Pregnancy Habits

Life changes so much once you have a baby on the way and I’ve been thinking about all the things that have changed so far for me and thought maybe I would jot it all down on here. Maybe there are other pregnant women out there that are curious to know my habits lately or want to know of some things they could also be doing during their own pregnancy, so happy reading if that applies to you (and even if it doesn’t)!

Really, I did not change many of my habits until about week 18 or 19 of my pregnancy (I am currently 22 weeks). I always told myself that I was going to work out and eat healthy as soon as I became pregnant, and I actually ended up doing nearly the opposite. *hand to face*

During my first trimester, and even a few weeks after that, I had an appetite like no other. I have never eaten so poorly in my life as I have once I got pregnant! I had a few pregnancy cravings that lasted only a few days each, even including healthy things, but I also wanted to eat all the unhealthy things, too, and I gave into what I wanted every time.

I had never struggled with weight gain, so I assumed that even once I got pregnant, I could eat whatever I wanted and still be thin. But then the scale started going up and basically I didn’t know what to think. Obviously, I am going to gain weight – you are supposed to! But something about it really got to me even though I was not gaining an unreasonable amount of weight.

At week 19, I decided I had to change my eating and exercise habits. Before this point, I was going on walks every once in a while, but not consistently like I should. When it’s cold, I do NOT want to go outside! I am not much for working out… my most recent actual workouts were when I was 18 playing competitive volleyball! So I wasn’t about to do anything like crossfit or any other intense workouts. So, I gave yoga and pilates a shot and I haven’t given up for over 3 weeks now. Every morning I wake up early to get some sort of (very light) workout in!

Anyway, I want to list the things I have changed during my pregnancy. Some are minute, and some are a big deal for me! I have categorized them into three sections: general, food + drink, and exercise.

General Stuff

Just a few little things that have made a big difference for me!

Stretch mark cream

This was my first pregnancy purchase (at 5 weeks)! At first, I started using Basq Stretch Mark Butter. I really like it and still use it sometimes because I don’t want it to go to waste, but then I found a whole stystem for preventing stretch marks from Body Boost! I have the raw sugar scrub, stretch mark butter, stretch mark oil, and foot and leg lotion that gives you a cool + tingly feeling that is amazing.

Epsom salt baths

Always been a bath lover! Epsom salt makes baths 10x better because it is super relaxing and makes your skin so soft! There are so many benefits to using epsom salts, too. I do make sure my bath water isn’t too hot, though. I use a bath thermometer to make sure my water doesn’t exceed 100 degrees.

Iron supplements

I am anemic, so I am encouraged to take iron supplements. Sometimes the pills upset my stomach, so I tried out the gummy kind and OMG it tasted like I was chewing a piece of metal – SO gross. So I think I will switch back to the regular kind. I have also been eating lots of spinach lately to give me some extra iron!

Prenatal vitamins

I should have started taking these vitamins sooner than I did, but I took them 2 months prior to conceiving and have been taking them ever since. I eat the gummy ones (there are lots of brands and versions out there you can find) and I actually look forward to eating them because they are pretty tasty!

Skincare routine

Whether it shows or not, I ALWAYS take very good care of the skin on my face. It has always required a lot of upkeep (thanks hormonal acne) and now requires even more, unfortunately, but really there is nothing more I can do for my skin than what I already do. It’s just something I will have to deal with! They say not to use products with salicylic acid, but my doctor told me the other day that really it’s up to me because there isn’t enough research done on it to conclude that it is unsafe.

Pregnancy apps

When we started trying, I used the Ovia Fertility Tracker app to track my cycle and any symptoms I had. The app tells you your most fertile days and when to take a pregnancy test (I also used ovulation sticks). Once I got pregnant, I dowloaded the Ovia Pregnancy app and that’s where I recorded any symptoms, things to remember, weight gain, cravings, etc. It also shows you how big the baby’s hands and feet are every week which is so much fun to see! I also have the BabyCenter App but seem to prefer the Ovia one because it gives a more in-depth description of what’s happening with both baby and mom.

Self-tanner

In the winter, sometimes I deal with the paleness and sometimes I use a tanning bed. Obviously, tanning beds aren’t safe during pregnancy because they raise your body temperature too much, so those are out of the question. So is laying out at this time of year! So I have been using St. Tropez (pregnancy-safe) self-tanner and it gives me enough color to hold me over til I can catch some rays this spring. Really, self-tanner is kind of a pain but I seem to feel better when I use it, so it’s worth it to me!

Pre-natal massage

When we went on our trip to Colorado last month, I had a pre-natal massage and it was amazing! They are pretty much the same as a normal massage, but you are laying on your side during the parts you would usually be laying on your stomach. That particular place did not give pre-natal massages to expecting mothers during their 1st trimester, but I am not sure if that is the same at all massage places. I will be getting another one but will probably wait until my 3rd trimester when I have more aches and pains!

Food + Drink

Like I said, I haven’t always been the healthiest eater. Luckily, I feel lately that eating healthier isn’t so bad (as long as I can indulge every once in a while)!

