On Morning Sickness. I was hanging out with about 30 of my photographer besties in Palm Springs when I was about five weeks along. I excitedly boasted that I had been feeling great and that I thought I would be in the clear when it comes to morning sickness. WRONG! Two days into my vacation I was a total morning sickness mess and it lasted nearly my entire trip. Typically I’d be so fearful of feeling so sick far from home, but luckily I was with friends who are more like family and they took SUCH great care of me. This sounds bougie, but we had a caterer for the week and she made a few special things for me to eat that I could keep down better. My friend Dan ran out and got me crackers and ginger candy. Ashley ubered with me to Target to stock up on some unisom and B6 which has been a LIFESAVER this pregnancy. Honestly, I am 40 weeks and one day as I write this and I am still taking that combination because every time I think I’m probably over the morning sickness it says “SURPRISE! HERE I AM!” My friend Kate sent me home on the plane with some Young Living Oils which proved to be so helpful in warding off weird airplane smells. Even thought it totally sucks to be stuck in bed while your besties are outside having slip and slide challenges into the pool and going to karaoke 😂I am still very happy to have been able to share this beginning stage of pregnancy with so many people that I love and really respect as not just business owners but amazing parents as well.

On Choosing a Care Provider. I can not stress how important this is! Due to my history with endometriosis and the 12+ OBGYN’s I have seen I have learned that not all are created equal and it makes a HUGE DIFFERENCE as to who you should trust for your care. So when I found out I was pregnant, I asked sooooo many friends about experiences with doctors in town and ended up making an appointment with two OBGYN’s as well as the Midwife Group. Giving birth is such an important thing that women go through. Who you select to guide you through this process and help you make the best decisions for you and your baby matter. I went into the three interview appointments with a lot of questions. I had just watched the documentary The Business of Being Born and that helped me ask even more questions. I wanted to face palm when the two OBYGN’s immediately made chipper remarks about how pregnancy cures endometriosis. (HUGE FACE PALM. This is not true. And I was only able to get pregnant because of the skilled excision surgery that I had just had two months prior.) Honestly, I have developed some level of PTSD when it comes to my varied experiences with OBGYN’s. But both I interviewed were very kind and I was pleased to learn that one of them will even allow some practices that most hospitals won’t. Such as moving around and eating in labor. I decided to go with that practice as well as setup my meeting with the Midwife Group while I did loads and loads of research to come to a conclusion I felt great about. I did, and I am definitely going to share a separate post about my decision… but one midwife that works for the OBGYN group really helped me feel comfortable enough to share my concerns, thoughts & fears. I word vomited them all to her hahahaha. She was the first provider that did not make me feel like a patient that needed to be rushed out of the door. I seriously wanted to make her a friendship bracelet after all of my experiences with her. So yeah, I highly recommend you check out your options and ask ALL of your questions. Do your research and go with what your gut says is right.

Pregnancy Talk. I joined a few Facebook groups… mostly people due around the same time as me and it felt like I was reading a foreign language. THERE ARE SO MANY ABBREVIATIONS! “Hi! I’m a FTM and I hope that my LO will be EBF.” “I am almost through my 2WW I am 6DPO but my SO and I know we want to have a VBAC.” WHAT!? I did so much googling during my first trimester hahaha.

Educating yourself. I bought “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” pretty much right away, but honestly haven’t used it all that much. I DEFINITELY recommend picking up Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth and Marie Mongan’s Hypnobirthing. Watch The Business of Being Born. I will say that it’s totally okay to experience fear early on, but the more you educate yourself and read positive birth stories the more empowered you will feel! You have tons of time to get to that place emotionally and physically. Do not let others fear monger you. If you are experiencing a healthy, “normal” pregnancy there is no need to focus on all of the what-if’s. I also will say it again- one of the best things that you can do is read positive birth stories. The first half of Ina May’s book are birth stories. There are groups on Facebook that are centered around positive birth experiences because that is much more common than TV Drama and the occasional fear inducing story some random person will tell you about. Also- this site- Evidence Based Birth provides proven facts about nearly every aspect of pregnancy. I refer to it all the time!

Give Yourself Grace. My entire first trimester (and actually all the way up to 20 weeks) I was so exhausted and felt sick nearly all the time. You are building a person! It’s okay if some things that you are usually able to accomplish slide to the wayside a little. It feels as if you will never feel normal again, but you will! I went through a scared, sad period that lasted about a week long. Your hormones are surging more and more every day and it is totally okay to feel out of sorts. Share your fears and thoughts with some trusted friends… especially some that have had a baby or a friend that’s a little further ahead of you in pregnancy and they will know just how to help.

Hypnobirthing Apps. This will be one of the most important tools in your arsenal. I was so confused and skeptical about all things hypno. Really, I just didn’t know that it is a way to relax yourself and work on your mindset. I used the GentleBirth app. When I was unable to sleep at night I would turn on the sleep sanctuary mp3 and to be honest I don’t even know what she says at the end of the track because it puts me to sleep so quickly every time! Haha! It helps you relax and feel confident. I wish I had done Hypnobabies because I’ve read soooooo many great things about how it affects women in labor who learn to use it. Often times moms who have practiced this relaxation will arrive at the hospital or birth center feeling totally calm and happy and their care providers don’t believe they are as far along as they are because they’ve mastered the mindset part of it. Birth is mostly a game of mindset. There’s so much scientific evidence to support this! The encouraging words that accompany the birth tracks are so helpful to me. Check it out! They even have tracks that are for morning sickness, dental procedures, fear release, c-sections… tons in the GentleBirth app!

Relax! Take it one day at a time. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to make all the decisions, buy all the things, feel ready to birth the baby. Journal your thoughts and take photos! I am really happy that I have some reactions documented… like when I told my Mama she’s going to be a grandmother! Enjoy this special time!