PREGNANCY UPDATE: FIRST TRIMESTER QUESTIONS

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15 weeks as of Wednesday this week!  My little food baby bump.  I didn’t even show with Oaks until about 20 weeks, but I’ve heard you show a lot quicker with your second.  I can’t wait to have a bigger belly!  Each week that passes I feel more blessed and grateful for this healthy little bean in my belly.  As hard as its been, because it’s been harder than Oaks, what helps me get through the hard days is perspective & gratitude.  When you have those two things, you can get through anything and feel happy!

So I want to dive into your questions about how this pregnancy has been going so far.  I did questions on my IG stories and have a ton of things to cover, so lets get to it.  I’m going to start with the easier ones to answer.

  1. DID I PLAN THIS BABY?  HOW LONG IT TOOK TO GET PREGNANT, OR IF I TOOK BIRTH CONTROL BEFORE?  Honestly this baby was partially a surprise.  We wanted to start trying in September this year.  We stopped being careful in July because I thought it’d take me longer than 1 month to get pregnant, I thought it’d at least be 4ish months.  It took me 3-4 months with Oaks, but I luckily SO LUCKY got pregnant in one shot.  I literally know that time haha (TMI?)  SO this baby is obviously meant to come when she’s supposed to come and we’re so beyond thrilled about it.  I haven’t been on birth control since a year before Oaks, so 5 years ago?   I had the mirana IUD a year prior to getting pregnant with Oaks.  I never took anything after I had him.  The method we do is SO TMI here to say, but I’m sure you get it.  We def don’t use condemns.  I honestly hate everything about bc.  I’ve tried it all and really go psychotic on it. Also, the IUD gave me terrible migraines and bad headaches on the days I didn’t have migraines, so that was fun.    So what we do works for us and always has.
  2.  DID I PLAN THE GAP BETWEEN OAKS & THE NEW BABY?  Yes.  I knew I wanted a second child at LEAST 4 years apart.  I wanted time with just Oaks for a while and don’t regret doing it the way we did.  I originally wanted them 3 years apart, but couldn’t pull the plug when he turned 2, I just didn’t feel like it was time yet. They’ll be 3-1/2 years apart and super happy with how it planned out!
  3. HOW DID YOU TELL YOUR HUSBAND?  Well, I literally had this intuition the entire month that I felt like I was pregnant.  He totally thought I was crazy and there was no way It could happen so fast, so I was 5 days past my period, got a test and we took it together.  So I didn’t tell him in any special way.  He was there when we saw the test positive!
  4. DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE ON HOW TO PREPARE YOUR BODY FOR PREGNANCY?  I would say, eat well, exercise and take your prenatal.  That simple.   If you’re in a good exercise and eating routine, then it will be that much easier to lose the baby weight after your pregnancy.  Especially if you exercise throughout your pregnancy, obviously things are going to change A LOT with the routine, but keeping a goal to get some movement in will make your pregnancy and labor a little easier.  In MY experience.
  5. (MOST ASKED QUESTION)  DO YOU EAT WHAT YOU CRAVE, EVEN WHEN ITS UNHEALTHY?  OH GUUURRRL.  YES. YES… YES.  Especially in the first trimester when all you can eat is ramen, toast and carbs.  Weeks 6-10 all I ate was straight up carbs.  I would eat over easy eggs, but that was all the protein I felt I got. Also, no veggies were in my diet.  You have to eat what sounds good and can keep down.   So don’t feel bad.  You have to do what you have to do.  I eat a lot better now.  But I still get what I crave which is all fresh things, like salads and sandwiches.  And the salads aren’t their healthiest… I’ll dip things in ranch haha.  I’ve been drinking my ginger berry smoothie in the morning and Liv Owyn Protein shakes. My recipe for the Ginger Berry smoothie is in my Morning Sickness Post So much better lately, but I had ramen with eggs last night because I still get way sick at night.  Do what you can, and don’t feel bad about it.  When you feel good, sneak in your veggies and protein.  
  6. HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH LABOR BEING A FTM?  Don’t worry about labor.  It’s the best day of your life!  But that being said, I got all the drugs, so not like I did mine natural.  So if you’re doing it natural, I’m the wrong person to ask.   I got the epidural, so labor was a damn breeze.  I was in labor for 10 hours and I pushed him out in 20 minutes.  I had an easy labor, so lets hope this one goes the same.  After I had him was harder for me with all the hormones going crazy.  I had postpartum blues pretty bad.   I share my journey in this MY LIFE AS A NEW MOM POST.
