Tag Archives: baby

I’ve Been MIA

Posted in New Mom Chronicles, Pregnancy, Uncategorized by

Sorry that I’ve been MIA for practically a year! A lot has happened! The biggest news of all that we are expecting a 2nd baby this April! With a new move, Thanksgiving, Christmas, planning a Baby Sprinkle and also getting ready for the new little one it has been quite hectic around here!

Being pregnant while have a toddler makes things quite interesting I tell you. My first pregnancy was a breeze because I could spoil myself, go work out whenever I wanted and sleep whenever I chose to. I didn’t have to answer to anyone and didn’t worry much about the late night insomnia because hey, I could just take a nap the next day right? That’s definitely not the case now. I have a boss to answer to and she is demanding. She stands about 30 inches tall and she wants what she wants. Pregnancy insomnia is in full effect and my job as a Mom does not include naps. Whoever said “nap when baby naps” must have an assistant/maid/nanny/magician. Sometimes you just want to sit in silence during naps and zone out. Other times you want to take that much needed shower, eat something, return messages or catch up on things that have fallen behind.

So anyways, I will definitely make separate posts about these different subjects later. Just wanted to give a quick update! Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and New Year!

 

Random Mom Hacks/Tips for Shopping

Posted in New Mom Chronicles, Shopping by

Note: This post will be updated regularly to add more tips as I find them!

Baby Registries: I had the worst experience with Babies R’ Us so I don’t recommend going with them. Loved my experience with Amazon as they have a great completion discount and if you have Prime it’s even more! I hear Target is great too!

Babies R’ Us: Hated this store at first but love how they price match other competitors. I recommend taking advantage of this all the time! They price match with Amazon as well! My local Babies R’ Us takes non-expired Bed Bath Beyond and Buy Buy Baby coupons so make sure you check if yours does too! Every so often they do have good sales. I like the Babyganics and Dapple brand. Every other month they have a “buy one get one 50% off” sale on those brands. If you can find a manufacturer’s coupon on top then you are set! Don’t ever buy Carter’s brand clothing here unless it’s on clearance. You can find it way cheaper at the Carter’s store. More about Carter’s below.

Buy Buy Baby: This is by far my favorite baby store and they also price match as well! They carry way more selection and the customer service is top notch. They also take non-expired Bed Bath Beyond coupons. Definitely sign up for their emails for monthly coupons!

Target: Target price matches as well. But I believe you have to buy the item then if you find it cheaper elsewhere or on their website they will match it within 14 days. Also, download the Cartwheel app for even more savings. I’ve saved so far over $60 with the app and have been actively using it for 4 or 5 months. Take note of their random promotions like “Baby Week”. For example they will have something like this: Buy $150 worth of baby items, get $25 Target gift card. But on top of that if you buy select diaper brands you can get an extra $10 gift card per 2 boxes bought. I did this the other day and got $55 back worth of gift cards AND I used the coupons on the Cartwheel app. Going back today to do the same thing but with manufacturer coupons on top of that as well! I heard  it can get as cheap as $8 for a large box of diapers! So cheap!

Carter’s: I may as well just hand cash over to Carter’s every month because this store just gets me every time. WAIT UNTIL major holidays to really buy out the store. That’s when they have promotions like “extra 30% off clearance” and “everything 50-60% off in store”. They do always have sales but I notice around the holidays it’s even better. Also, sign up for their emails to get that monthly coupon: 20% off your $40+ purchase or 15% off your $20+purchase.

Formula: Sign up online with Enfamil and Similac for their monthly coupons. You can get around $5 off with each check!

Bed Bath Beyond: I know that they don’t have a lot of in-store baby items. But if you want any household goods or partake in any of their sales be sure to use their 20% off coupons! Sign up to get them emailed and mailed to your house. THEY WILL TAKE EXPIRED COUPONS AND ALLOW YOU TO STACK AS MANY AS YOU WANT!!! I have gone in and used 20 of their coupons at once!

