We're Pregnant! The First Trimester & More

in Lifestyle

If you’ve seen my little announcement on Instagram, you’ll know that my husband and I are expecting and due with a little girl in early October! We are beyond excited to finally share our happy news, and can’t wait to meet our wiggly little babe in the fall.

So, I’m writing this at 22 weeks – a bit late from the typical first trimester announcement. There’s just been so much going on in the world: coronavirus, a full work schedule, balancing blog and work life, and i’ve been downright exhausted. Supposedly, you have more energy in your second trimester – but I haven’t quite experienced that. I have days where I’m ready to go – but most days I’m tired and crawl into bed around 8pm – just living the pregnant dream. Ok, but less about the exhaustion, more about our story. Read on to learn all about our little babe, nutrition and what I’ve been eating, books I’m reading, and beyond.

Our story + some hormone chat!

I feel like, in order to talk about my pregnancy journey, we have to go a bit back in time – like, to middle school. That was when I first went on birth control pills for super irregular menstrual cycles (a cycle every 60 days, then 20 days, then 35 days, etc.) As an active dancer who didn’t want to have to deal with unpredictable and long periods, I petitioned my mom to go on birth control pills. I was not sexually active, but I did really like the allure (and cool-factor) of going on birth control pills. Besides, tons of my friends were on them, and it just seemed like the thing to do.

Fast-forward to five years ago, still on birth control pills but very sick and tired of remembering to take a pill every morning, so I swapped to the Mirena IUD, which frankly, I loved. I know many women have had different experiences with the Mirena, but mine was very positive. After about a year of having the Mirena, I read Woman Code by Alissa Vitti. Game freaking changing.

The book breaks down the four cycles of your hormonal cycle, how to cycle sync, and how to practice the fertility awareness method for preventing or planning a pregnancy. I realized that I had never fully allowed my body to have proper, normal hormonal cycles. I had been suppressing my hormonal cycles for years and years, and I was done. So out came the Mirena, and like magic I got my first real period 30 days later, which I attribute to a combination of having a nourishing diet, exercising reasonably, and having a self-care practice. From that point on, I really honored my body’s four cycles: I ate cyclically, seed cycled, and cycle synched my activities and workouts based on which phase I was in during my cycle: menstrual, follicular, ovulatory, or luteal.

I also focused on balancing my blood sugar by eating protein, fat, and fiber at each meal, I reduced caffeine intake (by adding in half decaf coffee beans to my morning cups), and ate tons of healthy fats while I ebbed and flowed with my body’s natural cyclical rhythms. Basically, I was prepping my body for pregnancy. I learned in my Master’s program, that the body needs 9-12 months to truly prep for pregnancy and build up nutrient stores. My husband and I knew we wanted all the babies, and I wanted my body to be as healthy as possible in order to make that happen. My cycles also got super regular, which made me so happy. I knew exactly when I was ovulating (all the signs, discharge, and body temperature changes thanks to a basal body thermometer I used every morning) and had 30 day cycles every single month. I was also a huuuuge nerd about all of this and would get really excited about each cycle phase. When I was ovulating, I went to sweaty spin classes and had tons of energy for all sorts of things. During my luteal phase, I took it easy, went on gentle walks and relaxed. I truly was living the cycle syncing method and it made me feel amazing.

Anyway – pregnancy. As I noted in my Instagram post, this is our second pregnancy within a year. My husband and I weren’t quite trying, but we did the deed during my ovulatory cycle, which is when the greatest success of pregnancy occurs (an egg is released from a follicle within an ovary into the fallopian tube where it can become fertilized by sperm. This is the only time during the menstrual cycle that a woman can become pregnant.) I found out I was pregnant in late August after a really fun trip to Bend. I had tons of energy and was feeling amazing – not the typical cramps and sluggishness I usually feel in my luteal phase before my menstrual period. I weirdly just felt different, I felt like I knew I was pregnant. We took a test and it was positive. I didn’t even need to take a second, I just knew it.

