PREGNANCY JOURNEY AND MATERNITY PHOTOSHOOT

I wasn’t sure whether or not I wanted to share my maternity photos or keep them private. After much thought, since this is my personal blog, I thought it would be fitting to do so as this is a huge milestone in my life. Originally, I thought taking photos during my 9th month of pregnancy would be best as the photos would highlight more of my bump. Due to schedule conflicts, I took them during my 32nd week and I actually feel like that was the best decision. I am in love with my photos and it is a great summary of what this first pregnancy has meant for me and has taught me. And I highly recommend expecting mamas to consider booking a maternity photoshoot!

MATERNITY PHOTOSHOOT

*I worked with Eunika and she is amazing so definitely check her out if you’re in the NYC area

PREGNANCY JOURNEY

As a first time mom, this pregnancy journey has been full of surprises and full of emotions, ranging from one end of the spectrum to the other. As I am gearing up towards the end of my pregnancy, it has been emotional. I have loved my pregnancy thus far and feeling my baby kick is a something that is magical and quite frankly indescribable. Throughout these past 9 months, I have bonded with my son in the womb. We have exchanged energy and it’s fascinating to think that I am not only carrying him in me but he is literally growing in me. All I can say is that the woman’s body is powerful and creating life is miraculous.

Reflecting back on the trimesters, here is what I’ve noticed as my symptoms.

First Trimester: I was lucky enough to not experience ANY morning sickness

• Extreme fatigue: I remember I actually had to take naps throughout the day because my body was extremely tired. I didn’t know it at the time that I was pregnant and thought it was due to jetlag since I just returned from Italy. I learned later it was due to increase in progesterone. The fatigue also made me feel quite lazy and unmotivated (it’s different from the fatigue in the third trimester but I’ll explain the difference later).
• Sore breasts: My breasts were sore and it was a similar feeling that I have experienced on my menstrual cycle. They were sensitive, tender and swollen, but subsided after a month.
• Food aversions: I am a coffee gal and during the first trimester, I could not stomach the thought of caffeine. I couldn’t even drink tea which is part of my nightly routine. My food cravings changed and I was gravitating towards salty and bland food. This was the first noticeable sign since all I wanted was food from my childhood such as dumplings, noodles, peanut butter jelly sandwich, cereal, etc.

Second Trimester: honeymoon phase (felt like myself again and had my energy back)

• Carpal tunnel: I usually sleep on my right side and I began to experience carpal tunnel on my right wrist. This was something new and unfamiliar to me. I would feel numbness and discomfort throughout the night and it actually would disrupt my sleep. My OB told me it was due to the build up of fluid in my body. I was contemplating whether or not to get a wrist brace but I ended up doing exercises and straightening it while I slept which helped.
• Bleeding gums and bleeding nose: My teeth became extremely sensitive and my gums would bleed when I brushed them. Likewise, due to the expansion of blood vessels in my nose, I would experience some nose bleed from time to time.
• Increase in breast size and belly: Both of these were expected but I did notice my breasts became fuller and my I was starting to show. I didn’t fit in some of my clothing and had to find more comfortable bras.
• Body odor: Nobody likes body odor but this was definitely a new symptom that surfaced during the second trimester. No matter how much deodorant I put on, I felt like my armpits would still smell. I felt better knowing that this was due to my sweat glands being in overdrive and producing an increased quantity of a hormone called estradiol.
• Cravings: My cravings intensified during the second trimester but I am happy to announce that my aversion for caffeine subsided. And honestly, having coffee back in my system gave me joy. I noticed a shift to my diet, but I wasn’t too harsh on myself. For example, I was never a snacks girl but I was snacking more especially on salty chips!
• Round Ligament Pain: Due to my increase in belly size and pressure on my uterus, I would get round ligament pain if I walked too long or too much. As a New Yorker, walking is my thing but I definitely had to decrease my activity.

Third Trimester: the home stretch and the most uncomfortable phase

• Continued symptoms: Most of the symptoms I’ve had thus far continued including carpal tunnel, sore breasts and bleeding gums.
• Nasal congestion: The nasal congestion kept me up at night because it was very uncomfortable struggling to breathe. I would have to blow my nose and ended up going through boxes of tissue.
• Gas/ Constipation: This obviously isn’t pleasant either but I definitely experienced gas and constipation during the third trimester. As the uterus expands, it puts pressure on the surrounding organs, causing digestive issues. To combat this, I had to drink more water than I think I should.
• Chapped Lips: No matter how much vaseline I put, I would wake up with chapped lips. This was a sign of my dehydration. However, I found it difficult to drink water throughout the night as I try to minimize my bathroom trips.
• Dry Mouth: As a domino effect to not drinking as much water as I should, I also experience dry mouth at night.  To be honest, I feel like there’s no winning during the night because I get up regardless whether it’s to use the bathroom or switching sleep positions.
• Armpit Color: I noticed my armpits became darker and this hyperpigmentation is due to hormones.
• Braxton’s Hicks: Braxton’s Hicks are fake contractions and are inconsistent. They also resemble menstrual cramps and they started to appear here and there during my third trimester.
• Back Pain: This was probably the worst symptom during my third trimester because my back pain would hurt so much that I would cry. I ended up getting a belly band, a birth ball and went for prenatal massages, which helped decrease the pain.
• Emotional: There’s a lot happening in my body and my emotions would get the best of me. I would sometimes cry uncontrollably, and would be confused why. Or I would get triggered by the smallest things such as a tv show or not having snacks at home. I would consider myself an emotional and sensitive person pre-pregnancy but pregnancy definitely took it to another level!

SUMMARY

All in all, I am extremely grateful for this beautiful experience. This wasn’t expected at all but I always believe that things happen for a reason and this is the path I’m meant to be on. I am anxious about giving birth, but my excitement and love for my son overrides all my fears. The affirmation that has been on my mind, which I will take through labor is “I grew my baby. I can birth my baby.”