Bumpdate - Second Pregnancy

Bumpdate - Second Pregnancy

This post is a long one, so I'll jump right in. Grab your tea ☕️

1st Trimester

second bumpdate first trimesterDEC 2020 to FEB 2021

If you saw this post on IG you know a new Baby Brown is headed to town. (Couldn’t pass up that rhyming, sorry.)

We found out about the new set of PCS orders the same week that we found out we were pregnant, so I think it took me a little longer to wrap my mind around it this time. I was so busy coordinating movers, rides, and dental appointments I don’t think I had time to let it soak in until I went to my first prenatal appointment.

I heard the baby's heartbeat and I fell right back into the groove of being pregnant. Regularly scheduled meals and snacks, crying at sentimental commercials, and being annoyed by absolutely anything my husband did.

second bumpdate first trimester

Related: First Baby Bumpdate | How I Had My Baby At Home (Unplanned)

2nd Trimester

MAR 2021 to JUN 2021

We left Delaware mid-April and didn’t plan to arrive in Hawaii until early May. When we departed we still had not locked in a home yet but were frantically searching and had put in one offer on a townhome (spoiler alert, we didn’t get it) that we loved nearby our old place.

We spent ten days in Georgia and then ten days in California visiting friends and family and tying up the final loose ends before arriving on the island.

Most know the second trimester to be the easy one. And for me I guess it was too, it just kind of flew by in the whirlwind. I kept up my appointments by switching to virtual ones with both my midwife and my doula while I was traveling, and when we got to Oahu I went right in to see my old OB.

second bumpdate second trimester

Traveling while pregnant wasn’t the most fun thing I’ve ever done but I’m glad it happened during the time when there’s little nausea, and before my bump got really big. I did get a lot more hip and back pain during this pregnancy. I believe it was a combination of not having a body pillow to sleep on and many rough nights on an air mattresses. Normally I’d go for a good roll on my ball or visit the chiropractor but neither of those traveled with me. Other than that my only real complaint was constantly being out of breath but that’s more from running through airports with a toddler than my pregnancy.

We confirmed a due date again at my 18 week ultrasound. I say confirmed for lack of a better word. They actually had baby measuring 17 weeks and 2 days along which still only narrowed down a due week, as opposed to a due date.

In my 24th week of pregnancy I took the glucose challenge (1 hr). Since I didn’t pass that I ended up going back a few days later to take the glucose test, and thankfully, my body proved its capabilities. I was told that lots of fruits, lots of walking, and not getting enough sleep would all contribute to my not passing the challenge, so to try and cut back on those. Carb loading and plenty of sleep were suggested. Easier said than done when you’re bored and in your fifth temporary home within a six week span. I promised myself to get right to work on eating better and more regular sleep and stretching as soon as we found a permanent home, which ended up being one week later!

second bumpdate second trimester Oahu arrival

A little over half way through the second trimester we arrived on Oahu and started looking for a new home (virtually) right away. With masks and gloves in hand we stayed busy touring and eventually moving into a place on the Windward side that worked for the whole family. After quarantine, we only had 12 days in the new place before my husband deployed so we basically unpacked, setup, and then said our goodbyes.

It took me all summer to decide on an SUV to replace the one we sold in Delaware. Luckily the 4Runner is a very popular vehicle on the island so it wasn’t too hard to find one for sale. I think I’m really going to like it, though, and hopefully once all the kids pile in it doesn’t feel too cramped.

3rd Trimester

second bumpdate third trimester beach

JUL 2021 to AUG 2021

I started my third trimester the same week that my husband deployed. His leaving made me pretty emotional when I thought about how much Isla would probably miss him. She goes to him first for certain things and hearing her call for him that first few days kept me pretty weepy. I’m happy to report that the first day was the worst of them, and each day gets a little easier.

My first midwife checkup of the trimester held good news: my 3 hour glucose test came back just fine. It was annoying to have to take "the challenge" in the first place but I was glad to know that the one hour version results were just a fluke, and probably a direct result of all the fresh fruit I had been chomping on.

Due somewhere between the 5th and 12th of September, we have spent most of our summer days trying to stay cool and hanging out with visitors to the island.

 second bumpdate mommy and toddler

Our mommy and me times were seriously the best thing we did so far this year. Keeping a toddler busy without being able to run around like I used to was it's own distinct challenge but I think we both really enjoyed what we did with our time. A pandemic made things somewhat slower, which was perfect for this little chapter in our story. We spent mornings on the beach or making breakfast together, went out and visited farms and aquariums, and evenings we wound down with movies or a little crafting project.

I knew I wanted to make the most of our last few days just us, and we definitely did.

I ended up purchasing Isla a new big sister gift "from the baby" and cannot wait to give it to her! She's been really into little action figure type toys and dolls so I thought she might enjoy having her own little person to care for while mommy is caring for new baby. 

Searching for a midwife that my insurance approved of (for a home birth) would prove to be futile so I focused on getting to know the hospital where I would inevitably give birth, and working with the doula to prepare for it. It’s unfortunate that our insurance provider does not currently see the benefits of giving birth naturally outside of a medical setting but hopefully that changes one day soon.

Since the end was nearing, I have taken this time really feel pregnant. I hadn't much gotten to enjoy it with all of the moving parts the first few months. The third trimester has just been a time of intense focus on my diet, exercise routines, and stress levels. You can check out my morning stretch routine here and evening stretch routines here and here. I grabbed a pack of these pregnancy affirmation cards and have really enjoyed having them all over the house.

Anyone else expecting right now too? Or ever experienced moving/PCS while pregnant?

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hi, i'm v.

ISTJ, Taurus, Type 5

I'm a sticker maker, shop owner, Marine wife and mom. I design and create everything behind LBH in my home studio in Kailua. You can read more about my story here to get to know me better, and read about how the shop came about. 🍋