Supermarkets: Always check the back clearance section (usually by the butcher department or restrooms). On occasion I have found damaged diaper boxes (diapers in tact and okay) marked down 60%. These were Pampers brand so not too shabby!

 

Don’t Worry About That Instant Bond

Posted in Childbirth, Pregnancy by

Soon to be moms keep hearing about other mom’s stories of their “love at first sight” and instant bond with their newborn. You see it in movies all the time and hear all the love stories. People will keep telling you how amazing it’s going to be and how you will instantly feel a love and bond like no other. You will go home from the hospital and it will be an amazing time just “oohing” and “aahing” over this new baby. This will be the honeymoon period of your birth!

I’m here to say DON’T put pressure on yourself to feel this and don’t even think or agonize about how you are going to feel when that tiny human comes out of you. Way too many things are going on mentally, emotionally and physically that the last thing you need is to worry about whether you are feeling enough love for your new baby. If you do, great, if not, DON’T WORRY, it happens on its own and you will get there. I think a lot of moms lie when asked if it was “love at first sight”. Hey I get it, sometimes I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t have that fairytale birth where I looked into her eyes and love overwhelmed my heart and soul. Don’t get me wrong, when she was born it was amazing. I cried when the doctor laid her on my chest and when I held her, whoa, it was unreal. I definitely LOVED her and felt a connection. But it wasn’t like the stories I have heard. The bond definitely took some time to build and the love definitely did not come rushing through all at once. Not to fret though, my love for her now is so overwhelming I cry when I think of it. She makes every fiber of my heart melt and I love her more (if that’s even possible) each day. The bond I have with her is something I can’t even begin to explain.

So kudos to the mamas who had the fairytale births, it does happen for many moms, this I know! But if you are one of the mamas who didn’t have this uber emotional lovey dovey birth and you are sitting there wondering if something is wrong with you, don’t worry, nothing is wrong. When you give birth immediately there is a decline in those happy hormones and some women encounter medical issues so it makes it hard to focus on bonding with baby. For me I had a rough experience and post partum depression so it definitely made the bonding period challenging for me. No birth experiences are ever the same so don’t base someone else’s experience to what you are going to face. Yours will be unique entirely on its own. Just know, whether you bond at the hospital or days or weeks later at home, it will be amazing and the love you will feel will make everything worth it.

Motherhood Changed Me

Posted in New Mom Chronicles, Relationships, Sleepless Nights by

The second my little Piglet was born, I felt different. Well of course I felt different I’m the proud new parent of a small human being. But it was something else I tell you. Other chambers in myself opened whilst others shut forever. I was the old Jen but somehow with tweaks in my personality. Sleep deprivation definitely was responsible for the grouch in me but there was more. Suddenly nothing else mattered but HER. Everything about her came first. I would think of her 24 hours a day and research all about sleep patterns, feeding, babies, raising them, do’s and don’ts, products, shop for her, etc. I was and still am completely wrapped up in her.

My viewpoint towards people and friends changed a ton. Friends that didn’t care about my new life were no longer close friends to me. Naturally I grew apart from them. People that didn’t mind their manners about germs, being sick around her or being mindful of her nap time were wretched to me. I laugh. Because I know. It’s crazy. I get crazy mom syndrome sometimes and I’ll admit it. Anyone, and I mean anyone that comes over and isn’t mindful of her naps and what she needs gets to see my dark side, and it’s not pleasant. Lol. It’s all about her.

I cared less about myself. Okay this is bad but good. Bad for me, good for her, sort of. I put all of my energy and life into caring for her, nurturing her and making sure she has everything she needs. I spend time grooming her development and keeping her entertained. I would much rather spend money and time into making sure she has all the toys, games, and clothes she needs rather than spend on myself. The other day I felt guilty about buying sneakers. Why did I buy them? Ever since I got pregnant my feet swelled up and never went back. I needed comfortable shoes to carry her around in. Above all, material items aside, I give her all of me, my time, attention and love. And I’ll keep doing it no matter what. Yes, I’ve let myself go a bit, I’m not as thin and I don’t spend time applying makeup or curling my hair anymore. I really wish I could trust me, but that extra time goes to her and it’s deserving because one day I’ll blink and she will be 16.

