24 Weeks Down, 16 more to go!

Highlights and Lowlights of Week 24 of My Pregnancy:

Highlights: 

• My little lady has been moving much more frequently, reassuring me she's doing okay in there :) 
• WE HAVE HIT THE AGE OF VIABILITY! (although everyone has something different to say)
• No preterm labor scares or contractions (besides Braxton Hicks) & if you know me, you know I've dealt with preterm labor every single time
• STRONG HEARTBEAT! <3 At my appointment last week, she was squirming around but her heart rate ranged from 120-154 :)  
• My pregnancy support belt from Motherhood Maternity has helped with the lower abdominal pain & I have been able to work out again! :)  
• I'm measuring right on schedule! 
• I am feeling more and more comfortable with my pregnancy body <3 =) 
• Getting excited (and kind of anxious) for labor, but more excited right now. Looking forward to holding my baby girl in my arms and kissing her little face.
• Set on my birth location and birth plan. We are doing delayed cord clamping (you want your baby to get the most from you before the cord is cut, so we are waiting until the tube loses color to cut it) and we are doing immediate skin to skin contact. 
• Linea Nigra... it might seem odd but I never really had that line with Caleb or Gianna or Nick. This is really the first time I have it. And it's not really that bad. It's still faint, but it's kind of exciting for me. 
• Loving  the Motts Apple White Grape Juice & tomato red onion salad with EVOO (light) 
• Almost to the THIRD trimester already =) 28 Weeks and we are THERE. 

Lowlights:

• HEARTBURN/ACID REFLUX/INDIGESTION - it gets pretty terrible at times... to the point it wakes me up or I vomit because of it. I am usually taking Zantac in the morning and before bed. 
• Abdominal pain/tailbone pain - my support belt helps but it's still there. 
• Fear of too much weight gain (I'm working out and staying healthy and I know the weight will come off. But seeing numbers go up on the scale after staying the same for so long freaks me out). 
• Still not leaking any colostrum. Breastfeeding is REALLY important to me. By this time with Caleb I was leaking already, and I haven't done that yet. Not really stressed about it but will be meeting with a lactation consultant to see if theres anything we can do.
• Shortness of breath
• Swollen feet/ankles. Usually from standing too long. Nothing I am too concerned with yet.
• Difficulty shaving my legs, LMAO. & of course right in the beginning of warmer weather. I'm going to need to ask Ray for help pretty soon ;)  
• Glucose test is coming up on the 16th of this month -___- and with Caleb's I almost threw up because it tasted so horrible.
• Back pain... begging my hubs to give me massages constantly LOL. And I've gotta feeling I'm going to have back labor 
• Uncomfortable/Restless when I'm sleeping. Once I am finally comfortable I need to find a new position. And moving around is extremely uncomfortable.
• Itchy belly 

Weight Gain: +16 pounds 

Doctors say I'm on track. I feel like I'm gaining faster this time. But I'm still healthy. And doing well. Working out like I have been makes me feel better about the weight I'm gaining.

Baby Girls Movements: Moving a lot more frequently & we can see it now on the outside of my belly <3 which I absolutely LOVE. 

Food Aversions/Cravings: I haven't been craving too much... but I am always hungry it feels like. When I made London Broil the other night for dinner I got really bad heartburn from it, and when I made turkey chili I felt sick afterwards - so I don't think the baby likes either of those things. LOL. Which I hope goes away when she's born because they're my favorite things. 

BIG NEWS: 

• I have a venue for my baby shower!!!! If you know me, then you'll know what a relief this is for me... I didn't want to have to do it at my apartment. While it's certainly big enough... I just didn't feel like doing it here. The parking situation here is a pain in the ass, and the parking authority has been out with a vengeance as of lately.. 3 hour parking and they'll chalk your tires. And then ticket you for $30. And I would HATE to have people come here and then get tickets because the parking authority is like a bunch of nazi's. Actually having it in the township building my husband is a police officer at! =) So I'm really relieved about that.  
• Baby Shower Invitations will be getting mailed out TOMORROW!!!!! <3 So if you've sent me your address? Be on the lookout for your invite. =) Grateful for my best friend Emily who is helping me with everything baby shower related. I probably wouldn't be doing a shower without her.
• COMPLETELY NEW NURSERY DESIGN. When we looked at our baby girls room we figured that the original nursery idea we had chosen wasn't going to look right. It's a smaller space and I think the stripes would look odd. We have a brand new idea picked out and we are super stoked to start it... <3 We are going to pick up paint and supplies next week and then HOPEFULLY getting started the following Monday (when Ray is off of work).  Once the nursery is painted and complete then we can start working on getting the furniture together and everything else.
• I'm really wanting to do maternity pictures... something with my shadow and the silhouette of my belly. Hoping I can get my sister Julia to do it for me.
• Picking up some baby stuff next week... haven't decided on what though yet. I keep switching around with car seats, strollers and things like that. LOL. I'm indecisive with these things. 

