Written on March 19, 2018
Things are still going well over here at 12 weeks! I am slowly beginning to feel more like myself and am having way less nausea and actually have a bit more energy than I did in the first few weeks. I am also noticeably pregnant to myself and have even had a few family members comment that I “look pregnant,” too. I am so close to the end of my first trimester and feel like I will soon be able to let go of this deep breath I have been holding since I found out I was pregnant at just about four weeks. I am going to be so totally honest and tell you that I have been terrified of something going wrong up until this point, and while I know there is always that risk, from what my doctor has told me I can relax once I hit that 13 week mark. And with that being said, I just want to let anyone out there who has dealt with miscarriage know that my heart goes out to you and breaks for you – you are so much stronger than I can probably even imagine, and I won’t even pretend to know what it is like to go through that.
Anyway….moving on. Our baby is the size of a plum this week. 🙂 It is continuously blowing my mind that the human body can create a human being from a tiny little cluster of cells. Like, how on earth.
Progress Photos
So like I said above, I am starting to look pregnant this week! At least to myself…. I know I don’t have a “baby bump” yet, but my stomach is noticeably rounder, and there is no way I am putting my normal jeans on any longer. Thank goodness I work from home and get to wear sweatpants or leggings for 90% of my life. I think I am more aware of this, since I am so used to having a flat stomach. When I wasn’t pregnant, I put such a high focus on working out my abs that it is fascinating to me that I am loving seeing my mid-section fill out. I really thought I would be having some serious body imagine issues right around this point (where I can tell but no one else really can), but all I am feeling is joy and relief that my body is growing as it is supposed to in order to safely house our little baby. 🙂
Feeling
I am feeling so much better this week. Like I said above, the nausea is almost entirely gone (most of the time) and I am not nearly as tired as I have been. I still love a nap every once in a while, but it’s not a daily occurrence like it was there for a while. I am not sleeping the best at night, simply because I have to get up to go to the bathroom so many times. My skin is also still breaking out (so annoying), but at least it is mostly concentrated in one spot now and not all over like it was before. I am starting to believe those people that say pregnancy symptoms subside at the end of the first trimester and you will likely feel the best in the second!
Eating/Drinking
Certain foods that used to make me gag just thinking of them are starting to be not so bad anymore. I have done garlic in a few dishes and have tolerated it fine. I have actually been starting to want coffee again, but have refrained from having it since I finally feel like I don’t get caffeine headaches anymore! But just a few weeks ago I couldn’t even stand the smell of it when Chris made it in the morning, and now I am loving it. Vegetables are still not my favorite, but I can eat them more than I was before which I count as a total win.
Currently my favorite foods are:
Fruit, fruit, and more fruit – primarily strawberries. I feel like I could live on fruit right now.
Protein smoothies – one of the only ways I can sneak spinach in!
Pizza….
CHEESE. Chris and I made the most amazing cheese plate last weekend (all pasteurized) and served it alongside some non-alcoholic sparkling wine (this brand) – slow me down!
Basically any kind of juice – Chris is amazing and has been squeezing me fresh grapefruit juice
Products Used
I actually bought a couple of maternity tops from Target! Not that I really need them yet, but we were walking past the maternity clothes section and they were on clearance, so why not. What I really need are maternity jeans…although I don’t want to buy any, because jeans are the worst. I got this tank top and this t-shirt.
I also got some Vitamin D at Costco at the recommendation of the midwife I met with last week to take alongside my prenatal vitamin each day.
Fitness Routine
Same as last week – not much of a change. I am still loving my workouts and tend to feel the best when I am being active. Due to the nice weather in Michigan lately, I have been able to get in a few outdoor walks which feel amazing. I am really looking forward to spring and summer when I can do that daily!
Other
My appointment with the midwife went amazing last week. Chris and I are still in the process of deciding for sure, but we are leaning towards working with a midwife rather than a doctor for my pregnancy process and delivery (although a doctor will always be available in case of emergency). I will be sure to share our reasons for our decision once we have made it for sure!
Over the weekend I convinced Chris (who is an amazing photographer) to get out his professional camera and take some real 12 week progress photos for me. I want to put all of these photos together week by week somehow and haven’t decided what exactly to do with them yet – anyone have any ideas?
See you next week for week 13 and the end of my first trimester! Thanks for reading my journey and doing this right along with me. <3
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