hyper-organized and am a big planner, and that still holds true when preparing for a child. Once we found out the gender (it's a girl!), I immediately started planning the nursery. I wish I was a "bed in a bag" kind of person, but I enjoy curating items and hunting for unique pieces to make the space special, even though it can be a frustrating and time consuming process. I landed on a hot air balloon theme, and found a beautiful mobile from South Africa, the perfect rug with a pattern that looked like woven ropes on a hot air balloon, and a gorgeous fabric pattern that her grandma made into a quilt and crib rail guards. Another aspect of planning for my daughter's birth was preparing myself physically and mentally.
Natural birth is very important to me; my son was born at an amazing birthing center, and I knew I wanted a home birth for my daughter. I took great care of myself with vitamins, food and exercise, but also spent numerous hours a week completing a hypnobabies course at home, which included reading, workbook exercises, and audio tracks. The course helped me stay relaxed and positive about both pregnancy and childbirth.
The last month of pregnancy was extremely challenging for me. I was anxious about "labor day," I had a hard time physically keeping up with my toddler, and my mind was not focused on my professional work. Oh, and I can't forget the heartburn, pregnancy insomnia, and raging hormones! I'm pretty sure I frightened my husband and son with my random crying at TV commercials, my terrible gas, and my appetite for sweets. My daughter was also born eight days past her due date, so each and every day felt like an eternity. Fortunately it passes (as my midwife told me, there isn't a basement full of pregnant women who never gave birth - haha!), and I instantly forgot all about the fear, anxiety and discomfort the minute I held my precious daughter in my arms.
Dallas, TX, US