Baby Number Three!

Well, here we are again pregnant with baby number three and so excited! Thank you all so much for your love and congratulations.

 Here are the details on this pregnancy and baby so far and the answers to your questions.

Was this baby planned? What made you decide to have baby number three now?

Yes, this baby was very much planned and is a very wanted baby. We were discussing having another baby for a long time, as most of you know both my husband (Shane) and I were super clucky. In my opinion, there is never a perfect time to have a baby but we were both very ready to add another baby to our family. Being at university allows some flexibility as lectures can be watched online and I can choose my class times so when I do return to study after 12 months off I will be able to somewhat choose when to be on campus and will probably do part-time.

How long did it take you to conceive?

I am so lucky to be extremely fertile as Shane and I only actively tried to conceive for two months before falling pregnant. As most of you know I have two other children Ruby (six) and Archer (three) who were both unplanned so this pregnancy and trying to conceive was a whole new experience for the both of us. I had my contraception (marina/IUD) removed in March and started taking prenatal vitamins and before I knew it I was pregnant. I have known for what feels like forever, I was three weeks and two days pregnant or nine days post ovulation and keeping it a secret has been so hard!

What will you do about your degree and when will you finish your degree?

Well, I have thought this through very carefully and we aimed to get pregnant within a few months of trying so that I can have a full 12 months off (starting next year) to take care of the baby. I will finish up this semester with my usual full-time load at about 28-30 weeks pregnant and I will have officially completed three years of my five-year degree. I am so excited to be having a full 12 months off (which is pre-approved) because I was starting to lose motivation. As much as I love studying I know what I need as a mum and just a normal human being. I know that after I come back I will have a fresh (but busy) mind.

When is your due date? Will you be finding out the sex?

This baby is due on the 5th of February 2019 and we won't be finding out the sex this time around because we have never waited. We already have a girl and a boy so we really don't mind what we are having, as long as the baby is healthy. It will be nice to have a surprise for a change.

What have been your symptoms? How has this pregnancy been so far?

This pregnancy has not been all that easy, to say the least. Some of you might remember that I was in hospital about 6 weeks ago and that was because I had bleeding and clotting which looked like I was miscarrying. I was absolutely devastated and I was sitting exams at the time so I was extra stressed. I left the hospital after blood tests, an ultrasound and a lot of tears with what the doctors diagnosed as a 'threatened miscarriage' and 'pregnancy of unknown location' given they could not locate the baby through an ultrasound. I had days in between that hospital stay and a further ultrasound which showed a small flickering heartbeat. I never received any answers for the scare and my pregnancy hormone levels kept rising so all seems to be going well now.

Along with the scare, I was and still am suffering from morning sickness most days all day. I was vomiting several times a day and having to then sit exams on the same day. The joys of pregnancy! I have never had morning sickness to this extent (certainly never vomited) from my other pregnancies.

Apart from nausea, my other main symptom is tiredness, today I nearly fell asleep in a lecture and will often need a day nap along with 10 hours of sleep overnight, which just seems crazy to me as I used to be able to manage on six hours sleep.

I saw the hospital for the first time last week (both the midwife and doctors clinic). The doctor is being cautious with this pregnancy because of my heart condition (atrial septal defect) and has labeled me as a 'medium risk'. My heart condition has really not been a concern with my other pregnancies but this new doctor wants to be thorough and get things checked up on which I don't have a problem with given its been a few years since my heart has been checked. The only concern with my condition is that if I have a vaginal birth I will not be allowed to push for long given it will strain my heart. However, I successfully had a vaginal birth with Ruby without complications in terms of my heart.

Birth plans?

I am hoping to have a vaginal birth after c-section (VBAC) this time around. I had an elective c-section with Archer which is over three years ago now because I had a 'three and a half degree tear' with Ruby. However, given the choice of a c-section (which will probably be offered), I wouldn't do it again and am aiming to have a VBAC with my doctor's approval this time around.

It's not all doom and gloom and I am certainly not complaining about being pregnant but these are my realities and experiences so far. I am hoping that I gain my energy back now that I am about to enter the second trimester and hopefully things go a bit smoother! We are all so excited to be welcoming a new baby into our lives and hope that you love following our journey as much as we love living it.

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