Vegan lifestyle by Jessica Goodenough

Live your best plant-based life!

  • Vegan food
  • Vegan home
  • Vegan style
  • Free mini vegan capsule wardrobe

Explore

  • Vegan food
  • Vegan home
  • Vegan style
  • Free mini vegan capsule wardrobe

Learn more

  • About me
  • Recommended vegan resources
  • The Spring 2023 Vegan Capsule Wardrobe
  • My Etsy store

Connect

  • About me
  • Recommended vegan resources
  • The Spring 2023 Vegan Capsule Wardrobe
  • My Etsy store

Vegan family · 30 October 2020

We’re expecting again! All the details + my second pregnancy experience so far

Hello, hello! Some of you may already know this, but I’m pregnant again! Read on for all the details on how many babies I thought we were going to have + how many I’m actually pregnant with, as well as the physical and emotional sides of my second pregnancy.

Twins? Quads?!

As of a few months ago, we were a family of three, with Baby J being born in December 2019. I discovered I was pregnant again in early September. I actually believed that my period was just late, but for some reason, The Man knew that I was pregnant again.

The first pregnancy test I took was “invalid”, maybe because I did it in the afternoon and it was too early on. But the second one (at 6 in the morning the next day) was super clear: back on the baby rollercoaster we go! I waited about 20 minutes before waking The Man up to share the news. At least this time we were in the same country! (Check out my first pregnancy announcement here.)

I’m not sure if I forgot what my first pregnancy was like or if I legitimately was more tired this time, but I felt something was different. And then the dreams started… I had several dreams about being pregnant with twins and even one about quadruplets! There are twins in both of our families, and even The Man had a dream about twins, so somehow I convinced myself it was quite likely. I also had a beta coaching client who has twins, so that might have led to it being front of mind.

I was in Brazil for two-thirds of my first pregnancy and I had a scan less than a month after finding out that I was pregnant. Here in the United Kingdom, the procedures are different and waiting until 12 weeks seemed like an eternity… Especially with this twins paranoia I created!

Anyhoo, I had the scan… And there’s “only” one baby in there! My relief at not having to manage three kiddos under two probably took away from the excitement I “should” have felt at our first ultrasound. But I am very happy to share that we have a seemingly healthy second baby on the way! My due date is the 24th of April 2021, which will probably make the two little ones 16 to 17 months apart.

We're expecting again! All the details + my second pregnancy experience so far

The physical side of my second pregnancy

As I mentioned above, I really was very tired during my first trimester. I’m talking naps most days and early bedtimes. I can remember one day when I actually slept more than Baby J!

Along with the tiredness, came the background nausea and loss of appetite that I also experienced during my first pregnancy. It’s hard to describe to someone who’s never experienced this, but it’s essentially like feeling constantly a bit hungover or car-sick haha, as well as being very sensitive to the smell and sight of things. I’ve fortunately only actually been sick a handful of times and I only lost a couple kilos (as opposed to ten in my first pregnancy!).

Some of my favourite things (coffee, garlic) were out and instead I mostly wanted plain things. This time round, I’ve also had specific cravings from the get-go though: for blue cheese, palmiers and quatre-quarts cake. If you’ve had weird pregnancy cravings too, please share them in the comments below!

View this post on Instagram

If you’re French, you’ll know what these are.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 😋⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ And you’ll be appalled to know that you can’t buy them in supermarkets in the UK!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 😱⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Fortunately, we found a recipe online and @robbeaver made us (me haha) a batch. If you’re uninitiated, they’re called palmiers and they are delicious pastry goodness. Give them a try and tell me what you think! (We can’t be friends if you don’t like them.)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 😉

A post shared by Jessica Goodenough (@jlgoodenough) on Oct 15, 2020 at 8:02am PDT

At the time of writing, I’m almost 15 weeks pregnant and out of my first trimester, woohoo! I can happily report that most of the unpleasant symptoms above are now gone. I do have “lower back” (more like my bum really haha) pain and I’m still being cautious about what I eat, but feeling so much more energetic! I can also drink coffee again, so feel free to buy me one here haha.

I’ve been “showing” for quite some time (which also contributed to the twins paranoia!), but given that I’m often wearing lots of layers, it might not always look obvious that I’m pregnant. Pro tip: when in doubt, never ask a woman if she’s pregnant, even if it seems obvious that she is! I mentioned in a previous blog post how a little girl informed me that I was pregnant the first time (and that I was horrified), read it here.