 

All in all I have been acting an extremely good pregnancy. The heartburn has been terrible but manageable. The lower belly pain was excruciating, and I'm glad that the support belt has brought me so much relief. I am feeling good though. Hungry a lot but good ;) 

Other Big News in the Liczbinski Family: Caleb has his 1st t-ball game next Wednesday night and I am beyond excited to see him play. Oddly enough his team name is the same as his daddy's team when he was little - why wouldn't they be exactly the same? Haha. GO MARLINS!! Easter is this weekend as well, so we are dying eggs and doing an egg hunt. Not a big Easter person so we aren't going anywhere or doing a big dinner or anything like that.

I hope everyone has a great rest of your week, weekend & a great Easter holiday! <3 =) 

Remember to follow me on Instagram: @jennaliczbinski 

I post really frequently with bump shots, pregnancy updates and family and fitness updates! =) 

XOXO, Jenna

Bump Board: 19 Weeks & Update!

Hello all! I know I missed my bump board blog post last week for 18 weeks, but I've been going through some personal issues that I needed to focus on. Everything still isn't completely 100% but a lot like my mama, I'm strong and always overcome the obstacles put in my way <3 & this will be no different. Life comes with trials and struggles and you can either run from them or learn from them. It's okay to step back once in awhile and just focus on YOU and your own life and issues. I'll update more on current things going on. But first... 

Here's my 18 week bump board from the week I missed...

I had the 2nd part of my sequential screen, and all my results came back normal. Nothing to be worried about on that front. Had an OB visit and little ladies heartbeat was 145 BPM. I love hearing that song. She was the size of a sweet potato last week! :) 

As I had mentioned before this is a successful pregnancy after a devastating loss. This pregnancy isn't something I expected to happen and it surely wasn't something we were trying for. We had tried for some time and after my cervical cancer issues the doctor told me my odds were pretty low of getting pregnant again, so although we tried nothing happened. I tracked my period, checked when I ovulated (but definitely tried to not focus on that) and still nothing happened. Every ailment and symptom I've experienced this time around has honestly been such a blessing, even if sometimes it drives me crazy. I wouldn't trade in anything I'm going through now for anything. Although the nerves I have this time around are like nothing I've experienced before. And then coupled with the personal issues I'm going through it didn't really help out too much. (Don't worry health wise I am all and so is my baby girl!<3)  I know some people are pro-choice and in some instances I believe I am too... but knowing the devastation I suffered over a unwanted loss I can't imagine anyone wanting to willingly go through that pain and know what they're doing is something they've CHOSEN. It's something I have never believed in fully. My views have changed as I've gotten older and I now believe in some cases it has to be done, but I definitely think theres better options out there. In my own opinion I believe that if you're being sexually active and you don't want to get pregnant, you should take all necessary precautions to ensure it doesn't happen. Birth control, condoms, etc. So many people out there want to have babies and so many people aren't able ... so it's just something that weighs on my mind from time to time when I think of women that just go out and have unprotected sex and are promiscuous and then they go and have abortions like it's nothing. And after so many you'd think they'd get a punch card for how many they have.... its just ridiculous to me. 

...Especially after what I went through and experienced and what I know so many other women have gone through. It's just God awful in my opinion. I have friends that have terminated pregnancies, and friends that are fully pro-choice and I don't think any less of them for it, but these are my own values and my own beliefs. I just feel as though abortion shouldn't be considered if you're not being careful yourself. You make the decision to lay down and have sex, so you should be mindful of possible consequences from it happening. Again, there are specific instances in which sometimes it is necessary - rape, incest, disease, a life of suffering for the child, etc. In those cases I truly understand. What I don't understand is someone willingly terminating a pregnancy because they "don't want it".

That's all I'm saying. 

On to happier things... 

my 19 week bump board <3 

She is the size of a mango! Can't believe that next week I'll already be halfway through my pregnancy. Now is when it usually flies by...except for the last month of pregnancy which I think has 749 days in it ;) Haha. I have been feeling little flutters and they seem pretty distinct. Nothing that can be felt from the outside just yet though. I swear any time I put my hands on my belly to feel her moving she stops...stubborn -- just like me. Imagine that ;) 

Little Miss is around 6 inches now and weighs about 8.5 ounces <3 

Pregnancy is so amazing to me. The changes a woman goes through and the struggles and different things she experiences just to bring new life into this world... All completely worth it. 