  7. TIPS TO WORK OUT BEING PREGNANT & EXHAUSTED?  WORK OUT ROUTINE DURING PREGNANCY?  Well, I worked out about 3x a week up until 2 weeks ago.  I just sort of listened to my body and let it rest.  I started to feel like It was making me even sicker and if I was pregnant with Oaks (my first) I would’ve ignored those signs and pushed through because god forbid I don’t keep up my routine!  I have control issues with my routine and getting things done, BUT with that being said I’ve learned from that and this pregnancy I’ve been giving myself grace and listening to my body.  It can wait.  I’m growing a baby, a freaking human.  It’s not an easy job.  This little girl needs more of my energy than Oaks did!   I did however feel like I could do a light work out in my living room this morning, so I filmed that for you guys, and will be posted @lovebylynnfitness page.  They say you can continue to do what you did before pregnancy, but modified.  My doctor also told me to keep my heart rate below 150 and not any higher than 150. I feel like I’m about to puke at 140, so I definitely don’t.  My work outs are modified for sure, but it does feel good getting movement in.  I will be sharing my work outs on that page, when I feel up to it.  Like I said, I’m letting myself rest when I need to during this time.  I’m sure by the time I get to 20 weeks I’ll be ready to work out and film  a lot!  SO listen to your body and talk to your doctor about it.  Do what you can BUT DO NOT push harder than you were before pregnancy. 
  8. ARE YOU TRACKING MACROS DURING PREGNANCY?  No.  I feel like tracking macros is a little silly when you’re pregnant (thats just me and no offense to anyone that does).  Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about counting your macros and learning about them, but theres a time and a place for that.  Not when you’re trying to grow a child.  Eat well, eat enough , and eat an abundance of healthy foods!   Your body is now your child’s as well.  I feel you need to nourish it the right way.  Not cut back at all, but give your body the right nourishment it needs.  Sure keeping track is fine, but don’t cut back in any way.  If you need more , eat more!  Don’t tell yourself you can’t have something because you’ve already hit your goal for the day, especially if its very healthy!!  
  9. WHAT PRENATAL DO YOU TAKE & TUMMY BUTTER?   So I’ve been taking the HONEST PRENATALS  & THEIR DHA ONE TOO.  With tummy butter, I mentioned this in my IG stories the other day.  I LOVE MAMA MIO TUMMER BUTTER.  I used this with Oaks all throughout my pregnancy and only got some baby stretch marks on one of my boobs.  I don’t think that this is magic cream.  I do think genetics play a huge role in stretch marks, but there is nothing wrong with taking preventative measures and taking care of your rapidly stretching skin!   I use it all over my tummy, boobs, love handles & thighs every night before bed. 
  10. PREGNANCY BREAKOUTS? WHAT DO YOU DO?  I’ve been breaking out around my chin and all over my chest unfortunately.   I’ve been doing my regular SKINCARE ROUTINE, but took out the alpha beta peel pads, and retinol.  You should avoid glycolic acid, retinol & salicylic acid when pregnant and breast feeding.  I go into my esthetician at Spa Trouve in Utah and get a Vitabrite peel.  It has mandelic acid in it which is specifically for hormonal breakouts and redness.  The great part about it is you can get it when pregnant. Totally helps.  I have her do extractions too so I don’t give myself scars.  I go in and do that every month and then she recommended I get the Mandelic Acid Serum for home, as well as the Mandelic Toner.  I use the serum, after I cleanse at night and the toner, after I cleanse in the morning.   Obviously it gets expensive to visit a spa every month, so get the serum and maybe try visiting every 3 months. I’ve only used the serum once so I can’t give my honest opinion on it quite yet, but I’ll keep you guys updated.   Other than that, keep up on your routine, wash your face, don’t go to bed with make up on, use ROSE HIP OIL, and drink a lot of water,  and also stay away from dairy if you can.
  11. POSTPARTUM BODY.  SO MANY WOMEN ON IG LOOK PERFECT DAYS AFTER DELIVERY. WHAT IS THE REALITY?  Well, we have to remember that everyone is different.  We all have different genes.  Some women are ALL belly when they’re pregnant, and some woman gain weight on every single body part like myself.  I can see it in my thighs, face, legs, arms and obviously the belly.  But thats me, thats my journey. You gain what you’re supposed to for your baby.   Now, if we’re talking about woman looking that way in a picture, you also have to remember some woman post the best angle and lighting and they don’t share how much they gained and don’t share the bad parts.  Not saying that is wrong, but you can’t know the whole story by looking at one picture.  Some woman bounce back so fast because they’re just naturally super thin and some woman don’t.  Both are OKAY.   Keep in mind that your journey is different from everyone else.  This is your body.   Don’t, please don’t compare yourself.  Thats such a trap.  Give yourself grace and love.  Feed your body with good nutrients and exercise in a healthy way with a good balance.  The weight will come off in time, in your time, on your clock.  Not someone else’s.  We all have struggles.  Remember that everyone on this earth is the same.  We all live life, happy, sad, angry, go through hardships, and go through good times.   BUT PLEASE, please, please don’t compare yourself to anyone.  It’s the thieve of joy!!  You all are amazing woman and kick ass.  Don’t do that! 