Our first pregnancy ended at 13 weeks with a D&C in November, right before my 30th birthday. I don’t want to go into the details, because it’s truly still feels so raw. I was so devastated, alone, empty, and in shock. I couldn’t understand how or why this was happening to me – to my family. We had seen the heartbeat at 9 weeks on an ultrasound scan – how could that little life be gone? The next couple of weeks passed by in a foggy haze where I would cry every single day – mostly in the morning, but sometimes in the bathroom at work. I was simply devastated. If you’ve ever lost a pregnancy, or are struggling to grow or start your family, please know that you are not alone in your suffering and experience. I never thought I would get through those first couple of days and weeks, but somehow I did. I found a lot of healing by reading and listening to other women’s stories of loss and how far they had come. Taking about losing our first baby was hard, but not talking about it was even harder. So many people knew (we had announced to some friends and family at 12 weeks) and those who didn’t acknowledge our loss made it so much worse. I was grateful to those who did support and show myself and my husband so much love and grace during that time. It was the hardest period of my life.

After the D&C, my period came back after about a month which felt odd and unfair. Our doctor let us know we should wait two menstrual cycles before trying to conceive again, if we were ready. During those two months, I went back to cycle synching and tracking my basal body temperature, which really helped to support my body physically and mentally. After two cycles, we tried during my ovulatory phase. We found out we were pregnant two weeks later in February with our little rainbow baby to our absolute shock and surprise.

The first trimester

During the first trimester I was so nervous. I now knew all of the things that could go wrong; and I was much, much more cautious than I had been in our first pregnancy. I was also exhausted all of the time. Like all of the time. I slept in late (like 7:30-8am which is late for the girl who typically wakes up a 5:30 am to go to barre3 classes), despite going to bed at 8pm. I would come home from work absolutely exhausted and drained, and barely had the energy to wash my face at night. I had some random nausea spells here and there, although was super grateful to never experience morning sickness. Mostly the exhaustion was insane; something I had never experienced before. I also had cramps here and there, stretching sensations, and hormonal headaches weekly.

At 8 weeks we went to the doctor’s office and saw the babe’s little heartbeat on an ultrasound, which was pure magic. We also did genetic testing and found out the little loaf is a little girl at 11 weeks, and that she is as healthy as can be; much to our immense relief. We finally told friends and family around 13 weeks, and have been just really enjoying the last couple of weeks as my belly has gotten much, much bigger. It’s been such a magical blessing.

Also, the devastating covid-19 crisis is happening in the background of all of this – which has been an additional load of anxiety on top of everything else going on. Luckily, I’ve been able to work from home for the past couple of weeks which has been wonderful because A. leggings every single day and B. I can work from my couch, which is magical when I feel so tired. However, It’s also meant that I haven’t gone anywhere. My midwife (I swapped over my care to attending a natural birth center with midwifes, who are all amazing) has advised me just to stay put and cozy at home. We’ve been Instacarting all our groceries, and haven’t really been out and about in months, which is so weird. I’m really missing going out for ice cream, or enjoying a leisurely hike, or taking a day trip to the coast; all activities that I (nor anyone else) haven’t been able to do. I know there are so many silver linings in this time, however, and I’m counting my blessings for having a safe home and backyard, plenty of nourishing food, and a supportive partner to quarantine with. It’s a wild time, and something I’ll never forget about this pregnancy.

At 20 weeks, we had our anatomy ultrasound. Because of the current covid-19 crisis, I had to attend the appointment alone, which was unsettling after my history of pregnancy loss and having devastating life-altering news delivered to you during an ultrasound scan. Luckily, baby girl is moving and grooving in there and is as healthy as can be. It made everything seem so much more real, too. I simply can’t believe we’re halfway through this pregnancy and meeting our little babe.

Nutrition and food

Food! My favorite part of this blog post – obviously! I haven’t really had any pregnancy cravings but I have been loving on some interesting foods:

-Fermented foods: kimchi and sauerkraut have been my number ones, followed closely behind by yogurt (both coconut yogurt like CoYo and plain Siggi’s full fat yogurt) and fermented pickles, like Bubbies
-Avocado (such a wonderful source of folate, which is incredibly important during pregnancy)
-Nut butter – omg, so much nut butter
-Basil and pesto (pesto pizza is life)
-Sweet potato (but this is pretty normal)
-Feta cheese and goat cheese
-Berries (soooooo happy they’re coming into season)

I’m also making sure to eat plenty of quality protein from pastured eggs, wild seafood, and grass-fed beef. Mostly, my eating habits haven’t changed from pre-pregnancy. I still have big smoothies, eggs and avocado, or seedy overnight oats in the morning, a big salad with protein and roasted veggies for lunch, and some sort of wild or pastured protein (like salmon or grass-fed beef) and tons of veggies for dinner. Again, I try to eat a balance of healthy fats, protein, fiber, and greens at every single meal, as It makes me feel my best, and it keeps my digestion running smoothly.

