Whoa. That flew by quick. They say the second pregnancy always does, but I swear I didn’t start doing anything to prepare until just a few weeks ago. Mostly just attended my appointments, took my prenatals, tried to sleep and do research here and there on what we will need now that I’ll I have two littles to look after.

And I do feel slightly more prepared. Over the past few weeks Tony and I took time to organize our house, get rid of stuff we didn’t need, work on Sidney’s new room, go through old newborn clothes, pack the hospital bag, get a double stroller, a new bassinet and just a few other random things we needed. You definitely don’t need much for the second, which feels so nice.

Today I wanted to focus on giving you a little update on how things have been from weeks 28-39 of my pregnancy journey. Be sure to also check out my first trimester post, second trimester post, baby registry and ask a doula as references, too!

How I’m feeling

Mostly, the third trimester has left me feeling… TIRED.

This pregnancy was a lot more taxing on my body and mind, and truthfully, it wasn’t just because I was pregnant. It was the addition of being pregnant and having a 14 month old at home to chase after. Sidney also is the type of kiddo who doesn’t need much sleep, so he’s been waking us up at 5am for a few months now even after transitioning him to 1 nap and limiting daytime sleep. On the occasional day where he sleeps until 6am, I feel like I’ve slept in and am on top of the world. Admittedly, I’m not great at napping (just hate it) so it’s difficult for me to ever really feel rejuvenated unless I go to bed real early — which yep you got it, also doesn’t happen because nights are when I either get time to myself, spend time with Tony or have to work.

Some news on our end: at the beginning of March Sidney started daycare 3 days a week, so over the past few weeks I’ve had some time to myself to get work done, organize and stay on top of the household chores that always seem to pile up. Seriously, how is there always so much laundry to do?

Since I’m now 39 weeks, the next week or so should be fairly low-key for me. I’m going to basically just try and keep my house as clean as possible (constantly nesting) and working on recipe development and chatting with my team. Many of you asked if I’ll be taking a maternity leave, and the answer is kind of, but I’ve worked ahead on content so you’ll be all set and won’t notice any changes around here! Lots of delicious recipes to come.

Of course, be sure to follow me on Instagram to stay up to date on baby & get spammed with cute photos & stories in between all the food.

Baby updates

Truth be told, I’m incredibly excited to meet this little love. I wonder what he’ll look like daily, and can’t wait to see if he’s a little almost-bald blondie like Sidney was when he was born. I feel as though I have an idea in my head of what his personality could be like, but honestly who knows. Tony and I joke that he’ll be energetic and feisty, but that’s only because Sidney is the sweetest little boy you could ever meet and it’s difficult to imagine having another one who’s just as laid back and chill. If anything, I’m just hoping that baby #2 is a better sleeper, ha!

Otherwise, all is well with baby boy. There were a few times when he’s measured ahead, but nothing overly concerning. I personally think it’s just because he’s a big boy. In fact, I’m pretty sure I just make big babies, which I’m okay with. Sidney weighed 9 pounds 4 oz and I’m sure this one will be similar.

He’s also in the perfect position for labor, other than the fact that his hand is currently next to his head — hopefully he doesn’t come out superman style. Only time will tell.

Preparing for two under two

I got a ton of questions on what I’m doing to prepare for two under two. The answer? Pretty much nothing. Mentally, I’m going to take it as I come and honestly I feel as though that’s the best I can do. When we spend too much time worrying about the future and the what-ifs, we end up overanalyzing and anticipating things we have zero control over. As soon as I began taking a calmer approach of what’s to come, my anxiety has been much more manageable. Everything will get done, everyone will be okay, I will survive and we’ll make it all work — these are all the things I tell myself and I instantly feel more grounded.

A few things we’ve gotten for baby 2:

• New bassinet: so excited to use this! The first time around we rented the snoo bassinet and hated it. Just never worked for Sidney, so this time we got the Halo bassinet because I’ve heard such amazing things!
• New Bugaboo Donkey double stroller (we got ours off FB marketplace but highly recommend this one — we love it so far!)
• And then basically everything else we had from when Sidney was a baby. Feel free to check out our baby registry and newborn essentials. (I’ll be sure to update the newborn essentials again once baby boy #2 arrives!)