So I think I’ve covered just about everything that was asked the very most and picked random ones that were only asked once.  

I’ll talk a little bit more about my pregnancy thus far. 

Weeks 6-10, had to eat crackers right as I woke up, puked sometimes when I brushed my teeth, felt nauseated all day, dizzy and stomach pains, like flu symptoms, SO tired and winded.  Had to eat something every 30 minutes (still the same I feel)  some days were manageable and I never felt like I had days where I couldn’t leave my bed, but I’ve had days where I didn’t leave my house and can’t cook anything because smells drove me insane.   

Weeks 10-15.  Some days I feel like It’s gone, but then comes back.  I can eat a little healthier now and not just straight up carbs, but I do eat only what sounds good, and if thats a cheese burger then so be it. Like I said, giving myself grace and enjoying it.  (this post should be called grace haha)  but mostly I get sick at night, around 4-6pm until I go to bed.  My stomach starts to hurt and I can hardly eat anything.  Tj is so awesome and been helping me out a lot.  Putting Oaks to bed and cleaning the kitchen.  Freaking bless those husbands for taking care of us during this time after a LONG day of work.  

We’re so thrilled for our baby girl and I just cannot WAIT to continue to share this journey with all of you, especially since most of you’re pregnant too! It’s so exciting!

Thanks for all your messages and DMS.  Literally love chatting with all of you.  We’re in this together!

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Let me know if you guys have any questions about this post!  Hope you have a great weekend!

xoxo,

SARA LYNN

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14 WAYS TO HELP EASE MORNING SICKNESS

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DSC03434-EditThe message is finally out!  Prego town over with baby number 2.  But I’m onto my second trimester and STILL feeling morning sickness.  Blah.  I honestly couldn’t tell you how long I had it with Oaks, it’s been 4 years and I feel like all I remember were the joyous moments, such as giving birth and meeting that sweet boy.  All of the bad just goes straight out the door, thats kinda why we put ourselves through it again, and again.  Otherwise we wouldn’t keep having the babies!

