I’ve officially reached the 7-month mark in my pregnancy – CRAZY! I know. People’s reactions seem to be even more shocked since I had been hiding it for so long. It’s really hard for me to imagine that in 2 short months I’ll have a baby to look after.

PRE-PREGNANCY BRAIN

As I’ve discussed in this post, we never felt like we were in a rush to have babies after we got married [in 2015]. While it’s always been something we wanted at some point, there was never any hurry. TBH, I didn’t feel ready. I felt kinda scared. I wasn’t sure how it could possibly work – when I work for myself. I didn’t feel like I was in a place where I could fully dive in. BUT, over the last year or two as I’ve come to know and trust myself more, feel a deeper connection with my husband and established a more secure business, I do finally feel like it’s time. Society does try to hurry us all, giving us this ‘ideal’ timeline of what your life should be built upon, and in timely fashion. I disagree. I don’t think there is anything wrong with taking your time. Of course, as a woman, we do have some timeliness that must be considered, fertility-wise, but other than that I feel like finding your true self and what the heck you want to spend your life pursuing are both very worthwhile endeavours. That’s also not to say that you can’t do so, AFTER having kids, I just feel like the pressure is off if you don’t. I’m glad I’ve had time to be selfish, earn my degree, establish my interests, find my partner in life and build a solid foundation.

GETTING PREGNANT

We got super lucky to be able to conceive naturally, right away. This might sound a little ‘woo-woo’ to some, but honestly, I feel like my energy and mental state may have helped since I wasn’t putting any pressure on myself to ‘perform’. I like to go with the flow as best as I can – that’s not to say I don’t have moments of doubt – everybody does, but generally speaking I do trust that something beyond me will create my desires when things are meant to fall into place. Personally, I feel like using those ovulation apps kind of takes the fun out of the whole situation. I’ve always been a generally healthy person, who prefers to eat well and move often. I’m not perfect, but definitely well-balanced.

PREGNANCY AT 7 MONTHS

I’ve been so blessed with an easy pregnancy. I know it isn’t over yet (so hopefully I’m not speaking too soon) but I feel extremely lucky to have generally felt amazing this entire time. The first 2 months, I think probably always suck. Even for me, I felt very lethargic, unmotivated, and sleepy. I had one week where I was physically ill and had zero desire to cook or eat things I normally love, but aside from that it’s been pretty magical.

Once I got my energy back, I felt like my normal self. Happy, healthy and extremely motivated and inspired in my work. It’s like this baby has pushed me up a level and already makes me want to work that much harder to achieve my goals.

HABITS

Like I said, I’m pretty even keel when it comes to health + fitness. I enjoy working out (most of the time) and like to eat healthy-ish so I really haven’t changed much since getting pregnant. If anything, I’ve just up-ed certain things, like eating smaller portions, more frequently, eating more fruits/vegetables and trying to keep on top of my hydration throughout the day. To break down my habits, I’ve listed them below:

+ eating frequent, small + healthy meals
+ drinking lots of water to keep hydrated and keep down any swelling
+ using belly oils and balms to help my skin out a bit when it comes time for post-baby
+ getting 8-9 hours of sleep a night (when I’m not experiencing heartburn)
+ taking 20-min cat naps if I need to rest for a few mins
+ switched the majority of my foods + snacks over to those that are made from high quality, whole and mainly plant-based ingredients
+ listening to my body
+ lots of walking with my boy
+ reading outside and getting lots of fresh air

WHAT I’VE BEEN EATING:

Generally speaking my diet hasn’t changed that much. I typically always eat pretty healthy, don’t follow ‘diets’ but the 80/20 rule. I indulge, but I don’t overdo it. I never weight myself [don’t own a scale] but instead base everything off how I’m feeling. Unless my doctor brings something to my attention that needs addressing, as long as I’m feeling good, I listen to what my body needs and try to move when I can.

Listed out what I generally eat throughout the week, to give you an idea:

+ BREAKFAST: morning protein smoothie
+ SNACK: avocado on sourdough toast or açai bowl
+ LUNCH: big salads with either chicken or plant-based protein (with buffalo sauce). The 2 I crave most are my vegan caesar salad or the Santa Fe Chicken Salad from Earls.
+ SNACK: pistachios & a venti Passion Tea Lemonade w/ tons of ice from Starbucks
+ DINNER: we order meal kits from Fresh Prep twice a week otherwise I cook a pasta, fish (panko-crusted cod or salmon), or some type of protein and vegetables
+ POST-DINNER SNACK: my biggest craving has been X2 naval oranges, cut off the peel in a bowl + chilled in the fridge for after dinner while we watch a show.

Again, I’m NOT perfect. Most weekends we stop for chocolate shakes or indulge in Pizza or A&W if were super lazy. But I find that the 80/20 rule really works for us, so I feel like I’m getting everything my body needs but also still allowing myself a treat on weekends – same as usual.

EXCERCISE:

Pre-covid, you could find me in my boxing studio 3-5 times per week. Since covid, I have not been back but instead made the switch to at-home yoga + pilates workouts via the Melissa Wood Health app. Since being pregnant, I’ve definitely felt the need to slow things down, do lots of stretching and long walks outside. I’m not as hard on myself to workout as I would normally be, but instead just listen to how I’m feeling and do whatever works. My dog + I usually walk our route in the morning (about 5K) 2-3 times a week which feels good.

That’s basically everything! For now, anyways. I’ve been wanting to document my pregnancy for myself, since this is my first anyways, but always happy to share in my experience.

Chat soon xx