16 (well, 15.7) Weeks Pregnant + my experience with the IUD.

Happy Wednesday!!!

I totally forgot to mention something in my first trimester post that I wanted to talk about.   Did anyone else’s chest start growing from the first day they were pregnant;)  Seriously… for me it was like BOOM!  Luckily, at this point the pain has gone away but they keep growing, at a faster rate than my stomach.  With Brooke I remember that it wasn’t until about 6 months that my stomach passed them by (I started showing WAY later when I was pregnant with Brooke)!  It sure is amazing how pregnancy affects each of us in different ways.  I just need to go out and buy 5 REALLY nice sports bras because I refuse to do what I did when pregnant with Brooke… AND WEAR THREE SPORTS BRAS AT A TIME!?!?  I also need to start using some body glide because the chafing is intense around my chest and on my thighs.  Remember, TMI does not exist on this part of the blog.

PS in the picture below Brooke wanted to write out a list of things to do with the baby… she was very official about it and included everything from taking the baby on walks to feeding it avocados.

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Okay, let’s talk about 15.7 weeks and where we are at with that!

*Zantac is like a gift from the heavens for me.  I just take one each day (they last about 12 hours) at around 11 and by lunchtime I am feeling good again.  I haven’t thrown up once since I started taking it or even felt like I was going to throw up.  PS ALWAYS talk to your doctor before taking anything:)

*42.1 miles last week wahoo (less this week because we are taking a little family trip)!  One strength training session (over the weeks I’m sure my miles will be going down a bit and my strength training will be going up) and I was sore from that for like 3 days ha.  I did a half-marathon last Saturday and felt pretty good.  PLEASE NOTE running while pregnant is NOT for everyone.  My sister sure didn’t do it and I know so many women (more than not) that are not able to so NEVER get down on yourself if you can’t.  Running is so different for each woman and each pregnancy… I even notice huge differences between this pregnancy and when I was pregnant with Brooke.  With Brooke I was speeding back up again during the 2nd trimester and with this one, each week I am getting a bit slower which I’m more than okay with.  We start sacrificing for these little ones from the very beginning and if running is one thing we have to sacrifice, that’s okay… running is always there for us when we are ready!  I hope to keep the running going but if I can’t, I can’t.  PS this race gave out free race photos and next time maybe I will open my eyes for the picture.

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*The energy is starting to come back again while I haven’t been able to nap every day, on Monday I went the entire day without even THINKING about a nap.  When before I thought about the beauty of naps daily whether I got one or not;)

*I’m already starting to forget about how hard the first trimester was… it’s just like the marathon.  You tell yourself you will NEVER do another marathon again while you are in the race and then somehow you forget about the pain and sign up for another one.  It’s a good thing we forget about really hard stuff quickly;)

*HUNGER HAS KICKED IN!! Which I’m personally loving.  So much better than not wanting to eat anything.  Now I don’t want to eat everything, but when I eat something I love… I do not experience fullness and I just keep eating.  I’m hungry about 93% of my waking hours.  The hunger hasn’t waken me up at night yet like it did with Brooke but I see that happening very soon.

*I think we are going to wait until our 20 week appointment (unless our doc will tell us at our appointment next week) to find out the gender.  We also aren’t really talking about names until we know the gender!

*I feel like each day I get more and more excited (CAN DECEMBER JUST BE HERE ALREADY!?).  I was a nervous wreck during the first trimester that something would go wrong and I feel like now I can relax a bit and just enjoy everything that is happening.  It’s so fun to think about this little one throughout the day and talk about it with Andrew and the kids.  Andrew said he was ready from day 1 of getting married to have a baby together so his excitement is skyrocketing too.

*The below peach may not look that good but it was amazing.  If you bring me a bowl of cereal (preferably frosted flakes, FMW or pops) with delicious fruit on top… We will be best friends for the rest of this life.  I still want mac & cheese (or spaghettios), bagels (with cream cheese… from Einsteins please) and salt on pretty much every meal I eat.  Mexican food always sounds good (no matter what time of day) and chips.

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A few of you asked for my thoughts on the IUD.  I know that it really works so perfectly for so many women but it just didn’t for me.  To be honest, I’m nervous after this baby because I’m not sure what birth control works for me but I’ll be back to the drawing board soon in terms of figuring out something that will work.

Please note I went 6ish years before the Mirena with ZERO hormones added to my body so maybe that is why my body went crazy with it.  Also, sorry if I sound so negative about it but I want to be real in case other women experience similar problems, it was nice for me to read other’s experiences and know I wasn’t alone.

My biggest issues with the IUD.

