First Steps & Life Changes
I’m assuming by now, you’ve confirmed your pregnancy with the doctor and met with the OB nurse to go over all the do and don'ts. So let’s dig into those a little further, from a real-life standpoint!
First of all, before we even get into specifics, let’s all agree that none of us are perfect and we are all going to slip up sometimes- even during pregnancy and motherhood!
Caffeine
We know or at least find out pretty quickly that our Starbucks or Dunkin addictions are going to have to change! So what can we do instead?
I already have 2 littles (4YO & 2YO) so skipping coffee is just not an option. When I first found out about this pregnancy I started making our coffee at home with half caffeine and half decaf. I still doctored it up with my sugary creamer but limited myself to just one mug. After about a week I switched to just making decaf. I’m still limiting myself to a cup/ cup and half each morning but this really helped me to still feel like I’m getting my early morning pick me up and ease me off of the caffeine so I didn’t get bad caffeine headaches.
Recently, I’ve been playing around with some iced coffee recipes so I feel a little less empty handed walking into the office first thing in the morning- check out my reels for my current go-to blend! I did have to switch cups because the giant Tervis tumblers I would typically use were cracking with the wide temperature swings. These are my current faves-
Next was conquering my drinks during the day. I found switching to a bubbly water help me not only with my nausea but also helped me to feel like I was drinking something more than just plain boring water.
2. Retinol
Seriously?! This one bugs me! I am fighting wrinkles and saggy skin like my life depended on it so to have to switch up my skin care routine feels super daunting, but let’s do this! Right now, with the exception of my face wash, I’m a loyal Olay user, and basically everything I’m using includes retinol. Thankfully my face wash, PanOxyl, doesn’t have any retinol in it so I can keep using that!
The initial moisturizer I found at Target was a flop! But thankfully, I then found Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Gel-Cream Face Moisturizer and it is working wonders!
I am still using my collagen protein powder- just one scoop in my coffee every morning so hopefully that is helping some the elasticity of my skin and smooth movement of my joints.
Unlike any of my prior pregnancies, my skin is really struggling with breakouts this time, so stay tuned for updates; I’ll keep you all updated on my new skin care routine!
3. Alcohol
Another biggie, no wine after a long day at work, no beer after a long hot day in the sun?! EEKKKKK! My bubble water is definitely helping fill this hole, but let’s revisit this! I tried sparkling grape juice in a wine glass but it was just so sugary, that’s not going to be a new thing for me.
4. Foods, in general
Also probably deserves its own full post but let’s hit just the highlights. Obviously growing a new life requires special care; thankfully, God designed our bodies to be able to provide the nourishment baby needs! I’ve tried several different prenatal vitamins over the course of my pregnancies, and my favorite is the One-A-Day Gummies. I don’t like swallowing pills, especially large ones, that early in the morning- I would much rather have the 2 little chewable gummies. I have found that I feel much better when I start the day with a glass of water, then continue sipping water all throughout the day. After my water, I have a mug of decaf coffee, with collagen protein powder. My breakfast, lunch, and dinner differs with each day, with my main goal being to keep it simple, to at least keep in mind the calories and sugar so I’m not going overboard, aim for at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies, even though that may not happen everyday.
At the end of the day, you’re trying and THAT’S AWESOME!! I am so proud of you for trying to make the best choices for your new little, and I’m so excited to be on this journey with you. Stay tuned for my next post in this pregnancy series!