I found out I was pregnant late April 2019. As mentioned in my previous post, Tony and I had tried for almost a year without success. Then finally the day came when the test read positive; I will forever have that day embedded into my heart.
Before getting pregnant
Since we weren’t having luck getting pregnant, I started doing some very basic research on what could be naturally done to help the process including dietary changes and exercise. Before we get into this topic more, I want you all to know that by no means am I an expert in fertility or pregnancy; I’m simply sharing what I did and what worked for us.
Diet changes
My diet before pregnancy was pretty healthy (or so I thought, but everyone’s perception of ‘healthy’ is different). I didn’t eat processed food, beef, pork and rarely had dairy; we usually focus on lean meats, lots of veggies and OF COURSE you know I gotta have my healthy treats. However, it was fairly common for me to not eat breakfast and just have a late lunch, or sometimes I’d be stressed out and forget to sit down for a full meal during the day. I also drank A TON of coffee. Probably 2 cups in the morning and a few more cups in the afternoon (or my favorite iced almond milk latte from Limitless).
After doing a little research and talking to other women who had trouble getting pregnant, I decided to make a few small changes in my diet. Overall, I continued to eat REAL SIMPLE food, meaning food that wasn’t processed or from a package. I wasn’t overly strict because I didn’t feel the need to be, but I’d say I mostly tried to ADD to my diet, rather than take things away.
A big change was incorporating full fat dairy into my diet in the form of yogurt. My dietitian friend Katie had mentioned it to me a long time ago, and after reading a few articles, I thought, why not try it? I ate whole milk dairy 3-4 times per week in my smoothies or with delicious yogurt bowls and homemade granola.
Other diet changes included reducing my caffeine intake, which was fairly difficult for me. I tried to have only 1-2 cups of coffee in the morning. This didn’t happen immediately, but over time I was definitely better and more conscious about relying on caffeine. As far as food goes, I tried adding more leafy greens like spinach in just about anything I could, a scoop of flaxseed meal to my smoothies and incorporating more healthy fats like nuts, seeds and plenty of avocados. I also ate tons of seasonal, organic fresh fruit and focused on not skipping meals (mostly breakfast). To ensure I was satisfied and to manage my blood sugar a little better, I also made more of my own snacks (like these energy bites), had fruit and nut butter, or had hummus and veggies instead of just noshing on my favorite RXBars or GoMacro bars.
Another big change was eating brazil nuts. I know it sounds random, but I had heard of their nutritional benefits including selenium, so it was kind of like a “why the hell not” thing. I ate 2-3 brazil nuts a day in the two months before I got pregnant, so take that for what you will.
My diet wasn’t the only one changing. Tony’s was too! He basically eats whatever I do, so I know he was benefiting from all of this. He also started regularly working out and taking a Men’s multivitamin. More on this in a bit!
Exercise and sleep before pregnancy
The entire year before getting pregnant my exercise routine was somewhat intense. I worked out 5x per week, which included heavy cardio, intense weight-lifting and heated, sculpted power yoga with weights. To be completely honest, I LOVED how my workouts made me feel powerful, strong and like a badass; however, I also began to recognize how stressful it was on my body. I was also incredibly tired, worn out, sore, and probably overusing a lot of muscle groups.
In a lot of ways, I relied on my exercise routine to manage my stress and anxiety. I was addicted to the feeling exercise gave me. Once I started to recognize this, I knew that what I was doing needed to change so I began to cut back on the intensity of my workouts. I probably only went to my cross training classes 1x per week and then slowly switched my complete focus over to yoga. I began taking more slow flow yoga and restorative classes. During yoga, it was as though my mind was forced to slow down, instead of keep up with all the chaos going on around me. It was the peace I needed.
Sometime during this process I also began to realize how important sleep was. (Don’t ask me why it took me until I was 30 to figure it out!)
