10 Things I’ve Experienced In Pregnancy So Far

Hey guys, what’s up? I wanted to come on & give you a little pregnancy update. I kinda did one on Instagram but wanted to hop on the blog to go into more detail. So far I am having a pretty easy pregnancy. No nauseousness in 6 months- I did get sick once ( not from pregnancy though ). With that, let’s get right into it.

THE SKINNY CONFIDENTIAL PREGNANCY MUSINGS ( un-sugar coated ):

♡ Food

Meat & fish sound gross, carbs sound good. Like a peanut butter & jelly sourdough sandwich sounds iconic- so it’s like the kid’s menu galore over here. I sneak greens, minerals, herbs, & nutrients in by making a huge green smoothie every day- it’s filled with things like magnesium, iron, inulin, fiber, greens, berries & a date for good measure. I trained Michael to make it for me to streamline things because it’s important for me to rest ( at least that’s what I tell him ). anytime I need anything from him I blame the baby- works like a charm. Especially when I want nostalgic kid’s cereal at midnight.

As much as I’m really trying to watch what I eat, I’m not gonna lie- I just want pasta, sourdough, & cereal. To get specific, there’s one by Barbara’s called Multigrain Spoonfuls & it’s so good with freezing cold Malk ( get the blue unsweetened ) & organic blueberries on top. It’s heaven. I’ve been having 2 bowls a night which isn’t the best thing but at least it’s not old school kid’s cereal.

As far as veggies go, I’m trying to sneak it in in weird ways, but smoothies are the most effective. I’m also doing a lot of green juices & obviously taking my Ritual prenatal vitamins every day.

Another big standout for me is eggs, but I’m really hungry when it comes to eggs so I’ll mix Erehwon’s hash browns into the eggs. Then put on this Pico Pica hot sauce that I’m loving right now. It’s better that Cholula & it’s better than Tapatio.

& I CANNOT stop drinking fresh, organic orange juice. By the way, I know everyone is going to come at me for the raw juice thing, but I’ve been having it through my whole pregnancy & it’s fine. I also drink Kombucha so I hope no one loses sleep over that. I’m in contact with my doctor & it’s all good guys.

♡ Exercise

I try to move for an hour a day minimum- my body feels better this way. I walk, practice Pilates, stretch, do yoga, some strength training, or 28 min of @tscbody. Walking & traditional Pilates has been the best for me right now ( or THE METHOD® ). I think walking is so ideal when you’re pregnant- it just feels good. Moving is obviously important but I also rest A LOT.

♡ Rest & Relaxation

I am in bed very early & up early which has allowed me space to read a shitload of books ( Demi Moore’s book Inside Out: A Memoir is so fucking good- I just finished it- highly recommend ). My life right now is peaceful when I’m at home- I hope that calm, soothing energy transfers to the baby. I don’t want a speck of bad energy around me right now- no toxic people either.

Things like massage, salt rock lamps, ocean noise machine, nourishing oils for my stomach, specifics teas, & a pregnancy pillow to put between my legs ( lol ) have made a big difference. Work-wise, I am laser-focused, but trying very hard to work smart & maximize productivity.

♡ Skin care

For skin products, I am keeping it pretty clean, but not giving up my makeup products- balance you know? There are 3 things that I really love right now.

HEARTSPRING ROSE FACE MIST

This mist is a favorite of Stassi Schroeder’s ( if you haven’t listened to Straight Up With Stassi, check out the episode I’m on here. We talk glam time, how to de-stress, & not care about haters ). Stassi swears by Heartspring products so I wanted to test them out. You guys will love this face mist. It’s made by a small business owner & you can really tell she puts her heart & soul into her products.

I feel so confident spraying this on my face, belly & body because everything is made organic & in small batches. The ingredients are: witch hazel, aloe vera, cucumber water, tea tree oil, lavender water, & rose water. She also makes a bomb lip balm- little play on words there. My favorite is the lavender honey. I love supporting small businesses & I love supporting them even more when they’re amazing like this. Stalk her whole line here, but definitely get the rose mist– it’s white & pink & will look so cute in the makeup bag.

