CBB Exclusive: Melissa Joan Hart’s pregnancy journal: The blue line that changed our lives
This column is sponsored by giggle, who is providing Melissa, now 22 weeks along, with their new Better Basics layette collection. They are also sending the same layette to one of Melissa’s favorite charities that she works closely with, Friends of the Family.
First of all, I am feeling great with this second pregnancy.
Here is a little inside into our first few days after the little stick turned blue this time. As soon as I took the test I passed it to Mark, unable to look for myself. His look of shock seemed to be mocking me, but I soon found out how similar his looks of shock and mocking me could be. We then spent about half an hour crying as we considered all the life changes that were going to take place.
For me, I worried about work and not being able to snowboard yet another year, as well as my changing body. I thought about the nausea, breastfeeding and heartburn while Mark thought about the sleepless nights and diaper changes while chasing around a two year old. It took us a few weeks to really get excited about our little surprise that was slowly growing in my belly.
Personal photo of Melissa Joan Hart and Mark Wilkerson for use exclusively on the Celebrity Baby Blog Inc.
Click below for the rest of the journal entry, and a new Halloween photo of Mason!
After hiding my bump for 4 months for work reasons, I ran off to Vancouver for 3 weeks to shoot a Lifetime movie. It was so difficult to hide my belly and do some of the light stunt work, plus I was missing my Mason and Daddy time. After working 16 hour days and being on my feet 90% of that time with very little food nearby, I was so relieved to be home.
Now I am enjoying this pregnancy more than I ever thought I would. I think part of it is knowing better what to expect and not being so fearful, but also being able to spend time with Mason and with my feet up and a good tabloid in my hands. After working so hard in this condition, I am appreciating the down time and playing with Mason a bunch.
Mason still doesn’t understand what is going on but we make him kiss the belly and say "night-night " to the baby every night.
We would love to have a little girl to spoil, but we would also love for Mason to have a little brother, so we aren’t picky this time about the sex. Mason will be moving into a big boy room (I think it will be an underwater theme) after he turns 2 and the baby will get the nursery.
I am hoping my step-mom Lisa will come out and paint Mason’s new room and maybe put a new mural on one wall in the nursery to change things up a bit.
All my doctors appointments have been great, but the baby hasn’t really played along for the ultrasounds. It always has its hand up by its face, but from what we can tell, it looks just like Mason with a big forehead, up-turned nose and slight over-bite.
We are planning to spend the winter at our house in Lake Tahoe so I can keep my word and try to teach Mason to ski before the baby comes while his Daddy gets some snowboarding in.
I am trying to keep my weight down this time, not just for my recovery but also so the baby will be slightly smaller and not give me such a hard time in labor. Mason was 9 lbs and I am shooting for under 8 this go around.
M
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- Posted on Nov 5, 07 at 2:51PM
- Permalink
- 27 Comments
November 5th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
Very cute, and mason is so adorable. I’m guessing they will have a little girl this time.
November 5th, 2007 at 4:46 pm
I enjoyed reading this first entry. Looking forward to more of them!
November 5th, 2007 at 4:47 pm
Oh I forget to ask 2 questions in my last post to melissa. One is, do they have girl and boy names picked out? And will they find out the sex of the baby?
Sarah’s note: They are finding out the sex. It will be announced in the next few weeks.
November 5th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
I can’t believe she said she wants to eat less to hve asmaller baby,it doesn’t work like that!! I hardly te in my 1st pregnancy, but at loads in my 2nd & my youngest daughter was slighter smaller than my oldest!!
Also it’s proved that heavier babies are heavier to give birth to
Note from Danielle, CBB Publisher: Please read my comment to Lizzie below.
November 5th, 2007 at 4:53 pm
“I am trying to keep my weight down this time, not just for my recovery but also so the baby will be slightly smaller and not give me such a hard time in labor. Mason was 9 lbs and I am shooting for under 8 this go around.”
I find this a bit disturbing. Isn’t it better to have a bigger, healthier baby?
Note from Danielle, CBB Publisher: Melissa gained more weight than she was comfortable with her pregnancy with Mason so in wanting to gain less weight this time around, she hopes to attain the normal weight gain of 25-35 lbs that doctors advise, not less than that. Also, Melissa is talking about wanting to have an 8 lb baby, not a 5 lb one.
I asked our friend Robin Elise Weiss, About.com’s Pregnancy Guide (which is one of its most popular sections btw) who said,
1. It’s not good to gain a lot of weight.
2. It’s not good to have a small baby
3. We don’t know how much extra weight gain in pregnancy goes to baby.
4. People are fearful of “big” babies. Some doctors automatically schedule c-sections if they THINK the baby is over 8 lbs and people get really worried about shoulder dystocia but forget it can also happen to small babies.
I think it’s wise of Melissa to watch her weight gain and keep it in a healthy perspective. It may or may not influence the wieght of her baby but it can help keep her and baby healthy, have an easier labor, birth and recovery.
November 5th, 2007 at 6:53 pm
I’m thrilled to see she is doing this journal! We were pregnant with our sons at the same time, and we are due right about the same time again this time around. Melissa is one of the most level-headed celebs around, and I enjoy reading about her as a mother as well.