It’s funny how sleep is such a valuable necessity to live but is never really considered when we talk about our physical or mental health. Yet when you think about how much we actually need sleep in order to function, regulate hormones, release toxins, boost our immune system and so much more, you realize that you should just let your body do it’s natural thing while you can. Thus, apart of my pregnancy journey was focused on giving myself permission to sleep more. Sleep in on the weekends. Sleep when my body needed it.
Often times, rejuvenation and rest is what helps us become the most refreshed and recharged. A huge part of me believes that creating a better routine surrounding sleep was incredibly beneficial to my body and mind.
All about prenatals
One of the most asked questions I get surrounding pregnancy is what prenatals am I taking. Funny thing is that I actually started taking prenatals BEFORE I got pregnant. During the year of trying to get pregnant, I was taking Garden of Life prenatal vitamins, however, I wasn’t very consistent with it. I’d take them here and there.
Back in March, my friend Locke introduced me to a vitamin company called Binto and connected me with the founder, Nurse Suzie. Immediately, Suzie and I hit it off over email, and I was super excited about her products. First, I thought it was amazing that Binto was a female founded company and secondly, I was intrigued because the founder is also a registered nurse who started Binto to help women get safe and effective personalized vitamins at an affordable price. Not only that, but Binto gives back to women through non-profits.
The best part though? The Binto vitamins are tailored to your needs and body. You just fill out a survey online and then get your results based on your goals. They have regular women’s multi-vitamins, but also have focuses on prenatal, pregnancy, postpartum and menopause. The vitamin packages start at $35/month and are directly delivered to your doorstep! They’re also gluten free, vegan-friendly, preservative free and formulated with methylated folate — (6s)-5-Methylfolate. Methylated folate is important to use over regular folic acid since folic acid is a synthetic form of folate, and relies on a gene and an enzyme called MTHFR to convert folic acid to its active form. Many women have issues absorbing folic acid and don’t even know it, so it’s best to use methylated folate for proper absorption for both mama and baby.
And no, I haven’t been paid to say any of this. I’m just obsessed with Binto and the founder Nurse Suzie. And wanna know the reason why?! Well, I started taking the Binto prenatal vitamins (which included a prenatal with DHA, a probiotic, CoQ10 and NAC) back in March and by the end of April, I was pregnant. Oh happy day! 🙂
If you are interested in trying BINTO, you can use the code ‘ambitiouskitchen’ for 20% off your first order! *this is not paid, I truly just am obsessed with them haha*
I’m also taking Binto vitamins now that I’m pregnant and love them. Each package comes with information on what type of vitamins you are taking and what they do for your body. It’s so fun!
As far as Tony goes, he took the Garden of Life Men’s multivitamin before we got pregnant and still does today! I actually ended up getting him the multi-vitamin gummies to ensure that he actually takes them — ha.
The First Trimester
The first 8 weeks of pregnancy were a whirlwind. Technically, you don’t know that you are pregnant until you are already 4 weeks along, since that’s when you’ll typically miss your period. After finding out we were expecting, it seemed like the first few weeks went by so slowly. Perhaps it was because I was so overwhelmed with wonder (and maybe a little anxiety too!).
I remember after finding out, I was cramping on and off for about two weeks. Other than being a little bit more tired than usual, my routine was the same. I didn’t really *FEEL* pregnant which was a little bit of a shock to me, because I had always anticipated automatically feeling different once I knew. Yet things were very much the same. I kept up with yoga and all my activities.
One of the first symptoms I noticed was how big and achy my boobs felt. It seems as though they had grown a cup or two overnight! It was extremely uncomfortable but over the next few weeks I grew used to my bras fitting a little more tight. Eventually I had to get a more supportive sports bra to wear while I was working out.
