1. How many weeks are you both/when are you due?
Brooke: 19 weeks, due late March!
Meggan: 13 weeks, due on May 6!
2. Did you track ovulation?
Brooke: I did not
Meggan: Me either
3. Did you know each other was pregnant, or did you surprise each other in Boston? How/when did you tell each other?
We knew each other was pregnant, that would be very hard to keep secret considering we are pretty much talking/working together all day every day. We told each other right away lol!
4. Do you know the gender(s)? Will you do a gender reveal?
Neither of us will be finding out the gender. It will be a surprise for us all at the same time!
5. What are your cravings/aversions?
Meggan: I’ve mainly had aversions. I will eat whatever sounds good in the moment and then it will make me feel sick the rest of the day and I can’t eat again. The thought of fried/fast food makes me so ill, it was hard even typing the words lol! Three weird things I’ve been eating that I never eat: egg salad on a piece of white bread, Runts (the candy), and veggie delights from Subway. Very random for me!
Brooke: I haven’t had very many cravings, but I’ve had a lot of aversions. I’m not loving meat, vegetables, eggs, etc…sticking to more bland foods. I’ve been doing a lot of peanut butter toast, Cup of Noodles (lol almost daily), fruit, pumpkin/banana bread, and some pasta. I feel like I’ve been living off of peanut butter toast and ramen.
6. Did you plan this? To be pregnant at the same time? Pregnancy pact?
No, lol! We did not plan to get pregnant at the same time or have a ‘pregnancy pact.’ We both knew we wanted one more and we both knew we were trying, but the goal was not ‘to be pregnant at the same time.’ That being said, it has been super nice to be able to go through it together! We were also pregnant together with Avery and Camden if you’ve been around that long!
7. How did you know you were pregnant (if you knew before taking a test)?
Brooke: I definitely had a feeling before I took a test! My boobs felt so heavy and they hurt.
Meggan: I had a feeling too – my boobs were (still are) huge.
8. Were you both actively trying to get pregnant or were your pregnancies are surprise? If you were trying, how long were you trying for?
Brooke: Yes, we were trying – 6 months.
Meggan: Yes, it happened the 2nd month of trying.
9. How did you tell your husbands you were pregnant?
Brooke: My husband was with me when I took the test lol!
Meggan: Same! I came home from a friends house and took it. Nothing too exciting lol!
10. How are you feeling now? If your morning sickness (more like all day sickness) is gone, how many weeks did it last?
Brooke: I feel good most days now! Here and there I get hit with nausea again, but I feel like I’m finally on the other side of it. I was sick until 17 weeks!
Meggan: I’m still not feeling 100% better – I still get pretty nauseous in the afternoon and night. I was sick with Mila until 16 weeks so I’m praying it ends before that!
11. Will you dye your hair while you’re pregnant? I’m not sure what to do!
Brooke: I don’t have any appointments set, but I have in the past. I’d recommend asking your doctor if you’re unsure!
Meggan: Yes, I do!
12. How many more kids do you each want?
Meggan: Done after this one!
Brooke: I want three. My husband is pressing me for number four already lol! I think we will be set with three ;).
13. Brooke – How do you feel about the age gap with your girls and the new baby? And how did you decide to go for it?
I’m actually really happy with the age gap, it’s everyone else who seems to worry about it lol. It came up during a Q&A on stories one time, and I mentioned it wasn’t something that would bother me (a larger age gap). I received so many DM’s from you guys – either sharing that you have kids with a larger age gap, or you yourself were the “age gap baby,” and had so many positive things to say. All of my friends who have kids with a larger age gap said it’s the best thing they ever did! The girls are already so excited to help/always talk about who will do what when the baby is born (especially Sophia, who will be 8), and I will get to have time with the baby without having to worry about what my toddler is doing in the next room (like I had to when I had Avery). I know it’s not the “norm,” but that doesn’t bother me. I don’t think anyone should feel pressured into a timeline with anything in life, but especially kids. I had a pretty rough first pregnancy with sickness, a scary second pregnancy, and I just didn’t feel ready until now. I had Sophia when I was 24, so I always knew I had time to decide. We never thought we were done with two, it was just a matter of when.
14. Is this pregnancy the same or different from your others?
Meggan: I wasn’t sick with Cam but was sick with Mila until 16 weeks – so nausea wise, it’s similar to Mila! I’ve some scares this pregnancy which have made me feel on edge and more nervous than the other two. I fainted a few weeks ago at the post office which turned out to be okay besides having a mild concussion, phew! Then, the night before I left for Boston (last Thursday) I had 2 small-ish blood clots. I called my OB office and they said they weren’t concerned (b/c of size of clots and no other bleeding or cramping) but to definitely go to the ER if I started to bleed more and could fill a pad every 30 minutes. I didn’t have anymore blood that night which was relieving but I was still nervous. On Saturday night, I got in bed and felt a huge gush and ran to the bathroom. The blood would not stop and my mind immediately went to the worst place. Brooke drove me to the ER around midnight (was so thankful for her that night!) and I found out I have 2 subchorionic hematomas which means my uterus is bleeding. It doesn’t hurt the baby or myself and will eventually heal on its own. I’ve had a little blood (dark red which is good) since then but it seems to be healing. I went for an ultrasound Monday morning and was told just to take it easy and rest and have a follow up in a week. It was a really scary experience and has definitely heightened my anxiety this pregnancy!
