My pregnancy was definitely interesting, I mean not knowing anything for half of it is not the usual experience! I frequently get asked how I didn’t know so I thought I would write it out to share about the few months I did know! It was such a special time I’ll never forget.
Let me first explain why I only found out I was pregnant when I was already 20 weeks. I didn’t have any symptoms, no morning sickness or nausea and my cycles were already irregular and it wasn’t unusual for me to miss a period. It’s a good thing I didn’t live a high risk lifestyle or drink alcohol haha!
Leading up to the day I found out, I had been feeling extra tired and fatigued but I just thought it was because I had started a new job and was learning so much on orientation. The day I took a test was my last day training and I just felt off all day, I knew something was different. I was going to the grocery store to pickup ingredients to make chili and buying a pregnancy test was done completely without thinking and on a whim. I didn’t actually think I was pregnant, just thought well why not just take one for the fun of it.
I took it as soon as I got home and the positive line showed up within 3 seconds. I was SHOCKED. I didn’t believe it. I called my OB because I thought something was seriously wrong. I googled why I would have a positive pregnancy test if I wasn’t pregnant, I don’t advise to do this! The on call doctor called me back while we were eating dinner, I think I told James I had to use the bathroom to take it quietly in our room.
She started the conversation by saying congratulations and that I should call back in the morning to make an appointment early next week to get an HCG level drawn. I took another test that night before going to bed and again, it turned positive within seconds.
I was going to wait to tell James until after getting those results but I’m horrible at keeping secrets and he knows me too well. So the next morning, I taped a piece of paper to Tater’s collar that said “I might be getting a brother or sister” and called him downstairs to tell him he had spilled coffee in the living room. When he came down and read the note, he looked up to me holding the positive pregnancy tests. And we both started crying. I highly recommend secretly recording this moment, it’s one I look back at often!
All of the days after that first appointment I was a mess. I still didn’t believe I was pregnant and I, again, should not have been looking at google. We had an ultrasound the following week. The tech said she may have to do another kind of ultrasound if we are too early on. As soon as she put the probe on my stomach we heard that heartbeat, and it quickly became my favorite sound in the world. I started bawling! This is the moment it became real for me. She went on to say baby was measuring over 20 weeks and she could tell us the gender. We were already floored that we were 1 pregnant and 2 this far along so we opted to hold off on that!
She did the anatomy scan which I didn’t even know happened at the 20 week appointment and thought it was just normal measurements. She also couldn’t find her legs so I was convinced our baby didn’t have legs for the longest time and would cry thinking about it, haha! Oh pregnancy hormones.
The old wives tales all pointed to boy, I was determined it had to be a boy! James said he KNEW it was a girl. When the pink powder and confetti exploded I was so surprised! And happy! It kept getting more and more real, finding out the gender made it fun because now we could refer to baby as she or her.
The rest of my pregnancy flew until that last month. We made it to viability week, third trimester, week 30. I remember feeling so thankful for every week and every sweet kick! It flew until that last month, phew it’s true what they say it’s the longest last few weeks. Just a waiting game on when you will go into labor and when baby will be here! I remember being so uncomfortable, so much back and hip pain, only able to eat very small meals throughout the day, frequent braxton hicks.
I may have only known about my sweet Jolie for a few months but I believe it was God’s plan for me. I already struggle with anxiety and He knew it was best for me to know and find out when I did. The less time to be anxious and feeling stressed the better! It would’ve only been a matter of time before I really started bumping and then I definitely would have known then! Pregnancy is such a miracle and those baby kicks were my favorite, the best biggest life change!