The next thing I noticed was how hungry I’d be at certain points. Like if I didn’t eat every two hours, then I might die of sheer annoyance with everything and everyone. It was more like a HANGRY thing, so watch out for the preggo ladies! 😉
The sickness I’ll never forget
Around week 6, we took a trip to Barcelona followed by a trip to Turkey to look for rugs for Ambitious Home. During the last part of our Barcelona trip I felt as though my throat was on fire, but I just thought it was from inhaling so much smoke on the streets of Barcelona (everyone smokes there apparently). Once we got to Turkey it became evident that I was sick. Very sick, actually. Like the most sick I have been in a decade, I swear. I couldn’t walk, felt like I couldn’t breathe and couldn’t really take anything for it because 1) I was pregnant and 2) the language barrier is very difficult and 3) we didn’t want to take any risks of picking up the wrong medication. I basically slept all day every day for 5 days straight. My body, back and eyes hurt. I had a terrible cough and used up more kleenex than any person should. This wasn’t morning sickness. Perhaps it was the flu? I’m still not sure.
Our trip in Turkey was supposed to last another 10 days or so but I had started spotting, which at 7 weeks is fairly scary. Immediately, I called my doctor and she said to watch for any heavy bleeding, cramping, etc. The spotting continued on and off, which really made us both anxious because I truly didn’t want to have a miscarriage in another country, especially as we were about to leave for the middle of Turkey with little to no medical access. After talking it through, Tony and I made the decision to end our trip early and come home. Not only did it put my mind at ease, but also my body. I slept for days after that. My sickness lasted for another week, and the spotting eventually stopped. To this day, I have no idea what it was, but I’m glad I was in the comfort of my own home to heal.
Bottom line, learn to trust your body. 🙂 I could have really pushed myself to keep going, but know I did what’s best for me.
The exhaustion and nausea
Around week 8, I started experiencing nausea. YUCK is all I can say. Seriously, it was terrible. Basically, I compare it to the equivalent of just feeling VERY hungover, except you’re more nauseated and nothing you do helps.
Luckily, I didn’t actually throw up at all during pregnancy, but the feeling of nausea stuck with me until around week 13.
One thing that really helped me with nausea was making sure to eat every 2 hours even if I didn’t want to. If I went any longer than 2 hours, I would be starving, yet also disgusted with all food. Weird, huh?
If that didn’t work for the nausea, I typically always had some ginger candies on hand. Another thing my doctor suggested was taking a B vitamin supplement and magnesium. I did both and I’m not sure they really helped that much, but I really loved the magnesium drink to help hydrate me.
The exhaustion wasn’t fun either and something I really wasn’t expecting. I usually can fight through being tired, but this was truly something else. From about weeks 7-12, I went to bed every night between 8-9pm and woke up at 7-8am, yet the next day, I still was exhausted by 2pm and found myself feeling worthless. I couldn’t focus or work, which was mentally very challenging for me because I’m so used to getting things done. Instead, Abra would leave early for the day and I’d basically lay on the couch for 2 hours, sometimes falling asleep if I let myself.
After week 13, I was pretty much done feeling sick and tired and felt back to my normal self. The exhaustion went away before the nausea did — thank goodness!
All I have to say is that WOMEN are rockstars. Especially those of you who are pregnant and have to go into an office to work every day — BLESS YOU. Seriously, you’re amazing. Those couple weeks of exhaustion really gave me a newfound sense of gratitude when it came to what I do and the ability to work from home and set my own schedule, because I know not everyone has that option.
Food aversions and cravings
I expected myself to be the healthiest mama on the block, but honestly, I had to let go of those expectations I put upon myself in order to LIVE. When I was nauseated, the last thing I wanted was a smoothie or a salad. From week 8-13 it was all about the carbs, because that’s what my body needed. Instead of my typical smoothie for breakfast I had a bagel with cream cheese. For dinner, sometimes I would just make mashed potatoes with butter because it was the only thing I could stand. I also ate my fair share of french fries, hearty sandwiches, cold cereal and more.
To be transparent and honest, sometimes I would get frustrated with myself because I felt as though I wasn’t being the best mama to be with all of my food choices. I came to an understanding that the guilt wouldn’t be any good for me and I just let that shit go. It’s life, we can’t be perfect. We can only try to make good decisions, but at the end of the day, we’re all human.
That being said, here’s what I hated the first trimester: seafood, meat, avocado, salads, smoothies, most veggies.
