This week I am officially 24 weeks (6 months) pregnant! How is that possible? I cannot believe how much has changed in the last year (this includes this lovely pandemic), and how much it will be different a year from now. I haven’t shared any pregnancy updates on this blog, but since I talk about health and fitness, I figured I’d do a check-in! But first, a quick recap.
We found out I was pregnant (I not WE – pet peeve when people say “we’re pregnant”) a few days before Halloween. I am so very thankful it happened after about three months (ovulation predictor kits are awesome) and so far, things have been healthy and smooth. Sending all kinds of love to those who have experienced infertility and loss.
In my first trimester, I was a little bit tired and I definitely felt a little nauseous for a couple of weeks, but nothing major. I hear about women throwing up all day and being exhausted and I am so thankful that was not the case. I threw up once randomly early in the second trimester but that was about it. But I have felt mostly great and have been working out. I haven’t really had any aversions except maybe cauliflower (but that didn’t last) and no weird cravings. Which I am disappointed about! But I always have cravings, pregnant or not. I haven’t been ravenous but there were a few nights where I had a late-night bowl of cereal. And I think the last couple of weeks baby has had a growth spurt so I’ve been a little more hungry. And the THIRST. OMG. It has not gone away and I’ve been downing water like a madwoman. Been drinking a lot more electrolytes (in Nuun tablets), juice and then I downed a whole case of Vitamin Water at one point over the course of a month. I know, sugar. But sometimes water just doesn’t cut it!
I’m due July 9 with a girl and we’re just so excited!
I go in weekly to hear baby’s heartbeat because I have an autoimmune disease so I am high-risk (oh and apparently elderly because I’m 36). I’ll have to get two more ultrasounds in the third trimester because of this, and eventually go in twice a week and get stress tests. It’s all precautionary. I am also on baby aspirin to prevent preeclampsia. Again, all precautionary and I am so thankful for the great care I’ve gotten through my OB and my maternal fetal medicine docs. I am lucky to live in Pittsburgh and have wonderful care through the Magee network. I also had my first COVID vaccine a couple of weeks ago (Moderna) and am feeling good. Baby’s heartbeat has been good and she moves all the time now! Hoping the next three months are as uneventful as the first half of this pregnancy.
Here’s a rundown of how I am staying healthy(ish) so far:
- Good sleep: I have always been a champion sleeper and I am still sleeping well (minus peeing at least once a night). This can change any day, so I am taking what I can get while I can. I also bought a pregnancy pillow which is AMAZING! I am keeping this thing forever. My dog also really enjoys it.
- Water: As I mentioned, I have been thirsty AF. A little nervous for my glucose test but what can you do? Regardless if you are thirsty or not, drinking lots of water every day is so important, especially in pregnancy. I fill my Yeti mug with tons of ice and water and drink, drink, drink. I also ordered the good Chick-fil-a ice through the app and had them bring it out to my car. Pro tip – do this! It’s so good.
- Exercise: I am thankfully still working out 3-4 days a week and I really attribute feeling good to exercise. I have not stopped working out throughout my entire pregnancy. Again, this could all change tomorrow but I am going to keep going as long as I feel good. I am mostly doing Peloton rides, Peloton strength classes and running. I typically run less in the winter anyway, so I am so glad to get back out now that the weather is nice again. I’ve definitely slowed my pace and walk more during runs, but I am still going. Early on I had some spotting so I didn’t do cardio for two weeks, but still did strength or yoga classes. I’ve done a few yoga classes via Peloton but need to step that up. And me and Hugo my pup go for walks every day. I am also still not back in studios. I hope to do some outdoor classes this spring. I miss them but being pregnant during COVID, I am taking precautions to not go out too much still.
- Getting in my nutrients: I am definitely not a perfect eater by any means. The first trimester I didn’t have a great appetite and wasn’t big on salads or veggie bowls. In stereotypical pregnancy ways, I have loved cereal and bagels. But I have always loved both of those anyway! And I still eat garbage from time to time. I crushed some Easter candy and frosted lemonade from Chick-fil-a and oh, Wendy’s. But definitely not every day! And I make sure to get lots of good stuff in for the babe. Smoothies are clutch for me and I drink them 1-2 times a week. My go-to recipe is a cup of milk (I drink 2% regular milk these days or even whole milk for extra nutrients), a tablespoon of chia and flaxseeds, a sprinkle of turmeric, a tablespoon of collagen peptides (my doctor said this was OK for me to take), a handful of spinach and blueberries. Sometimes I’ll throw in pineapple or strawberry if I have them on hand. I also take my prenatal vitamin every day and try to get lots of protein and add fruit and veggies to every meal. I make sure my meat and milk are organic, too. My downfall is bad carbs so I try to eat the good ones like sweet potatoes or quinoa. My diet is not perfect but as long as I try to get good stuff every day, I am not sweating it.
- Don’t read too much and keep stress at bay: There is SO much out there on pregnancy and baby-related things. My goodness, that is a multi-billion dollar industry if I’ve ever seen one. I am clueless when it comes to baby sleep so I first started following all these Instagram accounts. I am also in a few of the online forums. But then I realized, people have OPINIONS. I even posted something on my IG story last week and got SO many responses. Which is great. But the one thing I keep hearing is to talk to your doctor, a few trusted friends, and listen to yourself. No two babies are alike. What works for you may not work for me. So as long as I get some basics down and buy the basics (crib, bassinet, stroller, diapers, etc.) I will figure it out as it comes. I cannot stress about what I don’t know. So I unfollowed a lot of accounts and hide the groups I am in on Facebook. And I also stopped reading anything related to the COVID vaccine (except positive news stories about it). And I DON’T read the comments. I don’t need to see what Joe Facebook and Karen Twitter have to stay with their Internet MDs. I just need to listen to my doctors. I have read way less and I now feel WAY better.
- Use clean products: Luckily, I’ve been switching most of my products over to clean ones since before I got pregnant. I have kept using Beautycounter which is so safe to use during pregnancy (skincare, makeup, body wash and lotion). My friend also got me this awesome salve for stretch marks and I try to use as much safe products for cleaning around the house like Method. We also use a Britta filter and I just got an additional filter for the faucet so we have clean water. Again, I am not perfect but I make an effort!
- Treat birth like a marathon: Surprisingly, I have no fear about giving birth. Yes, it’s gonna hurt. I may even have a traumatic experience. But I am going to walk into the hospital in good hands. (I am also not reading too much about birth.) These doctors and nurses do this day in and day out. I will trust the process and their expertise. Plus, when I work out I treat it like a training session. I am treating it like training for a marathon. Consistent training. Visualizing that day. Positivity. Water, rest, repeat. I also keep telling myself, I’ve run 26.1 consistent miles in a row, I’ve had surgery and been in the hospital, I’ve been through illness and I’ve had two bone marrow biopsies which are the WORST. So I can handle it.
This concludes my rambling but I hope it was helpful!