We are extremely excited to announce that February 27 (give or take a few days) Gary and I will be welcoming our second son into this world. In addition, we also finally settled on a name for our new bundle of joy. I am simply in love with the name and after months of feeling like we couldn't settle on the right and perfect one (as we did very early on with Wade's name) I can now think of my growing baby as his name and not baby boy.
I have hesitated to talk about the pregnancy on the blog before this because I know that there are readers out there struggling with infertility and longing for a baby. I feel for you. I know of deep heart pains and hurts that don't go away and just can't be explained. The reasons why this is what you have to suffer through I can't explain. I was very surprised to have gotten pregnant so soon after we began trying for the second baby. I was worried that they would be father apart then I had hoped for. It took us over a year to conceive Wade and it wasn't without help. I spent several hundred dollars seeing a doctor that specialized in human replacement hormones that my insurance didn't cover.
My health problems and the fact that I had taken birth control since I was sixteen for cramp control (without knowing the side effects of birth control) truly affected my ability to get pregnant the first time. Without seeing that doctor it could have taken years more to get pregnant. Within a month of starting the replacement hormones my blood work showed I needed I was pregnant with Wade. It wasn't an easy pregnancy though. It was horrible actually. Severe "morning sickness", followed by the worst heart burn constantly of my life, I was extremely emotional, couldn't sleep and would sit upright in bed or a chair to combat the heart burn. Then the swelling started with high blood pressure. By the time Wade came three weeks early I was exhausted.
Labor was long and disheartening. Thirty-two hours of labor, exhausted and hungry, I couldn't have the birth experience I had so wanted and researched. The doctors put me on Pitocin after I had refused for as many hours as possible. The contractions were major with no progress. I had to get rest and I knew it. Crying, shaking, and scared I agreed to the epidural. If I didn't rest my body I wouldn't be able to push. Above all else I HAD to avoid the C-section I knew the doctors would jump at if I said I wanted it. I also knew the epidural would really mess me up and it did. They gave me hours and hours of medication into my spine. It took eight weeks to leave the fog behind. Trying to nurse my epidural drugged baby was more than a challenge. It ended up not working for us and I was heart broken. My body was still sick and didn't produce the milk Wade needed.
This time around though will be different. I have made very determined strides to heal myself. Of course I know I have a long way to heal but via diet, limiting stress, and getting proper rest things are already different this time. The pregnancy, not without it's minor inconveniences, has been a breeze so far. As I said, getting pregnant was easy this time. I haven't had any swelling. My blood pressure is normal. I feel great honestly. Tired of course but great. People comment about how healthy my hair looks, how I barely have put on weight, how I look healthier with the second baby. No one said that with my first. I wasn't any of those things.
I have a lot more to say about how I am feeling better and about how this time my pregnancy is different and better. I have been doing even more reading and research. I attribute the finding of traditional foods (real food) as having had a lot to do with it. I have focused on eating proper protein and fat and getting significant rest. I am convinced that diet plays a huge roll in the making and having of babies. While I am no expert I will share what I know and have learned before the arrival of baby boy number two. Who knows. Maybe it is something that someday will help you as well.
I have hesitated to talk about the pregnancy on the blog before this because I know that there are readers out there struggling with infertility and longing for a baby. I feel for you. I know of deep heart pains and hurts that don't go away and just can't be explained. The reasons why this is what you have to suffer through I can't explain. I was very surprised to have gotten pregnant so soon after we began trying for the second baby. I was worried that they would be father apart then I had hoped for. It took us over a year to conceive Wade and it wasn't without help. I spent several hundred dollars seeing a doctor that specialized in human replacement hormones that my insurance didn't cover.
My health problems and the fact that I had taken birth control since I was sixteen for cramp control (without knowing the side effects of birth control) truly affected my ability to get pregnant the first time. Without seeing that doctor it could have taken years more to get pregnant. Within a month of starting the replacement hormones my blood work showed I needed I was pregnant with Wade. It wasn't an easy pregnancy though. It was horrible actually. Severe "morning sickness", followed by the worst heart burn constantly of my life, I was extremely emotional, couldn't sleep and would sit upright in bed or a chair to combat the heart burn. Then the swelling started with high blood pressure. By the time Wade came three weeks early I was exhausted.
Labor was long and disheartening. Thirty-two hours of labor, exhausted and hungry, I couldn't have the birth experience I had so wanted and researched. The doctors put me on Pitocin after I had refused for as many hours as possible. The contractions were major with no progress. I had to get rest and I knew it. Crying, shaking, and scared I agreed to the epidural. If I didn't rest my body I wouldn't be able to push. Above all else I HAD to avoid the C-section I knew the doctors would jump at if I said I wanted it. I also knew the epidural would really mess me up and it did. They gave me hours and hours of medication into my spine. It took eight weeks to leave the fog behind. Trying to nurse my epidural drugged baby was more than a challenge. It ended up not working for us and I was heart broken. My body was still sick and didn't produce the milk Wade needed.
This time around though will be different. I have made very determined strides to heal myself. Of course I know I have a long way to heal but via diet, limiting stress, and getting proper rest things are already different this time. The pregnancy, not without it's minor inconveniences, has been a breeze so far. As I said, getting pregnant was easy this time. I haven't had any swelling. My blood pressure is normal. I feel great honestly. Tired of course but great. People comment about how healthy my hair looks, how I barely have put on weight, how I look healthier with the second baby. No one said that with my first. I wasn't any of those things.
I have a lot more to say about how I am feeling better and about how this time my pregnancy is different and better. I have been doing even more reading and research. I attribute the finding of traditional foods (real food) as having had a lot to do with it. I have focused on eating proper protein and fat and getting significant rest. I am convinced that diet plays a huge roll in the making and having of babies. While I am no expert I will share what I know and have learned before the arrival of baby boy number two. Who knows. Maybe it is something that someday will help you as well.
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