This time around it feels worse to me and thats probably because I have another child to take care of and look after, all while running a business and keeping up with it all.  It just feels like a lot when all the sudden your health is gone and you feel like you have the constant flu all the time.   BUT I’m here to tell you there are ways to help ease it a little a make it more manageable.  At least in my case there as been.  Obviously we have good and bad days and everyone has it different than others.  Some have it worse, and some don’t even have it.

So here are some things that I’ve tried that worked for me, and gave me some relief at times and made the sickness a little more manageable.  When you have a toddler, you have to find something to make it manageable.  You’re kinda forced to in a way ha.

  1. MINT/FRUITY GUM.  The peppermint in gum just helps with nausea and gets rid of the weird taste in your mouth.  Fruity gum works as well, but I can’t do any sugar this pregnancy… I literally get super sick when I eat any processed sugar, like I’m talking 1 bite of a cookie and my blood sugar SPIKES and it feels like I ate a whole bag of cookies.  Huge bag of cookies.  It really sucks, all I want is a chocolate croissant, ya know?
  2. OILS.  Okay smelling citrus helps so- much with nausea.  I like to burn THESE OILS in my diffuser everyday, or even all day and it gives me relief.  Also, Peppermint is another one you can do too.  Along with burning Peppermint Candles & Citrus candles.   All those smells give you so much relief.  Smells are huge when you’re pregnant.  Smell something wrong and you’re on the verge of puking.  I even rub some of the citrus under my nose, on my neck and wrists, so I can smell it throughout the day.  Another thing, I add peppermint to my coffee with soy.  I like my coffee but didn’t love it weeks 6-10, so I’d avoid.  But when I started drinking again I couldn’t have my usual, which is almond milk with sweet leaf vanilla drops.  I had to have soy with peppermint.  I just order this Peppermint Sweet Leaf to add to my coffee, but I usually get mine at Starbucks.
  3. DON’T LET YOURSELF GET HUNGRY:  This is huge.  Make sure you’re snacking every hour, sometimes every 30  minutes to be honest.  Eat small frequent meals to help keep your stomach full.  If you let yourself get hungry and start to feel sick, once you eat you’ll still feel sick.  Thats whats happened in my experience.  When I keep up on my eating I don’t feel as sick and don’t get as much acid reflux, if at all, any that day.   Obviously choose the healthiest option, but eat what sounds good to you.   Don’t force yourself to eat something that doesn’t sound good.
  4. AVOID THINGS THAT TRIGGER NAUSEA.  Whatever sounds doesn’t sound that good to you, don’t eat it, don’t even try.  This is kinda obvious, but like I said sugar doesn’t really sound good that to me, but occasionally I’ll try and have a cookie or something and it makes me so sick.  I just have to avoid it.  So if you’re like me and processed sugars make you sick, avoid it completely.  Natural sugar, like honey, and fruits are fine with me.  Avoid driving in the car when you’re feeling sick.  I get car sick super easy, but even worse when pregnant.  And like I said avoid certain smells too.
  5. WHAT TO EAT WHEN FEELING NAUSEOUS.  These are things that I eat that help me, so I’ll list them off and you can see if they’ll help you too.  Everyone is different.  Carrots & watermelon.  These two things are natural ways to relief nausea.  Scoop of peanut butter between meals, sometimes I’ll eat with a banana.  Toast with grass fed butter, apples, cottage cheese (sometimes), Liv Owyn Protein Shakes , turkey sandwiches, over easy eggs with toast, crackers, cereal, I like ezekiel or special k. I never drink with cows milk though.. yuck.  Always soy or almond.  BUT.. if you’re really sick like i was 6-10 weeks, you can’t eat that much that sounds good.  All that I ate was crackers, toast, cereal, ramen, more ramen and then more crackers.  Just very very bland foods.  It was hard.