I'm pretty tired as of lately. Had some energy there but it's significantly diminished and I just want to sleep. A LOT. But obviously being the mommy of a busy 3 year old makes naps next to impossible. I've only gained 10 pounds at this point, and I am still carrying pretty small. My boobs feel like the heaviest part of me right now so that also means super fun backaches :( Luckily, Ray will help me out with a massage once in awhile, but I am going to be looking into a prenatal massage and hopefully that'll do some wonders for me. Although massages kinda creep me out, lol. I don't know why, but they do. I prefer my husbands hands to a strangers if that makes any sense. Bedtime is usually a fun routine these days... it takes me forever to get comfortable & then I'm restless a lot at night and I'm tossing and turning for a good portion of the night. My bed seems really comfy when I lay down in it at night but when I wake up I feel crippled. Shortness of breath has become my own worst enemy as well. I get out of breath over the littlest things. Walking up steps, around the grocery store, getting out of the car. I get really faint at times too. Which they say is all common during this stage in the game. Sciatic nerve pain has also returned and my bad hip is acting up - which is also thanks in large part to this crappy, cold winter! Also.... freaking hemorrhoids. Ugh! How embarrassing and awful. I asked my OB about it because they weren't going away, but they aren't bothering me. She said because I've been pregnant before and the pressure of my uterus I could have them the whole time or they could go away. The pressure makes them appear, plus constipation and all that fun stuff. It sucks, but like I said to be pregnant again is a real blessing, so as much as I want a normal butthole (hahaha) I can deal with this to have my healthy, beautiful baby girl <3 

My Pretty Pretty Princess <3 

• Developing a protective coating over her skin, called vernix caseosa. It's greasy and white and you may see some of it at her birth.
• Working on her five senses. Nerve cells for her sense of taste, hearing, sight and smell are developing in her brain.
• No quicks anyone else can feel yet, but I definitely feel them now.. somewhat frequent but not as frequent as they will be soon. Definitely something I can't wait for. <3 One of the most exciting parts of being pregnant. 
• Her anatomy scan is scheduled for March 16th <3 And I can't wait to see her on ultrasound again! <3 And I'm hopefully going to be feeling tons of kicks by then. I'll be drinking OJ beforehand again like my best friend had suggested before and I had a little wiggle worm in there =) 

Not much has been going on (other than the personal stuff) I work out when I can and I eat right... the cold weather is kind of a bother and I don't like to go out that much because I absolutely despise the cold. Been living in yoga pants and leggings and comfy clothes. I'm freaking out a little bit about weight gain but also not trying to let that consume me because I'm not overeating and making a big of myself just because I'm pregnant. 

Current Stresses:

1. Normal stresses of being pregnant after a loss. I worry more than I should but it's lessened a lot more than in the beginning. Im confident and I know that God's got this. But I worry a lot. Especially when I don't feel kicking yet and I'm almost 20 weeks but I felt them with Caleb a little later I think. Every pregnancy is also different. Gotta keep telling myself that.
2. Weight Gain. Something that can be completely handled and maintained the proper way without depriving myself or the baby girl of any nutrients. I just have a huge fear of becoming overweight *(logical right?)*  considering I lost a lot of weight. I try to work out as much as possible but back pain, hip pain and sciatic nerve pain make it kinda tough. Hoping to get an elliptical or something.
3. Biggest stress?? Where we live. We want to get out of here really bad. For a few reasons. Mainly the noise and the fact that nothing is done about it by our landlord. We have dealt with it for quite some time and now being pregnant makes it even worse. So we have some things to consider in terms of that and possibly breaking our lease without penalty. I am looking at a bunch of different rental properties and have emailed many realtors so I am hoping I can find something and all goes smoothly. Prayers appreciated <3 

That's about all that's going on in my neck of the woods. Got a baby shower to plan, things to do. And life to live. I can't wait for spring. And for summer. <3 

Hope everyone is having a good weekend :) 

- xoxo, Jenna 

Gender Reveal & 17 Week Bump Board!

The night before my 3D/4D ultrasound I had a dream we were having a baby girl 

and sure enough.... 

Baby Liczbinski is a Little Lady <3 

Words can't describe how incredible happy we are & just how blessed that we feel to be able to experience having Our Rainbow Baby :) Ecstatic doesn't even begin to describe what we are all feeling. Caleb has said it was his "baby sister" since the very beginning, and Ray felt the same way. Now that we know, we can start shopping, name picking, and really planning out our nursery (which I found another perfect idea, after being set on one idea) - Thanks a lot Pinterest ;) - I'll share that idea later with you. 