1.  After I had it put in, I definitely felt off for a few weeks.  It effected my running a lot for a few months.  I felt kind of nauseated and just a tad bit different.  I also felt more emotional while having the IUD but that could be because I wasn’t used to having any hormones.

2.  One of the reasons I thought I would love the IUD was because of the shorter or non-existent periods that a lot of women loved!  I was so excited ha.  I only had it for 7 months so maybe things would have changed if I had it for longer but my body reacted differently… Normally I’m like 5 days tops for a period but with the Mirena I was a solid 8 days and I felt way more crampy etc.

3.  The Mirena Crash.  I didn’t know what this was until I experienced it.  Right after I had the IUD removed (like a week after) I felt like I was 8 weeks pregnant.  I was confused because I knew it wasn’t possible to be pregnant (or have symptoms) so quickly but I was very nauseated.  I had crazy headaches and I felt very sad.  I started googling what was happening and I stumbled upon pages and pages of other women talking about the Mirena Crash.  I had no idea this even existed and I wish that my doctor had warned me about this possible problem when I had it removed because I was freaking out.   It lasted for about 1.5 weeks and maybe it isn’t a reason to NOT get an IUD, just be very aware that it may happen so you don’t freak out like I did wondering what the heck was going on with me.

I am SO happy that the IUD works so well for so many people… keep doing what is best for YOU and your situation!

I am also VERY HAPPY that I was able to get pregnant so quickly after having it removed.  It didn’t take long (ehhh maybe a few weeks, I didn’t even have a real period in between having it out and getting pregnant) to get pregnant.  I know there are other birth controls out there that take much longer to get your body back to normal and able to conceive.  It is also very convenient that you really don’t have to do anything with it until you’ve had it for 5 years and I really do know so many people that love theirs.

Also, for anyone reading that has struggled with amenorrhea in the past or now, I also did for YEARS.  I’m so grateful that I worked hard on gaining the weight and once I got my period back I haven’t gone back to a low body fat % or underweight since.  Also so grateful that my body recovered from underfeeding/overexercising so that I could have kiddos.  If you are struggling with amenorrhea, now is the time to talk to your doctor and get it fixed!

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I’d love to hear what types of birth controls have worked for you and your body over the years? 

Who is in their second trimester right now?  I would love to hear the changes for you at this time!

Let’s talk about fruit right now (because it’s always on my brain)… if you had a bowl of fruit in front of you right this seance,d what would be in it?

PS any other thoughts to share about pregnancy etc?  

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66 comments

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I stopped running 5 months into my pregnancy and I was happier for it. I walked and did other things but to me running wasn’t in the cards. I did run the first day I was cleared to once my daughter was born. I came home from my 6 week appointment and told my husband I was going out for a run. It felt like molasses but I was determined to do it.

I also ate tons of bagels with cream cheese my first trimester, how funny! :)

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I had the IUD I couldn’t run and was in pain for weeks. My doctor told me I would love it, but it was awful. Saw the NP and she suggested the arm implant (Nexplanon) and it has been great. 2 years I’ve had 1 period and some random spotting here and there, but no pain or other issues.

I’ve disliked fruit most of my life, but my husband is a big fan. He’d have cherries, watermelon, apple, and strawberries.

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I recently switched to the Mirena and with the exception of the first 3-ish weeks, I haven’t had any issues! Granted, I have only had it for about 2 months now. Before that, I was on the pill for a looong time (nearly 9 years) and was just done with taking something every day.

Fruit is delicious. I have been digging citrus recently (the little Halo oranges, grapefruit) and I like the massive Honeycrisp apples!

Glad to hear that you are starting to feel better! :)

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Hi there!

Look into Daysy. 99.3% effective (same or more then hormonal pills), basal temp that works on 3 consecutive hours of sleep per night as it is calibrated very low. 24/7 email support and they usually respond within hours for questions!

https://usa.daysy.me

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cV0mHVdZL1Y

& Congratulations! How wonderful!

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I had Paraguard which is the non hormonal IUD (copper) and I HATED it!!!! I had the same thing you mentioned- went from my period lasting 4-5 days max to 8-10!

And I just ate a bowl of fruit and it had pineapple and strawberries. I can’t stop eating pineapple with this baby (and Heath Klondike bars ha!)

Super jealous you can keep running- I hope it lasts for you. I am loving running podcasts and your blog right now so much because it’s keeping me so excited to start training again in December!

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Ugh….I also had the Paraguard buy my cycles only last like 4-6 days. Cycles are such an obnoxious thing women have to deal with.