The emotional side of my second pregnancy

I’ll start by saying that I now feel fine, so please don’t worry haha. However, I experienced a month and a half of low energy, low mood and low motivation. I wasn’t actually diagnosed with anything, but I’d probably go so far as to say that I was depressed during that time. I do realise that getting pregnant is a blessing, especially when many couples struggle to conceive, but when I first found out, it was a shock.

I think I had a hard time because: a) I was so flipping tired, b) I had lots of plans for September that suddenly I felt I couldn’t keep up with. As I mentioned in my quarter three review post, I was planning on launching a podcast and offering coaching services for the first time. I managed to get three beta coaching clients (see their testimonials on my home page!), but the podcast fell by the wayside. I’m the kind of person who enjoys making progress on my goals and being slowed down by fatigue + all the new tasks I had to do to look after my growing bump was frustrating.

It seems a bit strange writing this now, as I’m in a completely different headspace. I don’t need the naps anymore (unless our little monkey wakes us up early) and I’m feeling super committed to this business I’m growing.

What also made a big difference was seeing our baby on the ultrasound. I want a big family (or at least several children!) and I’m super excited to meet our new little baby in the spring. We’ll find out the gender this time, so I might be sharing that sometime soon. We still like the feminine name option we had for Baby J, but we’re really stuck on masculine names… Please share your suggestions in the comments!

We're expecting again! All the details + my second pregnancy experience so far

Back to you

How are the seasons of life affecting you? What phase are you in right now? If you want to stay up to date with how I’m growing my business (and my family!), subscribe below! As a thank you, you’ll get a free guide to three ways you might be secretly sabotaging your success… and how to follow through with your plans instead. Think of it as your shortcut from procrastination to productivity (and happiness!).

Three ways you're secretly sabotaging your success

Posted By: Jessica Goodenough · In: Vegan family

2020 Q3 Quarterly Review: the Good, the Bad and the Indecisive
Five things I want to help my audience with

About Jessica Goodenough

I'm not a regular mum, I'm a vegan mum 😉
Helping you live your best plant-based life 🌱
All welcome - no vegan police here! 💚
Learn more about me here.

Related posts

Listen in for how I work from home productively with a toddler + while pregnant. These productivity strategies will be helpful even if you're in a different stage of life!How I work from home productively with a toddler + while pregnant
70 signs you're having a normal pregnancy / postpartum experience70 signs you’re having a normal pregnancy / postpartum experience
Welcome to the world Baby J! – Our first few weeks as parents
About Photo
Hi I'm Jessica! Welcome to my blog, where you can find vegan lifestyle inspiration to help you live your best plant-based life!

Don’t miss

Vegan furniture UK

Where to find vegan furniture in the UK (and beyond!)

Hearty plant-based meals

4 hearty plant-based meals to keep you warm and satisfied

Festive home office decor ideas

3 festive home office decor ideas for Christmas and beyond

Affiliate disclosure

I earn commission for purchases or clicks made through links on this website, at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work!

Get on the List

In a rush, but don't want to be hungry by 10:30? H In a rush, but don't want to be hungry by 10:30? Here's the solution! ✨

🔗 Follow the link in my bio for 3 more breakfast ideas (including easy-to-follow videos) and some cute containers to take them on the go! 😊

#BreakfastOnTheGo #DailyDozen #VeganBreakfastIdeas #PlantBasedMeals #VeganBreakfast
I've been experimenting with smoothies for a while I've been experimenting with smoothies for a while and I've finally found the magic formula... 👇

So here it is:
🫘 Half a can of butter beans, drained and rinsed (trust me you can't taste them, but they're oh so good for you)
🫐 Half a cup of frozen berries (doesn't matter what type, but choose organic if you can)
🍌 A ripe banana
🥬 A good handful of leafy greens (spinach, etc.)
🥄 A tablespoon of ground flaxseed
(🥜 Optional: a tablespoon of peanut butter - if you want it creamier or are trying to get more calories in)
🫗 A cup of water (about 250 mL) - feel free to experiment with this last one until you get the consistency you like

I came up with this because I couldn't find a protein powder that I liked and that didn't make the texture go all wrong... 🤢

Also because I believe whole foods are the way to go! 🌱 ... Well about 80% of the time. 😉

