Pregnancy: 17 Weeks

I am now 17 weeks pregnant, which I'm trying to wrap my head around. The first 12 weeks seemed to drag on and on, as I dealt with nausea/vomiting, exhaustion, and horrible headaches.

But all of a sudden, time seems to be picking up speed, and I can't believe I'll soon be going to my first (and hopefully only) ultrasound this pregnancy! Despite my misgivings about ultrasound technology, it's amazing how much I'm looking forward to "seeing" inside. I know I'm supposed to be trusting my body, but there's always a niggling little worry in the back of my mind that something might be wrong.

I know a lot of pregnant bloggers who do a weekly pregnancy post, with regular updates on cravings, belly size and weight, but that's not really my thing. I haven't even taken a belly shot yet! (it's there, although small. Same as last time!) However, it's always fun to chat about certain pregnancy-related decisions and milestones, so here's a little update:

Sex?
Yes, we will be finding out the sex of the baby this time around. I really wanted it to be a surprise again, but frankly, I'm just too excited to know whether I can, a) use all the baby clothes we already have; or b) get rid of most of the baby clothes we have, and start soliciting donations for "boys" clothes. As interesting as the whole gender-neutral debate has been recently, I'm still not willing to dress a little boy in bright pink sleepers. Why? Because frankly, I just don't like pink very much!! And we seem to have ended up with A LOT of pink being given/donated to us.

Movement?
Yep, feeling a lot of kicks and bumps. Last time I didn't feel a thing until around 21-22 weeks, so it's surprising to feel movement this time. I think in my first pregnancy, I was confusing kicks with gas. I also had an anterior placenta last time, which provided added cushioning in the front and may have prevented me from feeling a lot - no idea where my placenta is this time!

Doula work?
Still attending births! The universe seems to have blessed me with short, daytime births lately, so I'm expecting to be hit over the head by a few marathoners soon. I'm waiting on one mama/baby right now, and then won't see my next client until late June/early July. Beginning in August, I will be providing some backup for one week, but have no further primary clients.

Other pregnant doulas can probably attest to the fact that doula work is certainly harder when carrying a baby. There is nausea, but also a lot of extreme tiredness and lack of energy. It's been a challenge, but not impossible! Having great backups in place is key, as I feel confident I could call someone in my place if need be. And so far, all my clients have been very supportive and understanding - given the fact that I munch away on snacks pretty much every hour, this has been great.

Renos?
Yes, we will be working on a nursery, but I have no great expectations that this little babe will sleep in there. After our experience with A, I'm fully prepared to bed-share again if need be. But if this baby decides to be a decent sleeper, then at least the room and crib will be available. This is going to involve moving A into another room (the colder room in the house, as she's always been a hot kid!), and moving our office into the basement downstairs. I'm sad to be losing a proper office space, but we're not willing to give up our guest bedroom, as we have family and friends visiting quite often.

Exercise and Overall Wellness?
Given that I'm finally feeling better, I'm getting back into a regular exercise routine. It's not much, but I'm aiming to get regular walks in almost every day of the week. Some of these are longer hikes in the ravine behind our house, but often I'm just getting out of the office at lunch time and hoofing it around the hospital. Walking the perimeter of the General Hospital takes about 25 minutes! I'm also participating in some great prenatal yoga classes once per week.

Goals? Hopes? Dreams?
In an ideal world, I'd love to be adding some additional yoga practice into my week, as well as some occasional weight bearing exercises. So far, I'm happy with just getting my walking and one-day yoga class completed, but maybe I will find the motivation to improve.

My big focus now is on better nutrition. The first 3 months were a write-off, as my main diet consisted of cheese, crackers and cereal (oh, and occasional fried foods). But now I'm adding in greens, lots of legumes and fruit. I'm still eating quite a lot of meat (for me), but I'm trusting my body that this is what I need right now. I would love to have a vegetarian pregnancy, but know that this is not realistic for me.

So far, the pregnancy seems to be chugging along well, and I look forward to sharing some ultrasound pics on here in a couple of weeks!

Happy Monday!