Mommy To Be: Q+A With Chels — The Millennial Miss

May 9

May 9 Mommy To Be: Q+A With Chels

Hi sweet friend!

Whether you are currently pregnant, already have little ones running around or simply interesting in knowing more about my pregnancy journey - I’m so happy you’re here. Over the past few months, I’ve shared bits and pieces of my personal experience and today I’m excited to dive into your questions. As always, I’m here for you so, never hesitate to direct message me with any more questions!

In the meantime, know that I am grateful to share this stage of life with you and this community. Thank you for taking the time to be apart of our day to day moments - I’m sending the biggest air hugs your way ! : )

MOMMY TO BE Q+A:

“How has the Covid-19 pandemic impacted your routine in the lead up to the birth of your first son?”
I think any mama-to-be can relate to the current pandemic impacting her pregnancy journey.
In terms of Robby and I, we have personally been affected in a variety of ways:

- Our overall lifestyle / routine. Rob and I are both engrained to be traveling a lot and living on a schedule predicated off of baseball (will dive more into this in the next question) and all of that has vastly been affected by the pandemic.
- Doctors appointments are far from what we imagined them being. Since the start of Covid-19, Robby has been unable to come with me to any appt.
- All birthing classes have been experienced in a virtual manner (suggestions: ask your doctors officer what online classes they are offering or look into: tinyhood, the birth lounge, pumpstation, taking cara babies)
- We have immensely missed spending, physically, time with our friends + family.
- It may sound silly but for me, it’s been the little things like dressing in cute bump friendly outfits and prancing around town or going to baby stores and buying items in person.

I could go on with listing how the virus has affected my the last leg of pregnancy but at the end of the day, we are blessed to bring a child into this crazy world so, while the current reality of our society is extremely unfortunate, we choose to see the light in it all and focus on the positives!

“What little pleasures/joys have you found being at home? and with Robby at home with you?”
Excuse the long winded response but I want to make sure I do this answer justice.

When we first found out I was pregnant, I had a million thoughts run through my head. Once my emotions settled down I began to envision how my pregnancy would be. FOOTNOTE: If you are new to my platform, HI ! A little something you should know about us it that my husband Robby is a professional baseball player and we, typically, move 2-3 times a year due to his career. I’m prefacing my answering with that note because my timeline of pregnancy would have fallen smack in the midst of baseball season so, I was prepared for a lot of traveling, limited time with Robby and having our life shoved into suitcases.

Well, vision ended up being far from reality.

With Covid-19 taking a toll on our nation, the MILB + MLB season was sent into a state of suspension which meant that for the first time in our entire relationship - we would be home for an undisclosed amount of time. No baseball schedule. No traveling. No moving boxes. No finding new doctors in cities we’ve never been to. No being away from family.

WOW.

. . . aka we said hello a pregnancy journey that I never thought would be ours. Even though I wish that the U-S-A never had to deal with the Corona pandemic, I am utterly grateful for this weird blessing of Robby and I being able to spend an enormous amount of time together. While Corona has significantly impacted Robby’s job and has taken away moments of my pregnancy - I will bask in the fact that both Robby and myself were able to take in the little moments, together. I give gratitude to that Robby was able to be home and put the crib together and that we were able to see each other every single day to soak in the tender quiet moments - just the two of us.

“What's been the hardest thing about pregnancy?”
Hm, I would say letting go.
I love being in control and pregnancy has taught me the beauty in loosing the reigns. It’s been incredible yet hard at times to simply trust your body and let it do it’s thing. Watching your body change day by day, week by week, month by month is one of the most humbling and beautiful experiences I’ve ever had.

“How are you taking care of your own wellbeing as a mom-to-be during this crazy time?”
Being a wellness warrior and taking the utmost care of myself both physically and mentally has always been a top priority of mine - especially right now. In terms of mental health, I’ve learn to show myself a new layer of grace. Journaling, reading and a dedicating a few minutes everyday to closing my eyes and taking deep inhales + exhales has helped me immensely. Together, we focus on keeping our home a positive space and for days where a little reset is needed I use my sage + smug kit from mama wunderbar.

Physically, I move my body - every single day. I cannot express enough the importance of m-o-v-i-n-g. Even if it’s only for 30 minutes, get it done! For my pregnant mamas, check out Expecting and Empowered for week by week workout guides (use code TMM10 for a discount) or check out: the bloom method, obe fitness, my fit pregnancy or kim perry co.

Also, take into account the power of how you fuel your body. Pouring nutritious and delicious gas into your machine aka your body will help it run to it’s full capacity. Take the time to research the ingredients you are ingesting on a daily basis and how you can improve your diet, if need be. There is power in knowledge and taking care of the one body you have should be on top of your wellness priority list.

Most importantly, listen to your body. It will tell you exactly what it needs. My biggest piece of advice is to honor that. You got this, mama. You are stronger than you ever thought possible!

“Any tips for moms to be out there dealing with this crazy and unpredictable time?”
Breathe.

Seriously. Stop what you’re doing right now - close your eyes and take in a big juicy inhale and then a loud yummy exhale.

See how much better you feel?

The wild thing is, no one besides us have been through a situation like the one we are currently experiencing. Crazy, huh? There is no clear cut answer and to be honest, there may not be for some time. I know the unchartered waters can seem scary but know that you and your little one are in it together and that your bond is unbreakable.

My biggest tip to you is to focus on what you can control and let go of what you can’t. Understand that gratitude and disappointment can coincide. Be full of gratitude for a healthy baby while finding comfort in all the unknowns. Take time, everyday, to find beauty in the chaos and relish in a new wave of strength.