  6. EAT WHAT SOUNDS GOOD.  But really, just eat what sounds good, regardless if it’s healthy or not.  Try your best to eat healthy, but all I could keep down was ramen those first weeks and thats okay, be kind to yourself, you’re doing your best.  
  7. DRINK TONS OF WATER.  Man, I get so- thirsty.  I make sure I have my Pink Starbucks Cup always filled up and next to me, so I can sip on it all day.  Staying hydrated will make you feel so much better. 
  8. DRINK CARBONATED DRINKS.  Carbonation helps a lot with nausea.  I had to do this in the beginning weeks, but now I don’t at all really, just water is good for me now.  I had those ICE drinks from costco a lot, and the Spindrift Sparkling Water drinks that were in the can, also can get them at costco.  I tried sprite once, and of course the sugar in it made me sick so I stopped that.
  9. KEEP CRACKERS BY YOUR BEDSIDE.  Before getting out of bed in the morning, eat some saltine crackers 10 minutes before getting up.  This will tide you over until you can make some cereal or toast, and keep you from throwing up right when you get up.  If I didn’t do this I would throw up after I brushed my teeth.. yikes.
  10. GINGER BERRY SMOOTHIE.  When your up for making a smoothie, this easy ginger berry smoothie really helps with nausea.  1 cup water, 1 cup berries, handful spinach, knob of ginger, 5 ice cubes and blend!
  11. EAT PROTEIN.  There are moments where you can’t even think about eggs or any sort of meat.  So what I did in those moments was got a really chocolate-y or vanilla protein shake, whatever I was feeling and drank that a couple times a day.  Protein really helps with nausea and helping you feel a little fuller.  I know all you want to eat is carbs, but add in protein and fat and you’ll feel better. I don’t count my macros while I pregnant btw.  Thats been a big question I’ve been getting.  I kinda don’t understand why thats even a thing when you’re pregnant.  You gotta eat and you gotta eat, when you need it.  
  12. UNISOM & B6 COMBO. I did this a couple times when I was so sick and just couldn’t handle life anymore.  It for sure helped a lot, but the only thing I didn’t love about that was it made me extremely drowsy, cranky and groggy the next day.  I felt super foggy.  But worth it if you’re puking a lot and can’t keep anything down.  I just took it at night and it made me sleep like a baby.  I don’t need that anymore now, so I just don’t take it. 
  13. GET SLEEP.  I know, I know.  Mamas with kids can’t really take naps, BUT when they do, get a little nap in there.  I struggle with napping and have only napped twice this pregnancy, but I go to bed super early.  Like 8pm, no later than 10.  Then I get a full 9 hours of sleep, sometimes 10 if I’m being honest, but you really need it!  Oaks every once in a blue moon will have a weird week where he  wakes up in the night, and if he does he comes in my bed.   I don’t mess around with that.  He’s coming straight to mommas bed haha.
  14. GO FOR A WALK.  Obviously if you’re really sick and can’t leave your bed this doesn’t apply to you haha, you stay in that bed and get rest and then make your hubs or friend make you meals.  I’m talking to mommas who’re getting over the sickness, but not quite there yet, kinda like where I’m at right now.  14 weeks and nauseous but not enough to sit in bed all day.  It really helps to get outside and go for a walk.  Getting some movement really helps and gives you a boost of energy.

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DRESS (UNDER $40) I WENT UP A SIZE, SO WEARING A MEDIUM

I hope this post helps any of you suffering from morning sickness and gives you little relief!  It’s not fun going through this and it makes everyday super hard to get through, but just remember that this doesn’t last forever and it’s all so incredibly worth it.  Also, remember to feel your baby and connect with them and just feel gratitude that you’re able to carry a child.  Thats what I do on my very hardest days and it helps.

Is there anything I’m missing?  Please share your tips below, would love to hear what helps you!

Have a great week!  You got this!

xoxo,

SARA LYNN

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