10 Reasons I Love Pregnancy

This post has been a long time coming. I feel like I’ve really tried to pull The Wizard of Oz curtain off of pregnancy. Like hi weight gain, sore feet, horrific back pain, needing to pee every 5 seconds & just the total mind fuck that pregnancy brings.

A lot of women out there are struggling to get pregnant or have had a bad experience when it comes to pregnancy & child birth ( which encompasses so many things ), so it’s important to shine a light on the good things too. Talking about the things that we enjoy about pregnancy helps to bring gratitude & be thankful for the experience of growing a child.

There are quite a few things that I have enjoyed throughout my pregnancy- we already talked about the bad & the ugly, so let’s talk about the good !!

10 Things I Love About Being Pregnant

♡ Connecting with the baby.

It’s been really cool to know that I’m connected to a human day after day who is half me & half Michael.

The anticipation of meeting that person gets me really excited. The other day I was meditating in her room with this rose quartz crystal on my stomach & she started to kick. It was a really special moment.

When I relax my jaw & meditate I can feel the baby & that’s when I feel the most connected.

♡ I have a whole new respect for women.

Pregnancy has opened my eyes to a whole new world of emotions & conversations that I would’ve never had if I wasn’t pregnant. So I love the fact that I’ve really been able to understand women better in general.

♡ Learning about all the products, hacks & tips.

I’m such a researcher & I feel like The Skinny Confidential is a resource, so now that I’m becoming a mom it’s like this whole new facet. One thing is for sure- I’m not going to become a mommy blogger, but it’s going to be fun to bring this new part of my life into the blog.

♡ Pilates.

Pilates is something that I have fully embraced during pregnancy. If I wasn’t pregnant I don’t think I would have leaned towards it so much.

It is one of my favorite workouts, & with pregnancy I’ve realized how those slow & controlled movements make all the difference. Before, I was doing THE METHOD® with Ingrid ( & probably will again ) so to transition into Pilates came naturally.

Basically, adding Pilates to my routine has been very beneficial & I’m grateful to my pregnancy for that.

♡ Boundaries.

This has been so cool during pregnancy. It’s an automatic boundary to say no when you don’t want to do something. Instead of doing things you don’t want to do, you have a reason to take time for yourself.

You only have so much energy & capacity each day & most of that needs to go to yourself & the baby. I’ve had so many peaceful moments because I’m just trying be calm & zen, which for me, comes from the power of NO.

Back in the day I said yes to everything. 3 dinner parties in one night, SURE !! 5 interviews one day, YES !! Return every single email when I don’t have time, OF COURSE !! Well, it got old real fast, & one day I just broke.

There is power in boundaries & saying NO. Tim Ferriss found that during the writing of his latest book, Tribe of Mentors, that most highly successful people say no to 90% of the things that are asked of them. He said they physically don’t have time to take advantage of every opportunity. He also states it’s very possible to be respectful when saying no. Some of his tips: personal acknowledgment (this one is important), speak on how you’re doing too much, talk about your priorities ( writing a book maybe or focusing in on family ), &/or creating a blanket policy for not taking on new meetings or calls.

Anyway, if you’re a YES person who wants to become a NO person, we really get into it in this post, so be sure to check it out.

♡ More time to read.

This is one of my favorite things about pregnancy by far. I’ve been able to read every single night. I’m a huge reader, so to have that time to myself to read is really powerful.

There have been a lot of nights where I’ve woken up because I feel restless, but instead of scrolling I read. Right now I’m reading Suzanne Somers’ latest. Here are some other books I’ve read in the last 9 months:

Belly Laughs by Jenny McCarthy

This book by Jenny McCarthy is all about the REALNESS of pregnancy. She gets so deep & talks everything from constipation, to getting poo pulled out of her butthole by a colon doctor, to spider veins in her vagina, to shitting on the table while giving birth. She has a real deal, no bullshit approach which I’m loving but it’s also scaring me at the same time.

Amazon says: Revealing the naked truth about the tremendous joys, the excruciating pains, and the inevitable disfigurement that go along with pregnancy, Jenny McCarthy tells you what you can really expect when you’re expecting! From morning sickness and hormonal rage, to hemorrhoids, granny panties, pregnant sex, and the torture and sweet relief that is delivery, Belly Laughs is must-read comic relief for anyone who is pregnant, has ever been pregnant, is trying to get pregnant, or, indeed, has ever been born!

Inside Out by Demi Moore

I read this book a couple months into my pregnancy & I loved it. Demi is raw & vulnerable. She discusses her eating disorder, drug use, relationship with Ashton Kutcher & explores the relationship she has with her daughters & how she could have done better. It’s refreshing to see the real side of an actress & I hope she writes more books.

Amazon says: As much as her story is about adversity, it is also about tremendous resilience. In this deeply candid and reflective memoir, Demi pulls back the curtain and opens up about her career and personal life – laying bare her tumultuous relationship with her mother, her marriages, her struggles balancing stardom with raising a family, and her journey toward openheartedness. Inside Out is a story of survival, success, and surrender – a wrenchingly honest portrayal of one woman’s at once ordinary and iconic life.

Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies and a Conspiracy To Protect Predators by Ronan Farrow

This book is a bit dark- not quite sure it’s a good one for when you’re pregnant, but regardless it’s a juicy read. I’m not quite finished it but it’s a nice book to settle down with on a lazy Sunday or to take to the beach. It exposes a lot of fucked up shit in Hollywood & talks about the power struggle while exposing truths of actresses that were mistreated. It’s something different & I would recommend this to anyone going on vacation. You’ll get the full Hollywood scoop while laying by the pool.

Amazon says: This is the untold story of the exotic tactics of surveillance and intimidation deployed by wealthy and connected men to threaten journalists, evade accountability, and silence victims of abuse. And it’s the story of the women who risked everything to expose the truth and spark a global movement.

Both a spy thriller and a meticulous work of investigative journalism, Catch and Kill breaks devastating new stories about the rampant abuse of power and sheds far-reaching light on investigations that shook the culture.

Idiot: Life Stories from the Creator of Help Helen Smash by Laura Clery

This book is by comedian & recovering addict, Laury Clery. ( Really want her on the podcast. Laura if you’re reading, we’re waiting for you ! ) She talks about everything from struggling as an actress, You Tube, her relationships, & cocaine use, but she does it in a funny way that will make you laugh while also having compassion for what she went through.

Amazon says: Laura recounts how she went from being a dangerously impulsive, broke, unemployable, suicidal, cocaine-addicted narcissist, crippled by fear and hopping from one toxic romance to the next…to a more-happy-than-not, somewhat rational, meditating, vegan yogi with good credit, a great marriage, a fantastic career, and four unfortunate-looking rescue animals. Still, above all, Laura remains an amazingly talented, adorable, and vulnerable self-described…Idiot.

Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini

LOVED THIS BOOK. Cult-like religions are really interesting to me. Personally, I’m more of a spiritual person, so it interests me how people get involved in Scientology. Leah talks about how her & her family members were involved at a young age & how she got out of it. It’s crazy & I couldn’t put this book down. At first it was a bit ‘meh’ because it’s so religion heavy, but once I got into the manipulation that Leah describes, it was just fascinating. You should also know that she discusses Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes’ wedding in detail which is super juicy.

Amazon says: The outspoken actress, talk show host, and reality television star offers up a no-holds-barred memoir, including an eye-opening insider account of her tumultuous and heart-wrenching 30-year-plus association with the Church of Scientology.

Leah Remini has never been the type to hold her tongue. That willingness to speak her mind, stand her ground, and rattle the occasional cage has enabled this tough-talking girl from Brooklyn to forge an enduring and successful career in Hollywood. But being a troublemaker has come at a cost.

♡ A new connection with my dogs.

Michael & I are homebodies but we aren’t always home. Since being pregnant I’ve spent a lot of time at home & that means a lot of time with Pixy & Boone.

They know I’m pregnant & they give me extra love, put their paws on my stomach & lay on my stomach. To be real, I love nothing more than my dogs so while I’m reading & eating Annie’s Mac & Cheese with lemon & they’re all over me, it’s kind of heaven.

♡ The journey of decorating the nursery.

Decorating the nursery has been so fun. Because I’m really focussed on making sure the baby has her own style, it’s very neutral & calm, but also flamboyant at the same time. Does that make sense ??

We did implement some pink, but focussed more on black, olive & nudes. Same goes for her wardrobe. We didn’t want to just project all this pink stuff on her. To be able to curate her space & clothes in a way that has nothing to do with me or Michael has been really fun.

A nursery tour is coming soon, but in the meantime be sure you’re following on Instagram Stories for some BTS.

♡ More clarity.

Since I haven’t been drinking alcohol for the last 8 months ( found out I was pregnant at 7 weeks so I definitely had some wine, woops ), I’ve had a lot of clarity when it comes to my business, friendships & overall vision.

I’ve been able to really be clear-headed with all the decisions I’ve made, even though I have pregnancy brain — which by the way is so so real — anyone else ??

It’s also helped me wake up early, go to Pilates every morning at the same time, & just be really clear, without a hangover LOL. It’s going to be fun to work more on The Skinny Confidential brand & strategically design my future.

Of course I miss wine, but I think I’ll stick with tequila when I start drinking again. Wine has too many calories & since I haven’t had it in so long, maybe the transition will be seamless. What do you think?

♡ Deepens the intimacy with my husband.

A side of Michael has come out that I never knew existed. I’ve seen him in a completely new light, which is CRAZY because I’ve known him since we were 12. Especially because it’s a girl, I’ve seen this kind, protective & giving side to him.

Also, him wanting to be so involved in the whole pregnancy has been so sweet. He has come to every single appointment without me asking him to, he has helped with the nursery, he ordered everything we needed to order, & in general was just so excited.

My favorite part would have to be his appreciation of me for carrying our daughter. It’s been really special.

So there you have it, 10 things that I really love about pregnancy. Now you have the good, the bad & the ugly. I would love to know your experience with pregnancy- everyone has a different story & I think it’s important to open up the conversation.

If you haven’t listened to my podcast episode about pregnancy, be sure to check it out. We get really real.

x, lauryn

+ pregnancy spray tan tips.

++ the best pregnancy pillow, even if you’re not pregnant.

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