(I know this picture is blurry, but it shows our excitement. This is right after we popped the black balloons and found out we were having a little girl. <3 You can just see how happy we are and how excited we felt. Even though I felt like I was having a girl from the beginning, the Liczbinski side breeds a lot of boys. So to find out we were having a little girl was amazing. 

Tears were definitely shed.) 

Our Gender Reveal went wonderfully...we had a few people over; my dad came up, my sister Julia (who is also the Baby's Godmother), my best friends Jamie and Emily, my mother in law & brother in law, & Jamie's son (& Caleb's best friend Jackson), and Ray's best friend Ben came by later. The only thing I would have changed is how we did the reveal...why? Because Party City is absolutely terrible. They barely put any confetti in the balloons so the effect we were going for didn't happen. It was obvious there was pink in the balloon when we popped it, but it still wasn't at all what we had hoped for. Not to mention the balloons started deflating about 2 hours after we got them, so I was pretty pissed off because they're helium filled balloons!! We have gotten balloons for Caleb's birthday & they stay inflated for weeks and I wanna pull my hair out. It wasn't the first time I've had an issue with Party City, so I won't be getting balloons from that particular location anymore, if I go to the store at all. I would rather go elsewhere. Regardless, our gender reveal went wonderfully and we couldn't be any happier!! <3 Being able to experience pregnancy again & to have a healthy little miracle growing inside me is incredible and shows me just how great God's love is. It felt like my mom was with me yesterday too as we popped our balloons & found out we were having a baby girl. I know that she is shining down on me and looking out for all of us. <3 

& that brings me so much peace. 

I love this picture.

I couldn't be any more blessed to be able to bring a little princess into this world with him as her father. She will always be protected. Words can't begin to describe the love I have for this man. When I met Ray four years ago I would have never guessed that we would be married with our 2nd child on the way. We have experienced so much together and unfortunately a lot of tragedy, but so much joy. & this is bringing so much joy into our lives.

 He's everything I could have ever wanted in a man & then some. <3 

These are some of the pictures from our 3D Ultrasound that we had on 2/11. And it was just amazing. Having never experienced a 3D ultrasound before we were so anxious as to what to expect. From the moment she switched to the 4D real time I was mesmerized. I couldn't even believe how amazing it was to see our little baby moving around, sucking her thumb, and yawning. It was just beautiful. The baby also loved her daddy's voice! Any time Ray would talk she would become so active & wouldn't stop moving around. It was so precious. We went to Mommy's First Glance in Pottstown/Limerick and it was such a great experience. It's a business run by one woman and you can tell she loves her job and what she does. The office was so spa like, and so comfortable. There was a huge sectional couch for family and a tempurpedic bed for me. There was a big flat screen tv on the wall and we could watch the baby that way. It was AMAZING. We plan on going back when I'm between 30-36 weeks (depending on how I'm feeling and everything else) for another ultrasound when the baby is more developed and we can see more of who the baby looks like and everything else. We are going to do that later and I'm going to invite my mother in law along to experience it with us, since she's never seen a 3D/4D ultrasound before.

On to my Bump Board: 

Baby Girl is the size of an Onion this week! 

1. Her rubbery cartilage is now turning to bone.
2. And she's growing some meat on those bones — putting on some fat.
3. She's growing a stronger, thicker umbilical cord, too.
4. Baby Girl is practicing sucking and swallowing
5. Fingerprints are forming
6. Baby Girl can be startled by noise! 
7. Your baby's eyes (which have fortunately finished their migration to the front of her head) are making small side-to-side movements and can even perceive some light, though her eyelids are still sealed

I am so excited to know that we are having a little girl <3 And I am so happy to be pregnant :) Let the name picking & nursery planning begin!! =) <3 

Pregnancy Symptoms at 17 Weeks

• Vaginal discharge, sweat, mucus and more bodily fluids. They're in full force, because of your increased blood flow. Well...yes. Gross, but yes.
• Weird dreams. This might be hormonal, but it might also be the result of your nerves and anticipation. My dreams are so much more vivid now. And they are freaking weird but I love being able to actually remember my dreams - because when I'm not pregnant I never remember. But I do have dreams now that are insane.
• Itchy boobs and bump -- as they're growing, your skin is stretching thinner. My stomach itches a lot and my boobs on occasion. Speaking of they are humongous. 
• Rapid weight gain. You've probably gained about five to 10 pounds by now. As of my last visit I only gained 7 pounds, and my next appointment is on Tuesday the 17th of February. I am trying to work out as much as I can, but I get exhausted really quickly. Trying to do as much as I can though.

