Pregnancy FAQs

Answering some FAQs that I’ve received from you all!

Has your beauty and skincare routine changed? Yes! As a mother to be, I decided to take a step back from certain products during pregnancy as my main focus is of course the health and safety of my baby girl. I’ve always been an advocate for simple and easy routines, and the less is more concept. So when I test out new products I first do my research and only change 1 or 2 products at a time. This is actually how I normally test products anyway, so that I can see the actual results of a new product. Changing too many things at once makes it difficult to know what’s working and what is causing problems.

Do you have any cravings? Strong cravings no, but when something sounds so good, I do my best to get my hands on it and eat it! I’ve always been a foodie and not very picky with my food. Although I do lean towards salty over sweet, so eating a jar of pickles is not out of the norm for me. While pregnant, I’ve been craving a mix between the two, like french toast and burgers! One aversion I’ve noticed so far – BACON – so weird!

How long did it take you to get pregnant? Sid and I took a pretty relaxed approach to the process and said we’d start trying when we returned from our honeymoon in September. We got pregnant in October so it was very quick. So quick that we had to cancel a scheduled ski trip. Oh well next year, and well worth it! Honestly I was so surprised because I was on birth control for over 15 years, and figured it would take some time to get pregnant, but that can be a common misconception, as you can see in my case. I feel so very fortunate, as I am of course sensitive to that fact that many couples do not have this type of experience. Birth control and fertility is for sure a topic to discuss with your doctor.

What prenatal vitamin are you taking? When we returned from our honeymoon I started using NatureMade prenatal vitamin as it’s also prescribed for couples trying to get pregnant. Once I was pregnant and saw my doctor, she prescribed me with vitaPearl which has a much high percentage of folic acid. This is definitely a topic to discuss with you doctor! She also mentioned to keep the leftover NatureMade vitamins, as I can continue with those while breastfeeding.

Do you have morning sickness? My first trimester was so rough. I could barely get off the couch. The exhaustion, headaches, and inability to eat was just horrible. I don’t normally nap, but I cannot even count the number of snoozes I took during these three months (note the featured picture with my two babies). I would describe my first few months like that horrible hangover where you just want to throw up to feel better, but can’t. All worth it though of course! I’ve heard worse stories of morning sickness so I’m not going to complain too much. As soon as I hit my second trimester, all those symptoms disappeared and I had energy back in my step. To think I’ll be in my third trimester at the end of the month is so crazy. I cannot wait to meet my baby girl!

What has been the most surprising thing about pregnancy? Definitely the amazing ways your body changes. I highly recommend having an app that not only shows you progression of the baby but gives you weekly updates on your body. I use the app FLO, and it has been so informative just when I need it. It has helped me to understand why certain changes are happening. I didn’t start really showing until about weeks 20 – 22, but there are so many changes other than your bump that happen. Being informed can help with any anxiety or crazy hormones 😉

Have you had any headaches? First trimester headaches were pretty brutal. Headaches run in my family, and I’ve struggled with them for a long time. I always carry fast acting Advil with me in my purse so the moment I feel one coming on I can take some medicine. Unfortunately Advil is not safe for pregnancy so I had to switch to Tylenol. Tylenol provided some relief for first trimester headaches and now total relief for the occasional second trimester headache. I also used ice packs and cold compress. My doctor recommended a little caffeine, so I’d have an ice cold diet coke if I felt I really needed it.

Where have you shopped for maternity clothes? I waited as long as I could without buying maternity clothes, but I knew the inevitable would present itself. I ordered some affordable dresses in larger sizes, not necessarily maternity, and invested in a handful of maternity jeans by Paige and DL1961 which I found at Pea in the Pod. They have great sales. Follow along on my instagram stories for my pregnancy looks!