Loving life

I'm into month 4-5 of this pregnancy! Other than being extremely tired all the time I am feeling great. I am so tired, but can't fall asleep at night ha! It's a really fun cycle. I look forward to weekends when I can sleep in to catch up on sleep. 

We found out this week that Zach won't be home until well into January :( this is so disappointing for two reasons. One he is missing christmas and two we might not be able to delay the anatomy scan until he gets home. I will be talking to my midwife about our options at our next appointment in 2 weeks. 

After we lost our two babies last year I got this remembrance necklace to commemorate them. It is so special to me. I haven't taken it off since we found out we were pregnant with this baby. The charm is the mamas arms and the teardrop is her little baby. It's my way of keeping my babies with me. 

I've also been brewing my own "pregnancy" teas. Every day at lunch I put them together and drink them every night at dinner these teas provide a multitude of nutrients to the baby, me, and the placenta. A lot of what I've read is that they can help your blood to clot and avoid hemorage during and after birth. All the herbs were recommended by my midwife as safe during pregnancy. 

From left to right: red raspberry leaf, oatstraw, lemon balm, rosehips, and nettle leaf. I also add some raw honey to add some sweetness. 

For my recipe I boil about 20oz of water and add it to a mason jar and seal it for 4 hours. In the mason jar is 1 tablespoon of honey, 2 tablespoons of nettle lea, 2 tablespoons of oatstraw, 2 table spoons of lemon balm, 1 teaspoon of rosehips, and I'm at about 1 teaspoon of red raspberry leaf. In large quantities red raspberry leaf can cause contractions because it tones the uterus. I started adding this herb in my second trimester and only a tiny tiny bit, I've slowly been increasing the amount I put in each time I brew to build a tolerance. 

I do notice when I don't drink my teas I have less energy and my mood isn't as stable. I try to make it everyday day but I usually drink it 4-6 times a week. 

And finally a bump picture from this week! the muscles around my belly are getting sore, which I'm not complaining about! It's just a sensation I've never had before. I also am having a hard time bending over to pick stuff up, so I've started doing a squat/bend routine to avoid the uncomfortable feeling when my uterus gets squished!