Hi there! Hopefully these confessions make you feel like you’re not alone with your thoughts, teach you something, or maybe you just enjoy reading them. At the end, I’m also sharing 5 products I can’t live without right now and totally loving!
xoxo
CONFESSIONS:
-I’ve gained 7 pounds in 21 weeks. (I wonder how much that number would be if it wasn’t for the holiday season…) Anyway, I never weigh myself because I don’t want to get down on myself or self-conscious. (Well, I think every pregnant woman becomes self-conscious at some point, that’s inevitable, so let me say “more self-conscious” than I have to be. I can look at myself and just know if I’m on the right track and healthy. And most importantly, based on how I feel. I don’t want to become infatuated with a number. So I weigh myself about every 4 weeks. (Because, you also can’t have your head in the sand and be gaining too much too quickly and be more of a potential candidate for scary conditions such as preeclampsia and others.) You shouldn’t eat less in a day because of a number you’re seeing on a scale. Or workout harder because of how rapidly you’re gaining. None of that is healthy. Your body knows what it’s doing, so let it do its thing. I’m a big proponent of living a healthy lifestyle with eating right and staying active whether you’re pregnant or not. And I think as long as you continue to do that, you’re good. With all of that said, there will be times when you’re hungrier once the baby starts really hitting big growth spurts. Feed yourself with what you need. But don’t “eat for two.” Apparently you’re only supposed to add 300 extra calories to your diet when you’re pregnant. (I don’t count calories, I never have & never will, but just to give you an idea of how little you’re technically supposed to be adding.) Not only does your body know to get hungrier during big baby growth spurts, it also knows what to crave based off what your body is needing. How cool?! For instance, while I’ve been on gummie prenatals that don’t have iron in them, I’ve been wanting a smoothie that is high in iron every single day! And when I got my blood work done at our last visit, my iron was even above what it needed to be! They were happy with it & so was I! That’s all solely thanks to nutrients I’m receiving from my diet. A woman who was average weight before pregnancy, should gain 25-35 pounds during her pregnancy. She should gain more weight if she was underweight & less if she was overweight. Those are all “average statistics” though. It’s obviously all about what you and your doctor feel is best, healthiest & safest for you and your baby. Don’t compare yourself to others. And don’t forget, gaining too little isn’t healthy either!
-I miss deli meat & soft cheeses more than I miss alcohol.
-I used to not think you were “a mom” when a woman was “only pregnant.” Now I take that back. There is a human inside of you that you are nurturing and growing via special do’s, don’t, doctor visits, and huge lifestyle changes. Therefore, you’re absolutely some form of a “Mom.” I didn’t give enough credit before.
-I live to feel her kick & move around. It is always the best parts of my day hands down. It’s my favorite. However I don’t count her kicks like the rules say to do. I know what gets her to move around and I’ve learned how active she is. If something changes from her norm then I’ll know based off my intuition, not a number.
-When my husband tells me I’m beautiful, it means more to me than ever.
-I used to question why I feel tired or just not wanting to do anything that day. Or maybe even question why I was feeling a weird sensation or discomfort in my body. Thanks to my husband reassuring me with literally simply saying, “You’re growing a baby inside you.” would bring me back to reality and bring me such comfort. If you’re feeling that way, just literally tell yourself, you’re growing a human and then give yourself a break.
-I used to hate the word content. Just in general, really disliked the word. When people would use the word content in regard to an emotion I would be so confused. “I’m content.” I would say, “Well that’s not good! You should be amazing! You should be awesome! Why settle for content??” Little I did I know how unbelievable content was. Do you even know the true meaning of content? Content: A state of peaceful happiness. Literally there is no better word to describe how I am feeling. I am so content. I’ve never been more content. It’s a feeling mixed together I’ve never felt before. There’s no describing it. Other than to say, “I’m in peaceful happiness. I am CONTENT.”
-I’m obsessed with consuming pregnancy information. I love knowing what’s going on in my body. I’ve become such a researcher and full of so much knowledge. *Nerd alert!!*
-On that note, your instinct always knows best. Consume all the information you possibly can take in via trusted apps, respected websites, and doctors. But always know in your gut if something is best for you, or if something is wrong.