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I’m 26 weeks today! I haven’t felt hungry for the past two ish weeks and it makes me so sad. I’m like isn’t this supposed to be the fun part of being pregnant?? But otherwise I feel good so I really can’t complain. I haven’t been able to run in weeks (too much pressure on my hips ->pain) so I’m mostly walking and doing barre, Pilates, yoga, and body weight type workouts at home. Thanks for sharing your IUD experience! I’m not sure what we’re going to do for BC after this baby. I did birth control pills for years and even took them again after we had our first baby, but I just don’t love how I feel on them. My body seems very sensitive to this kind of thing so I don’t know that the IUD would work well for me either. I’m just not gonna worry about it until the time comes! :)

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Due to suffering from menstrual migraines, I basically outlawed going back on any kind of synthetic hormone after having my son. While pregnant I did not have a headache at all, therefore I was able to kind of determine that fake hormones played a large factor in the severity of the monthly headaches. So…after having my son, I got the Paraguard IUD (non-hormonal)!! YES!!!! One side effect…spotting, not necessarily all month, but a week or so (not in conjunction with your period). For me, the spotting was a side effect I would deal with since my headaches (while still there) were pretty much tolerable. For me, the Paraguard was great (I say was because it was recently removed). No fake hormones. Anything going on was all me (for better or worse, lol). You might want to ask your doctor about Paraguard…it could be a good option for you. Congrats to you and Andrew (also Brooke and Knox). :)

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I have had Mirena for almost 4 years and I love it. I haven’t had a real period that whole time (just random breakthrough bleeding – always a fun surprise).
As a labor and delivery nurse I’m pretty obsessed with other people’s pregnancies (that train has left the station for me). My patients who exercise throughout pregnancy tend to have easier deliveries. Looking forward to hearing about your experiences and so excited for your family.

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I had the paragard and it was rough at first. Long, heavy periods with cramps. None of which I had experienced before. However, these symptoms lessened as time went on (6-9 months). I was very happy about not having synthetic hormones because I have had several people close to me get blood clots from oral birth control. I got pregnant with my second child 2 weeks after getting it removed. I loved that I knew my cycle was regular without the help of hormones. I think the bottom line is that all forms of birth control have side effects. You just have to figure out which ones you can live with!

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I craved spaghetti-o’s while pregnant too, but am gluten free so I couldn’t have them :-(

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I have a mirena and after having it for around 3 months I felt totally like myself! I had worse cramping at first. I love it I’ve had mine for 2 yrs already

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I just use a cheapo basal thermometer and the Fertility Friend app, which is free. I’m really good at taking my temperature every morning and my cycles are reasonably consistent so it has worked great for 3+ years. I strongly suggest reading Taking Charge of your Fertility before using this method, unless you aren’t super worried about getting pregnant ;) I used the pill for 10 years before that and I had also tried an IUD (I was basically spotting or on my period non-stop for months!). Natural Family Planning is my favorite method so far!

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Totally agree with you on Natural Family Planning. I also use this method with the Fertility Friend app. I used BC pills for years, and I feel like there are so many more dangers and risks that most people are unaware of. I would highly suggest people read a little more about it. Here’s a link to some great info from a blog I read and a link to a book with sooooo much info.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1507728921/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=stupideasypal-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1507728921&linkId=e67767667c42d9c32644665f525d48a1
http://stephgaudreau.com/quit-hormonal-birth-control/

Dr. Lara Briden has a website with tons of info on this method.

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My doctor told me to stop running. I wasn’t pleased because it was one of the few things that made me feel better. Doritos and pop tarts were the others.
I didn’t like the mirena either. My period lasted 15 days and was mostly spotting but I get horrible G.I. problems with mine and couldn’t deal with that. I was happy when it was out. It was sooooooo painful going in.
I’m glad you’re feeling better and still running.

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I was on Lo Loestrin fe for almost 5 years and absolutely loved it… it’s really my only experience with birth control (other than a brief stint with another pill because of insurance changes) so I don’t know a lot about other pills other than not my fave. I recommend it to all my friends to ask their docs about if they are thinking about the pill. You take the regular pill for 24 days a half dose for 2 and a placebo for 2. After about 3 months I stopped getting a period which was awesome. It’s low dose estrogen. I didn’t experience mood swings or anything really different. I got pregnant about a month after going off of it… when I had a lot of friends tell me it took them at least 6 months after the pill. So definitely worth looking into and asking your dr about! There is loestrin and lo loestrin so make sure to specify lo loestrin.