Things that used to matter don’t matter anymore. It’s true. You become more focused on your family rather than going out, being around certain groups or spending frivolously on things (unless it’s for Piglet!). You start paying more attention on relationships that matter rather than unfruitful ones.

If you were not already in tune to world events or news even, you start to pay attention because it’s the world your little one will grow up in. Suddenly you worry because he or she will have to be around this. I became more eco-friendly when I became pregnant. I switched out all of my personal and home products. I make sure I recycle and not waste. I try to research all products before purchase. I am even trying to be more energy efficient. I want her to learn these things so she can help preserve our world so that she has a world to live in.

I’m not as nice. For the time being (hopefully). To everyone else besides my Piglet. I hate to say this but it’s true. My patience is tested to the core and I get no sleep or rest day to day. I have nothing left in me to be cordial or deal with small talk. The bags under my eyes speak for themselves. I barely know what day it is anymore and I don’t really care about anything else but getting her naps and feedings in. I have a very low tolerance for B.S. and I’m quick to snap.

On an end note, most of all that’s changed about me is the immense love my heart could hold and feel. I never knew my heart could give this much love or I could feel this way for another. On top of this it grows stronger with each day. I look at her and my heart wants to explode out of my chest. The words “she’s mine” leave my mouth and I hug her close to my heart. My biggest accomplishment is this little human who challenges me in the most meaningful ways each and every day.

Advice

Posted in New Mom Chronicles, Pregnancy by

It seems the moment you announce your pregnancy a ton of advice comes through from everyone around. Some solicited, some unsolicited. I am always open to advice and hearing about other mom’s stories and experience, but to a certain extent. I definitely advise any new moms to surround themselves with at least a few trusted mom friends to call upon when you have questions or need guidance. This is a definite MUST. What I have a problem with is people that don’t have kids of their own giving you advice on how to handle your baby, whether you should vaccinate or not, and how to raise your kids. I also have an issue with older people telling me how they raised their kids 40 plus years ago when EVERYTHING was different back then. If you don’t have kids and didn’t have a baby within the last 10-12 years please don’t give me your two cents.

Advice that I’ve heard that I disagree with:

Keep your baby up all day so she will be tired and sleep better at night.

Keep all the lights on and TV loud at night so she will get used to the noise and interference.

Don’t pick up the baby too much or she will get spoiled.

Don’t let the baby sleep with you or she will be spoiled and want to be with you all the time.

Use a bunch of spices in your baby’s food early on so she won’t be a picky eater.

Look, she’s not tired yet let me play with her some more. (When it’s her scheduled nap time)

Let your baby cry it out. Okay, so I agree and disagree to an extent with this. I agree to not run to pick baby up at the slightest whimper noise or cry (as long as they are not hurt or in danger). I agree with letting baby fuss it out a bit before sleep because some babies just need to do this to settle before sleep. But I don’t agree with shutting their nursery door at night and not returning till the morning while letting them cry and scream the whole night through. I don’t agree with letting your baby cry till he/she vomits, letting her cry and sweat till she soaks through her clothes and sheets, or till she cries and chokes.

All in all, my point is, you will hear a ton of advice from everyone around on how to raise your baby and what to do. Whenever I had a question I would ask 3 different mom friends and also do my own research. I would then choose a method that seemed to work best for me. Sometimes I went with a friend’s advice, sometimes I would blend different opinions together and there were times I just went with my gut instinct. You as a mother should pick what seems best for you and your baby. Never feel pressured to go with your Mom’s, In Law’s, Friend’s or even a website’s advice. This is why I always tell new mom friends that the information is out there, there is NO EXCUSE for not educating yourself about your baby and how to care for he/she!