Symptoms

Many of you asked what my third trimester symptoms. Here are a few things I experienced:

• Exhaustion. Just tired all the freaking time. Coffee is my BFF.
• Braxton Hicks. Whoa. I never really had a ton of these when I was pregnant the first time, but they tend to feel like cramps/tightening and usually come at night. I will take magnesium for them and drink a glass of water, but sometimes I even have to jump in the shower for them to go away.
• Dehydration. I’ve noticed that I’ve been a lot more dehydrated lately so I’ve been doing my best to drink lots of water and take electrolyte packets.
• Breast pain. My boobs randomly started hurting a few weeks ago, and my nipples have become sore. It’s annoying.
• Craving sweets. Honestly throughout this entire pregnancy, I never really craved sweets, but lately I’ve wanted very specific things. For example: maple glazed long john donuts from Stan’s donuts in Chicago.
• Out of breath. OMG this is the WORST. Sometimes I’m at the park with Sidney and literally just have to sit down on a bench because I can barely breathe. Whoo! Being pregnant is a workout.
• Peeing 3x a night. I pee all the time during the night.
• Insomnia. This hasn’t been too terrible, but sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night, usually because I have to pee, and have a really hard time getting back to sleep.
• Weight gain tapering off. Around week 36, I reached a weight gain of a beautiful 33 pounds.
• Restless leg syndrome. I had this when I was pregnant with Sidney way worse so thankfully it’s only here and there this time around.

Maternity photos

I took maternity photos around 32 weeks and love how they came out. Thanks to Alisha Tova for the gorgeous photos! Definitely recommend her.

Prenatals

I’m still taking my Binto vitamins and love them! If you aren’t familiar, Binto vitamins are tailored to your needs and body. You just fill out a survey online and then get your results based on your goals. They have regular women’s multi-vitamins, but also have focuses on prenatal, pregnancy, postpartum and menopause. The vitamin packages start at $35/month and are directly delivered to your doorstep. They’re also gluten free, vegan-friendly and preservative free.

If you are interested in trying BINTO, you can use the code ‘ambitiouskitchen’ for 20% off your first order!

My exercise routine

This pregnancy has included a lot less cardio and a lot more walking and strength training. Since working out with Rae from Ladies Who Lift, I have really learned to modify, listen to my body and focus on what I can do. Currently I exercise 2 days per week with Rae and then try my best to move my body the other days of the week, which includes walking a few miles. Overall I feel good, but now I’m going to focus on resting until the baby comes. Still will be doing lots of walking though!

What I’m wearing

Besides Tony’s t-shirts and sweatpants, I have a few go-tos. You can find them in my pregnancy shop.

Preparing for labor & delivery

To be honest, I haven’t done a lot to prepare for labor and delivery this time around, other then set the expectation that it could go down similar to last time (read Sidney’s birth story here). So many mamas (and even my midwives and doula) have told me to expect a shorter labor time, including both contractions and pushing, but I’m mentally prepared for the long haul.

Here’s the deal: if you truly want to have an unmedicated delivery, you HAVE to mentally prepare. If you’re even considering an epidural, there’s a pretty big chance you’ll get one. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that, but personally I didn’t want a needle near my back, nor to chance any side effects. I wanted to feel my baby and visualize him coming out. I wanted to have him my way, and that’s my choice.

Here are a few things I’m doing right now:

• Eating dates: my doula suggested eating 6-8 dates a day starting at 36 weeks. There have been some small studies that suggest eating dates can help to ripen the cervix for labor and even decrease labor time. Others suggested raspberry leaf tea, but there actually haven’t been any conclusive studies so I decided to skip it. I ate dates the first time around though and nothing happened so meh if that really means anything haha.
• Bounce on the birthing ball. Did it with Sidney and I’m doing it again!
• Sex. Really the only proven thing you help you go into labor.
• Drinking magnesium. I use this magnesium drink and LOVE it. It generally makes me feel better after I drink it and helps keep me regular too. I also LOVE GoHydrate electrolyte packets.
• Staying organized. Honestly do what you need to do to help you feel confident and prepared. My endless to-do lists oddly keep me sane.
• Allowing myself to rest and rejuvenate. I feel like I did this more preparing for Sidney to come. It’s hard to really have any time to myself, but next week I’ve pretty much cleared my calendar for some ME time. Getting my nails done, maybe a massage, driving around for no reason, eating donuts and maybe binge watching a show all day long.
• Spending quality time with my partner. Since we’re in the middle of a pandemic, we don’t really go out, but we do love to watch movies together and snuggle up on the couch. We also make it a point to do things like play games and cook together.
• Learn to be gentle and kind to yourself. So many things have changed and will continue to change that are out of your control. Give yourself some grace. This process will alter you forever.

What’s in my hospital bag

Feel free to check out this post to see everything I’m packing in my hospital bag this time around. Plus I’ve included a FREE printable checklist!

My birth plan

I used Motherboard to build my birth plan and create a visual template and highly recommend because they provide you with evidence behind the choices you may need to make or want to make during birth. I made one for spontaneous labor, an induction, and cesarean. My current plan is to have an unmedicated vaginal birth.

Shop my pregnancy favorites & recommendations

Head over to the Ambitious Kitchen shop to see everything including my pregnancy go-to’s and favorite items for baby.

P.S. Don’t forget to check out our baby registry, pregnancy books I’m reading and other Ambitious Mama posts.