5 ways to combat the "new mom body"

When I say "new mom body" what I mean is all the overuse and over strain injuries that happen to new moms. New moms often talk about (we never complain!) plantar fasciitis, 'tennis' elbow, aching wrists, lower back pain, neck pain, terrible posture, and tight leg muscles. As a brand new mom myself, I have experienced ALL of these! So I decided to come up with 5 ways to combat these problems while still being a new mom.... because let's face it, we are lucky to jump in the shower for 10 minutes!

1. Tummy Time for Mom! 
Combat: 'flat butt syndrome', lower back pain, bad posture, neck pain. 
I don't know about you but I sit on my butt a lot as a new mom. I don't even mean to! I swear I spend half my life nursing my beautiful baby, and even if you're bottle feeding you are still most likely sitting down to do it. This is where we develop flat butts.... just kidding, but seriously I think I've noticed my butt getting flatter. So here is the exercise: Tummy Time for MOM! While your little bundle of joy is practicing his tummy time, get down there with him and do what he is doing and work those butt/back muscles. Super mans, cobras, and screaming because you HATE tummy time! Try lying down on your stomach and lifting both arms and legs and screaming at the same time, it's a workout! Ok, minus the screaming. Just do some super mans and cobras, feel your back and butt muscles working to lift those legs and arms. :)

2. Play time with baby
Combat: tight calfs, tight hamstrings, tight feet
When your baby is being unbearably cute and you just have to hunch over them to kiss that adorable nose, play peek-a-boo, and get as close as possible to eating their darling little face, did you know you could turn it into a refreshing stretch session for you? Think about it, your baby is lying on her back and looking up at you. Instead of hunching down, sit down with your legs straight and baby between your legs. Now try kissing that nose, what? Your hamstrings won't let you? Well that means you need to stretch! Keep trying to kiss that nose sister, you'll get there someday! Now act like a crazy and side bend over to one foot, stretching one side of your torso. At the same time talk in a high pitched voice and let your baby's eyes follow you as you lean side to side. Note: if your husband sees you doing this he may think you've finally lost it, and let's be real, brain cells are depleted after pregnancy AND zero sleep so, he will probably be right.

3. Abdominal Crunch with Baby
Combat: lower back pain, neck pain, and get those abs back! 
lie down on your back and put your baby on your shins, tummy down, so that just her head is hanging out above your knees. She should be looking at you! If you have a wiggly baby keep ahold of her with both hands. Now roll up into a crunch and say "boo!", hopefully your baby got wide eyed and giggled a little. Repeat until your abs are screaming for you to stop, or your baby is screaming for you to stop... so somewhere between 1-300 crunches. :)

4. Pretty Hands, Pretty Colors! 
Combat: wrist pain, elbow pain
How many hours a day/night do I hold my baby? It feels like 100,00,000 times, which is why our wrists and elbows feel pain! My biceps are sore almost everyday from just holding that big chunky lovely. So here is a game to play with your baby and develop their eye coordination, while doing PT for your sore arms and wrists! Genius. Put on a brightly colored glove, and put your hand in front of your baby's eyes...oooh pretty! Now open and close your fingers keeping your knuckles straight, like a bright little flower. Stretch your hand all. the. way. open. and then slowly close your fingers imagine that you are resisting something, like you're trying to close your hand while is stuck in thick mud. Also, keep your elbow straight and really flex your triceps, stretch those sore biceps. Repeat on the other arm. You can also add some wrist rolling, gently stretching your wrist out.

5. The Best Stretch Ever..... Seriously! 
Combat: low back pain, bad posture, sore elbows and wrists, flat butt syndrome, and tight hip flexors!!! (Say what?!)
This stretch is one of the the best stretches I've ever done since being a mom. Now all the awesomeness doesn't come with out a price. This stretch isn't easy, it's also a little bit of a workout to hold (not a bad thing). Unfortunately I couldn't think of a way to include baby without putting him in serious danger, so hand that cute bundle over to daddy, it's mommy's time! I stole this image off of google (shhhh) because I just don't think I can explain this one very well.

Now, you can do this with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor about hip distance apart. That's a great beginner modification. You can also bring your head back so your neck is in line with your spine, I wouldn't hold my head forward as shown in the pic. 

Yay!!! Now you have 5 awesome tools to help you feel better! I have plenty more tips up my sleeve, but I didn't want to give you to many things to do each day. If you do some of these every day, that's a victory ladies! I love helping people and especially my Mommy friends to get back in shape! If you have any questions or an idea for me to cover in my blog let me know: 

Kelseyorampt@gmail.com

I would love to help. If you want more individualized training, email me and we can talk about getting a workout program set up for you! 

Now go get em' you cute mommas! xoxoxo 

Birth Story!

