Pregnancy & What I’m focusing On To Make It A Beautiful Experience
My very first post since announcing my pregnancy, and it feels so good to be back. I wasn’t prepared to talk about pregnancy, let alone announce to the world that I’m on the journey to becoming a new mom. After a lot of downtime, prayer, and contemplating, I felt a nudge to share some things with you all.
I see my platform as a gift. The ability to use my voice to create awareness, spark change and amplify self-care is truly a wonder from God. Knowing this, I felt it incredibly important for me to document my journey from the beginning with hopes to inspire mommy’s, mommy’s to be, and those who dream of motherhood.
If you’ve wondered why I haven’t posted in a while, it is because pregnancy has taken a lot of adjustment for me. I’ve dealt with severe morning sickness, exhaustion, dehydration, and so many other things that expecting moms endure. While I missed connecting with you all, my health and the baby's health have been the most important thing for me.
I’ve started to feel better as it’s later in my pregnancy. I’m able to do a lot more & be fully functional without feeling nauseated or vomiting. Pregnancy itself is already a beautiful experience, but my primary focus has been how do I keep it beautiful? Here are a few things on my priority list to ensure my pregnancy journey is a safe & beautiful one.
Living Intentionally
Intentional living has always been something I stood by but even more so now. Intentional living means more financial responsibility, putting the baby’s needs before my own & ensuring I’m doing everything I can to set the baby up for success. Being intentional looked like taking care of, listening to, and honoring my body in the early stages.
It’s tough to be in a space where you feel physically hopeless but empowered all at the same time. While I physically felt defeated, I was absolutely determined not to let that stop me. I walked daily when I could. I did not force certain things on myself simply because others convinced me it was the right thing to do; I’ve moved at my own pace and honored what has worked for me. Living intentionally has also looked like immediately stepping into more responsibility. Factoring in expenses and finding ways to ensure any poor decisions do not hinder the baby.
Of course, I have the support of my life partner, but I’m determined not to rely on him to fix everything. A huge part of partnership and parenting is learning that we are responsible for showing up as parents and partners. Our child/children deserve two responsible adults, not just one. I’ll dive more into financial changes & leveling up for the kid's sake in a later post.
Being More Mindful
Prior to baby, I was already hyper-focused on protecting my privacy and the intimate experiences in my life. Now, being deep into my pregnancy, that focus has elevated 20 times more. Pregnancy and motherhood is such a beautiful intimate time in a woman’s life. These moments should be shared with individuals who support, believe in, and honor this process. I’ve been very mindful of how I share my journey and who I allow playing a role in it.
My primary focus is for my child to feel love and support in every stage of their life. If I’m surrounded by energy that doesn’t mean well, it’s impactful on the baby, even in the womb. This journey is about love for me, positivity, and expansion. I only want people around who reflect this energy, who have been around & will continue to be around. I have not felt pressured to include certain people on this journey, even if they’re family.
As I said, this is a very sacred, intimate time in my life, and being mindful of who I share it with is of high importance. I’m not looking to fill rooms for the sake of feeling like I have support or people who care. I want to genuinely have that love and support regardless of its 100 people or 10 people. My ability to be mindful on this journey is protecting myself, my health & the baby well before they even enter this world.
Eliminating Stress Factors
The beginning of my pregnancy was no cakewalk. It was actually one of the most complicated things I had ever been through in life. Over the years, I’ve been very candid about my mental health journey on my platform. The first week or two of pregnancy sent me into a really dark space mentally. I had no idea I was pregnant at the time, and mentally, I had just checked out. I felt incredibly sad all time and didn’t have the strength or drive to do anything. I felt helpless.
As time progressed, I actually worked longer hours on bigger projects, all while being sick. Work had no idea I was pregnant, and I wanted to keep my pregnancy to myself. It was important for me to cut any stressors out of my life. While I couldn’t stop working, I monitored how I showed up and how much I showed up. If things got too hectic during the week, I’d gracefully bow out. Outside of work, I limited the amount of social interaction. While pregnant, your emotions run high, and the smallest things can trigger you and cause stress. A few things that have supported me in being stress-free:
I’m careful about what I give my attention to. I have been careful about what’s a distraction and what’s worth me caring about. The minor stressors turn into big things over time and eventually impact the health of the growing baby.
Taking nap time seriously has also helped. Although I’m still working from home most days, it doesn’t mean that stress doesn’t come with work. I take my allocated breaks, and during lunch, I nap for 15-20 and eating lunch for the rest of that time.
My favorite hack is letting everyone else do everything for me hehe. The great thing about pregnancy is that you’re treated delicately by loved ones. Family and friends will do pretty much anything to see you happy. I’m one of those who will try and do everything independently, but that isn’t always the best way to do things. If you’re an expecting mommy and blessed to have an amazing support system willing to cater to you and support you to lessen your stress, allow it. You deserve it!
Enjoying & Cherishing Every Moment
This is undoubtedly the most beautiful experience of my life. While it will be challenging, there is nothing that takes away from the joy of bringing life into the world. I am learning to cherish every moment, both pleasant and difficult. Even if it isn’t enjoyable for me, I am cherishing the time that I have because I know it will pass before I know it. Every moment counts, and cherishing the moments I do have to feel joy and passing my joy down to the baby is the greatest gift I could ask for.
I’d love to hear from those expecting mothers or working on getting pregnant; how are you ensuring your process is an enjoyable one for you?