What I Would Have Done Differently

Posted in Childbirth, New Mom Chronicles, Pregnancy by

When asked what I would have done differently during my pregnancy and labor only a few things come to mind for now:

Journal and Memories: I wish I would have documented the pregnancy more and taken more photos. If I could go back I would definitely have at least kept a weekly journal and maybe even make a time capsule for my baby piglet.

PPD: You hear about post partum depression a lot but you always skim past the articles and tune out any talk of it because you don’t really think it could happen to you. If I could go back I would have better educated myself about the subject so that I could have been better prepared and be able to recognize the signs. After I got home from the hospital I had a bad case of stress, anxiety and depression. I didn’t know what hit me. After about a week I had to look up symptoms of PPD but I couldn’t grasp that I had it. Had I been better informed I think I would have sought help quicker rather than suffer alone.

Visitors: I should have been more firm with my husband about visitors. Of course he, not going through childbirth or anything was more than eager to have everyone come visit. But I, just going through quite an ordeal (24 hours of early labor, 16 hours active labor, painful episiotomy, major edema in around my vaginal area which resulted in bodily functions shutting down, malfunctioning bladder, painful catheter insertion, UTI, on top of that PPD… I WAS NOT up for visitors. Of course everyone wants to see the baby and think it’s such a great time. It’s not! Hormones are out of whack, you just birthed out a human being and you are not sure how your life is anymore. Lack of sleep and a newborn on your breast every hour takes a lot out of you. If I could go back, I would have firmly put my foot down, no visitors for 1st two weeks. Immediate family can visit ONCE in the 1st week for a short time.

Night Nurse: I know this is a luxury. But I would have honestly gotten a night nurse. My friend did and it made me regret not doing so. I think it would have made my life, recovery and PPD a lot easier. At least for the 1st month or two! Sleep is everything I’ve learned. Too little of it makes you a monster and wonder every morning how you are still alive. How can one go on sleeping in 2 hour increments with no naps during the day? So yes, next time I’m pregnant if that ever happens I’m getting a night nurse.

Things No One Tells You About Birth and the Aftermath

Posted in Childbirth, New Mom Chronicles by

You have no idea how many times my eyes widened or I questioned if I was really going through this. How come no one told me? How come my friends didn’t warn me? Why didn’t I read about this in the baby books?! Was this taboo to talk about? I really could have used a warning or two! Honestly, if I could go back and had the chance to be forewarned about these things I would have gladly taken the caution. I was absolutely appalled at what I was asked to do and had no idea that some of these things were supposed to happen.

Poop on the Table. You might poop on the table as you give birth. Yes it happens, not many talk about or want to talk about it. Many try to forget it. Some ask that they are not told if they did or not. I may have, not sure, but I will tell you in that moment you won’t care! You just want that baby out of you!

The Uterine Massage. Okay so as if it wasn’t enough to be in labor and push out a human being, they come and tell you they are now going to “massage” your uterus. Take the term “massage” loosely. I think they say that so you don’t jump out of bed or take your foot out of the stirrup and kick them in the face. I’ve heard that even when you have a C-Section they still do this no matter what! This is in no way a gentle, soothing, relaxing procedure. Two hands dig into your abdomen kneading and pushing and forcing the placenta out. I winced in pain appalled that pushing a baby out wasn’t the end of this. After the massage was over, I then “delivered” the placenta. This in which is sometimes spoken of but not sure if you can ever be prepared enough to see it. I just remember my eyes widened in horror and I couldn’t believe that big bloody gelatinous glob came out of me.

