Even though I added an exclamation point in the title of that sentence, I don't really feel it. Yes, I am pregnant with my second baby and this was very planned and desired. However, I was so tired the morning I took my home pregnancy test, I just went back to sleep for a few more minutes. It's still early in the first trimester and, of course, there's always that advice from others to wait until after 12 weeks in case of a miscarriage. I haven't told too many people, but I'm sure word will spread when I start showing. It's hard to hide that bump at the gym.
Let me say that I am pretty excited about conceiving the first cycle after my IUD removal. I want to give my husband a sporty high five on that. Alright! Way to go on the first round! Actually, most of the credit goes to the calendar and me giving the orders to commence baby-making on the right days. So, yes, to the mothers reading this, you can certainly get pregnant the first time after your Paraguard comes out. Heck, there are women who conceive with it still in place.
This is going to be a low-key, low-tech pregnancy. I'm electing to forgo all ultrasounds unless medically necessary after reading more research on the risks. It isn't necessary and many times does not improve birth outcomes. In fact, several studies indicate the opposite. I won't find out the gender since we'll know in a few months anyway. (We still have plenty of gender neutral items that can be re-used with this baby.) Even with the first part of my pregnancy in OBGYN care, I did not opt for most of the tests offered. That information would not have done me any good. What would I have done with that information? Abort the baby? I question it's true value related to birth outcomes and I'm sure there are studies out there about that, too.
It's so low-key this time around because I realized I didn't need that much when my daughter was born. What I really needed was: a housekeeper, boobs that produced more milk, and a stronger support network. When I say a "stronger" support network, what I mean is that I wish I'd had more moms around me who shared my ideology on birth and parenting. I had very little support with the decision to homebirth, even though statistics were on my side and I had a stronger case for choosing to birth at home instead of at a hospital. Several people kept telling me to put my baby down when they'd see me holding her or carrying her in a sling (she was always in arms). And, these were people who were not educated on the benefits of baby-wearing or who chose more detached styles of parenting. (I remind people that I gave birth to a mammal-- a primate at that-- not a reptile! Human mothers don't just lay their eggs like sea turtles and let their young fend for themselves. Nor does it make any sense to adopt the latest baby-training trend that promotes behaviors that are counter-intuitive to mammals.)
With that, I got most of my money's worth from: my MobyWrap, my Dr. Sears sling, my cloth breast pads, my nursing tank tops, my decorative breastfeeding cover, diaper bags, my cloth diapers, Birthing From Within by Pamela England, The Baby Book by Dr. Sears, and all the herbal remedies from Lucia's Garden.
I got the least amount of value out of: the stroller, the crib (though this transitions to the toddler bed), my 20-week ultrasound, and our health insurance.
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