Foods I liked: fresh pineapple, all berries, dried mangos, bagels, soft licorice, cheese, cold cereal, peanut butter toast, bananas, fresh fruit, oatmeal, yogurt with granola, hummus, carrots, Simple Mills cheddar crackers, mashed potatoes.
The apps I’m using
There are two apps that I’m currently using to track my pregnancy that I found very helpful. The Bump App and What to Expect. Both are great sources of information, plus there are free linked communities of other pregnant women who are due in the same time frame that you can chat with! I still use both, but in the beginning was religiously reading What to Expect. You can look them up on your phone’s app store and easily find both!
The books I’m reading
There are a few books that I immediately purchased because the entire thought of having a baby is overwhelming. Think about it, you have 9 months to prepare to raise a HUMAN. Part of me feels relaxed about it, but another part of me wants to feel educated and prepared for the upcoming decisions I know I’ll have to make.
The first book I got was Mama Natural, which I really enjoyed because it’s geared towards women who have to have natural, unmedicated births (something I’m planning on doing). It talks a lot about hospital policy and old school traditions based on convention and fear. This book is really all about helping women make their own informed decisions and was super helpful for me when talking to my doctor, midwives and hospital about questions and practices.
The second book I got was Bringing Up Bebe, which came as a recommendation from a friend. I’m still making my way through it, but so far enjoying it.
If you have any books that you’ve enjoyed, please let me know in the comments below. I refuse to read the What to Expect book because I already have the app and feel like that’s enough haha.
Exercise during pregnancy
In term of exercise, my doctor said that I could do everything I was doing before pregnancy besides any contact sports and hot yoga, but from about weeks 8-11 I rarely exercised. Frankly, it was just really difficult for me because not only was I tired, I was also nauseated — which is never a good feeling to have when working out.
Around week 8 I stopped doing my regular yoga routine altogether because it was making me SO FREAKING TIRED and dehydrated.
After a few weeks of sitting around the house, I started to feel a little depressed and somewhat worthless, which I feel are all normal pregnancy symptoms thanks to those hormones.
But I was an emotional wreck and knew I needed to do SOMETHING. Then I remembered that one of my former fitness instructors was also a personal trainer who focused on training women. I messaged her to see if we could start working together, so we did. Currently I do personal training 2x per week to build a strong foundation for birth, mental health and pregnancy. We focus on stability, leg and core strength, and pelvic floor work. I think we might do some pregnancy workout videos too, so stay tuned for that!
Along with personal training, I also bike 2x per week along the lakeshore path with Tony. Lately it’s becoming more difficult with my big old belly, but still enjoyable and I love to soak up the sunshine.
More recently I’ve been going back to cross-training about 1x per week. I do modifications and always listen to my body. If anything seems weird I ask the personal trainer for a different exercise option.
I’ve gotten a lot of questions from followers on Instagram about exercise and my recommendation is to talk to your doctor. If you do any kind of training, it’s also very important to work with someone who is trained in prenatal/postnatal exercises as well. Most of all, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!
Products I am loving for my belly
Currently I’m using Zoe’s Organics pregnancy kit, which includes a belly butter, belly oil to prevent stretch marks and a refresh oil, which is supposedly amazing for when you are nauseous — you just apply it to pressure points. Any products you are using and loving?
Things I’m doing that are so called no-no’s
There’s a lot of fear surrounding food and pregnancy. I’m here to say that I drink kombucha, eat deli meat, have had a sip or two of wine and I’m still fine. There are a lot of things that can make you sick or overwhelmed. Make choices that are best for YOU! And talk to your doctor, midwife and/or doula if you have questions.
Judgement surrounding pregnancy
Every woman’s experience is her own, and it’s important to honor and respect that. Being that I have a public blog and Instagram that millions of people read, I’m used to being criticized for my choices and for what I put out into the world. Of course, there is a time and place to let some of that pass without acknowledging it, but there’s also a time to stand up for what’s right because I fear I am not alone in feeling judged and shamed for having non-traditional choices.