The First Pee. So you just went through labor and delivery. You JUST pushed out a baby. Your vagina and everything else surrounding it is torn, ripped, throbbing and has been through hell and back. If you had a C-Section then you must feel like you have just been cut open like a chicken. Well, don’t get too comfortable in your bed lady. About 30 minutes to an hour after you deliver, the nurses basically force you to stand up and walk to the bathroom to PEE. I laugh as I write this because I remember looking at my nurse, shaking my head as if I heard her wrong and asking her “You want me to do what?”. She said “You need to get up and go to the bathroom to pee.” But I don’t have to! It doesn’t matter. It’s so important that you pee right after you give birth and for them to witness and measure your pee so they can see that everything is working okay down there. Otherwise say hello to Mr. Catheter which I ended up needing. So back to getting up from the bed. I was in so much pain from the birth and from being stitched up that it hurt so much to even move around in bed let alone having to swing my legs over and to stand up. My husband and a nurse had to help me up and they slowly helped me shimmy my way to the bathroom which felt like 10 miles away. Let me add that once you stand up, you feel the gush of warm bloody fluid exit your vagina. It’s almost shocking how much comes out that you feel like you are hemorrhaging! Once we got to the bathroom, they asked that I sit down on the toilet (yes, sit down!) and pee. Everyone (husband included) were all standing there watching. Unsurprisingly, nothing happened. Finally I asked if I could get some privacy, the pressure and the eyes on me were just too much. Not 35 seconds later I hear a knock and it’s my husband asking if I’m doing alright. Sigh. LEAVE ME ALONE! 45 seconds later the nurse comes in and says to spray some warm water down there to get things going. Nope, didn’t help. I kept asking for time but no one wanted to give it. Up the catheter it went, which was SO PAINFUL because they had to basically poke around my new stitches and push something up there where something just came ripping out of. OUCH.

The 24 Hour a Day Checks. After I gave birth I was in the hospital 2 full days and nights. The nurses come and check in on you around the clock and I mean around the clock whether it be at 3am or 3pm. They come in, take your blood pressure, check if you have a fever AND they constantly make you lie down and then proceed to poke around down there. They move your giant diaper sized pad around, press deeply into your tender abdomen, take a deeper look to see how much you are bleeding and they pat your stitches. All I could think of was screaming “Leave my vagina alone already, don’t you know what it just went through?!”

The Blood and Smell. Be prepared to wear diapers for 2 months! I knew I was going to bleed afterwards. I thought for maybe a couple weeks and that it would be like a period. NO WAY. This was like the Red Sea had exploded inside of me. Blood gushed endlessly for weeks. Every time I stood up an ocean of it came gushing down prompting me to change my pad yet again. And the smell oh the horror! I can’t even describe this, what they call (yes there’s a name for it) “lochia”. No matter how many times I washed, changed, aired out, it still was there. It didn’t completely go away for at least 8 weeks!

After Birth Contractions. So they don’t tell you that after you give birth you will still feel these contractions, especially if you try to breastfeed. These contractions were not in any way as bad as the pre-birth ones but they weren’t pleasant. I constantly thought something was wrong inside of me or a 2nd baby was trying to make its way out.

The First Poo. I never thought of this up until I got closer to my due date. “What happens when I poo? OMG, how am I going to poo?” I never read about this in the books I got and I never heard girlfriends discuss this at baby showers and gatherings. My girlfriend finally brought it up to me and said it wasn’t that bad. Just take stool softeners. Hmmm, okay. Well I guess if other women have done it then so can I. After I gave birth, they immediately handed me a stool softener pill to take along with pain medication (a Norco to be exact). I popped the Norcos ’round the clock while I was in the hospital because the abdominal pain was too much. Much to my dismay, I wasn’t told about the side effects of these little gems! They tend to cause something called CONSTIPATION. You do not want to have just given birth and be constipated at the same time. Stool softeners will NOT help as they soften the stool that is newly produced not what has already been sitting in your system. So a few days after being discharged from the hospital I ended up at the ER for a malfunctioning bladder and extreme constipation. I mean, so extreme I was in pain and wanted to die. My stitches felt like they were being ripped apart. Advice? Take laxatives a few days before your due date and stay away from the Norcos ladies. No Bueno. Let’s just end this with my first poo being worst than pushing my baby out. I barely made it out of the bathroom alive.