“How would you describe your go-to stay at home look?”
Are you sure you want me to answer that? HA! If you follow me on Instagram then you see me daily on stories and let me tell you girl - it’s far from glam! At 35 weeks pregnant, my go to is: my husbands tee shirts (bras are a thing of the past) , a messy bun and pants are 100% optional. There are days where I’m feeling myself and will throw on mascara and a cute sweat pant set but to be fully transparent - those days seem few and far to come by! If you’re on the hunt for comfortable loungewear I’d take a peak at: aerie (both maternity + non), pink blush maternity and you can never go wrong with comfy items from Target!

“What women inspire you the most to help get through this time?”
Without question, my mom.
My mom has been my best friend throughout my entire life and now more than ever I appreciate her and her strength. In true form, she is there for me every single day and I honest to God could not be more grateful for her. With Mother’s Day around the corner, here is a post I wrote awhile back that still stands true today: 13 irreplaceable life lessons my mom has taught me.

“What are you most looking forward to about motherhood?”
This question made me tear up #Hormones

I’m looking forward to it all. The long nights, the sweet cuddles, the diaper changes and staring at him for hours on end. My heart gets emotional thinking about watching Robby transition into his role as a dad. He is out of this world wonderful with kids and the pure thought of him holding our first born puts my heart into overdrive. So, to answer you question, I simply cannot wait to be his mom and to start this new chapter as a family of three.

“Any advice for other moms-to-be out there?”
My advice is to be cautious of what advice you ask for and who you ask. From the second you share the blessing that you are pregnant you will have people come out of the woodworks with their unsolicited parenting tips. While some advice is wonderful, other snippets should be taken with a grain of salt and a simple head nod. I would suggest finding a small mom tribe to bounce questions + experiences off of. At the end of the day, remember that this is your pregnancy and your family so do what is best for you and them. Every pregnancy is different. Every baby is different. Every mom is different and every choice that’s right for your family deserves respect. No one out there has it all figured out and no parent has all the answers so don’t stress!

”What have you loved about being pregnant and when / if did you start to feel “over it”?”
I’ve loved experiencing a first hand miracle. I’ve loved feeling entirely connected to someone who I haven’t even “met” yet. I’ve loved learning new things about myself during this time of transition. I’ve loved how it’s bonded me with my loved ones in a different way.

In terms of feeling “over it” - I want to tread this answer lightly because even though I fully understand the intent of the question . . . I want to ensure you that I haven’t taken a single day of my pregnancy for granted. With that being said, I feel that I am currently in the stage of my pregnancy where I am entirely anxious for the next step. My thoughts are consumed with how labor will be and seeing his face for the first time. Physically, my body is starting to have a few aches and pain that act as a push to recenter my gratitude instead of complaining.

__________________________

Ok so, let’s chat symptoms + some pregnancy products.
Before you read the below please understand that every single pregnancy is different and what may have worked for me may not work for you. The best I can do is share my experience in hopes that it provides insight. Now that we have that out of the way, here we go . . .

“I’m having a hard time eating anything during my first trimester, did that happen to you to? If so, what did you do?”
Oh girl, 100%! The first trimester was a total doozy when it came to eating. I basically resorted back to my childhood in terms of what I had on my plate. For starters, the thought, let alone smell + sight of meat made me nauseous. I was ravenously hungry for what felt like 24 hours of the day yet my appetite was so thrown off that I didn’t even know what food to grab. While this list below is a little sporadic here are some food suggestions that really helped me get through those first 12 weeks.
- cereal with almond milk
- PB&J sandwiches (I use almond butter and organic sugar free jelly. I would also suggest either using Ezekiel bread or Daves Killer bread)
- sweet potatoes (I would add either a dash of cinnamon or salsa on top, don't judge!)
- greek yogurt
- soup, bring on the bowls of soup!
- smoothies (a great way to incorporate fruits + veggies into your diet)
- crackers. all the plain crackers.

… Basically, whatever you can eat that will stay down while providing you a source of energy is your best bet. There are plenty of resources out there that provide meal ideas for each stage of pregnancy so hop on Pinterest or IG and save posts accordingly. I used the apps Ovia Health + The Bump and found a lot of great food related articles that helped me with meal ideas.

“Did you notice you’re more tired in your 3rd trimester vs the others?”
Yes and no. My first trimester was overpowered by extreme exhaustion. I’m talking like I could have fallen dead ass asleep at any second of the day. As I write this post I am 35 weeks pregnant and so far, I have felt tired during my third trimester but in a different way, if that makes sense? It’s nothing compared to the fatigue I felt in the beginning but with the extra weight and full on babe in my belly, my body is starting to move a bit slower and my energy isn’t at it’s normal level.

“Hospital bag! Can you share what’s in yours?”
Post birth I’ll create a full hospital bag blog post and let you know what I found most helpful to have packed and what I could have done without. How does that sound?

”Hey Chels, do you have any discount codes for baby brands?”
I’m so glad you asked! The best way to stay updated with the latest discount codes is to watch my IG stories or to check my DISCOUNT CODE highlight on my Instagram page. In the meantime, use code ChelseaS for $50 off when shopping for the best baby mattress from Newton Baby and code TMM20 when checking out at Little One Shop.

“What have been your go to pregnancy products / items?“
I shared some go to recs in this blog post but I would say:
Earth Mama Lotion
Bio Oil Skincare Oil
Boppy Pregnancy Pillow
Face Mask (for any hormonal breakouts)
Leggings. Trust me, you will love nothing more than a comfortable pair of leggings.
Pregnancy ball. Just do it. Use it for different stretches and to sit on while working at home / watching TV. Also, I plan to bring mine to the hospital to use during labor.

Don’t go overboard with buying, buying, buying. To be frank, I don’t think you need a ton of stuff beyond everyday items that help you feel fab and comfortable.