outfit details:
packable bow sun hat | bikini bottoms (old, Aerie) | bikini top (old, Vineyard Vines for Target) | toile dress worn unbuttoned (old, H&M but this is similar!)
How on earth am I over half way through this pregnancy?! It has truly flown by, probably because I’m so distracted by my other two kiddos. I haven’t done a pregnancy update at all this time around, so here goes!
21 Week Pregnancy Update
Overall I have felt incredible the entire time. So much so that the only way I actually know I’m pregnant is because my belly keeps growing and growing. First trimester I didn’t really have any symptoms and second trimester has been the same way. Definitely a huge blessing since I can’t just lie on the couch whenever I want to like I could do before kids. haha
As far as food cravings go I haven’t really had any weird ones. However I have been in the mood for good ramen frequently and I laugh about that because the baby was conceived in Japan so maybe that’s why lol. As with my other pregnancies I also crave lots of cereal and cold creamy dairy things, like yogurt or ice cream. I also randomly crave sour candy too, and I’m not a candy eater at all.
I try to work out around 4 times a week. I’m still running and will typically go between 2 to 4 miles. If I need to take a walk break I’ll do it. It’s so important to listen to your body when you’re pregnant or postpartum so I’ll take walk breaks as needed or will stop at a park bench and do a little park bench workout with squats, dips and push ups. The important thing is to just stay active! I ran until 35 weeks with Jack, and only 20 something weeks with Caroline, so we’ll see how it goes this time around. I’ve found that the only time I can really push myself to run “fast” is when I’m on the treadmill. The treadmill has always been my favorite place to do speed work, and I managed to even knock out an 8:13 mile last week which I was pretty excited about. I also still try to swim a mile once a week and it’s really nice to feel weightless during a workout. I never swam with either of my other pregnancies, and I’m really glad I have a gym this time where it’s easy to fit laps in each week. Summer threw things off a bit but we’re back into our school year routine and things are going well.
When it comes to strength training, I’m doing the (free) Glow Body PT Prenatal Plan and even though I don’t do it every day I try to get in a couple of her workouts a week. I thought that because it’s prenatal plan that it would be easy…but oh my gosh they are still really challenging and I’m obsessed! I love strength training to build long, lean muscles and these workouts are so focused yet incredibly simple. I’m often sore the next day and I love knowing that I’m putting in some good work and taking care of this body while growing another baby. I’ve been lifting weights since high school and even though I’m pretty experienced I’m always in awe when Ashley shares an exercise that I’d never even thought to do. (If you’ve been reading for a while you may remember how I loved her free 21 Day Challenge and I blogged about my experience with the plan here and here.) I plan on doing the Glow Body PT Post Pregnancy Plan after the baby is born, and I’m really excited to try it out this time. It’s $99 but Ashley gave me a code to share with y’all that you can use to get $10 off of that plan or her Lean Fast Strong Capable Plan. Just use code WHIMSY10 when you check out!
As far as weight gain goes…despite working out and eating well most of the time I had gained 20 pounds by my 20 week OB appointment. Not ideal and my doctor lectures me every time I have an appointment…but honestly this is just what my body does while pregnant. I gained 45 pounds with Jack and nearly 50 pounds with Caroline, yet managed to drop it all by 5 months postpartum and also ran relatively quick full marathons (26.2 miles) at around 1 year postpartum after each of them. I secretly wish I was “all belly” but that’s just not how my body handles pregnancy. I gain weight everywhere, and just try to remind myself that this is all just a moment in time and I’m growing a healthy baby right now. I work out, stay active and eat healthfully and that’s really all I can do. And I give myself a whole bunch of grace!
We have the big anatomy scan next week and I’m so anxious for that. I feel the baby move all the time now and the genetic testing came back normal so I have no reason to be worried, but gosh I just have a lot more anxiety this time around. I am so ready to see this little baby and make sure everything is ok! I’ve heard that this feeling is pretty normal, especially when you already have a couple healthy kids and feel like maybe you shouldn’t have tempted fate and decided to have another child. I know I’m not in charge though and constantly pray for peace and patience.
I’ve been living in the clothes I shared in this blog post. Many are non-maternity but they work well with this changing body of mine. A recent find of mine is this plain white t-shirt for $12.99 that is maternity but it doesn’t have the shirring on the sides so it’ll work after pregnancy too. I sized up to a medium.
I’m not really a bikini while pregnant kind of girl but decided to wear one a few days ago and asked Tom to snap some photos so I can remember this final pregnancy of mine. My belly is covered in 3 pregnancies worth of stretch marks, it’s pasty white, and those 20+ pounds I’ve gained aren’t exactly hiding…yet I still feel beautiful. (Though truthfully some days I just feel “blah” and think nothing looks good on me.) But overall I’m so thankful for my body and its ability to grow this little life and I’m savoring every moment of this pregnancy. I can’t wait to meet this little babe in 4 more months!
You look amazing!
Author
Thank you, Lauren! I appreciate that!