Fart. Before you leave the hospital the nurses constantly ask you if you passed gas. You MUST pass gas before you can pass go. Seriously. Make sure you pass your gas and tell your nurses you did!

The Drive Home. THE WORST DRIVE EVER. You will feel all the bumps, potholes and turns! You will curse at your partner and scream and yell. You will grip onto what you can and grit your teeth. Suggestion? Invest in one of those donut pillows. Those are literally a lifesaver for the next 6 weeks.

Don’t Look Down. Your vagina will never look the same. Most of us don’t want to think about this. But I suggest not looking down there for 3 months, UNLESS you feel like something is really wrong and need to check. Otherwise, save yourself the scare and keep the pocket mirror out of the bathroom.

Sex. Is. Going. To. Hurt. This will hurt more than your first time ever did. You will feel like you are not going to make it out of this alive. You will want to crawl away and hide. But you will make it through, it will hurt several times over. But you will get through this and it will get better!

Mental Block. You will swear up and down that you will never do this again. The pain and agony fresh in your mind as you sit there and bleed out everyday. About 3-4 months later, slowly your memory of the experience gets foggy and it doesn’t seem as bad anymore. Your newborn isn’t a newborn anymore and cries less and sleeps more. Suddenly a 2nd doesn’t seem so bad does it?

“Mommy’s Thumb”. Okay this is a real thing, Google it. This happens particularly to new moms with no experience in how to hold a baby. I was holding my baby a lot and letting the weight of her head strain my right thumb. It got to be so painful that I would wake up in the morning with it feeling completely numb. I remember not being able to hold her without wincing in pain. I felt like I had arthritis or like my thumb was broken. I looked it up (because I like to self-diagnose myself via the internet) and lo and behold “Mommy’s Thumb”.

Pap Smear. Yes, about 6-8 weeks after pushing a human out of your vagina your OB will want to perform a pap smear on you and dig around your uterus to see how things are going down there.

Hatred for Hubby. Okay not hatred, but extreme irritation. This is mostly the hormones, lack of sleep and stress causing you to act out. I promise that it gets better and you will look at him one day as your hubby again. Babies completely change a relationship/marriage! But with work, communication and understanding you will be able to find your way back again.

Losing Friends. Be prepared to lose friends. Especially those with no kids. You won’t be able to hold a decent convo with someone without getting distracted by baby and hardly be able to speak about things that are non-baby related.

Sleep Deprivation.

Posted in New Mom Chronicles, Sleepless Nights by

Oh the joy of sleep deprivation! I’ve always been an 8 hour minimum night’s sleep type of gal. It’s amazing how I’m still able to function now with 2 hour increments of sleep per night. Also completely surprised at how amazing I feel after getting 4 hours of straight sleep.

Sleep deprivation can do a number on you mentally, emotionally and physically. I turn into a complete monster when I am running on two hours of sleep and definitely feel bad for the hubby for receiving the backlash. Patience will run low, you will be too tired to sleep at times, you forget what you did 5 minutes ago, you will repeat things you already did, and you will get snappy! You start looking like a homeless person and one day happen to catch a glimpse of yourself while outside and are in utter shock at the physical transformation (and this is on a day you think you looked okay). I find myself investing in eye creams, more makeup and crying in my bathroom corner. I look at old photos and wonder if I’ll ever look like that again!

Funniest things I’ve done while sleep deprived:

Hallucinated. You are half asleep and swear the baby is somewhere else or you are somewhere else. This happened to me last night, I thought it was 3am and it was time to feed the baby when it was only 9pm. I ran to her room frantic because I thought I missed her first feeding.

Delirious online shopping. Once I was so delirious I added a bunch of random things to my shopping cart and hit “purchase”. The next morning I saw a confirmation email in my inbox and had to call them to cancel. What was I thinking?

Phantom crying. I swear she’s crying when she’s not. I’ll run into her room and she’s fast asleep.

