From Bump to Baby: Essential Pregnancy Advice

From Bump to Baby: Essential Pregnancy Advice

by | Mar 5, 2024 | Lifestyle

Congratulations on embarking on this beautiful journey of pregnancy!  Whether you’re experienceing your first sysmptoms, seeing the first signs of a baby bump or counting down the weeks until your baby makes their first appearance, this time is filled with excitement, questions and. a few surprises.

Proper prenatal care and knowing what to expect can make this journey smoother and more enjoyable.  I’ve put together some essential tips and pregnancy advice to help you navigate through each stage.

In This Article

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First trimester

My greatest blessing in life was being able to form a life inside of me and give birth to my little miracle baby as I call him. Navigating pregnancy has got to be one of the most perplex roller coaster of emotions I’ve ever experienced.

Between hormonal changes and your body trying to adapt to its new “tenant,” you will be going through one of the most remarkable transformations of your life, yet this doesn’t mean it’s always magical.

The first few weeks it’s all fun and games sharing the news with your loved ones. You’re filled with joy, love, anxiety, questions, and more. Moving past this is when the first sign of unexpected morning sickness comes and that’s when it sinks in.

I paused my aviation job for some time and started working elsewhere. Living in NYC meant having to take the train into the city which meant being nauseous from the first to the last stop so the snacks below really came in handy.

For Nausea

  • Keep saltine crackers or cheerios next to the bed
  • Iced water or frozen snacks
  • Lemon water
  • Keep a plastic bag with you when it hits unexpectedly
  • Ginger chews

Embrace The Newness

  • Early Appointments: Schedule your first prenatal visit as soon as you can and build a strong foundation with your provider.
  • Nourish Your Body: Start pre-natal vitamins and focus on a balanced diet of lean proteins, veggies, and fruits.
  • Dealing With Symptoms: Keep your favorite snacks at hand.  Eat what makes YOU feel better so long as it’s not harmful, you’ll be able to make healthier decisions in the trimesters to come.  Small, frequent meals and lots of rest can be lifesavers.
  • Lifestyle Tweaks: Take it easy on your workouts while the baby settles into its newfound home, you can go hard in the other trimesters.

My First Trimester Go-to's

  • Preggie Pop Drops 
  • Ginger Chews
  • Iced lemon infused water
  • Frozen fruit (the only thing I could eat due to my morning sickness)
  • Nature Made Prenatal Vitamins

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Second Trimester: Enjoy Your Glow!

This is often the sweet spot of pregnancy.  Around this time most of your symptoms have subsided and your energy levels are back up for the most part.  While all of this was true for me, it was also one of the most critical moments of my pregnancy.

Beginning the second trimester just shy of 4 months, I get a call from my doctor advising me one of the genetic testing results came back inconclusive for Trisomy 18 (Edward’s syndrome).

My heart sunk. My mind was a blur, I had so many questions going through my head but I couldn’t put my words together.   She tried to explain to me this wasn’t definitive and we needed more testing to diagnose properly.  I was quickly transferred to a family psychologist to ease me into the process and answer any and all questions I had. I broke down and started praying.  Nobody had prepared me for this but we still kept our faith.

They immediately scheduled me for an amniocentesis.  If you’ve never heard of this term, it is a process in which they extract the amniotic fluid from your placenta which they then test to find any abnormalities.

The procedure is done without any sort of anesthesia, as they stick a huge needle through your belly and into your placenta to extract the fluid.

To say the least it felt really uncomfortable and painful, and waiting for the results for three weeks felt like a lifetime.  At this point in time we weren’t rooting for a “girl” or a “boy”. There was no gender reveal party.  We were ultimately just praying for a healthy baby.  Lo and behold the results came back and there he was, a perfectly healthy baby boy.

 

“The Honeymoon Phase” 

If you’re lucky, your symptoms have vanished into thin air, the aversions are gone with the wind, and you have enough energy to continue doing your regular squats, deadlifts, etc.  These were by far my favorite months.

