Southern Living - Red Wine Sippin' - Wife - Mom of 3 - Jesus Follower- Mompreneur
The BIG Announcement: My Pregnancy Story
“I participated in a Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for First Response. I received product samples as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.”
I have to say finding out I was pregnant was one of the most exciting times of my life. I am surprised that up until this point I have not shared my pregnancy story or journey with you all. Probably because it feels so personal and private between my husband and I and compared to many others we had a relatively easy time getting pregnant.
That being said here is our story. On our second wedding anniversary my wonderful husband wrote me the sweetest poem about how he was ready to have a baby. I was also ready and excited to grow our little family. We decided to start off by not preventing it. Some time passed and we started really trying. We calculated ovulation days and tried and tried and tried. It took us about four months to get pregnant but after hearing many other stories apparently that is relatively fast.
I realize that four-ish months to get pregnant is really not long at all in the grand view of things but let me tell you. During those 4 months it felt like forever. The second we started trying to get pregnant I began acting like I was. I cut out all alcohol, all roller coasters, all deli sandwiches, all queso. I now realize that this was a bit extreme but I was a first timer and thought “I could be pregnant and not know it and I do not want to risk ANYTHING.” I think the strong passion and desire I have had to be a mom since as young as I can remember had convinced me that I was not going to be able to get pregnant or that if I were, something was going to be wrong with my baby. I have always been very pro-adoption and very intrigued and interested in adopting myself and pretty much convinced myself that God had put that desire in my heart because I was not going to be able to get pregnant.
I also must note that my cycle has never been normal. Because of this I have been on birth control a very long time and really can’t gauge much of anything by my normal cycle.
So with each passing month I would take a pregnancy test and each month I began to feel more and more deflated. Then one day I went to work and my co-worker was eating a greek yogurt. I remember saying, “my gosh that yogurt stinks! It must have gone bad. I would not eat that if I were you.” All my co-workers looked at me like I was crazy and told me there was no smell from the yogurt at all. I went back to work and a few minutes later ran to the bathroom to throw up because the smell made me so sick. That night I took another pregnancy test. It was negative but I was not convinced. I just had this huge gut feeling that I was indeed pregnant. So the next morning I took another test. It was negative. That night I went out to dinner with some girl friends to ironically celebrate one of their pregnancy announcements. I ordered a steak (I don’t eat beef). Weird right. Then a few hours later I got sick again. Another test. Still negative.
Several days went by and I continued to take at least two tests a day. One in the morning and one at night. This was really getting to be expensive so I started getting the cheap tests at the dollar store since they are only $1 each. All were negative but I just knew I was pregnant. I got sick again and again. I was eating things I normally did not like and smells were really bothering me.
Then one glorious morning I woke up and took a test in the guest bathroom while my husband was in the shower and getting ready for work. And just like that two little lines appeared. I did not believe it. So logically I took another test. This time I splurged and used the ‘quality test’ I had been saving under my sink. It too came out positive. I can not even begin to describe the emotions that swelled up inside of me. I started crying, laughing, and then crying again. But I couldn’t mellow in my joy for long. I had been planning how I was going to finally tell my hubby I was pregnant for months and I had decided on what to do and needed to ask fast. I grabbed the red lipstick I had been saving in the guest bathroom for this very purpose and quickly took off my shirt and drew a heart around my belly bottom. I used the red lipstick to write about the heart we love you, Daddy and headed back to the master bath just in time for my hubby to be out of the shower and putting on work clothes. I walked in to the bathroom tears streaming down my face. This was the moment I had envisioned for such a long time. He was going to scream and we were going to hug and it was going to be the best moment ever. Except in the mirror of the bathroom he couldn’t make out what it said and saw me standing in the bathroom crying at 6 AM in the morning and so naturally assumed I was bleeding and had some how injured myself. So it didn’t go down exactly has it did in my head but once I explained we did finally get to have that hugging both joyfully crying moment were we wallowed in the joy of what little we know of what was to come. It it a moment that I will never ever forget.
However, there is one thing I will do next time…I will not be cheap and will use a better pregnancy test. It took forever for a test to finally show up as positive from when I know I knew I was pregnant and I am convinced that had I of used a better test that would not have been the case. Throughout the years, pregnancy testing has changed drastically. From analog to digital tests, and detection after your missed period to before, the advancements are numerous. First Response now has an Early Detection Pregnancy Test that will help answer your “I think I’m pregnant” questions much earlier than tests use to allow. This FDA approved test can be used any time of the day and includes features such as: 50% wider tip, longer handle, a curved shape designed to fit a women’s hand that most importantly detects pregnancy as early as 6 days before a missed period! With two pink lines to indicate you are pregnant the easy-to-read results are ready in 3 minutes with over 99% accuracy from the day of the expected period. This test is now available in all major drug stores and won’t break the bank with a Retail Value of $8.99 – $15.99.