Other Common Symptoms:

- Increased Appetite --> definitely. Love all the food.

- Heartburn/Indigestion --> surprisingly not suffering from it really. I've had it a couple times but nothing like when I was pregnant with Caleb.  I still have time though, so we shall see. :) Baby Girl is all worth it. <3 

- Bloating & Gas --> ugh. gross. but yes... bloating has diminished somewhat but still keeping my water intake up as much as possible. and gas is the same and gross. hahaha. Ray hates it - but payback baby. Hahahaha.

- Occasional headaches --> I'm pretty good in this department, thank God.

- Faintness or Dizziness --> Ugh. Yes. I hate this feeling. Vertigo is the worst feeling. In the world. It happens to me a lot lately, like when we go grocery shopping I literally need to hold on to to the cart so I don't fall over. It's pretty scary. Trying to have small snacks more frequently and drink LOTS AND LOTS of water.

- Backaches --> Wahh. I always have back pain. And luckily an amazing husband that's willing to give me massages ;) I'm also expecting sciatica to happen because it's something I suffer from regularly, but when I'm pregnant it increases so bad as time progresses. 

- Stretch Marks --> No new ones thus far. But if I get more - my baby girl is 100% worth it. I used to be self conscious about mine, but guess what?! Its proof of the miracle of life. And the life I grew inside me. <3 

- Shortness of Breath --> I swear I walk up the steps & I'm winded. Walk to the bathroom, I'm winded. Minor things, I'm winded. & they say it's normal. An increase in progesterone causes this. You need more oxygen when you're pregnant, and it's one of the most annoying symptoms ever. 

- Hemorrhoids --> honestly. Gross. And I'm dealing with it...again. I had the same thing with Caleb. Must be because I married a Liczbinski... cause he's a pain in my butt the babies gotta be too ;) LOL. I'm kidding. ;) 

All in all I have been having a really great pregnancy. Minor symptoms, and I feel really good. This pregnancy is so different than when I was pregnant with Caleb. Easier... so I hope that means an easy labor, LOL. Especially because I'm going to be going natural this time. So lets pray <3 hahaha. 

Here is my other nursery idea... Now it's a toss up. So many decisions.

I love the ceiling and the walls... This is going to be so tough. 

I also convinced Ray to go to Target tonight to look at Baby Girl stuff. <3 

And I want macaroni salad. So there's that. ;) 

My precious little baby girl <3 

As always follow me on Instagram and find me on Facebook! 

Have a great weekend & an awesome Valentines Day!

Xoxo, Jenna

Bump Board: 14 Weeks Pregnant!

So much to update on this week & I've even got some ultrasound pictures to share from my NT scan - which I will also update on throughout my blog. But I'm 14 weeks pregnant this week & baby is doing wonderfully. My due date has changed yet again to July 23, 2015 - it was originally the 26th, and then switched to the 25th, and now it is to the 23rd. The earlier date the better, because it's one day closer that I get to hold my little nugget in my arms. 

First things first, my nuchal translucency scan went wonderfully. I also got my first round of sequential screen blood work which came back normal & there was no cause for alarm. I'll go back for my 2nd round of blood work between February 6th to February 26th because it has to be done within a certain margin of time. The baby is getting so much bigger than the last time I saw him/her on ultrasound right before Christmas. 

It actually looks like a BABY! We could see the fingers, toes, hands and feet. And even the eyes. Baby wiggled around a lot BUT stayed upside down the entire time and refused to budge so we couldn't even get a peak at the potential gender... it's okay though. I'm just happy that baby is doing so well and is healthy!! Baby's heart rate was 163 BPM. It was amazing to be able to see how much has changed since my last visit. You can even see baby's brain and spine. The tech said that the NT scan looks completely normal. I did a lot of "googling" online and psyched myself out for what I was in for. I read a lot about patients going in and being told that they weren't good results and then they later went on to have a healthy baby, but it is still nerve-wracking to think I would need to worry my entire pregnancy more than I already had. Another great moment was that Ray and Caleb were able to see the baby for the first time as well!! And the office we went to they have a big tv on the wall where we can see the images from the ultrasound, which I've never experienced before, so it was really nice to be able to see the baby on a big screen rather than looking over at a small one.

Although we weren't told anything about gender -- any predictions?? A friend of mine said she thinks boy, but I'm still up in the air, I keep thinking girl. because it's completely different this time around than when I was pregnant with Caleb. By this time with Caleb I had already been suffering from substantial amounts of heartburn, but I'm not 100% sure of when it started exactly. 

