With my due date just days away, I thought I’d share a little bit more about my pregnancy with you all, as well as some answers to questions that I’ve gotten over the past 5 months. It’s been such a whirlwind of time and I can’t believe the baby is almost here! It’s fun reflecting on the past 9 months and also thinking about all that’s ahead. Read on for a fun and personal Pregnancy Q&A!
Pregnancy Q&A
Q: What was the process like for you getting pregnant?
A: Matthew and I have been talking about starting a family for the past few years. We got married in 2011 so it seemed like the next step but we also wanted to make sure we were ready. One of the things we really wanted to do before becoming parents was plan one last big trip, just the two of us. Italy was incredible for our honeymoon, but Portugal has always been at the top of my list. We went last September and figured that would be the perfect time to start trying. Having very irregular periods I was on birth control for years. One thing they don’t tell you is that it can take months for your period to come back. I remember going into the doctor in December and we did some blood work and an ultrasound to check and make sure everything looked ok. My doctor said even though I wasn’t getting my period, I could still be ovulating. Long story short, I found out I was pregnant just a few weeks later {and I had actually been pregnant at those doctor’s appointments but it was still too early to tell!}
Q: How did you find out you were pregnant?
A: Since Matthew and I were trying I had a box of pregnancy tests in the bathroom. One night in December {after I shot this outfit post!}, my stomach was feeling a little crampy. I thought it was just a sign my period was starting but when Matthew started to make cocktails {I was craving this Scupper Punch!}, I thought I should take a test just in case, even though they say it’s better to take the tests in the morning. You can’t believe the shock when I saw the two pink lines!
Q: How did you tell Matthew you were pregnant?
A: I went into the kitchen and told Matthew, “I guess you better make that a mocktail!” He couldn’t believe it!!
Q: How did you tell your parents?
A: We have a tradition to go over to my parents house on Sunday nights for dinner, and a few weeks after Matthew and I found out we decided to share the happy news. I was really nervous that something might go wrong and I really didn’t want to get their hopes up, so that’s why we didn’t share the news right away. Before eating dinner we say grace and after everyone went around saying what they wanted to pray for, I added a special prayer for the little baby growing in my stomach. Everyone was absolutely shocked but so excited! Needless to say, we couldn’t really talk about much else during that dinner!
Q: Did you always know you wanted the baby’s gender to be a surprise?
A: I’ve talked about this a little bit before, but I did struggle between wanting to find out the baby’s gender and wanting to keep it a surprise. Growing up I always thought that the surprise would be incredible, but I’m also a huge planner. Being able to know whether I was having a boy or a girl would be so helpful when it came to planning the nursery, buying some baby clothes, and also visualizing our life with the baby. But my love for surprises won because I really can’t think of a better surprise in life! I’m so happy we’ve decided to wait to find out. (P.S. It’s a boy! Check out Augustine’s birth story) I know it’s going to be the most incredible moment when Matthew says, “It’s a…!”
Q: If you could choose boy or girl, which would you want?
A: I’d honestly be so happy with either, which is one of the reasons why I’ve been ok waiting to find out. I’ve always said I wanted a boy first though because hopefully one day I’ll be blessed with a little girl and she’ll love having a big brother! I was a bossy big sister so I think it would be nice to switch things up a bit for our family!
Q: Was designing the nursery hard when you didn’t know the gender?
A: Not really because I knew I wanted to keep the room more gender-neutral with whites, creams and grays. We ended up going with a boho/eclectic style nursery that I know will be perfect for a boy or a girl. Also, we can always add boy or girl accents down the road!
Q: Have you had your names picked out for awhile?
A: Matthew and I didn’t really start thinking about names until we were pregnant, which I kind of regret. I think it would have been easier to talk about them a few years ago without all the pressure. Matthew and I have different ideas when it comes to names so there was a lot of back and forth. So much in fact that “Veto” started to sound good!! I feel like we’re in a good place with our girl name, but the boy name has been the hardest. And remember, I think we’re having a boy!
Q: Will you have an M baby?
A: Probably not. There were a few M names for girls that I liked but I didn’t find one I particularly connected with for a boy.
Q: Do you like being pregnant?
