Outfit & Pram Details: HERE
Adding another pregnancy announcement to your timeline…I am so excited to share that we are expecting a baby in May 2023!
My parents were kind (and so patient) to snap photos for us while we were in Charleston last week. It was our third time in Charleston during Christmas, and our second time making a big announcement out of this magical city! If you are new, you can see photos on Our Charleston Proposal Story.
The past few months have truly been an out-of-body experience, so let’s get into it!
When is Your Due Date?
May 29, 2023, Memorial Day. We were hoping for a May baby, so this feels like a dream come true. As of today, December 17th, I am 16 weeks 5 days. Baby is 7.32″, 5.15oz, and the size of an avocado!
How Did You Find Out?
Mike and I were in the habit of taking tests together. He would read them first, then he would tell me. I was working in Charlottesville and missed my period that Monday. I didn’t think anything of it because I still had those pre-period cramps. You know what I’m talking about? Well, I got home on Friday, took a test, which was positive, and went about my day. Initially, I didn’t feel excited. I know how common chemical pregnancies and early miscarriages are, so I just said ok, if it is positive again in a few days, I’ll believe it.
Mike got home from work on Sunday (Sept 25th), and we took another test. His reaction was so him, and it makes me laugh whenever I watch this video back. I’ll share it on my Instagram and Tiktok if it’s ok with him. 🤞
It wasn’t the crying-happy-tears moment that you see in movies. Does anyone who works in medicine actually have those moments? We were relived at the viability ultrasound, and then actually got excited for the first time after we hit the 12 week mark. We just had a checkup ultrasound last Sunday, which showed baby measuring 1 week ahead!
Do You Know the Gender?
Yes! 🤗 Was it the way we planned to find out? No, hahaha.
We had the full genetic screening (Materniti-21) at the 10-week OBGYN appointment. We sat in the doctor’s office as she asked, “How do you want to find out the gender?”
We decided that the clinic would call with the genetic results, and they would mail an envelope with the gender to our home. It only took 3 business days for the phone call. This is how it went…
Nurse: “Hi Mrs. Adams! This is so-and-so from the clinic, I see you wanted the gender results first, so congratulations, it is a…
Me: wait!!
Nurse: *says gender*
She sounded so rushed, which unfortunately is the status quo nowadays. She continued on with the genetic results and asked if I had any questions. My only question, ” You’re sure you have the right Mrs. Adams?” lol. She confirmed my birthday and then I asked her a second question which was to repeat everything because I blacked out for a sec after she said the gender.
We had a little gender reveal party with my parents, and I’ll share that on New Year’s Day!
How Long Were You Trying?
Funny enough, we had our first positive test the week after we met with a fertility specialist and received an official “infertility” diagnosis. I think Mike said an extra prayer because his analysis was scheduled for that upcoming Wednesday. Normally, couples “try” for 1 year before being referred to a fertility specialist.
A combination of great health insurance (that I pay a small fortune for 🙃) and a wonderful physician helped us receive a referral after 5 months. I learned that most physicians have different definitions of “trying”. With my doctor, “trying” is not using any birth control, so we met the criteria of trying for more than 1 year.
My biggest piece of advice for anyone TTC is advocate for fertility testing as early as possible. We found that I had low progesterone, so my MD prescribed a twice daily progesterone supplement until week 12.
In total, it took us 5 cycles with ovulation tracking to conceive.
For the exact products we used to track and conceive, click here.
With all the holiday pregnancy announcements, I know this time of year is especially challenging for those TTC. My heart goes out to you.
What Changes Have You Made?
*Cries in canceled botox appt*
Giving up my skincare products is the biggest thing. Oh, how I’ll miss my botox, retinols, and hyaluronic acid, but I have been trialing all of the alternatives. I’ll share a few that I love (and some that were a waste of money) in a later post.
During the first trimester, I took my strength training sessions down from 5-6 days/week to 3-5 days per week. I am treating this pregnancy like a “bulking phase“, so lifting a bit heavier and focused on gaining and maintaining muscle.
Also, I cut down on my caffeine intake to keep it under 100mg/day. Unpopular opinion, but I still eat occasional sushi, soft cheese, deli meat, and soft serve. If it hasn’t given me food poisoning in 30 years, my doctor said I’ll most likely be safe for the next few months.
How Are You Feeling?
I feel great! I always laughed at the show “I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant” because come on girl….how did you not know? But, thankfully, that has been me lol. My mom was never sick when she was pregnant with me, so maybe it’s just good genes? Not complaining, but the most uncomfortable symptom so far has been tailbone pain. I have Bertolotti’s Syndrome which means the transverse processes of my L5 vertebrae is fused to my sacrum. Just means there isn’t as much mobility and the stretching really…stretches.
Thank you so much for reading and celebrating this pregnancy announcement with us. I cannot wait to watch my parents become grandparents and Nanny become a great-grand Nanny! 🤍
My content will remain grandmillenial home décor, classic style, and our everyday life. I hired a virtual assistant, so you can expect more consistent posts and higher quality content altogether. Not sure how I’ll share this baby yet, but I can promise you it won’t be the focus.
Oh, and please don’t send me any horror birth stories. TYSM.
xo,
Chelsea
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