Well folks. That’s my story. And now here we are two years later about to celebrate our little guy’s first birthday. Unbelievable. God is amazing.
What is your story? Would love to hear your pregnancy story and how you shared about your pregnancy with your spouse.
With my first pregnancy I tested and came out and woke him up and said "there's a line, see, see?" He didn't so I nearly yelled at him to squint. I took one the same day and he still couldn't see. He made me promise not to test until Monday since then it would be the possible start of my period (wonky periods). Sunday he took me to the ER with a lot of pain and they pronounced me pregnant (cyst for the pain). I was nearly 3 months along before a test was dark enough he could see. With my second I used a super cheap test just as an "in case" I was pregnant. Oops, I was. I just came out of the bathroom where he was waiting and showed him. We cheered… and then we cried. I'd been told to wait a bit longer and it was earlier than planned. All is well now!
All that's great. How far apart are your babies if you don't mind me asking? I'm not sure what my reaction would be if I found out I was pregnant right now. We would love another child eventually but I haven't gotten over how awful the birthing experience was with the first yet….ha. Plus I am still nursing and looking forward to having my body back for at least a little while before starting again. However, if God had other plans we would of course accept it, just hoping God's plans are a little further out for me. 😉
I just had to chuckle at the almost-failed hubby announcement. Cute idea, though! I became pregnant with our first shortly after we married. This was not in our plans, but God clearly had something else in mind. I had just been feeling really off, and I honestly don't remember what tipped me off to the possibility of me being pregnant. But, we got the test and sure enough, it was positive! (I've always sworn by First Response, by the way.) My husband was over-the-moon excited, but I fell to the floor sobbing. I went on and on about not being ready to be a mommy, etc. Looking back, it was quite comical. We now have 3 boys, 3 babies in heaven, and a baby girl on the way! My husband has been a part of the pregnancy checking process every time, except for one of them. When I was pregnant with our 3rd son, I just knew. I packed up the older two and rushed to Wal-mart to get a test. I didn't even wait to get home. I went to the bathroom in the store and peed on the stick. Sure enough, it was positive! This was right around Father's Day, so I snapped a picture and texted it to my husband. (He's military, so he wasn't going to be home for a few days.) I added the note, "Happy Early Father's Day!" Needless to say, he was very excited. 🙂 We're loving our little growing family, and I obviously got past my emotional distress over the first one. lol!
With my first pregnancy I tested and came out and woke him up and said "there's a line, see, see?" He didn't so I nearly yelled at him to squint. I took one the same day and he still couldn't see. He made me promise not to test until Monday since then it would be the possible start of my period (wonky periods). Sunday he took me to the ER with a lot of pain and they pronounced me pregnant (cyst for the pain). I was nearly 3 months along before a test was dark enough he could see. With my second I used a super cheap test just as an "in case" I was pregnant. Oops, I was. I just came out of the bathroom where he was waiting and showed him. We cheered… and then we cried. I'd been told to wait a bit longer and it was earlier than planned. All is well now!
All that's great. How far apart are your babies if you don't mind me asking? I'm not sure what my reaction would be if I found out I was pregnant right now. We would love another child eventually but I haven't gotten over how awful the birthing experience was with the first yet….ha. Plus I am still nursing and looking forward to having my body back for at least a little while before starting again. However, if God had other plans we would of course accept it, just hoping God's plans are a little further out for me. 😉
I meant Ah, that's great. Not all that's great. And so glad your ER visit was o.k. I'm sure that was so scary!
I just had to chuckle at the almost-failed hubby announcement. Cute idea, though! I became pregnant with our first shortly after we married. This was not in our plans, but God clearly had something else in mind. I had just been feeling really off, and I honestly don't remember what tipped me off to the possibility of me being pregnant. But, we got the test and sure enough, it was positive! (I've always sworn by First Response, by the way.) My husband was over-the-moon excited, but I fell to the floor sobbing. I went on and on about not being ready to be a mommy, etc. Looking back, it was quite comical. We now have 3 boys, 3 babies in heaven, and a baby girl on the way! My husband has been a part of the pregnancy checking process every time, except for one of them. When I was pregnant with our 3rd son, I just knew. I packed up the older two and rushed to Wal-mart to get a test. I didn't even wait to get home. I went to the bathroom in the store and peed on the stick. Sure enough, it was positive! This was right around Father's Day, so I snapped a picture and texted it to my husband. (He's military, so he wasn't going to be home for a few days.) I added the note, "Happy Early Father's Day!" Needless to say, he was very excited. 🙂 We're loving our little growing family, and I obviously got past my emotional distress over the first one. lol!
Ah that's awesome!