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I meant to reply to this at the time but had a new hip put in this day and well lots of morphine brings us to today :-/ I have to second the Lo Loestrin. My daughter had long cycles (60+ days) then horrible debilitating cramps when she finally got her period (like curled in a fetal ball could not even get up to eat) so we put her on this 5 years ago. She has regular periods now, very short of about two days and no more awful cramps. Best decision I ever made for her

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I had the IUD in and it didn’t work for me either. I now use the Nuva ring – it works great, very easy and I was able to lose weight, something I was never able to do previously. Your looking well. Lea

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have yet to be pregnant..but ihave to say that i’d be ok with growing a chest … finally.. ha!!

as for birth control i’ve been on the pill now for years- its fine i guess. haven’t noticed any real side effects that i know of … but i started taking them continuously last year (skipping the placebo week) – i don’t get much of a lady friend week. it usually only lasts a couple days of spotting but i feel like i still cycle more frequently than 28 days… sorry if that is TMI anyone…when you are a nurse i guess i have to be careful what i say haha!

oh man i’m LOVING ALL THE BLUEBERRIES right now!!

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I tried Mirena for approximately 6 months and had a horrible experience (even though so many women I know love it!!). It gave me horrific acne, bleeding never stopped and I was VERY emotional. I tried the copper IUD after that (knowing the risk of bleeding) & by 30days my body tried to expel it & I ended up at Urgent Care. SUPER SCARY & unbelievably painful! Could’ve been worse though.

I’m grateful IUDs work for so many women. I would hate to scare anyone away from trying it, but it didn’t work for me.

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I went off hormonal birth control about a year before getting pregnant. If you have a chance, read “taking charge of your fertility”. It taught me so much!! I tracked my cycles to prevent getting pregnant when I didn’t want to, and to time getting pregnant as soon as we were ready. There are a million different apps you can use to do it. I was on the pill for a LONG time, and was very fortunate that my body normalized itself right away after coming off it. Once I have my baby (8 weeks left!!), I don’t plan on using any type of hormonal birth control and just tracking my cycle.

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I’m considering talking to my doctor about an IUD when I go for my annual check up so it’s nice to hear someone’s opinion/experience. Definitely some things I need to research before my appointment.

I can’t wait to see what gender the baby will be. Will the boys or girls have the advantage in your house?!

https://maureengetsreal.wordpress.com/

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Mirena was pure heck for me! I thought the pill was bad but my IUD was so much worse. The worst part is I’ve never met anyone who didn’t love their IUD so I thought I was going crazy! So glad I got it out.

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My body hates any hormonal birth control. It’s such a problem.

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I’ve been on the pill but now I have Paragard going on 4 years. I highly recommend it. I had some acne and very very heavy periods to start but those went away. Now my period is only heavy for a couple of days and very light for 5-7 days after that. That is a long cycle but I’ve always had a longer one than most. I love the fact that I don’t have hormonal side effects and I don’t have to remember to take a pill.

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First of all congrats on your new little one! I’m sure girl or boy they will be just as cute and sweet as the two you have. I had an IUD years and I mean years ago and had no problems at all with it. My periods were short and except when I first got it I had no cramping. The type I had used copper rather than hormones. I’m not sure they are still available but it sure worked for me. Can’t wait to hear what you are having!

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I’m on Mirena and have been super lucky that my body is totally ok with it! If you want the convenience of an IUD but struggled with Mirena, you could look into Skyla or Kyleena — they’re also IUDs but use less hormones so they tend to be better tolerated and have less side effects. I have a few friends on Kyleena and they love it! It is only a 3 year IUD though, so less cost-effective than Mirena or Paraguard (but still very inexpensive for how long it works!) But obviously you have to use what works best for you! :D

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SO fun reading this now that I have met you. I had an IUD that was just copper so no hormones which I liked because I do not do well messing with my hormones and did fairly well with it, until all of sudden I had a period for like two months for no reason. Definitely more crampy with an IUD too. But maybe a copper one might work for you since it has no hormones.

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I couldn’t do the hormonal birth control either so before I had my son I used a diaphragm. I hope they still have those. It’s a shield that you insert before sex. It worked great, I couldn’t feel it and no hormones!!

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I have never had great success with birth control pills. Many, many years ago I used the Nuva ring which was very low dose. We use condoms now and that might be an option for you! My midwives are actually not strong advocates of mirena. They offer it as an option but are honest that it is a range of only 40% of women that have decreased bleeding. So 60% do not.. They just caution anyone who has not used birth control frequently in the past from using Mirena. Admittedly though we are done having kids and I am sort of done having my cycle so I am toying with trying something again!!

