Twenty-eight Weeks

Somehow, I’m in my third trimester already! I thought it would be a good time to look back on the last three months and give an update on baby number two.

How this pregnancy has been different than my first

Maybe I have some rose-colored glasses on remembering my first pregnancy, but this second pregnancy has been quite a bit harder on my body. It makes sense - I’m three years older, my body has done this before, and I’m also spending my days chasing after a toddler this time! But I was still a bit surprised when things like round ligament pain, Braxton Hicks (which started crazy early, like 18 weeks!) and an aching pelvis came on fast a furious this time around. Braxton Hicks are also much more frequent and intense than they were the first time around - which I’ve heard from other moms is common. Pretty much, if I’m standing for more than 10 minutes, my uterus starts contracting. Also, my second trimester energy came a month late (around 20 weeks) and left a month early (around 24). Is this a second pregnancy thing? Moms of 3 or more, do you even get a second trimester boost? Now I’m praying that I get the nesting urge soon because there are a few things I’d really like to get done before the baby gets here!

16 weeks - 20 weeks - 24 weeks - 28 weeks

Do we know the sex?

We found out at our 20 week anatomy scan that Baby Bluebird is a little girl! We are so excited to have two daughters. I was a little surprised because early on, I had a feeling it was a boy. But as the weeks went on, I started feeling like maybe I wanted it to be a girl? I know this baby will be a completely different person from Sage with a totally unique personality. But in this year of so much upheaval, for me personally, it’s felt kind of nice to know just in this small way what to expect. When we found out Sage was a girl, Anthony said he was surprised that he felt a little disappointed. He honestly didn’t think he had a preference, but he realized he had kind of been assuming it would be a boy. (Both his dad and his grandfather had three sons each, so Sage is the first girl in a long line of Storck men!). This time, he said he didn’t feel that way at all - just excited!

A couple weeks ago, we were asked for the first time if we’ll try again for a boy. Anthony and I are on the same page about this: If we try for a third someday, it will be because we want another child not because we are trying for a son. Traditional/binary gender identity is not something we want to reinforce too much in our family. Our daughters will get enough of that out in the world. We care much more about discovering who our children are and what they are passionate about than some preconceived notion of who society says they should be based on their anatomy. Our top priority as parents is raising our children in a family that is loving, supportive and affirming of who they are, unconditionally.

Are we worried about the adjustment to two kids?

Yes! At least I am. I know it will all work itself out but I sometimes get a little overwhelmed thinking about how I will balance the needs of two children with my own. That’s when Anthony gives me a pep talk about those post-birth hormones that somehow give you the boost you need to make it through the day on two hours of sleep and that we have very supportive family members nearby to help us. This time, I’m really excited to have the support of a remote postpartum doula as well. Postpartum care in our country is seriously lacking - a 10 minute check up 6 weeks after birth just doesn’t cut it! It was really important to me to have the support of a professional who is passionate about supporting mothers through this time of healing and transition. Postpartum doulas are really special people! Here are a few favorites I follow on Instagram that each provide really great free education and resources in addition to their service packages: @rootedmotherhooddoula, @nourisherdoula, @cocoonbynaomi. I hope that this kind of support becomes the standard of care for all birthing people in the future.

Babymoon Trip

Anthony and I snuck away at the end of March for a weekend in the Poconos! Neither of us had been there before, despite being born and raised in Pennsylvania. We stayed in a really cute cabin we found on Airbnb by Lake Naomi in Pocono Pines. We ended up doing a little hiking and a lot of resting and it was just what we needed. It was our first full weekend away since Sage was born! I’m really glad we got to take that time together before welcoming another little babe into our family. We stopped in the adorable town of Jim Thorpe to grab lunch on our way home and we are hoping to take both girls back there with us this fall.