I also had an appointment with my regular OB on Tuesday and baby's heart rate was 153 BPM. Which confuses me in terms of gender, because they always say above 160 is a girl and below is a boy. I guess I just need to be patient until my 3D ultrasound on the 11th, which is coming up quick. We also heard the baby's heartbeat for the very first time this week. And I would be lying if I said I didn't cry and get extremely emotional. I feel like I have finally made it. And I am nowhere near as worried as I was before this appointment. 

Bump shot from before my NT SCAN.

What's New This Week?

Baby L is the size of a Lemon and growing rapidly! :) Doesn't seem like much of a difference since the size of a peach last week but there is! 

This week, baby is probably sucking his thumb and wiggling his/her toes in there. Baby's kidneys are making urine, and his liver and spleen are doing their jobs, too. Baby is also growing something called lanugo, which is a thin, peach-fuzz-like hair all over their little body. It will help keep my little nugget warm in my belly. Baby is continuously moving and twisting and turning all their itty bitty joints in they body and continuously moving around inside my belly - but I don't feel anything just yet, but it's definitely something I'm more than ready to experience :) 

The lungs are continuing to develop and the little babe is practicing breathing with the amniotic fluid on a regular basis. Other exciting news? My little nugget can now frown, grimace, and squint and their little reflexes are becoming stronger and more frequent.

Whats New with Mommy this Week:

My energy was returning, and now I'm back to being kinda sleepy...nothing too bad or anything remotely like the 1st trimester, but I'm sure in time it'll change and my energy will slowly come back. Honestly I don't mind being that tired because then I can fall asleep no problem which was always an issue before I got pregnant. Another new symptom that I'm experiencing and hating... feeling dizzy and experiencing lightheadedness. Which is definitely not on my list of favorite things to deal with. It's usually the worst when I first wake up in the morning, so I've been keeping bottles of water and little snacks next to me for as soon as I wake up. Round ligament pain has also began as my uterus stretches to accommodate my growing belly and baby. I told my OB about my dizzy spells and he told me to just keep my fluid intake up and he said that its completely normal for this stage in the game because when you're pregnant you have 40% to 50% more blood in your body. My hormones are settling down a bit but I still cry pretty easily. Due to my dizzy spells I haven't been able to workout at all this week so I'm hoping after a relaxing weekend and a lot of fluid intake I'm hoping to be back at it on Monday morning. Most of my nausea has dissipated immensely - thank God. But I've been really lucky because I've never once suffered from morning sickness. I'm still always hungry too... which worries me about my weight gain which is another reason why I don't want to NOT work out. And I'm not depriving myself or anything like that for the sake of my own nerves. I am making sure to keep my nutritional intake up, and I'm really hoping to get back into the fitness swing of things on Monday. But I'm still hungry a lot. Especially before bed... 

Speaking of food... Cravings currently are gumballs (how weird, right?) and I will easily eat a bag of them in a sitting. Baby Carrots are my go-to late night snack, and I love kiwi's and peaches. Brown rice with sriacha sauce is also something I absolutely love. And I still eating bell peppers. Granny Smith Apples. Another odd meal I'm really loving? Taco bowls!! I add ground turkey, tomatoes, bell peppers, guacamole, sour cream, crushed up tortilla chips, lettuce and mild taco-sauce. It's one of my absolute favorite things at the moment. And it's delicious so I don't mind... 

...Nothing too out of the ordinary and most is healthy. :) As long as baby is happy, I'm happy.

All in all things are going really well. I feel good, and I've gained about 7 pounds so far. Baby is healthy and growing according to plan. I feel really blessed and grateful to be 14 weeks pregnant. I truly believe that my mom is looking over me and my little rainbow baby from heaven ensuring that we are going to continue to be okay...they say when you randomly find feathers that it's an angel... and I've found so many feathers especially since I got pregnant that I can't help but think it's my mom shining down and just letting me know she's got this, that it's all okay. 

Looking forward to our 3D ultrasound on the 11th and hoping that we can find out the gender, but if not I can be patient and wait until our 20 week scan... doesn't mean I want to though, LOL. Mainly because we are anxious to get some things for the baby and we are really looking forward to planning our nursery and everything that goes along with it. My good friend Emily is also helping me in planning my Baby Sprinkle-Shower :) and we can really start getting it together once we know gender... the sprinkle-shower will probably be sometime in May. Ahh, Spring! Can't wait for warmer weather, I've already decided I'm going to live in Maxi Dresses. Once we know gender we can start narrowing down our names as well.. but don't get excited!! We aren't announcing any baby name choices until Birth Day! 