Brooke: I feel like mine is a mix. I was extremely sick with Sophia, hardly sick at all with Avery, and I was sick until 17 weeks this time. My skin is much better this time, I usually break out terribly on my chin and nose, but this time (knock on wood) my skin is clear! I’m definitely busier now than I was with my other two pregnancies, which is making time fly by, but I also feel more at ease/calm this time, now. When I first found out, I was extremely nervous/anxious – just with the current state of our world, and I kept hearing tragic stories that would keep me up at night worrying. The farther along I get, the more at ease I’m feeling and currently feeling pretty calm and content. I think there’s something special about knowing it’s (probably) my last that makes it different from my first two.
15. Are you still using CBD and collagen? I’m on the fence about CBD…
Brooke: I’m not using CBD. I am still taking collagen, which I asked my doctor about. I know…broken record, but anything you’re wondering if you can or can’t do, ask your doctor! Your doctor will be able to confidently tell you what is okay for you and your pregnancy, and what is not. I would not recommend taking advice from anyone but your own doctor on what is “OK” for your pregnancy.
Meggan: I’m not taking CBD! And not currently taking my collagen because it makes me nauseous!
16. How the hell did you guys hide it so well? Lol
Lol, angles! 😉
17. Meggan – Was the fainting due to pregnancy?
They said it definitely could’ve contributed to it – it’s common to feel dizzy during your first trimester!
18. What baby items will you purchase on top of what you already have? I’m trying to decide what I “need” for my third.
Brooke: We sold our last house fully furnished (nursery included), so I will be starting from scratch! The infant seat I had with Avery is now expired lol, and I donated my stroller when we moved, so I’ll be sure to share everything I purchase for the new baby! Excited to see all the new products that weren’t out the last time I was pregnant!
Meggan: I haven’t even thought about it yet but I doubt we need much!
19. What’s your exercise routine been?
Brooke: Non-existant lol. The most exercise I’ve had in 19 weeks was when we were in Boston, I was sore from the (small amount) of walking we did! Now that I’m feeling better, I want to start working out again.
Meggan: Ugh same! We were soo sore in Boston, we couldn’t stop laughing about it!
20. I want a 4th, but I may feel it’s not a smart decision. How old are both of you this time around?
Brooke: 32
Meggan: 31
21. How are you guys managing having other kids when you feel so sick? I’m currently struggling!
Brooke: It’s so hard. Give yourself some grace! I forgot how terrible the sickness is when it’s bad. The only way I can describe it to people who don’t understand (aka my husband) is having the worst hangover and the stomach flu at the same time! My doctor ended up prescribing medication that did help me so much, but I tried to take it only when I had to. It helped that my sickness was the worst when it was still warm out – I would lay outside while the girls swam most days. Don’t feel guilty for having movie days, etc. Anything to get you through this time! It’s been such a blessing to have my husband working from home during this time, because as soon as he’s done working for the day, he takes over. He has been doing all the cooking, and helping get the kids ready for bed, etc. If he was still commuting to the city, he wouldn’t be home until the girls were already in bed most nights, so that’s the big silver lining in all of this.
Meggan: Kyle has been my saving Grace! He works from home and business has been slow because of Covid, so he has pretty much taken over parenting wise. I think the last meal I cooked was Labor Day weekend…eek! Also, lots of movies and laying on the couch in the toy room while they play. Anything to get through the day lol.
22. Tips/tricks for getting work done when you feel super sick in the first trimester?
It’s such a struggle, but we still had so much to get done. Honestly, setting a timer and powering through things was what really helped. Stay super focused for 30-45 minutes, then take a break, rinse and repeat. It’s hard, but if it has to get done, it has to get done!
23. Are your other kids excited?
Brooke: Yes! Avery was very unsure at first (she loves being the baby), but Sophia was screaming with excitement when we told them. Now that they’ve had some time, Avery is really excited. She has already started dividing tasks and is very concerned with what she is going to do to help the baby. 😉
Meggan: Camden is super excited (he wants a brother lol) and Mila doesn’t understand yet but she loooves babies! And I’m so excited to see Avery and Sophia with the baby – they were so sweet when they were with Mila last summer!
24. Brooke – did Hashimoto’s affect your fertility? Has it affected your pregnancy? How did you talk about it with your doctor?
With my first two pregnancies, I was pregnant within the first month of trying. This time it took six months. That’s not necessarily due to Hashimoto’s and I know it’s not considered abnormal or a long time, but it was different for me. My endo was not concerned, and said yes it’s probably going to take longer this time, but she wouldn’t take any next steps until after one year of trying (I got pregnant the next month after talking to her about it). I don’t really think it has affected my pregnancy all that much, but it did cause me to feel more anxious in the beginning because of the statistics. I am considered high risk because of it, but my doctor said anything other than 100% ‘normal’ is considered high risk in his office (he specializes in high risk so I’m not sure if that makes a difference), so I do have to have additional appointments and scans, but that’s really been it.
25. What prenatal vitamins are you taking?
Ritual!
M&B