Casey Anderson Pregnancy and Birth Story
Casey is a lifestyle blogger and mom of two beautiful girls from San Antonio, Texas! Read on as Casey shares her pregnancy and birth story from baby number two.
Was your pregnancy planned or a surprise?
It was planned!
If planned, how long did you try to conceive?
We got pregnant really quickly the first time, so we started trying thinking we would get pregnant in a week or two. It took us three months and even though that isn’t very long at all, it was surprisingly depressing seeing a negative pregnancy test for those three months.
How did you share the news with your partner, family, and friends?
I got a positive test the Monday before Thanksgiving. I was planning to surprise my husband onThanksgiving day but he walked in on me taking a repeat test the following morning! We made Christmas ornaments announcing our pregnancy to give to our parents on Christmas morning, and we called friends to announce a few weeks after.
Which was your favorite trimester?
Second! I wasn’t super sick anymore but I was still small enough to not notice the physical limitations of pregnancy too much.
What was your pregnancy MUST HAVE?
Stretch mark cream!!! My stomach always gets super itchy from my skin stretching, so this was a huge relief for me.
Did you find out the gender?
Yes!
Were there any complications throughout your pregnancy?
I had a lot of issues with this pregnancy, but most were false alarms. I had a positive Downs Syndrome test, a positive Gestational Diabetes test, I had a horrible rash all over my body (turns out I became suddenly allergic to several foods), a miscarriage scare, a low platelet count that almost kept me from an epidural, and a lot of general discomfort.
Did you go into labor naturally or were you induced?
I was induced at 39 weeks!
How long were you in labor?
Four hours from the start of pitocin until baby was out.
Did you get an epidural or go all natural?
Epidural! But since she came so quickly, there was only 15 minutes from when I got the epidural to when I started pushing, so it didn’t have time to take it’s full effect. I was terrified because I could feel the contractions and the ring of fire and I was worried about feeling too much pain to be able to push. But the urge took over and she came out in 3 pushes!
What was the best and worst part about labor and delivery?
Best part is seeing your baby for the first time–there is such a high and a rush that comes with knowing your baby is in the world now and meeting them for the first time. The worst part is trying to stay still while having contractions in an awkward position while getting a huge needle stuck in your back.
Were there any complications with your delivery?
None!
Give us the stats!
Baby girl was born at 10:07am weighing 7 lbs 15 oz and 20 inches long!
What was the hardest thing about the first few weeks of motherhood?
There are a lot of after birth pains that stick around for a few days or weeks. I had horrible cramps that left me literally unable to move and moaning in pain for hours at a time. Dealing with those while trying to feed a baby and calm a toddler and tell my husband how to do things was really stressful. Later down the line, just not having enough hands to do everything was difficult.
What is the best advice you received as a new mom?
Do your best to just relax and recover. Get some rest, and don’t worry about getting baby on a schedule yet.
What is your best advice for expectant or new moms?
Let other people help you! Don’t try to be super mom and tackle everything immediately. If people offer to help you then take them up on it. My mother in law told me she would help with the baby in the middle of the night if I needed it, so while she was staying with us I gave her a crying baby at 2am every night.
A giant THANK YOU to Casey for sharing her story. You can read about motherhood, recipes, travel, and style on Casey’s blog at www.collectivelycasey.com. And, don’t forget to follow her on Facebook and Instagram for beautiful pictures and updates from her every day life.
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