No two pregnancies are exactly the same, and that is okay!
(Please note, the following is my own personal experience. Please consult your doctor for pregnancy advice as this is just my telling of my own experience. Do not use this as a guide for your own pregnancy. Listen to your body and ask your doctor if you have any medical-related questions. XOXO)
So I have had quite a few people ask me...
“Were all of your pregnancies the same?”
My short answer is: nay nay, my friend.
First Pregnancy vs. Second Pregnancy
I became pregnant with our daughter, Charlotte in 2015, when I was 27 years old. My husband and were avid rollerskaters at the time. I'm talking 'go to the rink 3 days a week' avid. I was constantly getting some cardio in, whether it was skating, walking, or Zumba (I freaking love Zumba!). I ended up skating until 38 weeks, and I can still remember the looks I received from people (lol). I quickly learned to do what made me comfortable and not to listen to anyone else's input, or at least anyone who wasn't a doctor. You know your body and when you should stop if you are pushing the limit. I knew by 38 weeks that my ligaments were really loosening, so it was time for me to take it easy until our peanut arrived.
I was fortunate enough to where I didn't have any complications during the pregnancy. The time came to do the shoulder dystocia test, and she was measuring around 9.5 lbs (I was around 36 weeks at the time. They had said she could be one pound more or one pound less compared to the actual measurement. I asked if the doctor recommended whether I should do a c-section or not, and they said ultimately it had to be my decision. Mind you, this was my first pregnancy, I would have really appreciated a recommendation based on how they had delivered babies of that possible size in the past. Going forward, I made it past 40 weeks, so they decided to set me up for an induction at 41 weeks since I was still considering vaginal delivery at the time.
I got to the hospital, and it ends up being a 3 day failed induction. I didn't make it past 5cm. I have to tell you, that was probably one of the worst experiences of my life. I'm not trying to scare anyone, but they tried virtually every method possible to induce me. Looking back on it, I feel as though that whole process was probably much more stressful for the baby (and myself) than it would have been to simply give me a spinal and cut me open.
It wasn't until that 3rd day of the induction that the doctor finally recommended I get a c-section. All went smooth once I was in the O.R. Charlotte was born at a hardy 11lbs 7oz! But all of that could have been avoided if the doctor could have made a recommendation to me at 36 weeks. I probably could have done a little more research as well I suppose. But you live, and you learn!
I only ended up gaining around 25 lbs that pregnancy, but I never got back to my pre-baby weight prior to having our second daughter, Rhyleigh.
Fast forward to my second pregnancy. I wasn't getting as much rigorous cardio in. I walked almost every other day for the first two trimesters. But by the third trimester, I had retained so much water, it was taking a toll on my legs and feet. I swelled up so much which eventually led to carpal tunnel in my wrists. This ended up subsiding after the pregnancy. My doctor had also told me that I had a "boatload" of fluid around the baby. He said it was nothing to worry about, it was just a higher reading, but not detrimental to the baby. Rhyleigh was measuring up to be a decent size baby as well, so I went ahead and decided on another c-section based on my previous experience with Charlotte's delivery.
I ended up gaining around 40 lbs that pregnancy. I decided to start the Noom program after that to help me lose some of the extra weight. I had a great experience with that program, but I will save that for another blog post!
Rhyleigh arrived 2-3 weeks early and was 10lbs 9oz!
Second Pregnancy vs. Third Pregnancy
I didn't get the chance to lose all of the weight from my second pregnancy prior to my third, but after being on the Noom program for 8 months, my diet habits had changed SIGNIFICANTLY. I wasn't emotionally eating or boredom eating like I used to, so this saved me from a lot of extra weight. Again, please don't take this as any sort of medical advice. If you are considering any sort of dietary/nutritional program during your pregnancy, make sure you consult with your doc first!
I was extremely thankful that I didn't retain as much water this time around. I feel like I was on my feet a bit more this pregnancy since I was constantly running after 18-month-old Rhyleigh. The only issue I had was severe back pain. I swear by the k-tape! It helped me throughout each of my pregnancies. You can use it on your belly and back for extra support. I have recommended it to my other friends who have told me their back hurts when they were pregnant.
Linnea was born one week early, coming in as our tiniest little babe, 9lbs 9oz!
Overall, each of my pregnancies was so much different from one another. I went into each one with a fresh mindset. By the third, I knew to listen to my body more, and it was probably the smoothest birth of them all.
Now that this baby factory is officially closed (I had a full salpingectomy done), I can look back on my experience and share it with others. If you have any questions, please feel free to let me know!
We would love to hear your story as well if you'd care to share it in the comments!
XOXO
Mallory
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