Just because an experience or method is different than yours doesn’t mean it should be ridiculed or be invalid. We should not compare struggles or paths to pregnancy, because we’re all unique. I would love to suggest having more open, non-judgmental conversations about pregnancy and fertility because so much of it is tied to our mental health. Women should feel uplifted and empowered instead of knocked down and shamed.
So please, share your compassion. Share your story! Your journey is yours, and yours alone. Support, uplift, be kind.
Whew! That’s all I think I can share for now. I do plan on talking about selecting a midwife and doula in another post, but let me know if you guys have any more questions below!
I sincerely hope that this post was helpful and fun to read. As always, thanks for being here! I’m off to my 20 week ultrasound — xo!
This is YEARS late, but I love this blog and recently found out I was pregnant.
I ended up searching all the pregnancy posts.
As someone who has struggled with an eating disorder in the past, this pregnancy has been an exciting miracle and also a bit of mental and physical challenge.
THANK YOU for all these real talk posts on pregnancy and for normalizing so many of the things I have been experiencing.
You are awesome!
Hi Kim! Congratulations! I’m so glad you found this post, too — that’s exactly why I wrote these. You can find all of my pregnancy and parenting-related posts here, too!
Love this blog! Thank you so much for sharing. I’m 9 weeks pregnant and having a hard time with nausea, eating the healthy things I normally eat, and working my 9-5 at a hospital. Reading this was absolutely validating and so appreciated.
So happy you found this post! It’s all about doing the best you can for yourself. Thinking of you!
Hi Monique, You have an extremely beautiful family, And you all seem to be so very happy, and that’s great.
I sent you a comment of when both Bustello and Goya used to work for my Uncle John as commission salesmen.
But being a novice with the internet I don’t know if you received it, How very stupid I am asking if you could put some Latino dishes on your blog. ( I didn’t know you were a Puerto Rican Lady) My Uncle,and my Father and I also married
Puerto Rican Ladies. I married a quiet simple girl that now runs all the R/E we own in Southern California. Originally
from NYC (Brooklyn). My wife and I enjoy your Food Blog so very much. My Uncle John opened the first Wholesale Grocery Outlet in Manhatten and was very well known in the Latino Community, The were from a small village in North West Spain, call La Coruna, in Galicia. Any way I just sent in the comment to let you know how much we enjoy you blog and keep it going as great as you do. Good Luck and wishing you continued success.
Best of all this world has to give.
John & Hilda Blanco
Hi John! Thanks so much for your note. So happy to hear that you’re loving the recipes here. I hope you keep finding new recipes to try!
Pretty much everything in this post is resonating with my pregnancy! I have the same aversions, but will add that sausage & peppers are currently my #1 aversion 😂. My book suggestion would be “Expecting Better”. It’s an economist’s take on pregnancy and what is really safe/unsafe based on hard data. I would love if you came out with a pregnancy workout video! They’re really hard to come by. Thanks for sharing all this and making this whole process feel so normal!
I also LOVED the Mama Natural book. I even took her birth course, which was also excellent. Glad to hear that your exhaustion and nausea have passed. Welcome to the magic middle! 🙂
I’m 18 weeks pregnant and I feel like I just read about my own pregnancy so far… lol. I could have written like 90% of this! I’m a nutritionist and also struggled with the worthless feelings and food guilt in the first trimester. Why are bagels the only thing that taste good when you feel like crap?! All the best to you and baby! <3
Some things that helped me with natural childbirth (my daughter is one month old today) were reading Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth and listening to soooo many birth stories on The Birth Hour podcast 🙂
I loved the Mama Natural book! I had a natural birth and it was the best experience of my life (although to be fair, I also had a very fast labor!) My recommendation is to focus on getting that baby in the correct position during your third trimester. There are certain ways you should sit and exercises to help get the head down and facing backwards. I assume that helped with the speed of my labor (although I’m not 100% sure it helped, I’d like to think it did).
