October 30, 2018
We have made it half way! Baby girl (yes, girl!) has grown so much. I’m sharing all kinds of things from week 18 to 21 in today’s pregnancy update.
Dress: Nordstrom | Cardigan: Red Dress Boutique | Booties: last season Vince Camuto Similar | Earrings: Kendra Scott
18 weeks
This week I made a point to exercise more, and it really made me feel great. My favorite way to workout right now is walking on the sea wall or the beach. I’ll sneak in a little jogging here and there depending on the day. On Tuesday I had some girlfriends convince me to go to yoga this weekend and I’m so thankful for it. I needed to stretch out so bad. I ended up getting a month’s worth of classes at that studio. Excited to continue going to classes regularly.
19 weeks
Hello acid reflux. Pizza and Mexican food are two definites on the list of foods that give me acid reflux. It’s unfortunate, because I really love pizza.
I know I’ve mentioned how rough sleep is in my other updates, but it’s getting harder. It is hard to find a comfortable position, and I have been having wild and terrible dreams. Worst nightmare kind of stuff.
I went to yoga twice this week and it’s been a total confidence booster. Pregnancy is such a unique time because your body changes so much, and while it is a beautiful thing, it can be hard to get used to. I think going to yoga and seeing what poses I can still do makes me stand a little taller in the skin I’m in. Humble brag: I was holding bow pose and I thought to myself, “Man, you’re a badass standing on one foot holding this pose, all while creating a human.”
20 weeks
It’s like I woke up one day this week and suddenly lost all range of motion. Now, when I’m sitting down, bending over is nearly impossible. Want your phone charger that’s lying on the floor? Too bad, you can’t reach it. I also feel like half of my brain is gone. Pregnancy brain, baby brain, whatever you want to call it, is so real. The people on the other end of my work emails probably just sit and shake their head at me. Bless them. One night this week I was cooking noodles…right? I brought them to a boil and then turned the burner temp down to low and left them like that for 10 minutes. What was I thinking?! It’s not rice. I’m losing my mind.
I have been feeling some kicks from baby girl this week. I didn’t really know what I was feeling for until I went to the doctor on Monday and she was listening to the heartbeat. She would tell me when the baby was kicking and that’s when I realized what the kicks felt like.
21 weeks
A little more emotional this week it seems. I got frustrated at work to the point of walking out of my office to go cry in my car. No worries though, I called my mom and she made it all better. I think about my little girl and hope that I can be there for her like my mom always has been for me. And now I’m crying again.
Pregnancy brain has only gotten worse. It isn’t just struggling to find my words now. I mess up small tasks all the time. If I just had a little angel on my shoulder telling me to slow down each day I think it would all be better.
Exercise
As mentioned above, I started going to yoga at a studio on the island. The class is not specifically prenatal yoga, but I always make sure the instructor is aware of my pregnancy and make adjustments as needed. I think maintaining my flexibility has been super beneficial already, and will only help with labor and delivery.
Symptoms
The acne is sticking around. I’m still using the same products from my last pregnancy post, except for the exfoliating brush. I decided to give my skin a little break.
Shortness of breath comes with most physical activity. Even though my body doesn’t feel like it should be tasked from a flight of stairs, it still takes a second for me to get my breath back to normal.
Weight Gain
I said this in my last update and I will say it again: every pregnancy is different. By month 5 I have gained about 10 pounds since the beginning of pregnancy. I can tell that the rate of gain has increased. Baby girl is about a foot long now and weighs almost a pound.
Maternity Clothes
I recently bought some maternity leggings from Loft. Shout out to my friend Shannon for suggesting these! I love them already. The way these leggings are stitched together with paneling gives them more of a pant feel which is perfect for work (why Shannon bought them in the first place). They were sold out for the longest time but I kept checking online and was finally able to order some. I was able to get mine on sale! Loft runs sales often, so I suggest waiting for them to be marked down if you can!
I also bought some maternity jeans from Nordstrom that I share in this post. Of course, as soon as I share them on the blog they sell out.
Pregnancy Thoughts
To my surprise, people aren’t touching my belly as much as I thought they would. I anticipated having to swat hands away from my growing bump, but most people ask before they touch or they just admire with their eyes. So thank you, everyone, for respecting the bump. Haha!