November 5th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
It’s cool she is writing this. It will be fun to follow!
November 5th, 2007 at 7:32 pm
Mason was born the same month as my son and I feel exactly the same about our next baby – a girl would be fun us, but boy will be fun for my little guy too.
I also sympathize with the weight issue. While I didn’t go over the recommended lbs by very much, it was pretty hard on my small frame – and I too had a 9lb baby.
I think she’s dreaming though, if she thinks that gaining less will make the baby smaller. The only person who will be smaller is Melissa! From everything I’ve heard/read, the baby size rarely is affected by how much you gain. Otherwise, my friend who gained 14lbs during her pregnancy would not have had a 7.5lb baby. Also, everybody tells me that babies tend to get bigger with each subsequent pregnancy (unless you deliver earlier), so Melissa and I should probably prepare ourselves for a whopper!
November 5th, 2007 at 10:01 pm
I completely understand where Melissa is coming from. I gained 55 lbs with my last pregnancy and my son, who was born a week before Mason, was 9lb 4 oz.
I know just because you don’t gain a lot doesn’t mean you wont have a big baby but it will make labor easier and if your baby is big you’re going to need a labor that’s as easy as possible.
November 5th, 2007 at 10:03 pm
After as much as I love this family I’m so shocked she would say she’s eating less to have a smaller baby! And do I have news for her, I only gained 19 pounds with my last pregnancy and had a 10.7lb baby! He was a c/s but that was just because he was breech, we had no idea he was so huge. Doctors felt my stomach and told me he was at least 8 pounds. Ha! I didn’t eat less, or 100% healthy in hopes of a smaller baby. Hahahahahaha. She’s nuts. I guess we’ll see if starving herself worked when she’s due.
I think it will be a girl this time.
November 5th, 2007 at 10:06 pm
I am a mommy of two ADORABLE babies myself and I felt the same way as melissa about weight gain. I wanted a smaller baby the second time around. She will be healthier and more energized by not gaining too much weight and her baby will be fine. Remember, babies take from the mother for everything it needs to grow and flourish. Mason was a big baby at 9lbs, so I don’t blame her one bit for not wanting to birth that again! WOW…what a trooper!
November 5th, 2007 at 10:28 pm
I think it’s really sweet of Melissa to write about her pregnancy and to allow us to somewhat “share” in her experience.
I enjoy reading about her and her family because she seems so down-to-earth and normal, like the rest of us. With two toddlers of my own, I can totally relate to her worries and frustrations … and joys (don’t forget that!).
November 5th, 2007 at 11:01 pm
as melissa has written this blog here – i assume she will read these comments… thank you for sharing your pregnancy with us! and there is nothing wrong with gaining a bit less weight. i gained 40 pounds – and at two weeks post partum now – i still have a ton to lose. i know my baby would have been just as healthy if i had gained less – and next time will be watching my meals and calorie intake better.
November 6th, 2007 at 5:13 am
Wow, my friend recently bought Clarissa explains it all DVD collection last week. And i googled Melissa Hart, forgetting that shes not the little clarissa anymore
.
Melissa sounds so down to earth and her son is such a cutie, ahh!!! But anyway, she has such a small frame, and her husband looks tall!! With that mix the baby will most likely be heavy (husbands fault
)
Good luck to the both of them
November 6th, 2007 at 8:03 am
Congrats to Melissa, Mark and Mason. I glad she is blogging here. Its an interesting addition to an already awesome site.
and ps I am feeling old as I used to be a fan of Sabrina…lol
November 6th, 2007 at 9:32 am
Just wanted to add that I also am really happy Melissa is writing this blog. I really enjoyed Milla J’s blog and look forward to this one too. It’s fun to read and compare experiences. I wish I had written one myself during the first pregnancy. Maybe this will inspire me to write during the next one.
I would love to know how Melissa thinks this pregnancy compares to the last one, and whether having a toddler makes pregnancy harder or easier (because you are distracted from the aches and pains and more active).
Also, how is she handling the potty-training issue (very hard to do while heavily pregnant), since the new baby will come just as Mason probably will be doing this?
November 6th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
I really enjoyed this article, and I really appreciate her sharing her real response to finding out she was pregnant again. I’m pregnant with my third child now, (due the same time as Elisabeth Hasselbeck) and my reaction was very much the same as Melissa’s when I found out. I cried. I was worried about taking care of a newborn while caring for a 4.5 and 2.5 year old boys…my husband was overjoyed though, and I quickly became excited as well..especially since we have found out we are having our first daughter!
I also completely understand about her not wanting to gain a lot of weight. I gained 60lbs and 50lbs with my first two pregnancies and found it so miserable towards the end. This time around I have gained just under 20lbs, and even though I’m uncomfortable, I’m encouraged by the fact that I will essentially be down to my pre-pregnancy weight after I give birth. I too, need the assurance of recovering quickly because I have two other kids to care for!
I’ve loved Melissa since “Clarissa Explains It All” LOL, and I’m so glad she’s stayed level headed and down to earth despite her celebrity!