  •  Boost Of Energy:  Perform squats, deadlifts, and weight lifting as much as possible as long as your provider gives you the green light.  This will help open your pelvis if you plan to have a natural birth.
  • Enjoy your bundle of joy:  Show off your baby bump, wear that cute outfit, go out on dates, take pictures, and document your journey.
  • Mid-Pregnancy Milestones: Around this time, you’re more likely to get a glucose test and an anatomy scan.
  • Moisturize: You should be moisturizing every day, but this phase is critical as your body is rapidly stretching, and this is when stretch marks start to form on your belly, breasts, and legs at times.  They will itch a lot, but refrain from scratching them and lather them with good ol’ shea butter.
  • Plan your baby moon: Since I was feeling so much better we decided to head to Mallorca and had such a wonderful time.  This was also the first time I felt baby L’s kick! more like little bubbles, but it was the first time I felt him!

 

Photo of my pregnant self on a beach in Mallorca.

My Second Trimester Go-to's

  • Palmers Stretch Mark Oil
  • Shea Moisture : 100% raw shea butter
  • Sweet almond oil
  • Huge body pillow

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Third Trimester: Preparing for Baby’s Arrival

Entering the third trimester is about preparing everything for the baby’s grand entrance.  Around this stage, heartburn starts showing up, your feet start to swell (mine grew a whole size) and daily tasks get just a tiny bit more complicated.

My back never really hurt and I probably owe it to the stretching and amount of exercise I was doing. One thing that hurt a lot was the ligaments on the lower sides of my tummy.  These are called growing pains which are normal but yet really uncomfortable.  I found this maternity belt, which helped the pain and pressure from the belly overall.

 

Nuggets of Wisdom

  •  Continue working out:  If your healthcare provider still says it’s okay, please continue your workouts even just 30 min a day.  It will make a really big difference.
  • Take care of swollen feet:  Soak your feet in epsom salt, elevate them, and then wear your compression socks as often as needed
  • Meditate: Prepare youself emotionally and mentally for what is to come and seek support if needed.
  • Prep Your Hospital Bag: Honestly you don’t need half the things you think you do.  Most hospitals provide the essentials you need for your stay.  The only things I packed and used were comfy PJ’s, babies first outfit,
  • Gather postpartum essentials: Start putting together your kit at least 4 weeks before baby is due (mine arrived 3 weeks early and thankfully I had everything I needed at hand.) Below are the products I used over and  over again while recovering from a natural birth.

 

My Third Trimester Go-To's

Maternity support belt
Breastfeeding basics & How to increase milk supply

Breastfeeding basics & How to increase milk supply

by | Jul 28, 2022 | Lifestyle

“The more I obsessed and worried, the less milk I produced. It reached a point where I contemplated quitting altogether as my supply seemed scarce (around the four-month mark)”

the basics

  • Stay hydrated / nourished – This is the most important above all. Make sure to maintain good nutrition and hydration to support milk production.
  • Latching Techniques: Practice and ensure proper latching technique to make the experience as comfortable as possible for you and baby.
  • Positions: Try various positions until you find one you are most at ease with.  There’s no right or wrong way. Find some here.
  • Feed on Demand:  Follow your baby’s hunger cues and offer frequent feedings as often as baby wants.  This also stimulates milk production.
  • Breast Care: Make sure you follow good hygiene, wear lanolin cream when needed, find a comfy fitting nursing bra and clothing.
  • Seek Support: Lastly, breastfeeding can be challenging at times and we all can get a little anxious about it. Please don’t hesitate to ask for help or be embarrased to ask a professional about it.  It is a natural process which requires a lot of learning, practice, patience and dedication.

The Journey

 

We all want to know how to produce breastmilk quickly and effectively for our little ones, but along the way we tend to get so obsessed with the process that we miss the beauty of the journey. Breastfeeding is a beautiful thing, filled with ups and downs. It’s not always easy, but the bond between mother and baby is priceless. My personal experience has been a roller coaster ride, but my body has continually surprised me since we embarked on this adventure. From day one, my desire was to produce abundant milk for my baby’s needs, but the stress of constantly striving to “keep up” actually hindered my progress. The more I obsessed and worried, the less milk I produced. It reached a point where I contemplated quitting altogether as my supply seemed scarce (around the four-month mark). However, once I decided to let go and flow with the process, things changed dramatically.