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I’ve gotta say… my favorite kind of birth control is having my hubby get snipped. :) he was all for it and had an overall easy experience and it is so wonderful! I am on the pill right now for 6 months to try to regulate my cycles after finishing breastfeeding and I am so ready to get off them – I’ve gained about 7 pounds in 2 months and feel a lot more emotionally all over the place. Hopefully these 6 months do the trick to get my body back to normal and I can be birth control free!! :)
Love ready HRG Baby posts!! I’ve got a mid December baby too and it’s so special. :)

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ooh that sounds so nice! I want to do that but I’m worried I will not know when we’re done having kids. How did you know for sure you were done? I have to have C-sections so it would be so nice to know when we’re done and have my tubes tied while they’re already in there! two for the price of 1!!

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You know, it’s really true that you “know” when you’re done. That’s what other friends told me and it was really true for me. My husband would have been done after 2 kids but we made a deal to have one more, and our little girl was born in March of 2016. That whole pregnancy it was constantly in my head about “lasts” – last pregnancy test, last ultrasound/finding out gender, even last birth experience. It was all special and meaningful because I knew it was the last. Even her middle-of-the-nght feedings were so special because I knew it was for a short time and then I would never nurse a baby in the night again. We really celebrated every milestone knowing she’s our last little baby. My husband had his vasectomy soon after her birth and neither of us have any regrets – it was a decision we came to together and feel it’s best for our family. Hope that helps!! :)

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Amen! Amen! Amen! I couldn’t agree more. As another reader said the train has left the station. Our family is complete not to mention both of my pregnancies were high-risk and both were preterm deliveries. Both healthy babies thank goodness with no complications. I said to my husband just last night, if the doctor told you the pain from the vasectomy (and he had a mild-med recovery imo) was going to be 10x worse than you experienced would you do it again and he said with no hesitation heck yes!! It was the best money we spent on permanent birth control! We just wish we would’ve done it earlier. Having a teenager and preteen on summer break sure makes intimacy interesting. TMI………..but you know what I mean?!?!?

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My body CANNOT handle hormones, so I actually got the copper IUD put in. It’s called Paraguard. I love it because, well, no hormones! It’s the only birth control I can use. I’ve tried seriously every bc under the sun.

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I’ve had the Mirena IUD for 2 years and love it. I have had no issues at all.

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This is just one reason why I love your blog so much & look forward to reading… because “TMI does not exist on this part of the blog”. Because real life happens & you aren’t afraid to share that with us!

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I’m so glad the IUD worked great for you! I’m strongly considering trying it myself. I was on the pill for about 2 years or so…but started to have irregular periods and never knew when to start the new months package…so I just stopped using it(I should have just gone to the doctor and talked about it…but I didn’t). At my next yearly I decided to try the DEPO shot. Bad, bad idea for me! I already suffer from mild depression….and the last 4 months have been sooooo horrible! Moody, weight gain, and deep depression :( I cannot, will not do that again!

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I am almost 21 weeks and absolutely the chest growth has been noticeable and they are so super tender! I haven’t been able to run, but I do go on LOTS on long walks and find that they help my mood/overall sense of well being SO much! &there actually is a bowl of fruit in front of me right now (ha) and its blueberries, strawberries and grapes. So yummy!

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Thanks for sharing your experience with Mirena. I’ve had a really difficult time finding birth control that will work for me, and tried a few that made me really moody and depressed, so it’s helpful to hear others’ experiences. When I was first trying to find something, the doctors I talked to were not very forthcoming about side effects, etc., so I used the internet to try to find something that would work for me.

The pill that seemed to work best for me was loestrin, but I started spotting randomly on it after a few years. Then I switched to the nuvaring, which is great if you don’t want to have to remember to take a pill regularly. The hormones are pretty manageable for me, although I do occasionally ‘take a break’ and ask my husband to put up with condoms for a month or two when I start to feel overly hormonal.

I didn’t do well with ortho tri-cyclen (even the low dose), which made me feel way too moody, and the absolutely worst thing I tried was Seasonale (the one that encourages you to skip your period 2/3 of the time) which made me totally dysfunctional. If you are a person who’s sensitive to hormones and has had bad experiences with other pills, think twice before you try that one!

Thanks again for sharing. I really think it’s important that we all talk about this stuff, since not all doctors are helpful in discussing side effects, but they’re clearly a fact of life with birth control!

A fun perspective on what we’re all going through:
http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/11/03/500549503/male-birth-control-study-killed-after-men-complain-about-side-effects

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I’m very sensitive to hormones, and birth control pills will make me nauseous and very (very) emotional. I was thinking on getting copper IUD.

If I had the chance to get a big bowl of fruit, I’d go for pineapple:)

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I had a terrible experience with Mirena as well. Mine dislodged and I had to have it surgically removed. Unfortunately I was in premature menopause (I’m 27 years old) and didn’t know it at the time since birth control had been masking my symptoms for years, so I didn’t even need it in the first place (menopause = infertility). I guess my advice for anyone considering the IUD is to ask a TON of questions. My doctor made it seem like it was a perfect solution for everyone and it’s just not true!

