I am harboring a lot of sadness over here over the Dawgs loss last night. I’m also feeling some sleepiness since I stayed up past midnight to watch the end of the game! We may not have won but making it to our first national championship game since 1980 is surely something to be proud of. We had an exciting 2017 season and I can’t wait to see what our team does next year. It’s great to be a Georgia Bulldog! 🙂
I’m 23 weeks pregnant today so time for my weekly pregnancy update. Remember, if you’d rather not follow along, feel free to skip this one and come back tomorrow!
23 WEEKS PREGNANCY UPDATE
My Bump app says that the baby is the size of a grapefruit and just over a pound. My Glow Nurture app says ear of corn…and tells me that there are only 118 days to go. A countdown that once seemed crazy long is feeling pretty short these days.
- Baby is forming nipples!
- Face is fully formed but thin
- Can hear sounds like dogs barking and car horns and might even startle at sudden loud sounds (although I’m guessing that’s not the case for my little guy since he hears me on a microphone every day and loud music in my classes!)
- Lungs have started rapidly developing, preparing them to breathe air on the outside
HOW I’M FEELING AT 23 WEEKS PREGNANT
Weight Gain/Body Changes: as far as weight, still hovering around 13-15 pounds depending on the day. I think the baby has moved up. Do you guys agree? I feel like my bump kind of popped a couple of weeks ago but hasn’t changed a lot in size since.
Another thing, I definitely still have muscles and muscle definition but it’s nothing like pre-pregnancy. I can tell I’ve kind of put on a layer of fat all over to sustain pregnancy and get ready for breastfeeding. I am cool with that!
Workouts/Workout Modifications: here’s what I’ve done in the last 7 days for workouts…
- 3 strength workouts
- 1 FlyWheel class
- 2 runs
- 2 hot yoga classes
- 2 rest days
The cold snap we have been dealing with for the last two weeks finally broke today and I got to run outside. In fact, it was so warm I had to take off my long-sleeve halfway through the run. I ran 5 miles and it felt really good. I’m so happy that running is still working for my body right now and hoping for continued warmer runs and a whole lot more walking.
I had a tweaky low back last week that has finally loosened up and started feeling better.
Symptoms: the exhaustion that I mentioned in my 22 week update has subsided quite a bit and I’m feeling better on that front. The most notable symptom that I’m dealing with right now is still the emotional stuff. I had a few weeks where I felt a lot better but the new year has brought up all sorts of feels. While I’m very excited to meet baby boy in May and to become his mom, I’m also really nervous and anxious about all the things that need to happen prior to his arrival…and how things are going to play out once he’s here.
I’ve been up and down when it comes to general emotions and sometimes just not feeling quite like myself. The best way to describe it is like you’re looking down at yourself and thinking, “who is this person!?”
I hope it doesn’t sound like I’m complaining, because that’s not my intention. I strongly believe that it’s more helpful for me to be honest and open about my experience with pregnancy rather than making it seem like butterflies and rainbows. I have been extremely fortunate to have a relatively easy pregnancy on the physical side but that’s only one part of it. This is a MASSIVE change for not just my body but my whole entire life and I think it’s totally normal to have mixed emotions about all of it.
Food Aversions: well, I avoided it in the first trimester but the meat aversions are here. I went to Trader Joe’s on Sunday night and stood in the meat aisle looking at everything with disgust. Nothing sounded even remotely appetizing. I am still able to eat meat, I just don’t really have much interest in it.
Food Cravings: chips (pita, tortilla, potato…I’m not picky!), fruit, bread, pizza, smoothies, oatmeal
Sleep: terrible this last week. It’s taken me a long time to fall asleep and then I’ve woken up every night in the middle of the night with my mind racing and it takes me a while to get back to sleep. I’m also still coughing at night so that wakes me up and on several nights I’ve had to go downstairs to take a shot of apple cider vinegar and a spoonful of honey to stop.
Maternity Clothes: I haven’t bought any but I did pull out a maternity shirt that a friend gifted me and I love how it fits and accentuates the bump so I need to get on that. Hopefully I can order a few things over the weekend.
Fun Shares: I am so extremely fortunate to have an awesome and supportive yoga community and some of my students have started bringing me their old baby stuff. One friend brought me a huge tub of little boy clothes.
I mean, ahhhhh!