A: I’ve actually loved being pregnant! It’s been such an incredible experience and I feel lucky that I didn’t have to deal with any morning sickness or discomfort. It’s gotten a little more challenging towards the end of my pregnancy, as I’ve gotten bigger, but it’s all been really manageable. I really attribute that to my prenatal yoga classes. I went between 2 and 3 times a week since February {before I even told some friends!}, and that’s been really helpful in keeping my body loose and limber. Hopefully it will serve me well during labor too!
Q: Did you get any stretch marks?
A: Not yet {knock on wood!}. I’ve been using different belly butters
Q: Which prenatal vitamins did you take?
A: I used New Chapter which I absolutely loved! I started taking them before I got pregnant and love that they’re a whole foods blend with probiotics.
Q: Did pregnancy change the types of skincare products you used?
A: I definitely tried to incorporate more natural skincare products into my beauty routine. It got hard sometimes, especially when I was dealing with crazy breakouts that couldn’t be saved, but I really enjoyed using products that were free of synthetic and chemical ingredients.
Q: How much weight did you gain during pregnancy?
A: A lot! I’ve already gained 40 pounds so I’m sure it will be a little more than that when I deliver. I can definitely notice a difference in my face, chest and thighs but I’ve really tried to not care about it so much. I’m making smart food choices, but also not depriving myself when there’s something I’m craving. I have to remind myself that I’m growing a baby and the most important thing is that he or she is healthy.
Q: Are you nervous about labor?
A: Not really. When I think about it too much I definitely get a little scared but I have to remind myself that childbirth is something that women have been doing since the beginning of time. I’m planning on trusting my body and letting it do what it needs to! I know people say labor is painful but I’m trying to talk myself into it just being a lot of pressure! Mind over matter right?! We’ll see anyways!
Q: What will you miss most about pregnancy?
A: I’m definitely going to miss feeling the baby move in my stomach. It’s amazing that women are capable of growing a human life inside of them. I’ve loved reading those pregnancy apps and finding out what developmental stages the baby goes through each week. I know it will be amazing to actually meet my baby but I’ll definitely miss that closeness we’ve had over the past 9 months.
Q: What are you most looking forward to after pregnancy?
A: Besides being able to hold my baby, I can’t wait to wear high waisted jeans with shirts tucked in {random but I miss that look!}, and eating sushi {specifically Sugarfish}. Wine I can definitely wait on, but the sushi needs to get in my belly STAT! That was the one food I knew I would have a hard time giving up when pregnant.
Q: What are you most nervous about with motherhood?
A: I’m nervous about so much! I’ve heard balancing everything as a mother can be a huge challenge. I want to make sure I’m able to be a good wife, daughter, sister, friend, worker, and also make some time for myself. There’s a lot of self-sacrifice that comes with motherhood and, while I wouldn’t have it any other way, I do want to make sure I can take care of myself physically and emotionally.
Q: How are you planning on balancing work and motherhood?
A: That’s a good question! To be honest, I don’t really have it all figured out yet. I’m definitely planning on taking at least a few weeks off from blogging. I want to enjoy this special newborn time, and I know I won’t have much spare time. I’ll be so exhausted! Ultimately I’m hoping I’ll still be able to balance both. I’m probably more nervous about a year from now when the baby is up and running!
Q: Will you share a lot of the baby on the blog?
A: Many of you have followed our journey since the very beginning so I can’t imagine not blogging about it. Being a mom is going to be the biggest and most important thing in my life. I definitely want to share this new chapter of my life with you all, but I don’t want it to become the main focus of my site. Right now, I’m thinking about doing Motherhood Monday posts for those of you who are interested. And if you’re not interested, don’t even worry, I understand! I’ll still be sharing outfits, beauty, recipes, home and entertaining posts with you all.
Q: How has pregnancy changed your relationship with Matthew?
A: It’s definitely made us even closer. We love that we’re creating a family together and it just feels right. We love talking about the things we’ll do together with the baby and Ginger (now we go on lots of walks). I know we’re both a little bit nervous but overall we can’t wait!
I hope I answered all your questions in this pregnancy Q&A! If you have any others, feel free to leave them below and I’ll respond to them in the comment section.
Thank you all so much for your support and love during my pregnancy! I’m so appreciative!
xox
Read about my first trimester, second trimester, and third trimester! Also you can see my blog announcement here!
