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I am officially 24 weeks pregnant and definitely starting to feel like it. Up until 20 weeks, I barely noticed a difference in my body, my sleep or my energy levels, but I’m starting to slow down a little bit now.

I have been so blessed with an easy pregnancy this far, and I am forever grateful for that, but no matter how smooth your pregnancy is, it’s still hard work growing a human!

The Anatomy Scan

We had our 20 week ultrasound and anatomy scan and everything looked perfect. Going into an ultrasound is always nerve wrecking, so when the doctor confirms your baby looks great, it’s a huge sigh of relief! Baby girl is measuring in the 89th percentile and mama is right on track.

At our ultrasound, I found out I have an anterior placenta. Typically, the placenta attaches to the posterior of your uterus (spine side), but mine attached to the front. Thankfully this is nothing to be alarmed by, but it does mean I don’t get to feel very much movement yet.

It took me until 21 weeks to feel movement other than little flutters here and there. I will never forget laying on the sofa and feeling her kick my side for the first time. Luckily, Andrew was sitting right next to me, and he got to feel her, too!

I feel her all day now, and it’s the sweetest reminder of God’s miracles. Most of the feeling towards the front of my belly is very subtle, but when I lay on my side, I can feel her move a lot more! Most nights, we go to bed with our hands on my belly just waiting for her little kicks.

Working Out & Weight Gain

I haven’t been going to the gym as much as I would like, but mostly because I am drowning in work, my businesses and house projects. Between all of those things, I’m extremely busy, and it’s plain exhausting, pregnant or not.

I’ve gained about 17 pounds and 25-35 pounds total is ideal for me. I’m right on track, but man, my appetite is ravaging! I can eat double what I used to be able to eat in one sitting. I’m also hungry ALL of the time, and if you don’t get me a snack, the hangry comes out quickly.

Preparing for Birth

I finished listening to Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth and hearing the birth stories of so many women has me feeling hopeful and encouraged for an unmedicated birth. I truly wanted a midwife and a home birth, but my physician husband was NOT having it.

We will be delivering in a hospital, but my doctor is in full support of having this baby without medication. She also recommended getting a doula for emotional and physical labor support, and I think we plan to. As long as baby and mama are healthy, I really, really want to bring her into the world without intervention.

My Emotions

The reality of it all is starting to set in. It’s exhilarating and terrifying all at the same time. I know our lives are about to be completely turned upside down, and I’m in the process of mourning our “pre-baby life.” I don’t feel any shame around that. I think it’s natural to feel mixed emotions during transitions to different life stages whether it’s marriage, a baby or a new job.

There are obviously all of the happy emotions, too. The first time I sat in her nursery glider, a tiny tear came to my eye. I was flooded with emotion thinking about just snuggling her and feeding her and soothing her in that very spot.

Baby Purchases

We are finishing up the nursery, so a lot of my baby purchases have been furniture and decor. A few other items we ordered for the nursery: hatch sound machine/night light and the hatch changing pad. And of course, I splurge on the adorable clothes here and there!

I did order my breast pump through Aeroflow. They make it super easy to see what your insurance covers. I asked Instagram for pump recommendations and it was hands down the Spectra with rechargeable battery, so I ordered that, and it came super quickly. I also plan to get a hands free Willow pump on my own.