Fourth Pregnancy Bump Comparison, Part 1

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In case you haven’t seen my Instagram lately, Baby #4 is on the way!  And actually, coming pretty darn soon, at that.  I am behind on my pregnancy updates as I had a hard drive malfunction, but my pictures have been recovered and there’s a little break between fitness competition recaps, so my fourth pregnancy bump comparison is here!

I have done almost nothing to prepare for this baby.  Not because I’m not excited and fully aware of what’s to come, but because I still feel pretty deeply entrenched in baby mode as it is.  Baby J just turned 5, so she’s our mature girl; Baby K is almost 3.5, so he’s part big kid/part little baby boy, and Baby A is 1.5 and is still very much an infant, a rambunctious one at that, but still a baby.  We are transitioning her out of the crib and into a bed, so the nursery has undergone a little furniture re-arranging, but that’s about all I’ve done to prepare so far.  We’re still in cloth diapers, car seats, two strollers when we go out, 40 minutes to get everyone into their winter clothing, food all over the floor after every meal….so, not much will change with the addition of #4!  Any preparations at this point are just crafting and decorating, which I’m saving for after the Olympia, anyway!

Of course, this pregnancy has been COMPLETELY different than all the others, thanks to this worldwide pandemic we are all living through!  I am blessed to have very easy and sparkly pregnancies and wonderful labours, so I was eligible to once again have a midwife.  Though my amazing midwife for Baby A was unavailable on my due date, I was still able to stay with the same clinic, which has been wonderful.  Funny thing is, I have yet to see my midwife’s face, or she to see mine, as we’ve always been in masks!  My husband hasn’t even met her yet as the appointments have all either been over the phone or without visitors.  But this is baby #4, after all; he’s heard plenty of Doppler heartbeat sounds before, so we aren’t upset about it.  All the routine tests have gone fine, but they’ve been admittedly stressful for me—I almost never leave the house, so having to be around strangers in waiting rooms, even if socially distanced, has not been fun.  But, that’s ok, it’s all part of being pregnant in a pandemic!

The first trimester was easy enough, minus some significant fatigue.  But not sleepiness; I mean physically tired, I just wanted to not be standing.  I was able to work out at my usual high intensity with weights, but even then, I noticed that if I worked out in the afternoon, I was wiped out for the rest of the day. And I’m very pleased to say that I am now 4/4 pregnancies without any morning sickness.  Not a single time.  I am so lucky, and I know it!

Weight:  I stopped tracking my weight not long into the first trimester.  I am pretty self aware and can eat fairly responsibly without needing the scale to help me make decisions (or destroy my confidence, ahah), so I see no point in knowing the number.  I’ll deal with it at the end when it comes time for the before and after pictures!

Cravings: I’ve actually had a few of the same cravings as the other pregnancies, so I’m not sure if it’s helpful for determining whether this baby is a boy or a girl:  Mayonnaise, hot sauce, my Mom’s tomato sauce, candy, Bridge Mix Chocolates—the chocolate jujubes in particular—and cinnamon.  There have been a LOT of cinnamon buns baked this quarantine/pregnancy, I am planning to post the recipe!  What I really wanted was this cinnamon spread that goes on toast that I used to eat when I was younger, but it can’t be found at any grocery store (thanks for trying, honey), hence the baking.

Bump:  I definitely felt like I was expanding pretty much from the moment I found out I was pregnant.  I think I have a rounder bump earlier on this time than any prior pregnancies.  But, at this stage in the game, I can’t really tell if I’m carrying high like I was for Baby #1 and #3 (girl) or low like I was for Baby #2 (boy), so I need more time to tell! What do you think?

Stay tuned for part 2 of my fourth pregnancy bump comparisons and a nursery reveal…once I actually get to decorating the nursery!

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First Pregnancy Dress: Olian Cary Empire Maternity Dress

Second Pregnancy Dress: John Zack for Asos.  It’s not maternity, just stretchy, and I got it on eBay years ago to wear to my bridal shower.  This one by Seraphine Maternity looks similar.

Third Pregnancy Dress: Vintage Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress (you can find vintage ones on eBay)

Fourth Pregnancy Dress: Olian Brooke Maxi Maternity Dress

Camera used in the 2^nd, 3rd & 4th Pregnancy pics: Olympus O-MD E-M10 Mark II