For about 3 weeks I have been eating healthier than I did at the beginning of my pregnancy, but I was still gaining weight! So at my appointment the other day I talked to my doctor about it. She really wasn’t worried about it and said to just keep doing what I am doing and that (obviously) I am going to gain weight, but to watch the quantity of what I eat. That is so hard! She also said to be careful with dairy intake. I do not drink milk because I am lactose intolerant, but cheese…I can put away some cheese. Cottage cheese, too! So I will be cutting back on those two things.

Pasta is something that is so hard for me to give up, but I know it has so many carbs and calories, so I think we (or I) may have to change up our pasta nights every week with a healthier option. On pasta nights, we had also been eating bread with oil + vinegar and I had no idea how many calories olive oil (or really any oil) has, and we were devouring it, soaked in bread. Yeesh. Going to have to stop that, too!

So that I am not keeping myself from enjoying food, I think I will make it a goal to eat healthy throughout most of the day and then letting myself have one indulgent snack or small meal (or cappuccino). Basically, a reward!

Some snacks/meals I have been eating a lot lately:

avocado + whole wheat or sourdough toast

bell peppers

carrots + hummus

cottage cheese (going to cut back on this though and other dairy products)

small amounts of cheese

scrambled eggs with diced peppers

grapes

bananas + peanut butter

smoothies + protein shakes

Drinks:

WATER – as much as it pains me to drink, lately I’m doing it anyway, and it actually gets easier every day! I bought a gallon-size water bottle on amazon that has lines to help you reach your water intake goals and it’s super helpful! I have been doing really well with it. I have been adding lemon slices, cucumber, and grapefruit slices to my water to give it a little more flavor.

Hot tea – I’ve had peppermint tea as well as vanilla tea quite a bit lately! I have loved hot tea for a long time now but once my aversion to coffee started, I really turned to hot tea to replace my coffee. Sometimes I add a little Truvia for some sweetness and to my vanilla tea I add both Truvia + vanilla almond milk and it is delicious – tastes like a sugar cookie to me!

As much as I love sweet tea, I’ve really cut back on it. My husband always has some made in the house, so sometimes I will have a glass, but not as often as I did before. Sweet tea has always been hard on my stomach though, so it’s definitely best that I have mostly cut it out!

Chai latte – A low-cal chai latte mix (55 calories) has been satiating my capp/latte cravings lately and I definitely plan on drinking another tonight while we watch a movie! It’s not nearly as good as a regular chai latte from Starbucks, but now that I have been eating food that is a little less flavorful lately, it doesn’t taste so bad after all!

Hot lemon water – Sometimes my stomach can’t handle cold water in the morning, so I drink it hot with lemon in it. I have heard this has some benefits, too!

Exercise

I am so not a workout kind of person. I don’t have good form for any sort of exercise, I feel like! I am a horrible runner and cardio seriously hurts me. I love going on walks but with it being cold out, I am definitely not very motivated to get a walk in. Since I don’t have much knowledge on exercising, I knew during pregnancy was NOT the time to start an extensive workout routine. So I started doing yoga stretches every morning, some simple exercises like squats and calf raises, pilates, and some yoga ball and resistance band exercises. I am proud of myself for being consistent with it all!

Yoga stretches + pilates

I found a lady named Jessica Pumple who is a pre- and post-natal fitness gal on YouTube that I love because she posts yoga + pilates + more exercises every week! I switch up the stretching videos every once in a while but a lot of the time I watch the same one over and over (I like routine). I found one of her pilates videos and do it over and over again because I like it so much. They are the perfect way to wake up in the morning and to get your muscles working without taking it too far and hurting yourself.

Squats + calf raises

I started doing squats and calf-raises every morning because my legs and butt are mostly what I am wanting to work on (I noticed that is where most of my weight seems to go, besides my baby belly of course). I have been doing them for almost a month now and Brett says he can tell a difference but I think he might just be saying that 😉 such a good husband! I also bought a kettle bell to hold on to while I do squats.

Yoga ball + resistance bands

I haven’t done these exercises as much as the others because I haven’t really found videos that I like enough to do on a regular basis. I wanted a yoga ball because I know they are good for your core and my core is another area I am very adamant about working out because I WANT MY ABS BACK AFTER BABY. But please don’t hold me to it. Haha.

Diastasis recti exercises

Diastasis recti is when your abdominal muscles separate a certain amount. From what I understand, this happens to everyone during pregnancy because your abs have to separate to make room for the baby. But, the severity can vary and it sounds like to be “diagnosed” with diastasis recti, the gap in between your abs has to be more than 2 fingers wide. I felt for the gap between mine the other day and now it has me worried that the gap will become even wider and I hope I don’t have a hard time strengthening those muscles back up post-partum to bring them back together. Luckily, I already have a strong core and I continue to work those muscles (NOT doing crunches though) so I am hoping it will work in my favor!

I have been looking for a good prevention workout on YouTube (if there is even such thing as preventing it) but most are for post-partum. So maybe it’s more of a thing you worry about AFTER the fact and there is no preventing it? Either way, I am going to continue doing light core work!

Kegels

These are important for birth preparation and for strengthening your pelvic floor muscles. I do them during one of the yoga stretch videos I follow along with. Really, they are something you can do at any time during the day, which is nice!

So there they are – my pregnancy habits as of 22 weeks!

Paige