I’ve also been offered clothes, pack and plays, gliders, swings and more. I am SO grateful. I am all about taking things second hand as babies/toddlers grow out of all this stuff so fast.
Next up: the doula I was scheduled to meet with last week never showed or responded back to my message. Bummer! I’m meeting with another tomorrow morning and I have my fingers crossed. I love her website and she’s come highly recommended. I’ve also made zero progress on cleaning out the nursery room. I haven’t touched my registry in weeks. I need to look at nursery furniture and choose a color scheme. I’ve also got some baby shower talks in the works.
That’s all I have for today.
Did you have meat aversions in pregnancy? If so, was it temporary or did it stick with you?
Did you/do you buy second hand baby/kids stuff?
At what point in pregnancy did you start/finish your nursery? I’ve heard I won’t even need it when he’s newborn but that there’s no time to finish it after he’s here!
Hi Jen,
I had the opposite happen, all I could think about is meat and dairy-desserts were not tht important. That’s how you pregnancy really messes with you!
I did not have many used things. Not because I didn’t want them but I was one of the first to have kids from my friend circle.
We did not get nursery done until 3rd trimester. But you’re right you don’t use it for a while! Let me just tell you putting together a crib might be the biggest challenge in your relationship -hah!
Hi Jen,
I’m an ol lady now and my childbirth days are very long behind me.
I know it easy to say, I’m sure you know that everything will turn out in the end.
Don’t forget, you have your family, friends, and fans to help you through it!
And don’t forget your partner!
Take Care,
Sylvie
I definitely had meat aversions while pregnant with my daughter! Red meat, specifically. Burgers and steak sounded so nasty!
It’s definitely nice to receive some new items for baby, but bigger items like a jumperoo, swing (if needed), bumbo, etc. are totally welcomed second hand! Save the money ?
Hi Jen,
I can totally relate with your question to yourself about, “Who is this person?” One of my biggest fears about becoming a mother is how I will deal with the fact that I’m no longer just myself; I’m responsible for another life. I came across this quote on IG and read it from time to time when I contemplate the thought of my life changing completely through motherhood:
The ghosts of all the women you used to be are all so proud of who you have become, storm child made of wild and flame.
– Nikita Gill
Hang in there! I appreciate reading these posts/updates.
-Michelle
Cannot say enough about how much I LOVE these updates! Your bump looks bigger to my untrained eye from week 22 to 23 and yes you can absolutely see how it’s pushing out more just under your chest! That looks like a big change. 🙂 Too funny about the meat aversions (my Mom said she would gag/dry heave/vomit at the smell of meat with me!) and way to go on all our workouts. I agree with others and friends who have children agree: secondhand all the way.
It does look like he moved up 🙂
My baby is three months and still hasn’t been in her nursery, haha. We use a bassinet in our room and put a changing pad on top of our dresser.
Hey Jen,
I definitely see that baby has moved up. I’m sure you’ll get the kicks in the ribs soon, depending on how he is positioned 😉
We are still sleeping in the nursery with Oliver (as everything is all there) so we had to have it all ready.
Yay for second hand things! Honestly some of Oliver’s favorite outfits are second hand because they are so cozy, comfortable and well loved! If you don’t use them then no loss anyway!
I can relate to all the mixed emotions, and honestly they have become stronger now that Oliver is here. Being a mom is so different to being a partner/wife/daughter/aunt/friend or any other relation. I see the world soooo differently and it’s wonderful and confusing at the same time.
Take care, Kendra
Ahh the baby clothes are so cute! Sleep has been on/off for me as well at 28 weeks. I’ve basically craved carbs (bread, pizza, oats, chips) throughout my whole pregnancy!
That is awesome that you have gotten a lot of second hand things from clients! I am all about 2nd hand things as babies grow out of clothes so quickly and some gadgets, like the rock n’ play or some of the carriers, don’t get used for all that long so I am all about scoring them 2nd hand. I registered for some things that I knew we’d need, but there are a lot of things I left off, like a swing, rock n’ play, and a less-structured wrap. I figure I will borrow them from a friend to see if our baby likes it and then buy them on a facebook group. We don’t have a nursery AT ALL because we are hoping to move this summer. So it feels kind of weird to not have a dedicated space for the baby, but we didn’t want to assemble a crib and then have to take it apart and assemble it again when we move. So our baby will sleep in a bassinet in our room when he or she is born and then if we don’t move by the time the baby needs to move out of our bedroom, he or she will sleep in a pack n’ play. I’m a little sad that I’m not getting a change to nest/decorate a nursery but I know it’s the more practical decision!
