On episode 53 of This Girl Life, Whitney and Kristen are diving deep into the world of pregnancy. Since we are both pregnant, we thought it would be so fun to do a pregnancy Q&A with questions from our listeners.
Some of the questions we answer are "What are you naming your baby?" "Do I really need a prenatal vitamin?" "Sex and pregnancy." And "How much weight should I gain during pregnancy?"
We share our own stories, what worked for us, and share some of our favorite products! If you're pregnant, a new mom, or have kids in college, this episode will teach you something, and even make you laugh.
If you're pregnant, congratulations, we are so excited to walk through this crazy journey with you.
Also, if you are currently working to get pregnant, struggling to get pregnant, or still deciding if having a baby is something you want, we are here for you. We've both been through fertility issues of some kind, both of us suffered miscarriages, and Whitney has been very vocal about her journey through fertility issues. We are here for you, to listen, to be a place of resource, and a place of love.
We're praying for you guys, regardless of what stage of this journey you are in and we hope you feel our love and support.
ONE || What are you naming your baby? At this point, neither of us have a name! Send name suggestions! We found this app called Baby Names and it is kind of like baby name tinder. You and your partner download the app and then you swipe on baby names, if you match, it tells you!
TWO || Do I really need a prenatal vitamin? Yes. But before we get into this, please know we are NOT doctors. NONE of this is medical advice and always ask your doctor first, but Whitney broke down some super interesting facts and reasons why a prenatal is so so important. Obviously a healthy diet is the best way to get the vitamins and minerals you need so starting there is always KEY! But being pregnant we really need to ramp up on our vitamins and a few in particular.
**Folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects. These defects are serious abnormalities of the brain and spinal cord. The CDC states that up to 50 percent of spina bifida cases could be prevented simply by taking enough folic acid. It suggests that all women who could become pregnant should consume at least 0.4 milligrams, or 400 micrograms of folic acid per day which is the recommended daily allowance for both adult men and women. Side-note: Do some research but Whitney always opted for 5MTHF, an active form of folate that shows superior bioavailability compared to folic acid. If you have MTHFR your body can’t just accept folic acid as it is—it has to go through a conversion process into a form called Methyltetrahydrofolate, or MTHF, in order for you to use it.
**Iron supports the baby's growth and development. Iron also helps prevent anemia, a condition in which blood has a low number of healthy red blood cells
- Whitney uses the Smarty Pants Prenatal.
- Kristen uses the Nature Made Prenatal.
*Remember vitamins and supplements cannot take the place of a healthy diet*
THREE || How many ultrasounds will I have? 4 ultrasounds is typical! The typical ultrasounds include one at 8 weeks (the pregnancy confirmation ultrasound), 12 weeks (post first trimester), between 18-22 weeks (the anatomy scan), and 35-37 weeks (the one pre-labor!). But keep in mind, every pregnancy is different. With both Whitney and Kristen's first pregnancies, they had extra ultrasounds due to Whitney having a high-risk pregnancy and Kristen having a subchorionic hematoma. You may have extra ultrasounds for a variety of reasons, placenta previa, previous pregnancy issues, or anything that comes up throughout the course of your pregnancy.
FOUR || When can I find out the gender of my baby? Most women find out the gender at their 18 -22 week ultrasound appointment (the anatomy scan!). You can opt for blood tests at earlier stages. Most doctor offices have blood test options you can do for genetic testing and they include gender results too!
- Kristen went to an ultrasound location around 13 weeks
- Whitney used and did DNA testing at 9 weeks with a company called Sneak Peek.
SIX || How much weight should I gain during pregnancy? Again, ask your doctor! (Do we sound like a broken record?!) Quick chat on weight. This time is a lot, our bodies are constantly changing and developing. We broke down weight based on your BMI. If you want to figure out your BMI, you can use this quick calculator to do so!
- Underweight: Meaning your BMI is under 18.5 -suggested weight gain is 28–40 lbs
- Normal: Meaning your BMI is between 18.5-24.9 - suggested weight gain is 25-35 lbs
- Overweight: Meaning your BMI is between 25–29.9 - suggested weight gain is 15 to 25 lbs
- Obese: Meaning your BMI is 30 and greater - suggested weight gain is 11 to 20 lbs.
