Questions about Pregnancy Answered

Since sharing this pregnancy with everyone, I have gotten a lot of questions from friends, co-workers and in my messages online. I figured this could be one concise place to put all the answers about pregnancy number three. As some may know, I had back to back miscarriages last year, one resulting in a d&c and the other started naturally on it’s own. This made me feel like having another child was going to be impossible and I started to lose hope. Watching other people go through their pregnancies and having babies during the months that I would have been due was hard and at times devastating which is why I chose to share my story with others.

Did you do IVF?

I have gotten this question quite a few times, especially from those that knew I had two miscarriages last year. No, we did not do IVF. My body does not have a problem getting pregnant, it just produced two eggs last year that either had problems or developed problems. It’s really hard to say. Miscarriages are common but back to back miscarriages are less common. My doctor fully believes that it was a fluke that my miscarriages happened, especially since all the tests done afterwards were negative. I think that IVF is an amazing option for couples who want to have babies and are having a hard time, it was just not the path that we took for this pregnancy.

Did you do anything different this time to get pregnant?

I tried accupuncture and supplements this time around. I was going to accupuncture almost weekly while I was trying to conceive and taking some of the supplements that the accupuncturist recommended to take. The two supplements that I took were antioxidant formula and L’arginine. If you are considering taking these, always speak to a healthcare professional that knows you and your medical history before starting anything new.

How far along are you?

I am currently almost 20 weeks.

Did you do genetic testing?

Yes. I did the MaterniT genetic testing early on. For us. knowing what to expect gave us some peace of mind. The genetic testing resulted as normal and we were also able to find out the gender from the test. A few weeks ago I was also offered to do a blood test to check for neural tube defects which also was negative. It is amazing that they now have these options for testing because they weren’t widely available when I was. pregnant with my other two.

How are you feeling?

To be honest, not great. This pregnancy has been different than any other pregnancy I have. I have some really good days where I have energy and can get through the entire day without feeling nauseous but most days I am exhausted, nauseous and overall just feel awful. If you are like me and are struggling my last post How to survive first trimester of pregnancy may be helpful to you.

Why did you keep it a secret for so long?

This is another frequently asked question. It wasn’t keeping it a secret exactly. I never shared my pregnancy with my current four year old on social media till she was here. It’s more about protecting myself and the possibility of another loss. It was also nice to be able to celebrate the possibility of new life just my husband and I for as long as we could. Eventually, it becomes harder to hide and telling people and sharing on social media seemed like a natural course.

What’s the gender? Any names?

We do know the gender which I will share at some point. Names are harder though. We tend to not fully agree on names and it took us a long time to decide on Avery’s name.

Do you plan to work up until delivery?

Yes. I have no intention of stopping work unless I am instructed to do so by my doctors. Nursing can be hard and demanding but many women do it and are able to work up until delivery.

How do you plan to deliver?

With my prior two kids, I had c-sections. I do have the option of a vaginal delivery this time around but I am still considering all my options. The risks are there even if they are small and I am not sure that I want to take those on. Currently I have a c-section scheduled with my doctor but we are going to decide and reassess the options as time goes on.

Any other questions about pregnancy? Come follow me on Instagram or shoot me a message. Happy to chat!