Planning for Baby Number Two
Your baby is the most perfect, wonderful blessing you have ever had in your life, and you can’t imagine being able to love anyone else quite as much. But, if you plan on having more than one child, there will come a time when you realize your heart is ready to hold so much more than you ever thought possible. I have reached that point, and my husband and I are looking forward to expanding our family again.
Some of the questions we asked ourselves before planning baby number two were: How far apart should our children be? Are we financially ready? How big of a concern is my age (I’m currently 36)? What the heck will we do if we get pregnant with multiples (my husband prefers not to discuss this J)? What type of birthing experience do we want? Are we ready?
We are as ready as we will ever be! Our children will be a little over two years apart if all goes as planned. Having a toddler and a newborn feels a little daunting at times when I think about it, but because of my age, and my experience with a miscarriage prior to having our first child, we thought waiting longer would be a little too risky. We also plan on homeschooling, and I feel that having children a little closer in age might make that a little easier to manage as well. As far as finances go, I remember a friend telling me once that if we all waited until we were “financially ready”, than we would never have babies. I am not saying that you should plan on having a child if you do not have the means to support one. What I am saying is that I am not going to wait until my car is paid off to get pregnant. We are definitely capable of supporting another child, and my love for all things thrifty, hand-me-down, and recycled will be just as big of an advantage this time around as it was when we had our first child. As far as multiples go…yikes is all I have to say! I have a friend who got pregnant naturally a second time and ended up with a two for one deal with no history of multiples in her family. I am definitely aware that my age increases my risk, and I have faith that we could handle whatever the universe puts on our plate even if it involves sleep deprivation and multi-tasking like I have never experienced before.
In a few months we are going to start trying for baby number two, and there are a number of things I am doing to prepare my body to make it the best possible home for my itty bitty to grow in for 40 plus weeks.
Prenatal’s and other Vitamins: I never stopped taking my prenatal vitamins after having my little lamb, because at 15 months old we are still nursing. So, I take the MyKind Organics Prenatal Once Daily every day, along with MyKind organics vegan D3 and B-12 sprays. I eat a very balanced diet, but vitamin D has always been a trouble spot for me, even before I began following a plant based vegan diet, so I supplement daily with the spray. I have never been deficient in vitamin B-12, but I take the supplement due to the fact that I am nursing and because I would rather be safe than sorry. I also add ground flax seed to my foods throughout the week to make sure I am getting enough Omega’s to support both me and my little one.
Fertility Monitor: I use the Clear Blue Easy Fertility monitor that requires you to pee on test strips for about a week to two weeks during the month to show when you are ovulating. They have a super high-tech one now that has a touch screen and other bells and whistles, but the older model that I have works great too. Just remember that you are supposed to start using it a few months in advance before trying to conceive so the monitor can get used to your cycle. My cycle is still a little irregular after having my first child, so this is definitely a tool that is beneficial for me. I have a free app on my phone called My Days as well that tracks your cycle and gives you an estimate of when you should be ovulating. I find it helpful to have this calendar visual, and it also shows you months in advance when you should be ovulating which is very helpful for a pre-planner like myself.
Nutrition: This is by far the most important aspect for me when it comes to getting ready for baby number two. Making sure you are eating a well balanced diet whether you are vegan or not should be top priority before, during, and after a pregnancy. I am by no means a saint when it comes to eating all the time, but the largest percent of my diet is based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. I drink smoothies with fruit, kale, chia, flax, hemp protein, and sperulina; I eat breakfasts consisting of oatmeal with flax, fresh fruit, and whole grain toast; lunch and dinner might be whole grain pasta with veggies and sauce, lentil soup with a salad and hearty whole grain bread, or a grilled avocado and tomato sandwich with baked sweet potato wedges; snacks are usually hummus and carrots, apples and peanut butter, or homemade muffins, breads, or low-sugar cookies. I have no problem eating some non-dairy Ben & Jerry’s or a dark chocolate candy bar from time to time, but the bulk of your calorie intake should be based on nutritiously rich foods.
Let go of your vices: Give up the caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, or any other substance that could harm the development of your child in utero before trying to conceive. I am not a tobacco user, I don’t take prescription or over the counter medication, and I don’t use illegal substances. I do have an occasional cup of coffee, a cup of caffeinated tea, or a glass of wine though. And I do plan on giving all three of these things up before we start trying for baby number two, just like I did prior to conceiving our first child.
Birth Plan: We had an amazing birth experience when our daughter came into this world. We had our baby at a local Birth Center with a Midwife and nurse. It was a beautiful experience that we would like to replicate again, but this time we want to have a homebirth. My labor was 4 hours and 52 minutes from start to finish, and our Birth Center is a little over a half an hour drive from our house with no traffic. We rolled into the parking lot when I was in labor with my daughter at 3:30 a.m., I was pushing at 5:07 a.m., and she was earth-side at 5:52 a.m. Needless to say, if baby number two follows suit and decides to speed things up, I have serious reservations about being able to make it to the Birth Center in enough time. My husband feels the same way, so we decided to look into having a homebirth. We start interviewing midwives in our area next week, and I am really excited with our choice to do this. Fingers crossed that we find some one we love and that everything works out so we can have our baby in the comfort of our own home. It is a good idea to make sure you have done your research and interviews with doctors or midwives before becoming pregnant, if possible. If you were not happy with your first birthing experience, look for another option for your next.
There are other things I am doing before we start trying for our next little miracle, including yoga, reading up on birthing techniques like hypno-birthing, going through our baby things and taking inventory on what we will/might need, and spending as much quality time as I can with my first born. I get a little teary eyed at the idea that there is going to be a time in the not so distant future that I will no longer be able to give her 100% of my attention 24/7. I still have moments when I look at my little lamb and wonder if having another baby is “fair” to her. And then I remember all the wonderful memories I have of growing up with my brother. Sure, we didn’t always get along, but no one else in this world understands my childhood or where I came from like he does. Giving my daughter that same gift that I had growing up overshadows any moment of doubt that I may have about expanding our family. My heart is already growing just thinking about bringing another baby into this world, and I cannot wait for the day I get to bring him or her earth-side and into our loving family unit.
Love, Laughter, & Light,
