Ok, it feels like forever since I’ve done a little pregnancy update. And since most of your Q’s on Question Monday (on instagram), seem like they’re pregnancy related, I think it might be time.

I have to be honest, doing so feels slightly silly to me,  but I also love the idea of trying to capture this wild little time, especially in my mentality and with overall wellness and where I’m at during each stage. I know that I’ve also so appreciated seeing other women’s journeys along the way, because lord knows it’s not always a totally smooth sail.

At this point (writing this at 27 weeks in the photo above), I just feel really thankful for this experience on the whole– it’s been humbling, beautiful, and overall has been such a practice of true surrender and trust, and of finding the little joys that are all around if you’ve got your eyes open enough to see them.

So, last time we talked, I was 18 weeks pregnant and still soooo siiiiiiiiiiccck. Like, nauseous everyday, all day. All of which was way past the first trimester mark, which everyone kept telling me would be the end of it.

“Just wait for week 12, you’ll feel so much better and have so much more energy!”…….things I know now what NOT to say to a pregnant mamma who’s showing no signs of improvement as that date gets closer.

So, the nausea actually stayed pretty strong and consistent for me until week 24, where I then would get a 1-2 day streak of feeling a lot better (where I could thankfully eat just a tiny bit more and sneak some variety in) followed by a few not-so-great feeling days in a row where I was back to the couch by 2pm.

That lasted for 2 weeks– off and on, and unpredictable each day when I’d wake up, until mid-way through week 26. By then, I was having more days of the week feeling pretty good, then  not. PHEW. HALLE-FREAKING-LUJAH.

My hunger, which had been pretty pathetic and not really there this whole time thanks to the nausea, then started to come back just a tiny bit, which has been so nice. Its making me appreciate even that tiny of a thing I’d normally take for granted: how great it is to feel actual hunger or a desire for food.

Food update: things I can now eat:

The once daily annie’s gf mac n cheese & refried beans are out now and not sounding that appealing (thank goodness).

In it’s place have been these lil things instead:

• lentils: the lentil soup, French Lentil Salad,  Lentil Yogurt dip from the cookbook have all sounded great. I use the  pre-made steamed lentils from TJ’s for the salad stuff and soak dry ones for the soup lentils.
• beans: mostly garbanzo beans and stuff made with it like hummus, falafel, the Photoshoot Salad from the cookbook, etc. Also TJ’s Maple Ladders cereal which is made with chickpea flour has been feeling great too.
• soups (veggie, bean, broth or rice based)
• romaine lettuce for salads
• antipasti salads/greek salads
• green apples & organic cheddar cheese
• kombucha (GT’s enlightened triology flavor is my fav, 1/2 bottle at a time)
• lettuce, heirloom tomato & avocado mayo with sea salt on GF toast
• iced tea with lemonade (still going strong)
• teecchino vanilla nut herbal coffee blended with Three Trees or Malk brand almond milk

still no-go’s: meat, chicken & most seafood of any kind, coffee, kale, arugula, smoothies, avocados, heavier fats like coconut/butter, clean protein powders, nuts, matcha. Ha… just so many  of my normal foods 🙂

I’ve had to stay eating breakfast, which is still weird for me. But it might be Kyle’s favorite thing of me being pregnant: Saturday and Sunday mornings, bring on the weekend oatmeal bowls (gf oats, cinnamon, raisins & a splash of maple). Bring on the 2 ingredient pancakes & breakfast cookies!  And bring on the cereal most days, still (TJ’s Maple Ladders and Kashi Heart to Heart are my go-to’s these days).

Are you still working out? 

Yes, and it’s been my saving grace! I’m doing something most days (6-7 days a week or so), and it helps the nausea and mentally helps me feel more normal too. Plus, I feel like I’m a warrior in training– for labor, for birth, and for holding a newborn at all hours of the day. Mammas need strength and muscles!

I’ve been alternating days with spin & weights, spin (at both soul cycle & fly fitness), all weights, TRX, prenatal yoga, and walking. Lots of walking. I just got the apple watch and have a goal of at least 10,000 steps a day  that’s been keeping me moving. At this point, I figure if I can do it daily and just keep moving, that maybe my body will just think it’s normal as I keep growing gradually.

I’ve been loving prenatal yoga, mentally as much as physically how good it feels to stretch everything out. Also, foam rolling. I think it’s saving my back as things grow and adjust. The best, so I can keep moving.

I’ve also been doing prenatal massages once a month or so.

I haven’t had any pain or aches yet (back, heartburn, sciatica, braxton hicks, uterine muscle stretching, etc), so hoping to keep up with all of this as long as it’s feeling good.

Are you sleeping? 

It’s been pretty great so far, and I’m so thankful (#sleepqueen).