It sounds like you’ve had a few rough moments but are still making the best of it and have a positive attitude! Good luck with everything! <3
If you’re able to, I highly recommend finding a pediatrician with a lactation consultant on staff. I had a hard time nursing my first little one, and the lactation consultants at the pediatrician were amazing and life-changing!
Also, if you want to buy well-reviewed baby stuff but not constantly spend a million dollars, the book “Baby Bargains” is really helpful!
I love this blog post, thank you for sharing your story!
For fitness, I’m wondering if you’ve considered Barre? I know Pure Barre has an online platform with classes tailored to pregnant women. I haven’t tried them, yet, but hope to within the next year!
I have read “Expecting Better” and just started “Crib Sheet”, both by Emily Oster, an economist with a PhD who also happens to be a mom.
Expecting Better eased my mind about so many of the “no no’s” in pregnancy, using data and statistics.
Highly recommend!
Expecting better by Emily Oster. Shes an economist that got sick of all the social expectations and did and fonts that aren’t based on facts. She reviewed all the science – for an academic like me, I deeply appreciate it! She also wrote one for parenting called cribsheet. Hope you enjoy them!
Congratulations, Monique! I love walking and water aerobics for exercise (so relaxed in the pool), and planned to continue during my 2018 pregnancy, my first. This turned out out to be a high risk surprise twin pregnancy, and I wasn’t allowed to exercise at all. Letting go of expectations came all at once, on every front of life. All out the window. Pregnancy is a temporary state, and it has it’s own balance. As you mentioned, healthy for pregnancy may be different than your normal healthy. I know an incredible woman who also had a challenging pregnancy, and we both wondered how we could possibly feel ok or even climb a flight of stairs after months of near inactivity (me from modified bedrest, her from HG). It’s incredible how quickly we gained back strength and wellness! You’ve been so open about struggles with food, diet, and excerise, and I wanted to send encouragement for you to not worry or judge yourself at all during pregnancy. Changes to your body are I swear temporary–lean into it and love love love yourself.
I’m so excited for you and Tony! That first trimester exhaustion is NO JOKE. I remember coming home from work and crying because I was so exhausted (but seriously, is it just practice for the newborn days? Who knows!). The food aversions are so funny too. I swore I’d be a healthy mama and just say no- after all, I might crave ice cream, but not actually leave the house to go get some. Nope. Pregnant me HAD to have it, and I was so picky about brands. I ate ALL the Trader Joe’s cheddar rockets, but I tried to sub them with Annie’s cheddar bunnies and that was a hard no. Wouldn’t eat them at all. I also ate bagels and cream cheese for all my meals for 3 straight days. Funny enough, I didn’t feel like eating my “usual” foods til a few months postpartum! I figured your body knows best, so eat what feels good!
I would recommend reading about breastfeeding if that’s what you plan to do, and learning about baby sleep. I was given this great advice by my OB instead of reading about labor and delivery.
Congratulations! The Happiest Baby on the Block was how we rocked the first three months. My husband read it and even he recommends it to anyone we know who’s expecting! Also, And Baby Makes Three by John Gottmsn has interesting studies on how your relationship affects your baby. Not as practical if you have a strong relationship already, but super interesting read for me.
Loved your post and how open you are! It is really empowering that you are so open about your journey and listening to your body. I truly enjoy reading about your pregnancy and what you recommend being that we are within a week of each others due date. Keep sharing like you said there needs to be less judgement around pregnancy and parenting. I think the more people are open and share their journey it opens conversation for others to look at it from a different perspective. Can’t wait to read more on your journey.
LOVE the book Cribsheets! Check it out.
You’re allowed deli meat, but please be sure to heat it! This is because it has the risk of carrying listeria—which can cause spontaneous miscarriage. I’m a dietitian and also worked with plenty of pregnant and breastfeeding mamas at WIC in the past 🙂 enjoy your pregnancy! You are gorgeous and glowing!