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I can’t wait until November when I am due! Fun reading your pregnancy updates!

I refuse to use hormonal BC because of how miserable I feel. I also tried the copper IUD and it became dislodged and I was in pain an bleeding until I got it removed. Not sure what I am going to try after pregnancy.

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I tried the pill (Sprintec) for four months, and it caused a bilateral saddle pulmonary embolism. I almost lost my life to birth control! I had a million tests done, and I do not have any genetic or acquired clotting disorders– it was all the pill. I had never taken any form of birth control prior to that! So scary! I know the pill works really well for some women, but I wish women were more aware of the possible severe side effects (and symptoms of blood clots!). I exercise regularly and am not overweight (don’t smoke either), so it can happen to anyone. No hormones for me ever again!

If I had a big bowl of fruit, I would go with pineapple :)

So excited for more pregnancy updates!

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Ahhhh…boobies. My particular body likes to completely blow up in that department and it has in every single one of my pregnancies. I am normally very small-chested. I wear a 32A, padded, underwire when I’m not pregnant. I even wear sports bras from the girls’ department! The xs women’s are too big. :/ And THEN?!?! I get pregnant, and within seconds of a positive pregnancy test, my cup size goes up to a 32B. No problem, right? HA. Second trimester, they go up to a 32C. And now these things are in a 32D, underwire, no padding. When I deliver and when my milk comes in, they will completely take on a life of their own. Andrew thinks I belong in a National Geographic magazine, and I can’t argue. Right now, they don’t bounce–they sway. But when my milk comes in, they’re not even going to move at all. If you figure out a decent sports bra sitch, let me know. ;)

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Birth control has always been THE WORST for me. After this baby, I know I have to figure something out but…UGH. Dreading it.

I am also in my 2nd trimester – clocking in at 24 weeks! I am having a BOY – and both pregnancies (both with my daughter and now this one) I have craved bagels and cream cheese NON STOP. Like seriously – I hit up Einsteins and/or Brueggers daily!! Must be the carbs my body needs! And then because of your posts, I have like NEEDED peaches – so I keep stocking up on those and inhaling those like they are the last fruit available on earth!!

I have found this pregnancy to be so much harder then my first. It is probably because I am chasing after a 1.5 year old and also my husband’s 6 year old, but my body is just off kilter this time! I have a great prenatal chiropractor and that is my weekly treat! I strongly recommend doing that if you haven’t already!

I hope you enjoy your little vacation!!

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I’ve been taking a low dose birth control pills for years (in college I was taking a high doses birth control and it gave me horrible headaches). As much as I hate remembering to take a pill everyday, the pill I use works wonderfully for me. Which leads me to the point that everyone’s body is different and I do believe that sometimes it takes trial and error to find the right BC for your body.

I’m currently 36 weeks pregnant and the midnight hunger is in full affect! I’ve been snacking on RX BARS or fruit if I wake up at night at have to eat which seems to do the trick!

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I am so glad I didn’t get an IUD after my baby… I just never felt good about it even though my Dr said it was probably the best fit for me. I used the pill until I got pregnant (yes, I got pregnant ON the pill) and then at my 6 week check post baby I decided to go back on the pill, it’s just the best option for us. Although he gave me the highest dose possible to avoid another surprise baby! I think birth control is so hard and so different for every woman. Luckily I have no reactions to the pill and so I keep taking it.

Oh the blessed second trimester, I wish the whole pregnancy is like the second trimester! Unfortunately the first and third are pretty dang hard and everyone I’ve talked to says a baby after 30 is way harder on your body. I don’t know any different though since I was pregnant with my first at 30 and had her at 31 but I’m definitely nervous for the second because i’ll be a couple years older and that scares me! I love your cute little tummy!!! I’ve also heard you start showing way sooner after your first and I am excited for that. I actually liked watching my belly grow! the first trimester is hard that way because you aren’t showing so I feel like everyone just though I was lazy and complaining all the time!
Good luck finding sports bras… I’m cheap and I just stick to the champion brand at target, they do the job for me! I didn’t grow during my pregnancy but man alive they HURT soooo bad all the time, ugg!!!

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I had the paraguard iud for four years and loved it! I was on BC and hated the hormones and side effects surrounding it. The iud definitely will give you longer heavier periods but I felt it was worth it. Had mine removed in January and got pregnant in April.

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Sports bra fix- definitely the VS front zip sports bras. They hold everything exactly where it should be, ton of support and no sweaty yucky over the head action. They’re my fav. Total game changer!