I make mine two at a time in my @nutribullet as it comes with two cups - that way tomorrow's breakfast is covered! 💡

If you've read this far, make sure you follow me for more quick plant-based breakfast ideas (coming tomorrow)! And have a lovely day. 😘

#VeganSmoothie #Nutribullet #DailyDozen #VeganBreakfastIdeas #WhatIEatInADay
Just my 2 cents after 7 years of doing this. 🌱✨😘 Resources 👇

✅ You can find the Daily Dozen app both on Android and iPhone - it's a super easy way of ensuring you're eating nutritious foods, without counting calories or any other faffy way of tracking food (it's all evidence-based, by the team behind @nutrition_facts_org). 📲

✅ The @plantbasedmorningshow is the perfect balance of common-sense vegan living advice and nonsense banter to remind you to not take it all too seriously! 😅

✅ My blog jessicagoodenough.com is the place to go if you're wanting to:
🥗 learn the basics of eating plant-based 
💃 take vegan living beyond the kitchen and get vegan fashion and home recommendations!

#GoingVegan #VeganReels #PlantBasedLiving #VeganLiving #GoVegan
Which one's your favourite? 🌹 For context: "In Which one's your favourite? 🌹

For context: "International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality."

I.e. let's celebrate how far we've come but also keep pushing forward! ✊🏿✊🏼✊🏽

#InternationalWomensDay #InternationalWomensDay2023 #IWD #IWD2023 #ConsciousLiving #EmbraceEquity
How's beating yourself up been working for you? 🤔 Here's an alternative. 👇

Focus on what you already have and who you already are. Because:
1️⃣ It simply feels better than focusing on our shortcomings or how "we're not there yet".
2️⃣ It will help you attract more good things. Just like people who complain all the time keep attracting "bad luck", people who focus on gratitude find more opportunities.
3️⃣ Your glowing gratitude will attract people to you that will help you move towards your best life.

I know I have a tendency to always focus on the next goal and the next and the next... But sometimes you need to slow down (and smell the roses 🌹) to speed up. ✨

#GlowAndGrow #TakeItSlow #StayInspired #GratefulHeart #SlowDown
"How to ruin a surprise"... 🤦🏼‍♀️😅 "How to ruin a surprise"... 🤦🏼‍♀️😅

If you'd like to see outfits featuring these @donlonco earrings, drop your favourite flower emoji in the comments! 😘

(Reposting as there was a glitch that cut the actual opening off... 🙄)

#ConsciousFashionBlogger #FlowerEarrings #CapsuleWardrobe #FashionInspo #Gifted
Something exciting is coming! ✨ Get notified 👇

🔗 Follow the link in my bio and click "Grab your free mini vegan capsule wardrobe" to be on the list to be notified when the 🌷 spring 2023 vegan capsule wardrobe 🌷 is available (+ get a free mini starter vegan capsule wardrobe as a bonus)! 😘

#VeganCapsuleWardrobe #ResponsibleFashion #CapsuleWardrobe #MindfulFashion #SustainableClothing
Happy Valentines Day from my new hair and me to yo Happy Valentines Day from my new hair and me to you! 😘👇 Quick intro if you're new here:

💃🏼 My name's Jessica and I'm 32 (how do I start this without sounding awkward? 😅)

👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 I have two little boys and I work as a green spaces development officer in Oxford in the UK.

🌱 I've been vegan for more than 7 years now, so I'm using Instagram and my blog (jessicagoodenough.com) to share vegan food, home and fashion tips.

💖 I do my best to be welcoming to people no matter how un-vegan (that's a word? 🤷🏼‍♀️😅) they are, because no one likes an angry vegan. 😉

📝 I'm also into personal development, mindset and all that jazz (well not actually jazz, I'm more into country haha 🤠). 

🤔 I'm a questioner and like researching and planning things (go to @gretchenrubin's website, do her four tendencies quiz and come back here to tell me which one you are!). 🤓

Back to you! Tell me:
A. Where you're based right now (obviously don't share your full address)!
B. The last TV series you loved
C. And/or the last book you couldn't put down
... And then I'll share mine! 😊

#VeganLifestyle #VeganLiving #PersonalDevelopment #VeganBlogger
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Get in touch

Copyright © 2023 Vegan lifestyle by Jessica Goodenough · Theme by 17th Avenue