I asked on Instagram if you have any questions about pregnancy so far, and you guys had some great questions. I combined those with just some typical questions I’m getting regularly. Also, the mom community is strong on IG, because you also have some great answers when I have weekly freak-outs and need advice. So let’s jump right in!
How far along are you? I am 26 weeks. Everytime I have an ultrasound, they change my due date because our baby is going to be a big one. “More to love,” I say. So as of right now I’m 26 weeks. My current due date is March 22, 2021 which is also my 30th birthday!
Are you still team green? FYI, I had no idea what this was until I downloaded the “What to Expect App.” It means you don’t find out the gender until the baby is born if you are a baby newbie like I am. And YES, we are still team green. I was worried I would cave at some point, but we’ve made it past the anatomy scan, so I feel confident we can wait until the end.
If you aren’t finding out the gender, how are you decorating your nursery? So we are going to share lots about the nursery over the next few weeks. I have some time off for the holidays, and we are really going to dedicate lots of this time to getting it in a much better place. Also, the things we do have for the nursery are starting to take over our house, so that has given us a sense of urgency to finish painting and start setting some things up. I’ll give you a hint though, it’s black and white. 🙂
What baby class did you and Stephen take? The CDC has basically cancelled all in-person classes. So, we took a virtual class from The Baby Academy. They offer a free 2-hr baby care workshop that covers bathing, dressing, cord care, diapering, sleeping, etc. I took that back in October and cried because I knew nothing and immediately signed us up for the paid full-day class on labor and delivery, feeding, first aid and more. We took that class last weekend and that’s what I was talking about on my Instagram and prompted this question. I HIGHLY recommend both. Especially this year when things are so crazy. They give you a tour of a birthing suite that you probably won’t get to see this year because of COVID, and are really open and honest about everything. My favorite thing is they don’t TELL you what to do. They arm you with the information so that when your baby comes, you are prepared to make the decisions that are right for you and your baby. I have learned throughout this pregnancy that I literally hate when people a) give unsolicited advice, but b) tell you exactly what you should be doing. You don’t know my child, and I don’t either right now. We’ll figure out what is best for the baby once he/she is here! The Baby Academy classes were really in-line with my feelings on this.
Do you have names picked out? Yes! We have actually had names picked out long before we got pregnant. I tend to get a little crazy when picking things out for the baby, so I’m very glad we both came into this with the names we wanted ready to go. If you saw my freak-out over the rocker/glider situation on Instagram, then you can only imagine the state I would be in trying to pick a name at this point in pregnancy.
What are the top three things you did/would recommend doing early in pregnancy? So Lauren Chandler actually has a highlight about this on her Instagram, and it was SO helpful. I kind of just followed her advice. We started touring daycares before we even told people we were pregnant. We went ahead and picked a daycare, filled out the paperwork and got on the waitlist/registration list for the one we wanted. We also picked a pediatrician. Apparently people start asking you who your pediatrician is a lot in the 3rd Trimester and it’s better if you have an answer. We were also lucky that we live in an area with a lot of options and the one that came highly recommended was accepting new patients, but if you have one you want or live in a smaller town, you need to go ahead and get on their waitlist too. Also, go ahead and book your photographer. Many have packages so you can book like newborn, 6th months and 1-year together. We went ahead and took care of these three things early and it feels nice to have them checked off. Other than that, just attend your doctors appointments and get yourself and your home ready to have a baby. Like I mentioned in an earlier question, we took a baby class because we truly felt like we didn’t know anything about labor, delivery or being parents. And now we are just getting the nursery ready.
What’s on your registry? I didn’t know if y’all would care about this or not, but this question came in a few times. I think I’m going to do a full blog post on it. Honestly there are maybe 5 things I picked myself and everything else someone recommended to me. New mom friends are the best resource when creating your registry.
How are you feeling? What symptoms do you have? I’m feeling pretty good! I had a serious dip in energy around 23-24 weeks, but it’s back up now. I also still get random nausea, and for some reason it’s worse on Thursdays lol. I have no science behind that, I’m just more likely to get sick on a Thursday. Mostly baby is just taking up a lot of room! Sometimes they sit really low so I waddle, and sometimes they move really high in my lungs and I can’t breathe haha. This isn’t great when I have to wear a mask during the day, but it’s fine. I just have to take breaks while walking around. I also have a super, duper keen sense of smell right now. Things that smell gross make me nauseous, and if it’s gross enough and lingers, it takes me out for days.
Cravings? Nothing too crazy. It’s more I have aversions and things I definitely don’t want to eat. Some of my fave meals right now are a spicy chicken sandwich and peppermint milkshake from Chick-fil-a, Firehouse Subs and Panera Mac n’ Cheese.
What does your belly button look like? This is my favorite question because I actually get it a lot. I think it’s so funny! I had my appendix out when I was 11 and they took it out through my belly button. After my surgery, my belly button was more of a straight line than a circle. I always joke that I don’t really have a belly button. It’s still definitely an innie, but now looks more like a typical belly button. It’s not going to pop out, but I think it could flatten out more as baby grows.
When did you feel baby kick? I actually started feeling baby move around 13 weeks. I thought I was legit insane, but when I went to my first regular prenatal appointment and the doctor was looking for baby’s heartbeat, I pointed on my stomach and told my doctor where the baby was so they could find him/her. These were really light flutters at first, but now baby is moving all the time. He/she is VERY active! We already knew because of our ultrasounds, but now that I’m feeling baby move pretty much all the time, I can confirm. He/she is such a little wiggle monster and it’s so, so cute. This is my favorite part of pregnancy, I love feeling him/her move around.
Are you excited? I go through waves of panic, and waves of excitement. But overall yes, I can’t wait to meet my little one! It’s crazy how much I love him/her and they aren’t even here yet.
That was a long one! Thank you for all the love and support for Baby Bailey. Let me know if you have other questions about pregnancy or getting ready for babies. I’m kind of a baby dummy, but I’m learning a little every day.