Thanks for reading! <3 

XoXo, Jenna

My Birth Plan

Something I have been thinking about lately is my birth plan for Baby L come July. This isn't my first rodeo so I know what to expect in terms of how pregnancy goes and labor and all of that. But I really wanted to look further into all of my options and what I have plans to do.

This was the very first thing I thought about. Should I have a completely natural labor with no pain medication or should I have an epidural like I've had before. I have never experienced the joys (and pain) of having a completely natural labor and delivery experience. 

My experience with the epidural was this: amazing, lol. It completely took all the pain away that I was feeling except for the pressures associated with the baby descending into the pelvic area for birth. I was always afraid of needles -- and when I saw the needle used for the epidural it was no different. I was scared. It's a big needle to say the least and knowing it goes in between the vertebrae in my spine is kind of terrifying. I always have had luck with wonderful anesthesiologists, except once. I was 17 years old and delivering my first son (he lives with his father & for personal reasons I won't divulge that information) but I was 17 years old and a senior in high school. The doctors at Kennedy Hospital treated me like complete crap because of how young I was and the anesthesiologist didn't say much to me. Did what he had to do and left. And so I was numb but nobody told me about that glorious 15 minute drip option that comes along with the epidural. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, I'll tell you. The epidural comes with a button that you're allowed to press every 15 minutes to release more pain medication. Had I known this I may have had a bit of a better birthing experience. Anyway, my epidural with Caleb was exceptional. I went in had my water broken and all that stuff and then got the epidural. I felt those beginning contractions and I wanted to die -- it's painful, no doubt. I had a great experience with that & I pressed that button every 15 minutes on the dot to make sure I felt nothing. What I didn't like was having to wait to get moved to the recovery room because after the epidural you need to have feeling back in your legs and use the bathroom (because you have a catheter in the entire time). 

Here are 10 reasons why you shouldn't get a epidural: 

(1) Epidurals restrict movement.

Because epidurals require IV fluids, bladder catheter, and full time electronic fetal monitoring, mothers are unable to be in control of the natural progression of labor. Deena Blumenfeld, a Registered Prenatal Yoga Instructor and Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator in Pittsburgh, explains, “The epidural restricts mom to bed, and it restricts her movement. When mom’s movement is restricted it can cause a number of complications, including: fetal distress, low fetal heart rate, and inability for baby to rotate to the anterior position (optimal and normal for birth).” Ultimately, she says that the “use of the epidural can be a direct cause of c-section.”

(2) Epidurals increase the risk of fever. 

It is not uncommon for epidurals to increase the mother’s body temperature. A recent study pinpointed that over 19% of women who received an epidural experienced a fever of 100.4 or higher. Fevers, in turn, can increase both the mother’s and baby’s heart rate. Since fetal heart rate can be a sign of distress, doctors often react with the suggestion of a C-section. Even if a C-section is not the outcome, the heightened heart rate often leads to further investigations of the baby after birth (which can include blood and spinal fluid samples). This can lead to days of separation, observation, and possibly antibiotics – which inhibits mother-baby bonding and the establishment of a strong breastfeeding relationship. Kelly Whitehead, author of High-Risk Pregnancy: Why Me?, had this very experience. After a spiking fever, she had to leave her baby behind at the hospital for a few days after her discharge as a preventative measure. She commented, “It was extremely hard emotionally to leave my daughter behind. Breastfeeding her kicked off with a rough start since I was separated from her moments after birth. Though the hospital lent me a pump, I found that difficult, especially being a first time mom.”

(3) Epidurals may cause the mother’s blood pressure to drop. 

A sudden drop in blood pressure is one of the most common side effects – which is why blood pressure is taken every 5 minutes when the epidural is initialized and every 30 minutes thereafter. A drop in the mother’s blood pressure affects how much of her blood is pumped to the placenta and can lead to less oxygen being available to the baby.

(4) Epidurals have been known to cause headaches.

Many women with epidurals report having persistent and/or chronic headaches post-delivery. Blumenfield says that this happens when the epidural needle is inserted too far, “...it can release spinal fluid up to the brain, causing a spinal headache. These are severe and often debilitating, lasting for hours or days.”

(5) Epidurals can slow labor. 

Epidurals often slow the second stage (or pushing stage) of labor by interfering with the natural hormone of labor (called oxytocin), as well as reducing moms’ ability to push effectively. Since the mother is numb, she is unable to get in the most helpful positions to help guide the baby’s descent.

(6) Epidurals increase a woman’s risk of having a delivery with the aid of instruments.

The gold standard of medical reviews, a Cochrane Review, came out with this research in 2011. Epidural babies were more likely to be delivered with the “help” of  forceps, a vacuum, or other tools that increase pain and discomfort for both mom and baby (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2011, Issue 12. Art. No.: CD000331. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000331.pub3). The use of instruments also increases the likelihood of a woman having a more serious tear and/or receiving an episiotomy.