Thanks for being honest about how you feel during pregnancy. I think there is a lot of pressure on women the be all ‘rah rah pregnancy is amazing’. But it’s not that way for all or most of us, it seems. I have had a hard time during my pregnancy as I have rheumatoid arthritis and it’s been really active/bad during the pregnancy. So I don’t really enjoy being pregnant but that doesn’t take away any of the excitement I have about having a baby or the love I have for our child. I also have had a lot of ‘who am I’ moments when I have gotten really emotional about things. I hate feeling that way. It has gotten better in the 3rd trimester for me, but I’ve heard that it’s really bad after the baby is born so I’m kind of nervous about the emotional rollercoaster that is to come! It’s all worth it, of course, but it’s tough to not be in control of your emotions and your body!!
I love your honestly about how you feel during pregnancy! I struggled a lot while pregnant. I was unbelievably happy to be pregnant with my little girl. But I am a worrier, so I was constantly finding something to worry about along the way. Also, I have battled being overweight and then dealing with that issue by severely restricting my food intake (never diagnosed with an eating disorder but let’s be real, I had disordered eating for sure). So being out of control, craving foods I never crave, and not being able to move how I used to was hard for me. And it seemed there was no one to talk to. Everyone else “loved” being pregnant. So to have someone like you, who is healthy, educated, and a fitness lifestyle role model, admit that sometimes pregnancy isn’t so great is very refreshing!
We didn’t start on the nursery until 38 weeks! My husband built the crib, toy box, and book shelf, and we bought a dresser from an estate sale that we refinished for the changing table. At 41 weeks I was scrambling to organize the nursery and unpack gifts. I was seriously relishing what was left of my “me time” paddle boarding, going to gym, napping, etc that I kept putting it off. I wouldn’t recommend waiting quiiite as late as I did, but you have plenty of time!
Hello,
So I had what I would call anxiety during my entire pregnancy about the thought of having a baby in general. I had never been around babies at all, none of my friends had babies at the time, etc. It all worked out for the best and I learned everything quickly and am in love with my son, but I think it’s totally normal for some women to feel freaking terrified before having a baby. Your whole life really does change and it’s hard to deal with that uncertainty until you’re in it.
Don’t worry about the nursery. Your nesting instinct will kick in soon and poof! The nursery will be done in a weekend. Also, that overall squishy feeling isn’t necessarily fat. You retain a lot of water in pregnancy. I remember thinking my muscles had turned to mush, but once the baby arrives that water weight goes away fast and your muscles are still there, if you’ve been using them, which you obviously have been. You look great. Being nervous is normal, and worrying is part of motherhood that never goes away, but if your anxiety starts to consume you, don’t be afraid to get help. Lots of women deal with it, it’s totally normal too. You’re doing awesome mama
You are so lucky to not have many food aversions! For both my pregnancies (I am week 17 with baby 2), finding anything to eat was a challenge! I actually lost weight in the first trimester both times (apparently this is somewhat normal?)
I am looking forward to your pregnancy yoga post! I struggle with yoga during pregnancy because of all the “don’ts” out there; like, no hot yoga (over a certain temp) and no inversions or deep twists (among some other suggested restrictions). But, I see so many pregnant women standing on their hands, and they seem fine!!! It’s so confusing.
Personally, I am overcautious because I live with irrational fears. lol
Would love some fresh perspective and direction! I avoided yoga all together during my last pregnancy. I am taking 1-2 classes a week this time around but modifying and avoiding hot yoga (my fav).
You look great! 🙂
Oh my goodness, definitely do not wait to finish the nursery until after the baby. On top of being busy, it’s so much fun to have it done! I would literally hang out in the nursery when it was finished, reading and stuff. It made me so excited for my son to come. And I am in the minority here, but I did use my nursery from day 1. My son went in his crib the night he returned from the hospital 🙂
Hey Heather – I definitely won’t wait! I think it would send my anxiety into overload if I did! 🙂 And yes, it sounds awesome to go hang out in there pre-baby! Thanks for sharing your nursery usage experience!