Happy Wednesday, Loves! We’re halfway there. As I promised before, I fully plan on being much more open this time around about my pregnancy. I posted a couple of times about my pregnancy with William… for example: the crazy stuff people say to you when you’re pregnant, how we chose his name , and I even posted a couple of my favorite products. But… this time around I hope to give you much more information and more often. So without further adieu – here is my first weekly pregnancy update.
How many weeks: 15
Our baby is the size of: An orange
Gender: We don’t know yet – but we are thinking of finding out next week! So crazy. Any guesses?!
Pounds Gained: 12. This is a touchy subject with me – but for the sake of transparency, honesty, and de-bunking the myths, I am going to share my weight gain with you throughout this whole pregnancy. As many of you know, there are “guidelines” for how much weight you “should” gain every week of pregnancy. Gag me. No pun intended.
Those guidelines ^^^ say I should have gained somewhere between 5-7lbs at this point. Now, I’m not a doctor – not even close. But… I have talked to my doctor, and a ton of friends, and I have come to a personal conclusion. Take from this what you will – but I think those “weight gain” numbers are a load of crap. In my personal opinion, as long as you’re eating relatively healthy, and exercising as much as you feel compelled to… who cares if you gain some extra weight? Full disclosure – I ate cheeseburgers and french fries for the greater part of my first pregnancy, so – as I said – it’s all relative.
I have had friends that have gained anywhere from 25-65lbs with their pregnancies – and all of them have A.) had beautiful, healthy babies and B.) gone back to normal. So, in my opinion, during pregnancy, “do you”, treat yo’ self, have that ice cream sandwich, and eff those guidelines. Personally, I’m not here to win a “fit mom” or “beauty” contest – I’m here to bake a baby. So if I look a bit heavier than usual in these coming months and blog photos, it’s because I am. #takeyourbodyshamingelsewhere
Sickness: I spent most of my first trimester sleeping – #sorrynotsorry I’m growing a human. I was SO sick my first trimester. Every morning, an intense wave of nausea would hit me around 5:45 am. I’d appease it by eating a bowlful of Annie’s cheddar bunnies. Then again at 8:30am. More cheddar bunnies. Around 10:00 I would usually throw up. Gum, water, and then… cheddar bunnies. Thankfully I’d usually be able to make it through the rest of the work day unscathed… but then around 4:30pm it would return. For most of my first trimester I was in bed by 6:00pm, and I felt like I had the worst stomach flu of my life – combined with mono. But… the silver lining is… as soon as I hit 14 weeks, I seemed to turn a corner. I have felt better ever since – thank goodness!
Feelings: To be completely honest, I was much more emotional my first trimester than usual, but thankfully things have leveled out. The anxiety of possibly losing this baby, combined with the stresses of everyday life (work, the blog, family, friends), add in raising a toddler – and I think it was justified. Every woman is different in this, but that was my experience. Also…
Fear. Crippling fear. This is new, and was something I didn’t experience in my first pregnancy. Every time I sneeze – I think I’ve hurt the baby, every time I forget to take my pre-natals – I beat myself up, every time I go to the bathroom – I expect to see blood. I’m sure this is somewhat normal after a scare like we had, but I am excited for the day when excitement and joy overcome the fear. I hope that day is soon.
That being said – I am SO happy. There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t thank God for this little miracle of ours.
Things I forgot: I forgot how weird this limbo stage of pregnancy is. Your husband forgets you’re pregnant, you’re not showing, people are still trying to serve you booze. It’s weird. What’s more, it’s nerve wracking. You know you’re pregnant, your body knows it’s pregnant, but you can’t feel the baby kicking yet… it is SO weird.
Cravings: Licorice << the grape or strawberry flavored kind, Gummy Bears, Tropical Skittles, Tuna Salad< so steryotypical and and ridiculous I almost didn’t want to write it, and bagels with cream cheese and tomoato on top.
Aversions: Nothing. That is the problem. 🙂
Favorite item of clothing: So this isn’t just one item – but a style… I am loving off the shoulder everything. The style is loose and comfortable, and it hides this “beer belly” stage rather nicely.
Additionally – my Jack Rogers, Jcrew maternity jeans, a good long duster jacket, and these pregnancy tanks (also all below).
Favorite products: My diffuser, lavender oil <<< So relaxing at night. Red Rooibos tea<<< This really helped me my first trimester and now I just really like it. Coconut oil<<< I keep this tub in my shower and use it as a full body balm. My prenatals<<< I also keep the gummies at work for ease.
Any changes: What hasn’t changed? My skin is awful, my boobs are huge, my pants don’t fit… I’m really just waiting for week 17 when that whole “pregnancy glow” sets in. 🙂 Ok I kid, I kid, it not THAT bad. But I will say, everything is happening earlier this pregnancy. Last time I was 20 weeks before I started showing… this time… I had a bump at 13… and it gets bigger every day!
Smells: I have a super-human sense of smell… it’s on another level. I can smell EVERYTHING.
Sleeping: No issues here yet… SO thankful for this!
Rings: Still on and not tight at all… yet. Yet…
Anything else you want to know in these updates? Let me know I will add whatever you’d like to hear about! XooX