(7) Epidurals increase the risk of Cesaearan Section.

Nick Angelis, a nurse anesthetist and the author of How to Succeed in Anesthesia School, states this matter-of-factly, “statistically, the chance of getting a c-section increases with each medical intervention [including epidural].” He also points out that mothers seeking a natural childbirth experience would be wise to avoid labor augmentation drugs such as Pitocin since it is known to make contractions less manageable for the new mother.

(8) Epidurals = a slower recovery.

Elizabeth Chabner Thompson, MD, is a New York mom of four. A graduate of John Hopkins Medical School, she initially did an OB/GYN internship, but ended up changing specialties to focus on oncology. Two of her babies were delivered with an epidural, two without. She far preferred her non-medicated births, “A woman delivering without anesthesia recovers much faster than with anesthesia. I tore much less — I could feel everything so I was able to pay attention to my pushing.” She even went on to say that she, “was up and running behind the stroller within a week after delivering without anesthesia…it was much easier to care for my other children.” Though perhaps not all new mothers will be jogging at one week postpartum, there is certainly something to be said for being able to get up and around quickly.

(9) Epidurals sometimes interfere with the early stages of breastfeeding.

Studies have shown a link between epidurals and breastfeeding rates among new mothers. Whitehead explains that this is “due to neurobehavioral effects in the baby in regards to initial rooting and suckling behaviors.” Note that epidurals also interfere with the natural production of oxytocin (as stated above)…the hormone which causes the let-down effect in breastfeeding and promotes healthy bonding between mamas and their babies.

(10) Epidurals may cause other unpleasant and dangerous effects for babies and mothers.

Women have reported nausea, itching, backache, and incontinence. Little is known how the epidural effects the baby, but we do know that the drug does enter the baby’s bloodstream. It seems contradictory that many women take great precautions to avoid deli meat, coffee, wine, and tylenol throughout their pregnancies…and then proceed to take in a heavy anesthetic agent right before meeting their babies for the first time.

Obviously epidurals aren't for everyone just like natural childbirth is completely out of the picture for others. It's all about your own personal choice and what you want personally for you and your baby.

This time around I want to go natural. Completely 100% natural. I also want to go into labor on my own (if possible). Any time I've delivered I have had to be induced, and it's really just my body & baby. I want to experience my water breaking and having that whole feeling of "we need to get to the hospital". Of course the beauty of induction is the fact that you KNOW when it is happening. It gives you more time to plan what else needs to be done in terms of babysitters, housework, things like that. It makes it kind of easier, but I would love to have the experience of going into labor naturally and on my own. Although I doubt that will happen. My mom went natural with all 5 of us. My 3 other sisters and my brother - 100% natural. She was so strong my mom. 

And I really feel like I'm going to have a more emotional and connected experience with my baby if I go naturally. If I have to get induced then so be it, but besides that I do want to go completely natural. No pain meds, nothing. 

Just balls to the wall (figuratively of course) full blown labor. With nothing to ease the pain.

Hundreds of years ago when there wasn't an epidural that's how women did it. Call me crazy but I just want to experience it. I think it would be incredible. 

Something else I've been looking into is a doula. 

What is a Doula? 

Doula is Greek for "woman who serves". It's been proven that these incredible women can actually make birth easier and better for mom, dad and baby :) & who doesn't want that? They meet you with before you have the baby, are with you during birth and also visit with you at home afterwards. It's truly an amazing thing and must be incredible for them to help someone else.

Another reason I want a doula is to help Ray... Why? because I am going naturally this time. And chances are he's going to hate seeing me in that type of pain, so I want to make sure that dad isn't left out of the equation as well. People seem to forget that dad's are in on birth too. They might not be physically doing it, but they are definitely there along for the ride.

I also really want this whole labor and delivery documented. I would love to have pictures of me in labor... pictures of Ray and I together... pictures of the baby being born (nothing to Alien vs. Predator) but I would love to have those for memories and all of that. and those first moments with the baby. I have found a few different doula's that I plan on meeting with to see if they are good fits for me. My good friend Amanda told me about them and she really had me wanting to learn more. 

Something else? Delayed cord cutting or DCC. 

What this means is you wait to cut the umbilical cord. It's proven to give more blood to the baby and the baby has a lower risk of anemia. 

It's something I'm passionate about and excited about experiencing. At my next appointment on Tuesday I am going to explain my wants and needs to my doctor. 

Have a great day! :) 

XOXO, Jenna