If I had a dollar for every time a friend or stranger asked me a question about pregnancy, I would have exactly $53. So, just in case you’re equally curious about pregnancy-related matters, here’s everything you ever wanted to know about my pregnancy, and more.
1. Do you have a name? Yes, and we’re not telling. Sorry.
2. How much weight have you gained? (Note: you are only allowed to ask this of pregnant women if you are REALLY GOOD FRIENDS. And even then, it might be a better idea to wait until three months post-partum when they’ve hopefully lost most of it….). To date, I have gained exactly 20 pounds (5 of which are in my bra, tmi). I have 10 weeks to go so I’m assuming I’ll gain about 30 when all is said and done. I never thought I’d gain more than 25 but I’m over it. Despite the numbers on the scale, I feel great, and I don’t have cankles. Yet. My friends have also offered to tell me when my face is too fat to instagram, and I love them for that.
3. Do you have any stretch marks? So far, none whatsoever. I’ve been gaining weight gradually, and I think that helps. I also just picked up some cocoa butter last week for good measure. That stuff is amazeballs.
4. Do you have a birth plan? No. I don’t really believe in birth plans. More often than not, I think having a birth plan sets you up for disappointment after your unrealistic expectations are not met. My plan is the following: get the baby out safely with as little interventions as possible.
5. But, will you get an epidural? I never say never. I hope to use alternative pain relief (birthing tub) for as long as possible. Brett and I have a code word for the epidural and he’s not allowed to mention or suggest drugs unless I say the code word. If I start shouting profanities, he’s allowed to remind me that we have a code word.
6. Would you deliver your baby in the birthing tub? Maybe.
7. Will Brett get in the tub with you? Brett will do whatever I ask him to do. He’s wonderful like that.
8. Ew, gross! Won’t it be so disgusting to sit in all that water after giving birth in it? Look, the whole process of giving birth is gross. It’s a gross, wonderful miracle. It’s gross whether you’re sitting in a tub, lying on a table, or sprawled out in the backseat of a car. If anything, at least you get to rinse off after a water birth!
9. Who is going to deliver your baby? One of the fabulous midwives at Sutter Davis, alongside myself, Brett, and a doula.
10. What’s a doula? A doula is a professionally trained labor coach who will act as my second advocate during childbirth. She’ll be there to help Brett, to encourage me, and to stay with me if he needs to get a cheeseburger. Sutter Davis offers free doula services to anyone who wants one.
11. Are you going to breastfeed? Yes. I plan to breastfeed as long as it’s working for me and the baby, up until one year.
12. Do you believe in cosleeping? Again, I never say never. We plan to have the baby sleep in our room for the first few months in a bassinet so I can breastfeed in the middle of the night.
13. Are you finished with the nursery? Not even close. We have roughly 10 weeks left and perform best under pressure. I hope.
14. What will the nursery look like? The theme for our nursery is “Oh, the Places You’ll Go” – a combination of airplanes and maps. You can check out my pinterest board for a sneak peak of some of the ideas we’re working on.
15. Where are you registered? I used a fairly new website called Baby List and cannot say enough good things about them! You can add items from ANY store using their simple browser button. I loved being able to add things from Etsy, Baby Earth, All Modern, etc. onto one concise, pretty looking site. I’m not going to share my unique registry link because my home address is listed there, but if you’re not an ax murderer and want to see what I’ve registered for, just shoot me an e-mail and I’ll send you the link.
16. Are you having a baby shower? Yes! My MIL is throwing me one in March with the women on Brett’s side of the family, and my mom and friends are cohosting another one in April. It’s going to be fun fun fun. After hosting and cohosting close to 10 baby showers in the past four years, I am excited to finally be on the receiving end!
17. What’s the hardest part about being pregnant? For me, it’s sleeping. I toss and turn a lot and rarely feel like I get “good” sleep. I’m also getting to the point where my lungs are feeling a little cramped and sometimes it’s hard to breathe. Other than that, my pregnancy has been a breeze, and I don’t take that for granted.
18. What’s the best part about being pregnant? Feeling him squirm and kick all day. I love grabbing Brett’s hands and placing them on my tummy and watching his face light up when he feels a good kick. We had our first conversation about babies on our first date (no joke) and sometimes it just feels so surreal that here we are, almost eight years later, experiencing this miracle together. We’re incredibly blessed.
19. Do you cry a lot? Every day. Okay, maybe not EVERY day, but most days. I cry happy tears more than sad tears. Usually in the car. Some weird sappy song will come on the radio and I start thinking about how happy I am and then I just start sobbing. I can’t help it. Pregnancy hormones are no joke.
20. Do you and Brett want more kids? How many? Yes. We’re going to see how the first one goes before we decide how many. Probably as many as it takes for us to have a baby girl
21. Are you still exercising? Yes. I walk almost every day, between 1-3 miles, and I do yoga (warm vinyasa) twice a week. Committing to yoga during this pregnancy was one of the best decisions I made early on—it’s helped my body and mind SO much. One of our bedrooms was previously set up as a home gym, and we just sold all of that equipment to make room for the baby. I’m joining a gym for my last two months so I can have access to cardio equipment when the weather is too cold/rainy to walk outside. Walking has really helped with leg cramps and minor nerve pain.
22. Will you go back to work after the baby is born? Right now, that is the plan. I’m due May 13th and plan to take the entire month of June off before returning to work in July. I am really fortunate to work for myself and have the ability to set my own hours. My mom and MIL have both committed to one day of babysitting each week so I plan to take full advantage of that!
23. Where do you buy your maternity clothes? I haven’t bought a ton of maternity clothes, but almost everything I have bought has been from A Pea in the Pod. They sell mostly designer maternity lines and everything fits really well.
24. Have you taken any childbirth classes? Not yet. We just signed up for a five-class series starting in March. We’re doing three labor/birth classes, one baby care class, and one breastfeeding class.
25. Can you recommend any pregnancy books? The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy is awesome. I’ve also enjoyed The Complete Illustrated Pregnancy Companion.
26. Any pregnancy cravings? I had more cravings in my first trimester, mostly because a lot of food wasn’t appealing at the time. Ongoing cravings include: cheetos, fried mozzarella, and my latest: caesar dressing on turkey sandwiches (don’t knock it till you try it).
27. How is Brett handling all of this? Brett is a freaking rockstar. He has made me feel so loved and appreciated throughout this pregnancy. Example: last night I was telling him that I need to go to Ulta to buy travel size toiletries for my hospital bag and he insisted on coming with me to help me pick out what I need. The guy’s a saint.
and my all-time personal favorite….
28. CAN I TOUCH YOUR BELLY?! Sure, and thanks for asking before touching me.
Still have a pregnancy related question? Ask away and I’ll answer in the comments. I’m not an expert by any means, but am happy to share my personal experiences.