I also have treats – because treats! My favorites are dark chocolate, Honey Mamas, or Eating Evolved coconut butter cups – so so good.

Of course, I’m limiting my caffeine intake (just one glorious cup of coffee a day), not consuming any alcohol, and having kombucha every now and then. I miss sushi dearly and look forward to eating aioli with my sweet potato fries one day soon again. But mostly, I’m listening to my body and honoring what it wants (and the baby loaf) in the moment. I feel privileged to feed a little life and influence her future eating habits – which I think is pretty amazing.

I haven’t had any food aversions other than the SMELL of raw onion. Oh my god, it make me want to jump off the roof – I can’t stand it. This is normal, right?!

Supplements: I’ve been taking prenatal vitamins from Ritual – which are amazing and contain methylated B vitamins, folate, and plenty more goodies, a DHA Omega-3 fish oil from Nordic Naturals to support babe’s brain development, and probiotics/prebiotics from Seed every single day (You can use the code VEGU15 to take 15% off your first month of the Daily Synbiotic subscription.), and have been for about 2 years. I also take 5000 IU of vitamin D3 every other day, because I live in dreary Portland and because research supports vitamin D’s role in a healthy pregnancy. Of course, talk to your doctor/midwife/practitioner if you are supplementing during pregnancy, and do your research!

Movement

In terms of exercise, I’ve been trying to get in some form of movement daily. Sometimes, this looks like barre3 livestream classes (all the studios are closed, due to Covid-19) which make me feel really strong and healthy. I’ve been obsessed with barre3 for the longest time (I often joke that it’s my religion), and I love how I can modify postures from the comfort of my own home, and feel great taking cat-cows in the middle of class when I need a quick break. When the weather is nice (not raining), I try to get out on a walk, which is so fun to do in our new SW Portland neighborhood. I’ve also been practicing some yoga and stretching here and there too. Luckily, my body feels really good and healthy so far. I have some back pressure every now and then, but I’m lucky that not much else has been an issue.

Books

I’ve been reading TONS. There is so much information on pregnancy, and a lot of big scary you-can’t-do-all-these-things, so I’m researching and doing what works best for me. A lot of books have been really helpful, while some outdated ones…not so much. These pregnancy books have really resonated with me thus far, and I’m learning tons from them:

-Nurture: A Modern Guide to Pregnancy, Birth, Early Motherhood and Trusting Yourself and Your Body by Erica Chidi Cohen – oooh this is a good one. I’m loving the month by month breakdowns to what’s happening in my body (and baby’s!) as well a nutrition, self care, mantras and spirituality, and so much more. It’s been a wonderful resource so far
-Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman – this is a fun one. It’s a memoir/parenting book about an American woman who has a baby in Paris. So many interesting cultural tidbits, including the fact that French babies start sleeping through the night (doing their nights) early early early – often as early as 3 weeks!
-“The Mama Natural Week by Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth” by Genevieve Howland – I love how this book is broken up by weeks and provides fun recipes and natural, more alternative approaches to pregnancy and childbirth
-“Expecting Better” by Emily Oster – Written by an economist, this book breaks down pregnancy taboos (alcohol, coffee, eating soft cheeses and sushi, among others) with science-based research. I found it widely informative and empowering.
-“Like A Mother: A Feminist Journey Through The Science and Culture of Pregnancy” by Angela Garbes – I devoured this book. Not only a look at pregnancy through the feminist lens, but culturally and scientifically, too. Get this one, mamas!
-“Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth” by Ina May Gaskin – written by the nation’s leading teaching midwife, this book is the holy grail book for learning about natural, unmedicated labor and childbirth. As of now, I’m hoping to have an unmedicated vaginal delivery (I know things don’t always go as planned) in a natural birth center, so this book has been so empowering for me. I’m really enjoying reading women’s birth stories as well as learning “how to trust in the ancient wisdom of my body for a healthy and fulfilling birthing experience.”

I’ve really just been honoring my body for what it wants and needs. It’s been such a blessing to grow a little baby thus far, and I’m so excited for the weeks to come. More posts + information coming your way soon. For now, if you have questions – drop them below!

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