It has been a little over one month since we announced my pregnancy to the WAF world, and it has truly been a whirlwind! I am getting my energy and appetite back, my skin is starting to calm down (at least a little), and I’m eager to start sharing all of the incredible information I’ve learned over the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. As a first timer (why does that make it sound more like a prison sentence than a pregnancy?!) I have SO MANY QUESTIONS and SO MUCH ANXIETY about things I could have never predicted. Pregnancy is weird. My body is acting a damn fool, things I normally love to eat make me want to vom, I want to nap at least twice a day and cry over videos like the funky white lady rapping “Work It” on Ellen and meeting Missy Elliott (I wish I was joking).
All of that aside, pregnancy has been the biggest, most incredible blessing. I’m overwhelmed with love – for this little nugget in my tummy, my incredible spouse, my family on both sides, my friends, God, and shoot even myself. I have always called the moms in my life superheroes, I have a deep appreciation for the strength these women exhibit and their ability to always comfort and console despite the sky falling around them. It has been tough to feel like I have no control over what’s going on with my body, BUT reminding myself that all of these incredible things happening are in response to a human safely growing inside me has opened up a space of grace and self-love (two things I think all first timers like me should thrive in – especially in those initial weeks when things are all over the place).
I’ve already experienced a lot of laughable moments in this pregnancy, starting from the very beginning (having a sense of humor about things has been a HUGE help with the lack of control I have over most things). Looking back now there were so many indicators/symptoms: I was exhausted 24/7, I was eating like a teenage boy going through puberty, my skin was a mess, workouts that had always been solid for me suddenly felt like climbing Everest, etc. But it wasn’t until 2 at home tests and blood work at urgent care that I started wrapping my mind around the fact I was going to be a mom. Telling my husband was not nearly as exciting as it’s made out to be in the movies, mostly because I don’t have any patience whatsoever and I’m a terrible liar, so he found out in the parking lot at the gym before we went in to workout 😂…to be honest, I wouldn’t have it any other way, because it was real and we were (and still are) THRILLED.
Since that moment there have been so many unknowns, questions, and decisions that had to be made. Starting with what’s next? We were still in San Antonio TDY en route, so I hopped on the Tricare website to see what my provider options were. Randolph didn’t have OB care and my next closest “on base” option was San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC) right down the road. To be clear, I could’ve went to ANY provider in town I wanted to, because I’m on Tricare Select, but I wasn’t familiar enough with the area to have a preference, so military care seemed to be a great place to start (and it was for me).
Side note: we have an intro post
and will have posts specific to Prime and Select in the upcoming weeks.
I attended what they called an “OB Orientation”, it was a 3 hour group class on a Monday morning that provided information on the clinic at SAMMC, developmentally what was happening with each week of pregnancy, resources for classes, baby items, and programs offered to expecting/new parents in the area. We went through and filled out a ton of paperwork on our health history and were given the forever cherished “purple book” (a book they distribute called “Pregnancy and Childbirth: A goal oriented guide to prenatal care” that has a wealth of information from what medicine you can take during pregnancy, what you can and cannot eat, timeline of doctor appointments, normal vs. concerning symptoms, etc.). Depending on our medical history we were either allowed to leave after the completion of the class, or asked to stay to see a doctor that day to go through a quick eval to make sure things were rolling along smoothly. My recommendation for new moms preparing for this class: 1) bring snacks 2) bring water 3) don’t think you’re going to be in and out, if you’re asked to stay it could be an all day affair.
If you found out you’re pregnant, even if you aren’t going to be seen on base, still reach out to your local Airman Family and Readiness Center, see what classes they offer and TAKE THEM. I got a $50 gift card for completing the
portion of the OB orientation class at Laughlin, and from what I’ve heard this is a standard at most, if not all bases.
I’m going to do an entire post dedicated to the pros and cons of Tricare Select and Tricare Prime for pregnancy, a post specific to baby registry items (HUGE shoutout to all of the WAFs that contributed their knowledge on our IG post), and any other big topics that come up as I move through this pregnancy. If there’s something in particular you’re curious about with my pregnancy, either insurance options, pregnancy in general, being a new parent…ANYTHING…comment on this post, DM us on IG or email us at [email protected] – the whole goal of this blog is to provide a useful resources for WAFs everywhere, so more questions = more insight from others = more knowledge for us all!
Also, I promise that when I get something that resembles a bump vs. what currently just looks like a beer belly, I will share more fun bump pictures, but for now I’ve got nothing exciting for you (another pregnancy experience that has blown my mind…you don’t start showing right away? Whhhhhhat?!)
I’m excited to share this journey with you ladies, and eager to see all of the amazing information we can collect so new WAF mommies are forever in the know!
xo, Kirst
