If you missed the news on Instagram last week – we’re having a baby! I’m due later this summer, which means I’m into the second trimester now. We’re thrilled to be adding a little Leo to our home (although I’m not sure Mike is prepared to live with two of us).
I’ve always loved reading other people’s pregnancy updates and see this blog as a way for me to chronicle my own journeys. Hopefully you’ll enjoy coming along!
Pregnancy Q & A
How did you tell your family & friends?
We found it really hard to keep the news from both family and close friends. Within a week, we told our immediate families, gifting each person with a mug I’d purchased at Indigo (“best grandma/aunt/grandpa/uncle ever”). My only regret is not filming it! We told our extended family once I had my 10-14 week ultrasound.
It was impossible to hide from our close friends, so we decided not to. We host an annual Christmas party and while our families were none the wiser, our friends figured it out right away. One girlfriend walked into our annual Christmas party and asked right away if I was pregnant because she’d had a feeling on the way over. Our friends are also more attuned to my drinking habits and noticed my sparkling water / Shirley Temple swap.
How have you been feeling?
I’ve been really lucky to be feeling quite good for the majority of the pregnancy so far. As far as symptoms go, I had consistent mild nausea during the first trimester along with constant exhaustion. We’re talking asleep by 7pm kind of exhaustion. I also had an extremely sensitive sense of smell. Our office was often unbearable around lunch time + I had to quit my favourite luxe candles for awhile, too.
The first trimester is a weird one because you really don’ t feel pregnant (aside from any symptoms). It finally started to feel real for me once we had our 10-14wk ultrasound and I was able to see the little one.
Any cravings or aversions?
I’ve seen people share snaps of their “I found out I was pregnant!” grocery hauls, full of organic fruit and veg. That was not the case over here. My first trimester was brought to you, exclusively, by carbs. Breakfast was typically avocado toast (I had to ditch the eggs early on) and I had never-ending cravings for pasta, which is not the norm for me.
Vegetables were also a no-go for the most part, even though I was dying for romaine lettuce (and indulged once the recall had ended).
I found myself unable to eat most meat but never lost my taste for buffalo chicken fingers. Burgers were also something I felt OK eating, even though meat was such a big turn-off. Picture of health! Things definitely improved after month three, though.
How’s your back?
I get this one a lot because I have a long history of back issues. So far so good on the back front. I have the usual aches and pains, but nothing outside of the ordinary. That said, I haven’t gained any weight yet which might exacerbate things. The single watch-out my OB gave was to have an early consult with an anesthesiologist. Because of the location of my herniations, we want to have a game plan in place should I choose/require an epidural on the big day.
Will you find out the sex of the baby?
We’re planning to wait it out! I’ve never felt super strongly about it one way or another, but Mike really wants to wait (although he’s convinced it’s a boy) and my parents have requested that we not tell them if we somehow find out. I think it’ll be a really nice surprise and will – hopefully – help to manage the amount of clothing I purchase in advance.
Pregnancy Must-Haves: First Trimester
For morning sickness/nausea: Gin Gins Ginger Chews (I found mine at Homesense) were a life-saver. It was really helpful to have these in my purse for any twinge of nausea. Also, a sleeve of crackers at the bedside, on my desk and in my purse.
Motherisk: Especially for first-time parents, this site is a godsend. Recommended by my friends and OB, I can’t say enough good things about this site run by The Hospital for Sick Children. It contains all the medically-verified information you need to know about medications, food and other exposures during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Stay off the forums and go here instead.
Natural deodorant: Pregnancy is a great motivator for making the switch to a ‘cleaner’ deodorant. Many options have essential oils in them – which I’ve been largely avoiding – but I love my Saje Au Natural Crystal Fresh deodorant stick. I started out pairing it with the Exotic spray, but ditched that once I found out since it’s not listed as pregnancy-safe.
The Bump App: One of the first things I did when we found out was to download The Bump’s pregnancy app. I got it mostly for the fruit & veg update’s on baby’s size, but I keep coming back for the helpful articles. And, sparingly, the forums.
For dry skin: I’ve been suffering cracked, dry skin all over my body during this pregnancy. Especially on my hands and face. To combat this, I’ve been relying on my favourite 2-ingredient serum (Consonant HydrExtreme) and Weleda Skin Food. The latter is amazing on hands, face and anywhere that’s a little rough.
That’s all for the first trimester! Time is really flying, so the next update will be here before you know it. I’m especially excited because in the time since we announced our news, so many other friends have shared their own. Baby D’Amics is going to have a lot of little buddies to hang out with! It’s pretty much the best thing ever to have so many girlfriends going through the same thing.
Let me know in the comments if there’s anything in particular you want me to share. xo