-I’ve gone cold turkey with caffeine since I’ve been pregnant. I don’t have any. So that’s been 21 weeks & 3 days. But when we were waiting the two-week wait, I didn’t really drink it either, just assuming I was. Which, I was! 🙂 This is a personal decision. I know every mom-to-be out there still drinks their coffee as long as they keep it around 200mg per day.
-There are days I feel bigger and then there are days I feel smaller than the day before. It hasn’t been a straight line. Clearly, a lot of it is mental.
-Don’t judge other mom-to-be’s. Every pregnancy is different. We are all part of such a special and sacred little group. Protect one another. Encourage one another. Don’t judge their decisions. It’s their body & their baby. I will literally sit in my OB’s office waiting for my appointment and just look around the room and smile at other women.
-I’m a pregnancy “rule follower.” With food, with products, sleeping positions, all of it. I don’t see why you wouldn’t be. So many things can be out of your control, so why not do everything that’s at least in your power? Talk to me during Baby #2, but for now I am doing it all. Because why not? I want to be the healthiest I can be. And I want my baby girl to be the healthiest and safest she can be. This may sound uptight of me, but actually I couldn’t be more the opposite during this time. I enjoy listening to what’s best. It doesn’t stress me out at all.
-Pregnancy is absolutely beautiful. Like seriously. Just think about it. It’s beautiful!
-I’ve switched my skincare products along with my shampoo & conditioner to have no toxins or parabens. I even go for the non-toxic nail polishes – – at minimum go for at least the 3-Free. There are 5-Free, 7-Free, 8-Free & 9-Free also that are even better!
-When I opened my baby registry I had no clue what essentials I needed to register for! I thought it would be like a wedding registry where we would grab a “gun” in a store and go to town on all the cute things. Not the case. (Well, kind of the case… still go for all the cute stuff you want like blankets, stuffed animals, bows… 🙂 ) BUT, register online. It’s helpful because then you can add little bits along the way once you keep learning what you should register for. Ask recent new-moms on their advice for what brands and essentials you must-have. Ask what they registered for that they wish they hadn’t & never use. Ask what they wish they registered for that they didn’t and they now use all the time! (Once I become a pro at all of this, & especially when baby is here, I’ll share my thoughts with you, of course!) Along with hearing some repeat must-haves from different moms, I’m also hearing brands are important based on each individual baby. Maybe yours won’t like the same bottle brand or swaddle fabric as the other, and you will just have to go with the flow and learn via trial and error when the time comes with some of it. And I say ask recent newbie moms because there are so many new products and gear out there since our moms were new moms!
-Most importantly, I am SO PROUD of myself. I am SO PROUD of my body. And I think I’m handling pregnancy beautifully ❤️ And to all you pregnant mamas out there, you should be proud too.
PRODUCTS I’M LOVING & COULDN’T LIVE WITHOUT RIGHT NOW:
I didn’t start using “stretch mark” balms & oils until my 2nd trimester. I now use it twice a day. Applying when you get out of the shower is best because your pores are open to soak in all the good stuff. Make sure in addition to lathering your belly, also love on your hips, upper butt & boobs. (aka the areas that are prone to expanding during pregnancy). With that said, I keep reading and hearing that stretch marks are genetic. If your mom had stretch marks, you will probably get stretch marks. If she didn’t get stretch marks, then you should be way less prone to getting them! My mom luckily didn’t get any so we will see what happens. But, either way I’m lathering away. Here are my two absolute favorites.
–Honest Company Organic Belly Balm
The first trimester, I only used regular lotion all over my body to keep it hydrated. Aveeno Naturals was my favorite. It is non-greasy and unscented for sensitive skin.
–Aveeno Active Naturals Lotion
Earlier in this post I talked about how your body craves what it needs. I’m obsessing over this superfood!! It’s the highest plant-based source of iron. Has 40 times the antioxidants of blueberries. Full of Magnesium. Has more calcium than cow’s milk and tons of other benefits! I add it to my smoothie but you can add it to anything you want.
In my first trimester post, I shared that around 10 weeks I couldn’t take swallowing pills anymore due to nausea/gagging. I consulted with doctors and came up with this prenatal vitamin being best for me for the time being. (You can refer back to my previous post to learn more). Even though my morning sickness is thankfully behind me, it’s like my body is mentally scared and scarred from how rough it was on me forcing me to swallow the pills. So, I’m still on gummies until I can get my body to let me take them again! These have been a life-saver for me.