While still taking my vitamins, supplements, and staying hydrated, I eased up on myself. I incorporated power-pumping and frequent latching to stimulate my milk glands and potentially boost production. And lo and behold, within that same week, my milk supply increased, paving the way for my rewarding two-year journey. It’s important to note that from the very beginning, I acknowledged that if I couldn’t produce enough milk, alternative nourishment options were available for my baby. Hence, we introduced formula alongside breastfeeding to ensure his nutritional needs were adequately met. This turned out to be advantageous as he never favored one over the other, making it easier for his father or my mom to feed him when I was away for work.

Below are some of the products I used which I feel worked the best for me.  This isn’t by any means medical advice, and remember to be patient as everything during this journey is trial and error until you find something that works exactly for you and your baby.

Please remember that every breastfeeding journey is unique, and everyone has different aspirations. Seek advice and inspiration from reputable sources, such as blogs, Instagram comments, or fellow moms you meet in nursing rooms at airports. The key is to create a nurturing routine that brings you comfort and confidence. Embrace the journey, explore various methods, and find solace in the fact that you are a remarkable mom.

Love,

Steph xoxo

 

Essentials

Supplements

Mother's Milk Tea

Lactation tea made with ingridients such as Fennel and Fenugreek to help increase your supply. I’m a tea drinker so I had nothing to lose while giving this a fair try.  I wasn’t as consistent as I should’ve been but I really enjoyed it right before bed because it’s so soothing.  Also in the hotter months try adding some ice to it once it’s brewed!

Get mother’s milk tea here.

Pros

  • Inexpensive
  • Soothing to drink
  • Tastes good (add some milk and honey for more flavor) I used to drink it straight

Cons

  • Must drink at least 3 bags a day to see results
rejuvica drops

Made with herbal oils such as Fenugreek, Blessed Thistle, Anise, Fennel, Turmeric & Red Raspberry Leaf, this supplement greatly increased my milk supply above all other products. 

Get them here.

Pros

  • No aftertaste
  • Alcohol – Free
  • Easy to use

Cons 

  • Pricy

 

Brewer's Yeast

Gluten-free, Non-GMO, unflavored yeast powder which helps boost your supply.  I won’t lie, at first this was a difficult one to add to my diet.  One of my favorite ways to get a proper full serving was to make frozen fruit smoothies (pairs best with strawberry, blueberries, bananas) and adding either almond or coconut milk to the mix.  I also experimented making chocolate chips cookies with it, and while they were tasty, it was too much work while simultaneously trying to feed yourself, a hungry baby and pump.

Get it here.

Pros

  • Helps boost supply overall
  • Versatile (can be used with different recipes)
  • Packs 17g of protein per serving!
  • Helps maintain skin, hair, nails health

Cons

  • Slight aftertaste

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Pump it up!

 

Feed, burp, change, pump, clean pump, repeat. Raising little humans is already a hard enough job.   Pumping shouldn’t add more stress to the already chaotic loophole during the first couple of days, weeks, and months your navigating motherhood.  I knew if I wanted to maintain my milk supply, I needed to pump right after every feeding, but this seemed like an almost impossible task, having to plug yourself to a wall basically and pump for 15 min while being ultimately tied down to your pump.

My life literally changed the minute I found the Elvie.

This is a portable pump and it comes in different styles.  The fact that you can put this under your bra and pump away was mind blowing to me! I had the freedom to pump while still tending to my baby, doing chores around the house and even at work.  It is so discreet no one could ever tell what i was doing.

I highly recommend this product and I cannot stress how much it helped my pumping journey and maintaining my supply while being on the go for work.

Along with pumping, I used this handheld Lactation massager which provides heat and vibration to promote let-down and massage clogged ducts.

 

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