Oh wow, where do I even begin here. I’m now less than 2 weeks out from my due date, so wanted to reflect back on my pregnancy journey. It seems like it’s gone by so fast, but also I feel like I’ve been pregnant forever and can barely remember life before I was pregnant, ha! Could be any day now ๐
Finding out I was pregnant: This was definitely a surprise! I randomly took a pregnancy test one night (wasn’t feeling sick or delayed time of the month or anything), and I was shocked. It was like 10 PM, but I had to tell CJ immediately in a kinda cute way – so I ran to Walgreens, grabbed a card, pacifier, and gift bag. I told him this was a super delayed bday present. He was equally surprised! We were so excited and happy, although it came at an ~interesting~ time…right before our belated 2-week honeymoon trip to Italy, LOL.
First Trimester: No lie…I still have a little PTSD from our Italy trip, LOL. I was definitely too ambitious when planning our 2 week Italy trip, and being 6-8 weeks pregnant while exploring cities and going on adventures wasn’t the greatest…ha. I still had fun, don’t get me wrong, but I was EXHAUSTED. I felt so sick and nauseous throughout most of the trip, but I didn’t want to ruin it for CJ so I worked up the energy to still do a good amount of activities. I was bummed that I couldn’t drink the wine or eat charcuterie boards, and eating Italian food for multiple days in a row really ruined Italian food for me sadly. Other than that, I laid pretty low throughout the first trimester since I wasn’t feeling well (headaches, stomach pain, major exhaustion, feeling nauseous). I’m definitely thankful I didn’t have any actual morning sickness, just got motion sickness in long car rides a couple of times.
Second Trimester: We started telling people (which was so fun, I recorded most reactions) and it started to feel more real! We had a private gender reveal just us two – and we were both surprised! I swore it was a boy, but it ended up being a girl! I would’ve been happy either way for the first one ๐ I’m ecstatic to be a girl mama though! All the pink and matching outfits <3 I gained back so much energy in the second trimester – it definitely is the best trimester! I will say (and what you don’t hear about much, but I’m sure many women face as well!) I struggled looking in the mirror because I started to really not be able to fit my clothes (or shoes, LOL), and second trimester was this awkward in-between where my weight gain didn’t look like I was for sure pregnant yet. I definitely learned to embrace my body over time, but sometimes I would feel down about some of the changes that were happening. I also didn’t get blessed with any of the positive beauty symptoms that I heard about: thicker hair – nope; stronger nails – nope; clear skin – nope! Luckily, I did not get any stretch marks (phew), and I highly recommend lathering on THIS LOTION to prevent.
Third Trimester: Truly home stretch! I have been on and off exhausted, but for the most part have been feeling fine. The biggest hurdle about third trimester has been the uncomfortable-ness of having such a big belly. I’ve gained so much weight and back pain has been pretty bad – sitting in a chair all day working from home doesn’t feel great for my legs. It’s also super difficult to get up while laying down or even just sitting, ha. But I’m sooo close! During this trimester, we packed, moved, unpacked, ordered furniture, got the apt ready, got baby stuff ready – I can finally say I definitely feel more prepared now, but it’s been a journey.
Random thoughts: I think no one will ever feel 100% prepared, but it’s all about doing as much as you can and researching as much as you can before baby comes! There are so many great resources out there – from TikTok to YouTube videos to books. I feel blessed & I’m grateful for the experience, but I’m definitely excited to not being pregnant soon – rather have have my sweet little babe in my hands instead!!
Baby Registry Must-Haves: I did SO much research on baby items and registry must-haves, so sharing a full list of products here!
Maternity Photoshoot: These pics were fun! I did a mini session for my shoot and it was a great idea. Highly recommend doing a mat shoot if you’re a mama-to-be!
| Black Bodysuit: Amazon | Photos by Nicole Victoria Photography
