Google+ The Duda Homestead: February 2013

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Second Trimester Reflections



Now that our second trimester has come to a close, I'm going to attempt to slow down time for a moment and reflect...I can't believe we get to meet our little angel in 11 1/2 weeks! I can't explain the excitement.

Our 23 week photo went missing :(
What I have learned in the past 12 weeks:
  • A woman's body is truly an amazing machine.
  • Feeling your baby kick and squirm around is THE sweetest thing in the world (at least until she is here!).
  • I could seriously be entertained for hours just laying there and watching my belly move while dreaming about our lives ahead (and hearing the Jaws theme in my head from time to time). 
  • I'm one of the lucky ones. Other than some fairly intense stretching pains on occasion, I have basically breezed through this pregnancy thus far. Despite having lower back pain in the past, I haven't during pregnancy. I don't get heartburn (which is awesome because I crave buffalo chicken at times...but that's nothing new). I haven't "gotten sick" once, although there were a couple of close calls. I do get in bad moods, but am able to recognize them and give Nick a warning (love you!), and those have subsided now...I think. 
  • I love my husband. Of course I already knew this, but when he holds my belly and talks to the baby and I get to think about him being a dad wrapped around the finger of his little girl, it makes my heart melt.
  • Having a cold during pregnancy can really stink. There is a list of meds you can take during pregnancy, but I refused. We like to live as purely as possible. A couple of days home on the couch with hot water + organic lemon juice + local honey nursed me back to health. 
  • Building a registry can be as stressful as it is exciting. There is just so much "stuff" and it's hard to narrow down to the necessities and keep the somewhat minimalist lifestyle we live. Thanks to some awesome facebook friends' suggestions, I'm pretty confident in our registry. Gotta love Target
  • I never thought I'd be so excited about diapers. But, we've been building up a cloth stash and I'm super excited for some reason. Maybe it's the thought of saving $1500 on diapers. (For those of you who are still picturing the old school cloth diapers...click the image below to have your world changed. Get it? I made a funny.)
bumGenius Elemental

  • I'm pretty darn strong, but not as "independent woman" as I thought. A big thanks to the ladies I have reached out to for advice. The thought of hiring a doula to assist our birth has eased a lot of anxiety that built up after the hospital tour. I'm stuck in the middle of having a hospital birth and loving the idea of birthing at home, but we are doing a natural hospital birth because despite any anxiety a hospital may cause, I think it gives me more comfort than staying home. I'll do the majority of the labor at home, and we'll head to the hospital later on.
  • That being said, I'm not afraid of the birth. We are shooting for all-natural and intervention free, but I am not afraid of the pain. That's not because I'm naive to what it may feel like, of course I don't know, but I am extremely motivated. "I am woman, hear me roar." So while I may feel a bit more dependent...I feel that much more brave and awesome for growing this little miracle. 
  • Either I don't get out much or look mean, because I have not been attacked by women with their belly radar on in public. Yay!
  • I used to think we'd be set with just one child, but being 2/3 through the pregnancy is telling me I'm going to miss it and want to have one more. I may whine about occasional discomforts, but I am one of those who LOVE being pregnant. 

Thursday, February 14, 2013

My Miracle Belly Cream

Get ready folks...this stuff is amazing and super easy. First, go to the store (Woodman's, Jewel, Trader Joe's. etc.) and buy some organic coconut oil. Why organic? Because it's much better than potentially rubbing chemicals into your body. It'll cost around $10-15 for a 16oz jar...but a little goes a LONG way.

So once you get that coconut oil home, open the jar...use your fingers to take out a chunk the size of a marble. Rub it in your hands to melt it (it is a soft solid) and slather it on your belly. INSTANT relief I tell you. I've been having some serious stretching pains and this felt so good. I still have the pains now and then, but they are much more soothed now. I'm applying it three times a day, morning, when I get home from work, and again before bed.

Magical Lotion

My mother didn't have any stretch marks and they say it's genetic, but I will attest to this for helping with stretch marks this summer. They say that nothing prevents stretch marks, but I have to believe that staying nice and moisturized doesn't hurt either. It at least helps the itching/burning that can come with your belly stretching to hold a watermelon.

Could you add vitamin E oil and make it extra fancy? Of course you could. But we're pregnant and busy and this is so much easier. Even if you are not currently preggers, this stuff is amazing on dry patches and an esthetician friend told me that she puts it on her face every night. I am probably going to try this as well, at least on my forehead. Darn winter.

Disclaimer: Obviously, don't use this if you have any type of allergy or intolerance to coconut. I'd also recommend trying it on a small area first. It is about as pure as it gets and I haven't read anything about reactions so far.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...