November 6th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
kudos to melissa for sharing this special time with all of us! as others have mentioned, i also went crazy with the weight gain during my first pregnancy, and my son was HUGE! during my next 2 pregnancies, i exercised regularly, ate healthier foods, and stayed w/in the advised 35 lbs. i noticed a drastic difference in both the sizes of my last 2 children (at least 2 lbs lighter than my first son. my recovery after deliveries was SO much easier and I was back running a 5k 3mos later.
November 6th, 2007 at 5:07 pm
I appreciate how down to earth she is. I had a big baby the first time(8lb 15 oz) and ended up w/ an emergency C/S. I also gained over 50 lbs with him! My second son I only gained 25 lbs, and he was 8lb 5oz (successful VBAC!), so maybe there is something to it. This time around, I’m hoping to only gain around 20 lbs (if I could lay off the halloween candy!) so we’ll see what this one ends up as. I guess everyone is different! She seems so nice and normal- I’m glad to see too that she went through the whole labor thing…makes her more real to me!
November 6th, 2007 at 6:26 pm
I’m excited to see this. I love Melissa and Mason – such a cutie!! I also loved how frank Melissa was with her ambivalence about a new baby – so many women feel ashamed of being ambivalent and it’s really quite normal!
I did want to give my perspective on weight gain. I run a pregnancy and birth website (which though not so huge as About.com can boast, it’s pretty comprehensive). I advise many women on pregnancy, diet during pregnancy, and a whole lot on feelings during pregnancy. I have sections on my site devoted to both prenatal (and preconception) nutrition and pregnancy feelings – I find they’re interrelated.
Many, many, many of the moms I talk to have found that they begin to feel better as they take the focus off the pounds and put it onto their nutrition. This is probably two-fold. They let go of “I’m gaining .5 pounds too much!” stress, and they focus on good healthy food – women email me every day to let them know that makes them feel better!!!!!
Many midwives and doctors are now realizing that assigning an arbitrary weight gain number based on how much each “pregnancy item” is “supposed” to weigh isn’t wise.
They instead advice mothers to eat for health. Every single day you, the pregnant mother, are building a human being! This takes a lot of energy and a lot of nutrition. Focus on eating right.
Eat PLENTY. Just eat plenty of GOOD food. Stay away from junk foods – but don’t be shy about good foods! Protein foods, veggies, fruits, and healthy fats. Those are what make a healthy baby and a healthy mama.
And a healthy sized baby is believed to be easier to birth than a little one. My own 8lb 10oz-er was by far the easier to birth than my others (7lbs, 12oz and 7lbs 14oz).
I just feel it’s really important for women to realize it’s what you’re eating that’s making your baby, not how many “pounds” you’re putting on. Eat well and don’t limit food!! Limit junk.
Wanted to offer a slightly different opinion than what may have already been expressed.
November 6th, 2007 at 8:56 pm
I delivered an 8 lb 5oz baby and a 9lb 11oz baby and the 9 lb one was much easier to give birth to than the 8 lb one. Maybe because the latter was my second son, and it was a different doctor, who knows?
November 7th, 2007 at 2:46 am
My first pregnancy, I took to heart the whole, “eat for two” deal. I ended with a 9lbs 6.8 oz boy. My second pregnancy, I watched what I ate, exercised and only gained 22lbs. When I had my son, he was “only” 8lbs 3oz.
I’m sure Melissa is quite capable of being able to determine what is safe for her and her baby.
November 19th, 2007 at 4:59 am
Congrats to the expanding family! I saw Melissa’s hubby in concert, back in the days of COG. They are such a beautiful family:) I hope this pregnancy is a happy and healthy one!
*War Eagle*
November 21st, 2007 at 9:34 am
Unfortunately, some babies are just BIG! My first one was 10 lb 4 oz, but he was also postdates. I only gained 25lbs and am 5′9″ and my husband 6′3″. The 2nd one was 9 lb 1 oz. and born on his due date. I only gained 20 lbs with him! I’m glad Melissa is enjoying this pregnancy. The second baby also typically has a shorter labor and less pushing!
December 8th, 2007 at 7:57 pm
Kinda off topic and this is an old post but does anyone know where Mason’s “Big Brother” top is from? It’s so cute!
Sarah’s note: Babystyle.com
January 19th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
HI THRE IS ABSOLUTLY NOTHING WRONG WITH WATCHING YOUR WAIT WHILE PREGNANT, BUT I HAVE TO SAY WATCHING WHAT YOU EAT WONT MEAN A SMALLER BABIE I ATE LOADS ANYTHING I COULD GET MY HANDS ON WHILE PREGNANT ON MY FIRST AND HE WAS A TINY 6lbs.
I HAVE TWO CHILDREN A BOY CODIE AND A GIRL DEMI WHO WERE BORN VERY CLOSE TOGETHER ITS HARD WITH TWO YOUG BABIES.
GOOD LUCK I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST
DO YOU HAVE A NANNY OR ARE YOU PLANNING TO HIRE ONE?
June 6th, 2008 at 8:10 am
your so cute you have a baby glow about you, Your look like a wounderful mother, keep up the work.♥