I keep praying this will end soon and sometimes get upset if my little babe won’t stop crying at night. But then… I think about how this time won’t last forever. One day she won’t need me anymore and there will be a time where she won’t be right next to me where I can scoop her right up. So I just brush off my fatigue and hold her even closer and just try to freeze that moment. “These times won’t last forever, please don’t grow up too fast.” I whisper.

Gender Reveal… another event to plan.

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As if you don’t have enough on your plate with a new pregnancy, announcing a pregnancy and on top of that a baby shower, seems these days everyone is doing a gender reveal! What is a gender reveal? Well, it’s where the couple reveals the baby’s gender to everyone in some sort of celebration or cute way. It can be at a party, dinner, home or through photos! It can be with close family or with close friends/family, you choose!

I personally always knew I wanted to do a gender reveal party. I had planned on this even before we decided to try to have kids. I would mentally keep note of the different cute ways to do it and all the cute decorations and games. It really is like a mini baby shower minus the gifts. I kept my party guest list limited to about 30 people. We had catered food, games and really cute blue and pink decorations. For the big reveal I had special ordered these mini cupcakes with colored icing in the middle, blue for boy and pink for girl! We passed a cupcake out to everyone and had them bite into it at the same time with us. The outcome was a shocker! We were so sure our “little bean” was a BOY… but she was a girl! I didn’t know how to process it at first but in the end, I wouldn’t have it any other way. She is so sweet and perfect, I would change NOTHING.

I think it’s especially fun to do this type of event especially if it’s your first child. Memories are everything to me and this is something I can share with her when she’s older. She will see our reactions the moment we found out we were having her. Thinking about doing a reveal? Here are some suggestions:

  • Keep it small. Family members and VERY close friends. Anything more than 20-30 people is too much.
  • You CAN do it at home with just immediate family! Get a cake and have colored icing placed inside by the baker or close friend! Cut into it together and film the whole thing!
  • Don’t ask or expect gifts. This is your moment you are sharing with the people that you care about.
  • Make the reveal fun with either a dessert, games or an activity. You can find tons of ideas on Pinterest. I saw a cute one where the couple got a large box and had a friend fill it with either pink or blue balloons. They had to open it in the end to reveal what they were having!
  • Don’t want to do a reveal? You can do one through creative photography and post it on your social media or mail it out to people. Again, Pinterest has a ton of photo ideas!
  • Don’t want to share your reveal with everyone? Plan an intimate night out just you two and have the results in an envelope. Open it together and celebrate!

Documenting your pregnancy can result in a lot of saved memories and experiences that you can share with your little one later! It may seem like a long ways away till your little one arrives but trust me, it’s around the corner! It flew by really fast for me. I regret not journaling more, taking more photos and documenting more things!

The 1st Trimester

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Out of all the trimesters I would say the 1st took the longest. It seemed like time stood still especially with the fact that we chose to wait till I reached 12 weeks before we told anyone. We both wanted to shout it to the world! I remember it being extremely hard keeping this secret to ourselves. I would say this was THE biggest secret I’ve ever had to keep mum about! I didn’t even tell my mom or my closest friends!

I definitely was hit with “morning sickness” except it hit me at night right before bed on the dot. I remember the wave of nausea, the stomach churning and the sour taste in my mouth. The headaches! Oh the headaches, how they would cripple me! I was so paranoid about anything I put in my body that I refused to take any type of pain medication for it even though the doctor said Tylenol was okay. I had my “little bean” inside me and I wanted as least chemicals inside my body as possible. She was the only thing that mattered to me now.

During this time I didn’t quite have that feeling that a life was growing inside of me yet I didn’t really feel like myself anymore. Food didn’t really taste the same to me and I’m a major FOODIE! I was worried that I wasn’t getting enough nutrients to her so I just forced myself to eat a ton of salads, fruits and protein. I remember going online and printing out food charts and what the best things to eat were. I was going to give my best to the “little bean” and only the best.