This is exactly what I needed to read right now! Congratulations!! And thank you for sharing. I just felt guilty after eating a bowl of macaroni and cheese and I had a bagel for breakfast. I generally eat very healthy but healthy food seems SO unappetizing right now. Along with leftovers! I am also extremely exhausted 😩 I’m glad to hear you’re regaining your energy back and feeling more like yourself!
This was amazing. Thank you for posting this! I really resonated where you spoke about eating. I eat fairly healthy and I’m 14 weeks pregnant and most of those weeks I just wanted carbs and not my usual. It made feel guilty and have been feeling guilty about how tired I am and the foods I’ve been eating. So thank you!!
Girl, almost all pregnant women crave carbs during the first trimester nausea phase and, though I’ve never done actual research on it, there has to be a evolutionary adaptive reason behind it. So don’t feel bad about it! We all do the best we can to survive ❤️
I read Bringing Up Bebe and absolutely loved it! I definitely recommend Expecting Better by Emily Oster, it has been very reassuring as I experienced many normal doubts and fears throughout the various stages of pregnancy.
ina may’s guide to childbirth was amazing – such an inspiring book and helped me mentally prepare for a natural labor/ delivery
I love this post so much! This is such an exciting time for you and love that you are doing you! I think it is so funny that you described it as feeling like a hang over, that was my exact descriptor for my 1st trimester last pregnancy. My food aversions were nearly identical as well. Thanks for giving us outside the house working moms kudos, few people seem to do so. I’m questioning how I will survive working full time, first trimester fatigue (currently ~5 weeks) and a toddler! I’m sure I’ll find a way to deal as us women always do. Congrats and best of luck with the rest of your pregnancy journey!
I just reached 19 weeks and man do I feel tired still!! I can’t shake it. I had some similar symptoms to you during the 1st trimester, but I did throw up multiple times a week. I could barely even look at veggies or meat! I did have to go into the office every day and living in the city- taking the Metro was hard… with nausea haha. Once I hit 16 weeks, it felt like I turned a new corner- thank goodness! We are all so strong. But the take away from this post is to really trust your own body and do what makes you happy and feel comfortable! I appreciate you acknowledging that ALL women are different and two pregnancies don’t look alike! Good luck with the final half!
Great post! I definitely recommend reading “The Fourth Trimester” by Kimberly Johnson and “The First Forty Days: The Essential Art If Nourishing the New Mother” by Heng Ou.
i would definitely recommend read “Getting to Yum”! It was required for my graduate course in pediatric nutrition but it’s very easy to read, contains recipes, and i buy it for all of my pregnant mamas!
This is all SO interesting and I really appreciate you sharing this part of your life with your readers! It’s so encouraging to see others joining in in the comments to add their experiences too. I am not yet sure if pregnancy is in my future, but either way, it is incredibly helpful and empowering to hear your firsthand experience (good and bad haha)!
I am just into my 11th week and I feel like you are writing my complete pregnancy experience so far. I am hoping week 13 I get some exhaustion and nausea relief and can get me back to eating healthy and wanting to exercise.
I would also like to start enjoying this pregnancy, as it is also my first!
So far it has just been the worst hangover of my life.. until I saw that ultrasound last week.
Really made it all worth it!!
Thank you for sharing this! I’m nearing the start of my 12th week. I am lucky that I haven’t felt much nausea , but holy heck the exhaustion! Naps are now my favorite thing and never were. I’m frustrated that I’m too tired to accomplish as much as I’d like, but know that I’m doing my body good by resting. I, too, have been trying to be choosy about what I eat but some days I just don’t want anything but soup. Or boxed Mac and cheese. I save those things for dinner and stock up on fruits and veggies and proteins during the day. Thanks for the book and product recommendations. I look forward to the next trimester and good luck to you through the rest of your pregnancy!
LOVE that you are advocating for yourself and your baby!! And cheers to being halfway and done with the first trimester!! I had my first baby at home almost 4 months ago and it was so great! I definitely recommend going the natural route. I just found the podcast Happy Homebirth and it is so interesting!! I think you would enjoy it 🙂 Thanks for sharing your journey and all your super yummy recipes!!!