- Whitney: hardboiled eggs, salads, and I eat at night because of my pregnancy nausea
- Kristen: cold, cold fruit, and sweets.
EIGHT || What is the first piece of advice you give any expectant mum? We have similar advice here:
- Whitney: Listen to your own intuition. You know what is best for your baby. A lot of people may try to shame you, guilt you, or tell you 'something better.' But at the end of the day, you are this babys mom, and you know what is best.
- Kristen: Listen to the people you trust the most. Throughout your pregnancy you get a LOT of advice from everyone. Listen to the people you trust, your best friend, your mom, your doctor, and leave the other advice to the wind. Kristen's blog post about pregnancy advice is linked here.
- Whitney had a c-section with her first pregnancy and will have a c-section with her second! You can read Whitney's c-section things to know here
- Kristen had a vaginal birth with her first and plans to have one with her second. You can read about Quinn's birth story here.
Our advice about birth plans is simple. Birth a healthy baby. There are so many unknowns in pregnancy and delivery and at the end of the day, we'll both listen to our doctors and do that they say.
TEN || Let's talk about weight gain. How to be aware of weight gain and navigate with daughters. This is a really big question for both of us. We both have been vocal about our own eating issues (you can listen to the TGL podcast on that here), and now we are both raising daughters! It's important to us that we provide them an amazing example of strong woman, proud of their bodies. Now that, is easier is said than done :)
- Whitney: Good question and very real and personal for me. Fake till you make it. So I may not enjoy the weight gain/ body changing part pregnancy but my daughter associates a big belly with a growing baby. So she is waiting and watching for my stomach to get BIG. So I never mention food in a way that I can’t have it cause I’ll get big. I constantly show her that I am trying to stay healthy through exercise, helping me making celery juice or AM green shakes.
- Kristen: Give yourself some grace. This is a big life transition and your body is growing at all times. Some days it's super hard and some days it's easier, but give yourself grace.
- Whitney: My favorite blanket (Barefoot Dreams is my fav!), compression socks (I love these Hatch ones), and good undies (Hanes® Premium Women's Smoothing Seamless 3pk Briefs!)
- Kristen: A pair of flip-flops (things get messy), toiletries (I took a hot shower!), and a cute outfit for your baby!
THIRTEEN || Sex and pregnancy!
- Whitney: Truth is our hormone levels during the first trimester can cause mood swings and nausea all of that can really mess with our libido. Be super honest with your partner, where you are at and let them know... listen when I’m into it you just need to be into it because I can’t promise anything more than that. And GO slow— use lube if needed and worried about bleeding 🤷🏼♀️
- Kristen: Same advice, talk to your partner! Your hormones change throughout your pregnancy, different trimesters may make you feel differently. Be open about your feelings!
Whitney: Whitney wrote a blog post on how to avoid stretch marks here!
- Japanese Camellia Body Oil Blend ( pregnant and postpartum skin moisturized and supple, helping to prevent and treat stretch marks) for stretch marks and HATCH body oil is soothing with calendula and sweet almond oil to help nourish skin and prevent stretch marks.
- Juice Beauty's Hydrating Mist it has in it rosehip, ylang ylang, grapeseed oil and antioxidant-rich organic juices for a fresh, radiant complexion
- Niu body facial serum -Super clean natural means 100% plant-derived, with nothing artificial and have banned over 1,300 ingredients from our products.
- Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum- fighting that hyperpigmentation this product is a brightening serum with natural ingredients like vitamin C and fruit enzymes
Kristen:
- Bio Oil: I love this for stretch marks!
- Glycolic acid: My skin this pregnancy was hard on my skin, so I visited my dermatologist and she gave me a pregnancy safe serum and cleanser!
Listen to this episode here:
*Please remember everything on This Girl Life Podcast is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. All material is provided is for educational purposes only. Please seek the advice of your physician or another qualified healthcare provider for any questions.
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I love hearing from all of you and greatly appreciate all your feedback and comments! xx Kristen