Okay, so one of THE most challenging things was what to do once you find out you are pregnant. I don’t have a lot of family and my mother and I are not that close so I really didn’t have any guidance. So if you are reading this and newly pregnant here is my list of things you need to do in your 1st trimester:

  • Find an OBGYN if you don’t already have one and make an appointment. Most won’t see you until you are about 6-8 weeks along. Make a list of questions that you want to ask him/her. Things I look for in an OBGYN: reviews/ratings, good bed side manners, C-section rates, how long he/she has been practicing for, any malpractice suits or complaints, if they will work with your birth plan and lastly, how much time they spend with me and how they answer my questions.
  • Find a hospital that you want to deliver at and figure out if your OBGYN delivers there. Take a tour of the facility, ask a ton of questions. If your OBGYN of choice does not deliver there then you have to either pick a hospital they are affiliated with or pick an OBGYN that is at your hospital of choice. Things I look for in a hospital: reviews/ratings, C-section rates, clean and state of the art facilities, distance from home.
  • Start your prenatal vitamins ASAP and take them religiously. I also took DHA vitamins for brain development too. Keep taking these even after you deliver especially if you plan on breast feeding.
  • Choose ONE pregnancy book to read. You don’t need to do this but I do this because I like to be informed of EVERYTHING and be prepared for ANYTHING. This is a life you are growing inside of you, information is EVERYTHING at this point. I liked “What to Expect When You Are Expecting”, it was extremely informative, easy to read and covered everything from proper diet, exercise to common questions.
  • If you are able to and don’t have any health complications, please exercise. This can be one of the best things you could EVER do for you and your little one. My OBGYN put it perfectly when she said labor and delivery are like a marathon that you have to train for. It is really draining and exhausting! Also, it’s so much better for the baby if you keep up on exercise! You don’t have to do anything crazy, daily walks outside or on treadmill, yoga, light aerobics, etc., will all help! Plus, you will bounce back easier after birth if you were already in shape. I was already active prior to getting pregnant so I stayed active all the way up to 40 weeks. In my 1st and 2nd trimester I did a lot of classes like Cardio Kickboxing (modified of course) and Cardio Barre, Yoga, elliptical machine, weights (you need to start building some upper body strength!) and lots of walking (I walked at least 3 miles). Of course, run everything by your doctor first before trying anything! Side note: By your 2nd trimester you shouldn’t be doing anything where you are laying on your back, so learn how to modify your work outs!
  • Clean up your diet if you haven’t already. Research things you can and cannot eat. Load up on nutritious foods and snacks. Drink a TON of water. I can’t stress this enough. You need so much water at this point to help the baby and his/her environment grow! Also, this is OBVIOUS but quit smoking, drinking and drugs please! Saying things like “I didn’t know” isn’t an excuse anymore. You became a mother once a life started growing inside of you. The information is readily available out there today, it’s up to you to seek it out.
  • Start thinking about what kind of birth you want to have: natural, at home, mid wife assisted, in hospital with epidural, etc.
  • Check with your medical insurance on what prenatal and postnatal costs are covered and not covered.
  • Get lots of rest! Making a baby is HARD WORK mama!
  • Find 3 mom friends that you can openly contact at any time to ask questions and solicit advice from. 2-3 friends are good, any more than that then all the information and differing opinions can be cumbersome. I think I had 2-3 friends whom I could text at any hour to either ask questions, advice or just plain vent to. Trust me, you need this!
  • Start saving money!

This is the time to sit your significant other down and really go over what kind of scenarios they can expect from you. Your hormones start to get overwhelming and you could very well turn into someone different for the next 9 months! Let them know that there is exhaustion, sickness, things you need help getting done, etc. Split the tasks with them! Growing a baby inside of you is not an easy job and can feel like every ounce of life is being drained from your body. Unless you have gone through it you would never know! This is the time to go over expectations and help the other person understand what you need and how it may be so they are better prepared!

Hang in there! Once you hit your 2nd trimester your energy comes back and more exciting things start happening like flutters, kicks and watching your belly grow!