ORGANIC GRAPE SEED OIL

Ok guys. This is so easy. Every single TSC reader should have organic grape seed oil on hand. It’s so easy to find, you can get it in the supermarket. I like to source mine from Italy or France if I can, if I can’t, no big deal, I just go to Vons. You want to get organic, cold-pressed grape seed oil in a huge ass bottle. This is something you can put all over body for that glow. It makes your spray tan look amazing ( people think it makes your tan come off, but I always use oil after day 2 of my spray tan ), put it on your collarbones for a pop, your stomach for stretch marks, put it on your face, remove your mascara with it, it kinda does everything. A real ‘jack of all trades’ if you will.

Grape seed oil or a cleansing balm is the best way to remove your makeup. When you’re done, use a baby wash cloth to take it off, then put on more oil. Baby wash cloths for your face is the hack of a lifetime. Because let’s be honest…there’s nothing worse than using the same white towel that you just used on your butt hole ( or that your husband used on his ballsack ), on your face. That’s gonna put bacteria & nasty-ass germs all over your face. Gross. Anyway grape seed oil smells good & has so many benefits:  moisturizing, contains Vitamin E, doesn’t clog pores, great for sensitive skin, tightens pores, & reduces the appearance of scars.

NIU BODY HYDRATE MOISTURIZING FACIAL SERUM

This line was recently introduced to me, & I’ve found that everyone is raving about it because it’s pregnancy safe. I like the serum the best out of all the products & I’ve really been enjoying it lately. Usually I’ll do this or Vintner’s Daughter Botanical Serum last in my skincare routine. This is almost like a cheaper version of the Vintner’s Daughter Serum. This one is $28 whereas the Vintner’s Daughter is $185. Both of them are amazing.

The Niu Body Facial Serum is so good for thirsty skin that needs moisture. It’s full of pumpkin seed, sweet almond & lavender oil which will leave you damn glowy. Just to give you the 411 as always, pumpkin seed is filled with Vitamin A, B, D, & E, plus it’s rich in Omega 3 & 6. It contains tons of antioxidants to fight aging which we love. Sweet almond oil has Vitamin E in it which really helps with any kind of scarring & give your skin that supple look that we all want. Lastly, for pregnancy, I’ve really been wanting calming vibes around me, so the lavender oil brings that calmness I’m craving right now & relaxes the mind. It’s free of sulfates, parabens, synthetic fragrances, preservatives & they don’t test on animals. Put about 4 drops in your hand & do some facial massage with it.

♡ Body aches

My lower back hurts like nothing ever before. I’ve been seeing a pregnancy chiropracter in LA & it’s been helping so much. But I have to wear heels for work. I know this is a problem, but what can ya do? I have to.

Anyway not only is the chiropractor helping a lot, I’ve also been doing some hot & cold compresses which seems to help too. & OMIGOD plantar fasciitis has really kicked it up a notch. I guess it’s the extra weight?

Little backstory:

I was in the restaurant business since I was 14 years old. I started as a hostess then became a cocktail waitress & then a bartender. All 3 of these jobs within the service industry required me to stand on my feet for long periods of time- I’m sure a lot of you can relate. & because of that, I developed plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis involves inflammation of a thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of your foot & connects your heel bone to your toes ( plantar fascia ). Plantar fasciitis commonly causes stabbing pain that usually occurs with your first steps in the morning. As you get up and move more, the pain normally decreases, but it might return after long periods of standing or after rising from sitting. { via }

For me, it came from wearing really bad shoes & standing on my feet too long. I remember being so broke & not being able to afford comfy shoes so I would go to Marshall’s every 6 months & buy whatever $8 black flats they had. Obviously none of them had an arch support. It got worse & worse. It got to the point where I could hardly walk when I got out of bed in the morning after a shift. I tried everything from stretching, gel inserts, new shoes, but nothing was working. The arch & heel of my foot just always hurt.

There were 3 things that did end up working though & I want to discuss all 3. But first I want to talk about the main thing that worked. This is something anyone & everyone can do for sore feet, & it makes all the difference. You should also note, it makes a difference in you’re hamstrings too. It’s such a simple easy hack.