I’ve been taking my nighttime routine to an even more serious level by getting in bed to read most nights by 9pm with my phone on airplane mode, and reading for a while before bed. I’m trying to get it in while I can! 🙂

Oh, and realllllly uppping the spa nights and self care night rituals. Everynight I rub my little belly (and whole body) with Primally Pure’s Vanilla & Almond Body butter, which smells like vacation and heaven all in one. Sometimes I alternate with coconut oil. I’ve been doing my their oil cleanser, or using a konjac sponge ( I have the heart one from One Love Organics)– both of which feel like a spa treatment and make my skin feels  unreal afterwards. (A note on these things, you can use the code “simplyrealhealth” for 10% off anything at Primally Pure. I am obsessed and it’s so nice to feel 100% confident about every ingredient you’re putting on your skin in pregnancy.)

So anyways, then I do my usual thing to wind down.

This past week though, I can feel him kicking a lot  early in the morning (4am) and late at night (midnight), so that’s been sweet… but also wakes me up. Just training for what’s to come I’m sure! 🙂

Relationship to food, weight gain, body & mentality: 

So, as someone who used to have a weird relationship to food, I always wondered if anything would come back during pregnancy.

I’ve been really just trying to tune in and eat when I need to, vs using pregnancy as an excuse to eat everything and anything.

I feel so thankful that I did all the self-work with my own body image and relationship to food before going down this path, because all I feel now about things is just grateful to be life-force creator and holder, instead of anything else. I’m just trying to be as normal as possible with my daily habits (workouts and food and walks) so that it’s not such a huge swing AFTER this little guy is here. I always prefer easing in and out of things to drastic changes.

What’s different? I’ve been eating more frequently, and smaller meals, which is also so weird to me (I’m usually a two meal a day kinda girl), and having way more fruit and GF grains than I’ve ever had. All the foods that were off the table for me while I was healing SIBO have felt like such treats to have again — don’t laugh— but things like apples, peaches, dates, coconut cream larabars (OMG having a moment with these right now), oatmeal and gf flour based stuff, peas, beans, etc have been so fun to have again without any symptoms from them. It’s the little things, ha.

At 24 weeks, I had gained 12 lbs, which is what they “recommend” (a pound a week-ish, starting at week 12, and totaling around 25-30lbs).  I don’t feel that different, but I guess my feet do hurt a little more at the end of the day. This week, at 27 weeks, I’m up 15 lbs total.

One more pound and I’ll be at my college weight, before my real-food life started 🙂

My feeling about it? Great. This is such a better reason to be at that weight. I just want a healthy babe, and know that my body is meant for this. I trust in my body and my intuition always– and will afterwards as well to tell me what I need to eat and do to recover and get back to feeling normal again.

Cravings:

I haven’t had any cravings in particular, it’s just food that I either can get down and eat, or I can’t.

Surprisingly I’ve had no sweet cravings, which I thought I would. Chocolate sounds terrible, I’ve had ice cream sometimes, but I guess the closest thing would be having Macrina’s GF jam dot biscuit or their GF orange current scone once a week or so. I’m usually not a baked goods kinda girl, but those have tasted and felt great.

Necessities that have helped this transitional time:

I’m so not into maternity clothes so far. Why are they all with ruffles and stripes and cheesy floral prints?! I’ve been keeping it pretty minimal (it helps I wear workout clothes mostly every day anyways). But these have been my staples so far:

longer maternity white & black tanks: so I can wear my leggings, normal sweaters & pregnancy jeans. I’ve loved Asos (this one and this one)

a few of these PJ sets from Target,  or these PJ sets sized up (I’ve also  heard they’re great for nursing post-partum)

These cozy pants and these cozy pants, both from Target, sized up. I put these on nightly and will be able to wear the whole 9 months.

Lululemon Align 3/4 pants, sized up a size (although my normal size is still working too, they’re that great). I literally LIVE in these every single day. For workouts and not.

Cozy fleece pullover 

This teddy fleece jacket

A few plain tighter dresses for when I feel like looking pregnant in public, from Pink Blush. Kimonos too.

And, my favorite free people dress, just sized up one.

helpful things:

coop king pillow. I refused to buy a pregnancy pillow that I’d use for just this short season, and instead opted for another one of my favorite pillows to use as a body pillow (and for nursing afterwards if I need it). I adore this one so much– you can adjust the foam to exactly how stuffed or not you like it.

sandalwood & frankencinse essential oils: for mixing with jojoba or rosehip oil and rubbing on my face. For the most part I’ve felt pretty calm, but on the nights I’ve had more stuff going on or felt anxious, these always help me relax and feel calm. See my post all about essential oils and what I use and why here.

books:

The Mama Natural Guide to Pregnancy: a great all around resource, esp for 1st time mammas, or those wanting to know more about natural ways to do things (without the preaching) 🙂

Nurture: A Modern Guide to Pregnancy, Birth & Motherhood, And Trusting Yourself And Your Body: another great handbook/resource that’s more naturally geared.

Bringing up Bebe (my favorite so far)

The Mindful Mom To Be

On my list next: , The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, Moms On Call , & Babywise. I’m open to suggestions here too, so if you have any you think I’d like, let me know!

What’s up next? 

Third trimester and all the things: nursery, buying a stroller and the gear, the showers, etc. Stay tuned for more as the weeks progress 🙂

maternity pics by Jenni Maroney