The title of this blog post is seriously unreal to me. It feels like just yesterday I took a pregnancy test and my entire world changed! I am now cruising through WEEK 34 and seriously trying to wrap my head around the fact that in just a few weeks we’ll have a new addition to our family. A new addition I might add with feet and not paws!
I’ve had an amazing amount of support come in over the past few weeks from my friends, family, and my community online. I’ve absolutely loved all the tips and advice you’ve sent through Instagram and I feel sooooo much more prepared than I did just a few months ago. I promise that over the next few weeks and months (even tho it seems crazy) I’ve made a commitment to myself to start really keeping up here again. I know it might be hard with a newborn in tow, but I have seriously missed the love that blogging brings to my life. So in an attempt to get things started, check out some of my Third Trimester catchup thoughts below!
So far my pregnancy has been very mellow – and I am beyond grateful for that. I didn’t have any morning sickness (aside from 1 day which was combined with a long car ride), I’m not super swollen and I haven’t had any weird food aversions. Here are some of the most common questions I’ve gotten from you all during the past few months!
What are some of my favorite things to eat currently? As much as I’m trying to be healthy, this little guy definitely loves extra crunchy peanut butter. I also am not totally depriving myself in the ice cream department, but that’s more on me than him lol. I have been obsessed with orange juice and have drank a glass every single morning as soon as I’ve woken up. Literally nothing tastes better. The only bummer, which is silly, is that I was kind of looking forward to some of the super weird cravings you see in movies or read about in magazines. Pickles and cheese whiz at 3am? Nope, not happening for me. Maybe next time!
What am I doing to prepare for his arrival? I make a point to walk everyday, which hasn’t been hard because I have two very active pups. I’m also doing a good amount of pre-natal yoga and swimming on some of the warmer days we’ve been getting. I’ve always been very in tune with my body and while I’m nowhere near a size 4, I also don’t feel unprepared or at any kind of disadvantage with my current health or size status. I’ve actually only gained 9 pounds total so far and have had consistently healthy checkups and ultrasounds.
What are some of my favorite baby things? I’m trying not to get too attached to anything yet, just because I don’t know what he will end up liking or what will end up working best for us. But some of the things I’ve been super excited about are Wildbird ring slings, super cute clothes and blankets from Olive & Rain and Copper Pearl, and everything Uppababy (stroller, bassinets and car seat) which I’ve managed to find used with the help of Facebook Marketplace.
Who are you turning to for advice? Obviously my go-to has been my mom and a few close friends who have had babies over the past year. It’s been amazing to get so much real life advice from people that I know and trust. I’ve also had the pleasure of being pregnant with some of my favorite online gals like Jenna Kutcher, Lauren from What Lola Likes, Natalie Franke from Rising Tide Society and a bunch more. It’s been so cool to follow their journey and hear their thoughts on being serious #bossmoms and entrepreneurs! I’ve been soaking up all their awesome Instagram posts and stories and catching great tips from what they’ve shared about their journey pre and post pregnancy. I also read The Bump and Mama Natural on a semi-daily basis for more advice related to the exact week by week process of pregnancy.
What are you most looking forward to after he’s born? If we’re being completely honest here… A massive ahi tuna stack and a very large very spicy margarita. Gimme!
Overall I could go on for days and days about all the questions I’ve received and the incredible amount of knowledge I’ve gained during this experience. I will say that one of the most important things I have come to realize is that every single pregnancy journey is unique. 1000000% unique. At first I was so worried about doing the wrong thing or being unsure of what opinions to listen to. The only advice I have to give in that department is – there will be information to back up every theory, opinion, and old wives tale in the book. If I feel like having a glass of wine I do. Did I give up coffee? No. Do I steer clear of raw fish and certain high risk food? Yes, definitely. Am I worried that a medication free birth will be really hard and painful? Yes. Is that going to stop me from trying? No way.
You have to find a way to piece together all the information out there to create an experience that makes you feel good. This is your journey, not your mothers or grandmothers, not your OB’s, not your friends, yours. Do what you want to do and don’t have any guilt from it. Anybody on this journey is so beyond lucky and you should enjoy every second of it!
