Weeks 25-26

We made it to Wisconsin, Joe did an amazing job of driving through snow for hours to get us there.  This week was jammed packed with two Christmas celebrations, and my sisters threw me a virtual Baby Shower! We had made the decision to only see immediate family on our trip home. We wanted to limit COVID exposure as much as possible. When we came back home I had a COVID scare, job interviews, and was focusing on no sugar/carbs. Even though researching delivery/ birthing options was on my list of things to do, this was a reality check for me. I listened to my first birthing story and realized I didn’t know much, even after reading what to expect when your expecting. I had a lot of work to do to feel comfortable and confident in the delivery room. 

Christmas in Wisconsin was great, I had not been back to Wisconsin since the prior Christmas. When we moved out to the south I didn’t want to be the person that barely made it back home for visits. The first year we lived in the south we made it to Wisconsin seven times. Joe had pointed out that was a little too often to make it back home as it is a 12 hour drive. The next year we made the trip six times. That is why this year seemed like an impossibly long time for me to have not come home. I do have a couple of excuses for myself as to why this year I was not able to make it back to Wisconsin. I did start a new job at the beginning of 2020 that did not allow for remote work. Also due to the job, I did not have much PTO to spend on time traveling home. Lastly, there was the COVID pandemic that encouraged social distancing and discouraged travel. 

It snowed a couple times in Wisconsin making Christmas extra magical. Zoey ran around with her dog friends in the snow, and I got to see Joe’s parents new house for the first time. Joe’s mom does such a remarkable job of decorating, her home always looks likes a hallmark movie. From both my side and Joe’s side we were spoiled by our parents and family. So many gifts, I remind myself how blessed we are to have two great family’s. Both sides are very different. When we visit with Joe’s side we relax and really enjoy the good food, calming & peaceful atmosphere with Mr. Berg giving us the inside scope on career growth, life and love. When we are with myside we have a blast. There are non-stop games & activities. Since I am one of 5, there are always a bunch of people around. We play card games, workout together, watch family movies, and dinner time is a 2+ hour production to prep and feed everyone. 

Virtual Baby Shower! This made me feel so loved and supported. I originally did not want to do anything since it felt strange for me to have a shower when I was not comfortable seeing people in person. I am so glad my sisters planned one, it got me pumped for Baby B. Instead of one giant Zoom call, my sisters divided up the groups into groups of 5-6 and then had a couple games to play with each group. It was really fun, sweet and went by quickly. 

By the time the week was over I was ready to come home to South Carolina, and get back to my typical routine and warmer weather. One of my favorite things is our after dinner walks with Zoey in the South. Wisconsin was too cold to really get out everyday for a walk. Originally I thought I was rocking my pregnancy, then I was shaken a bit with the high glucose score, but had a plan to manage it and felt OK-ish at this point that I could still be on track to have a healthy pregnancy. Then Joe and I decided to listen to a birthing podcast on the drive home. We heard our first birth story and it consisted of SO many concepts we were unfamiliar with. Due to COVID when Joe and I followed the instructions to sign up for birthing classes they had all been canceled. I quickly learned we were unprepared for the main event. I had a mini freak out, which was quickly mitigated by a friend that immediately sensed my 1000 questions and suggested we Zoom called.  From this call she gave us a list of things we will still need, what the hospital stay will be like, and her recent birth story. She also told me to ask more questions at my doctors visits. I kind of thought they would tell me what I need to know, but she was right I need to ask. I also reached out to an old friend from high school who offered when she saw my birth announcement to answer any questions I might have. I asked what her birth story was and how she prepared for birth. She was beyond helpful by sending a list of what to expect at each doctors visits, You tube birth prep classes she found helpful and other resources. It is incredible to have women surrounding me and offering advice that JUST went through this. Even though we have not spoken in years, her advice and willingness to share was a reality check as well as beacon of light that helped me realize that I am not alone. It doesn’t have to be all up to me.  No amount of googling or reading will actually prepare me for a baby, but I do have a small group of Kick ass moms (Cori, Ashlyn, Norah, Becca) that are here for me to help me. 

After being home for a couple days, I received a call from my sister saying she had COVID. Being pregnant, there is a higher risk of preterm labor. The risk and feeling I had in the moment was that the trip home was not worth potentially risking any complications. I was so nervous and felt like we should not have risked traveling home for Christmas. I was really torn up but remembered what’s done is done and that everyone is taking calculated risks to see family and loved ones over the holidays. Joe and I tested negative and it was in that moment that I decided to get the COVID vaccine. Even though the vaccine was not tested on pregnant women, I knew there were negative side effects for pregnant women getting COVID. I realized the amount of worry in my mind was probably worse for Baby B than unknown, if any, vaccine side effects. Since I go into the hospital for my job daily, I was able to get an appointment for the vaccine relatively quickly as an essential Healthcare worker. 

Weight: 161lb.

Symptoms: GERD- I was being really careful about my food intake and timing therefore, I didn’t really feel GERD these two weeks. 

Acne – maybe maskne? Having the week off work/ not wearing a mask for a week seemed to help my face. 

Workouts: Kettle Bell workouts and Bike Rides. I did a Peloton Tread bootcamp at my parents since they have a treadmill. That class was a fun way to mix it up. 

Food: One of the hardest parts of being home was to have low carbs and zero sugar. There were tons of treats and platters laying around all weekend tempting me. My dad makes amazing popcorn balls, and Joes mom makes PB chocolate bars with Cool Whip. My mom makes a giant pasta dinner with spidinis as an Italian tradition. She was super thoughtful and made zucchini noodles for me. Over the holidays I was so careful to not eat anything with sugar and have limited carbs, as they turn into sugar. I was able to stay pretty strong and resist because I felt like I really needed to take this seriously for Baby B. 

Doctors Visits: N/A

Money Spent: We received a ton of helpful baby shower gifts, so we did not spend money these two weeks

Sleep: I was staying up late with family and waking up early, each night I slept like a baby but went to bed exhausted. I was also had a lot on my mind going though job interviews, worried with the COVID scare, Blood sugar concerns, and overall realization of all I didn’t know about actually giving birth. I think that contributed to my extra fatigue this week. 

Our To Do List:

• Wash and put away all the Baby Shower gifts
• Figure out what you might want in the hospital bag
• Make a list of things we still need
• Order Breast Pump  – Aeroflow will check with insurance and get an order from your provider then let you choose what pumps are covered 100% or mostly covered with your insurance. This website made it super easy! Advice – do this early as it can take a couple weeks to come in. You do not want to be in a bind and not have it in case you need it once the baby is born. 
• Sign up for Baby Classes
• Listen to more birth stories
• Figure out how to change my perspective. I want to feel less like life is happening to me, and more like I am leading my life 

I know this was a loaded one. Did you feel like you were prepared for birth? What got you there? How have you dealt with COIVD, quarantining, and the Vaccine pregnant or with a newborn? What were your COVID rules with visitors? What did you wish you had at the hospital?