Bring It On

This semester got off on a rocky start. First day of class was canceled because it snowed, then we had more snow cancellations a week later. Before we even finished making up classes from the first cancellation. Thankfully, we're all caught up now. All it took was me failing four quizzes. I was so thrown off with daycare closings + school closings + makeup classes and assignments, I kinda just gave up on school for the first month. Is there such thing as a quarter-semester crisis? Or did I get my mid-semester crisis* early and therefore won't have to worry about it later? The world may never know.

Fast forward to today. I'm currently typing this while power pumping. Why? My milk supply tanked. Not sure if it's because a) I have to go 5-6 hours without pumping on Tuesdays and Wednesdays since we're seeing real patients in clinic this semester, b) Kari is about to be 8 months old next week and my body is slowing things down, c) Kari started occasionally sleeping through the night, or d) I'm pregnant.

Yep. I might be pregnant. Of course, if my milk supply is dropping because I'm pregnant, power pumping probably won't work and we may have to supplement a bit of formula until Kari hits the 1 year mark. I have a ridiculous case of sore nips when pumping or breastfeeding, almost like they're bruised. Unfortunately, Dr. Google isn't very well trained and can't seem to decide whether my symptoms are pregnancy, ovulation, my period coming, or Kari teething. To be fair to her, she's only bit me once recently with her sharp little tooth nibblets. It's a bit too soon to tell if I'm pregnant because my period isn't due for another 5 days or so and I'm pretty sure implantation didn't happen until yesterday (if implantation dip is even a thing). More on that here:

I downloaded the Natural Cycles app about a month ago when my IUD fell out (not even joking, apparently my body just abhors birth control). It's supposed to be certified in the EU to be used as a contraceptive and basically runs off an algorithm to detect when you ovulate based on basal body temperature (BBT). My original intention was to use it as birth control since I've kinda exhausted my birth control options**. And then, in my sleep deprived and stress-riddled haze, Hubby and I decided to try for another baby. I shit you not. In the middle of my 2nd semester of the most difficult program my college has to offer, we want to have another baby. Partially for financial reasons because of daycare grants through my school. But mostly because we just want another squishy newborn. So tracking my BBT became a conceptive (is that even a word???) instead of a contraceptive. I'm probably going to be kicking myself later when I'm neck-deep in my last semester of school and about to take my boards (ha, if I even make it that far), but in the long run, it might be better this way. We already know we want our first two kids close in age (still debating if we want a third). If we try for a baby right after I finish school, I'd be asking my job for maternity leave not even a year into working. Even though it's technically illegal, they'd probably find a reason to fire me instead of giving me time off. So while it's going to be super difficult to have another baby before I finish school, it makes more sense from a financial and long-term logistical perspective. And if I fail out/get overwhelmed with school, at least I can come back/defer.

After this baby, we'll probably wait 2-3 years before trying one last time if we want a third. That way, I'm less likely to get fired for taking time off right after I get hired.

So that's what's going on in the life of moi. $100 says absolutely nothing is going to work out like I'm planning it and we will all be pleasantly surprised in the end. Will update soon***.


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*Mid-semester crisis-- point in the semester where I want to drop out and stop caring about my grades, before I realize how much I need to graduate and kick my ass back into gear.

**I got pregnant on the combo-pill, mini-pill tanked my milk supply and made me feel like crap, and my copper IUD fell out.

***By soon, I mean eventually when I have time.