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I wasn’t able to run when I was pregnant with my daughter but I hope that when I get pregnant next time I can! I love that you are posting special posts about your pregnancy so that we can follow along! Whenever you talk about Mexican food and bagels I smile because during my first and second trimesters I craved Mexican food so badly! And during my super early weeks of pregnancy I can remember driving to a bagel place and getting a salt bagel with cream cheese and devouring it in the parking lot and then feeling sooo sick afterward. Pregnancy is so magical lol.

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i think i have tried almost every form of birth control out there in the last 6 years! Started out with the Mirena IUD which worked great for about 9 months! But unfortunately did not work for my husband who could feel it (ouch!) and then moved out of place. Next I tried the Nuva Ring which I thought was pretty gross to put in place and take out. I finally quit the Nuva Ring when it fell out in a gas station bathroom (disgusting, i know!) Then came the pill (lo loestrin) which worked for about 3 1/2 years until my husband gently told me (I asked his opinion!) i wasn’t as nice as I used to be. It was very true! Then back to the Mirena for one last try. I had a pain/cramp for about 8 months and it was even worse when i ran. I tried my best to just suck it up and deal with it but finally took it out after it still was a pain (literally!) after a year of it! After many tears and talking to my amazing doctor, she told me and my husband to just use condoms. Which honestly, have been amazing for me! I feel so much better and a lot more balanced emotionally and physically which was such a nice feeling! I think my body had just been on so many hormones for so long I needed a break! I know they aren’t for everyone but they worked for us and I will probably continue to use them in between kids.

Also, I am a DD/DDD and Victoria’s Secret sports bras are incredible!!!

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Over the years I tried all types of birth control and decided that my body hated them all. We tried the fertility friend app and taking my temp and that worked well for us. After this baby, I think we’re going to continue with that… I’m afraid to go back on anything involving hormones since I haven’t taken hormone bc in over 5 years.

I’m now into my 3rd trimester (33.5 weeks) and while working out in the second trimester was nice… I’m finding that this trimester has everything slowing down significantly. I kept up my running until about 5 1/2 or 6 months but had to stop because of hip and lower back pain. I’m now doing yoga and walking at least every other day and doing light strength/body weight stuff one or twice a week so it’s been working, but I didn’t realize how quickly my body would want to slow down. I’ve been listening to what my body is telling me and some weeks I don’t do much more than walk the pups around the neighborhood and other weeks I’ve been able to do a lot more. It’s so funny how it changes week to week.

Fruit.. my favorite thing right now. I can’t get enough of nectaplums, peaches, grapes and watermelon. I want them all day everyday, it’s kind of ridiculous. Thankfully, we have a peach and nectaplum tree in our yard so it’s pretty convenient to walk outside and grab one or two.

Hope you all have a wonderful family vacation!

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Congrats on the new baby! My chest hurting was how I figured it out!!

As for the IUD, never ever again. I will gladly take the pill daily after my experience. Shooting pain as it was put in, heavy bleeding for 3 weeks, shooting pain every time I sat down to fast or stood up, woke me up in tears the first night I had it, and hurt to run.

Called the doctor and nurse told me to take aspirin, called two weeks later to complain in was told to take aspirin, went in for the follow up. Doctor said all ok. Thank goodness I complained one more time. Did an ultrasound and found out it went through my uterine wall. Same day surgery planned for me 3 days after a new insurance deductible cycle started..

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I love my IUD (now is not the right time for kids for me). also love that you share your experience so openly, and that you are not about perscribing things for others. It’s one of my fave things about your blog. Good luck with the strength training – I give myself weight and rep goals and that always keeps me coming back for more. I hope you can find something similar as you might do more strength training for the next few months.

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Thank you so much for sharing your experience with the IUD! I was thinking about it but for now I will just stick to the birth control I’m currently using. I use Trinessa (it’s a generic for ortho tricyclen low) and it’s always worked really well for me! I’ve been taking it for about 10 years now and don’t notice any bad side effects. I do want to start a family at some point soon and I’m really nervous about being able to get pregnant after I stop taking the pill :/

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Thank you for sharing your story and congratulations on the baby!!

I haven’t been pregnant (yet) but I know exactly what you mean with the IUD and with amenorrhea.

I had the Mirena IUD for 4 years and it was great while I had it, but after I took it out I could tell something was really wonky with my body. My hormones were totally out of wack! My eating disorder started while I had the IUD in and my nutritionist and physician suggested I had it taken out to see whether or not I was getting a period, since this can be a huge tell as to the health of our lady bodies. I had it taken out and 3 months later I still hadn’t gotten my period back. Around this time was also when I started training for my first marathon and increased my kilometers (I’m Canadian haha) a LOT, 5 months later and still no period. My doctor was concerned and I was frustrated. I had gained weight that was already struggling to be comfortable with and yet it still wasn’t enough. We decided to wait and see after the marathon, increase my fat intake and see how my body was doing. Sure enough, one week later and ON MY 26TH BIRTHDAY I got it back.