RACQUETBALL

The first & most efficient thing in my opinion is to get a racquetball. The one I like is pink & just the right firmness- it’s just perfectly strong. You basically roll it on the arch of your foot while putting your body pressure on it. This feels good whether you have plantar fasciitis or not.

So you want to roll the ball along the entire sole of your foot. When you’re rolling you should rock side to side so it goes from the toe to the heel all along the entire sole of the foot. I like to put my entire body weight on it but to start, maybe don’t press as firmly. Fun fact. The feet are th furthest body part from the heart, so when you get blood to the feet it helps with muscle repair & keeps your feet in good health. I wanna do it on my feet right now it sounds so good.

This is great to do at home, especially after a workout. I try to make Michael do it but he doesn’t love foot massage like I do.

CUSTOM ORTHOTICS

Another thing you can do is get custom orthotics. This is something I had to save up for when I was a bartender. My feet got so bad that after 2 years I couldn’t stand for a whole shift. A doctor molded my feet & it cost $400. Ugh, tell me about it. I saved every penny I had to get them, then I’d throw them in the Marshall’s $8 flats. They’re pricey for sure, but it did relieve a lot of the pain.

Now, I’ve heard arch support isn’t the best idea because it’s kinda like training wheels- you gotta get off them at some point. But I will say this: the custom orthotics really helped me get through my shifts. & now that I’m pregnant I’m thinking of getting them again because all this extra weight is inflaming my fascia again. Either Daddy Warbucks ( ahem Michael ) dishes out for a new set or I need to dust the cobwebs off my old bartending ones.

FOOT STRETCHES

The third thing that can really help is stretching. Before you get out of bed stretch your feet & toes. Put your toes on the ground and then lift your heels. Alternatively you can cross one ankle over the opposite knee then grab your toes & pull them towards your shin. These stretches really helped too. That stretch every morning activated blood flow & helped the pain from wearing restrictive, non-supportive shoes.

The fascia is a web of connective tissue so when you release it, it can trigger the entire web. This feels amazing. Trust me.

Side note: if a racquetball is too gnarly for you ( I like everything intense ) then you could always use a tennis ball because it’s a bit softer. But I’m telling you, if you have foot pain you have to try these things ( but especially the ball ).

♡ Weight gain

What a mind fuck to gain so much weight so quickly. I feel like this needs to be talked about more???. Gaining so much weight all the sudden is shocking & almost jarring. As much as you’re excited for the baby, it’s really hard to wrap your head around what’s happening to your body.

I’m going to be doing a whole podcast on this because I don’t think it gets talked about enough. I’m in front of the camera a lot & to have all this weight come on so strong has been so trippy. I imagine it’s like this for a lot of women? People say it’s a miracle & you should feel so lucky, & I do, trust me. But that doesn’t take away that it’s hard to gain weight.

♡ Pregnancy police

The pregnancy police are REAL. I had to actually write them a letter. If you didn’t see it check it out here. This mommy shaming thing has got to stop. I would never ever tell anyone what to do with their body. It’s insane.

♡ Other truth bombs

I very much miss skinny margaritas ( like a freezing cold martini or 10 would do at this point tbh ) & a gold CBD pen, my tits are watermelons, & I feel bloated, tired, & hormonal.

& I can’t see my vagina to shave it. LOL. My friend Hilary, who also works on the team, said that I HAVE to get a wax a week before the baby comes. That I won’t regret it. Do you guys agree?

Oh & we do know the gender ( any guesses lol )… ; )

So that’s my post on pregnancy realness. Obviously I’ll take you guys on every step of the journey & share everything I’m feeling. I have no plans to keep things secret. I really want to share the real deal on pregnancy. I think a lot of people sugar coat it, & I don’t want to victimize myself from it, but I also don’t want to not give you a full 360 view.

I’m not the most maternal person in the world, so this whole journey should be interesting. Expect a podcast soon on all the specifics. Would love for you guys to weigh in on your pregnancy experiences & let me know any questions you might have. I mean at this point we’re talking about shaving my vagina so nothing is off limits.

x, lauryn

+ get a pregnancy glow without the pregnancy.

++ check out The Preggers Pantry guide to a happy, healthy pregnancy

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