Our bodies are so funny sometimes!

I love all fruit! Except mangoes (I’m weird for this, I know). I think if I had to pick I would say a LARGE bowl of watermelon because I’ve been craving it like crazy the last couple days.

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You look fantastic, Janae! Different types of birth control are not for everyone, so I think it’s important to find a provider who is patient and willing to work through the kinks.
I’m 21 weeks along. It’s funny that you say you can’t wait for December… I feel the opposite! I want time to slow down! It took us nearly four years to get pregnant, and now that I finally am, I just want to savor the moment. I also work in a NICU, so am super paranoid about everything that can go wrong. I keep thinking that as long as baby stays in me, I can protect him/her.
I have to admit, I’m jealous of the time you have to devote to running! I’m averaging 20 miles/week, but also work full time nights, and am in grad school. I just can’t manage all that plus more mileage any more. But, I’m fine with it. I feel grateful that I am still able to run, and am really focusing on respecting my body and baby. If I need a day off from running, I take it!
Cantaloupe is delicious to me right now. I also want salty foods and Mexican. After a rough start (lots of vomiting and constant nausea/headaches), the second trimester has been so good to me!

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I would strongly consider the Skyla IUD. Way lower hormone (12 compared to 52 of progesterone with Mirena). It’s the closest to non hormone you can get! I’ve had both and I love that after I weaned from the breast my body stared cycling normally. I have a period every month, I know when I’m ovulating, no acne or weird side effects. 99.9% effective. Last 3 years instead of 5.

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I have tried the NuvaRing, the patch, pill, and IUD. I hated all of them. We just had our third and final baby 7 months ago and my husband got a vasectomy. Best decision! Previous to that we had been … possible TMI warning ?… just pulling out or using condoms. It worked like a charm for us. We did it for the last 7-8 years and never had an unplanned pregnancy. I know that’s not everyone’s cup of tea but it worked for us! That being said… when you guys are done… vasectomy is the way to go! ?

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I had the Paraguard prior to this pregnancy and loved it but I’ve had really positive experiences with IUD’s for years now. I’m grateful that my body takes to them so well but am also excited that I don’t have to do it again after this pregnancy. This baby will be our last so it’s my hubby’s turn to take care of birth control! Woohoo!

I am 19 weeks with my second and holy smokes are each pregnancy worlds different. I was barely showing with my first up until six months and right now, with this one, I look like I’m already six months. Also, EVERYTHING is super sensitive! So much blood in my body, it’s crazy!

Fruit…give me peaches but I’ll take anything. Pineapple, raspberries, blueberries, banana, etc. Except mango for whatever reason, lol.

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We love natural family planning at our house. Just do your research beforehand and be patient with the learning curve.

I’ve noticed the past couple of times I’ve started running on the treadmill (at 19-20 weeks pregnant) that the pressure on my bladder is just so much more intense than road running. I don’t have a belly band yet, because I’ve yet to be convinced of a good one. So far, I’m switching to the elliptical indoors (I hate indoor tracks!) and sticking with running outside.

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My second son is 11 months old now and I’ve been using the mini pill while breastfeeding. Works great. No periods and I’ve noticed no side effects. Although when I wean him next month I don’t know what to do. I used to chart my temps but I’m afraid that won’t be enough and we are done with two. I’ll probably go back to a combination pill (trinessa to be specific) because it always worked in the past for me with minimal side effects.

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Thanks for sharing your IUD experience. I have considered that option for the future possibly. I loved reading through some of the comments and discussion you started. I have been on the pill for years. It took a while to find the right pill and I did have some issues when I changed my diet with some spotting but otherwise has been good. The pill gave me lighter and shorter periods and I have never had many issues with cramps or anything so I am fortunate. I just hope my cycle can regulate when I stop taking the pill as it was never regular before it.

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I love your blog, I love your positive attitude its refreshing!! I am in my 2nd trimester (due December 23), first pregnancy…NOT having an easy time with any of it though…Both my husband and I are super excited but I have been terribly sick and tired….I was hoping with the 2nd trimester I would stop getting sick..but no such luck. I am an AVID runner..and I haven’t been able to run for 4 months. I miss it so so so sooooo much….I was hoping I could start running small amounts again soon, but as of now I haven’t been able too….bummer! SOOO awesome you were able to run a half marathon just a short time ago…LUCKY LUCKY you!!! :)

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