"My baby is so cute, sometimes I'm afraid I'm going to eat him!" - What to Expect When You're Expecting (the movie) 

Well- here we are!! 38 weeks and 6 days later Brooklyn Rose Oram is here in my arms and as sweet as they come!! I wanted to write my birth story quickly before she starts to demand more of my attention and before I forget the little details! 

This story begins on Wednesday September 10th. I lost my mucus plug that night and we got really excited! I finished packing our bags that night and could hardly sleep! Thursday I had bloody show all day and Thursday evening around 4pm I started having contractions. They were close, about 2 minutes apart and it felt like really bad menstral cramps. They weren't bad and started to slow after 30 minutes and eventually stopped when I decided to go to work. I was disappointed, Friday passed without any signals and I cried a lot. My amazing friend Kelsey convinced me to come with her to get mani/pedis to distract me from my disappointment. I loved doing that! It helped me so much to turn my mood around! Saturday morning I got to sleep in a little and take Luke on a walk before work. I noticed some harder BHs on the walk but nothing that got me excited- I didn't want to be disappointed again. I had a baby shower at 2pm, so I went about business as usual. I noticed very slight cramps right before and during the shower- but again I didn't want to be disappointed. I figured my baby had decided to wait a good few more days. My sweet Mother-in-law and Bryan's aunt Kathy Smoot threw a baby shower for the Oram's and Reid's. We ate and talked- the good was amazing and the decor was adorable! 

Then we gathered around and I began to open gifts. I got to open about the 2 gifts, the 3rd was from my Mom. I pulled out some bottle brushes, and thanked her. I looked down to see what else was in the bag and suddenly felt a rush of warm water coming out of me! I was in a panick and looked up at my Mom with a face that said HELP!!! Everyone thought my Mom must have given me something really sentimental- haha. She rushed over to me and I whispered that I thought my water had broken. Then a terrible thought hit me, what if I had just peed my pants!!my Mom assured me that was probably not the case. By now everyone knew what was going on and someone got me a towel. It wasn't a lot of water, so I was SO nervous that I had seriously just peed! My mom is an amazing ER nurse so she took me to the bathroom and confirmed that it was water! I was in shock! I was embarrassed- but everyone was so excited for me haha. Bryan came and brought a change of pants, when I came out everyone was so excited and immediately started giving advice. This was a room full of amazing Mothers so I was so thankful that I was in good company- I got over any embarrassment quickly. My contractions started right after my water was broken. They were light and I was very keen on keeping them going because I knew if they stopped and didn't start again I would have to go to the hospital and maybe get induced. I started walking while Bryan and my Mom loaded my gifts and put the car seat in our car. The contractions, although light to medium pain, were coming about 5 minutes apart. I kept telling my Mom "don't worry this is going to take 12 hours, maybe 17!" Luckily my Mom knew better. She said she didn't think it would take that long. She stayed and cleaned my house for me while I walked, and walked, and walked, and walked! I was so concerned that my labor would stop that I walked until my contractions were to close and to scary to stand anymore. At this point I kept saying "I can still smile, it's not time to go to the hospital yet!!" Finally (and very luckily) Bryan said "you're forcing yourself to smile! We are leaving for the hospital!" After two more HARD and SCARY contractions I agreed. My mom followed us and we got to the hospital at about 9:30pm. We hadn't pre-registered because I didn't think she would come this early so I labored painfully in the lobby for about 20 mins. They tried to wheel chair me to my room but I refused. At this point staying still was not an option during contractions! I walked, stoping and having Bryan support me during contractions, all the way to the room. It wasn't far, but I felt like a million miles! We got to our room about 10:00. I handed the nurse our birth plan, and Bryan and my mom helped me change into a hospital gown. 

They put some monitors on me (to get the baby's heart beat) and asked me to lay down- worst thing ever!!! Every contraction I turned on my side and held Bryan's hand. They took the monitors off and I was able to be on all 4s to continue laboring. A nurse came by and asked to put a hep-lock in, it was lucky she did. While she was putting the hep-lock in I suddenly had the urge to push- a huge undeniable urge! The nurse putting my hep-lock in said "look at me!" She started to coach my breathing while the other nurse checked my dialation, I had gone from a 5 to an 8 in about 10 minutes! She said "you can't push!! You're cervix is not open all the way!". My mom took over and started coaching me to breath slowly while Bryan stayed pushing on my back. This was the HARDEST part of labor by far!! Not pushing was SO hard, the dr was still not there! The nurse was starting to freaking out, she put the plastic down and started telling Bryan that she did know about catching a baby while I'm on all 4s, she said everything was backwards. "The dr has a sports car for a reason!" I remember someone saying that. My fore-sack broke the rest of the way and I was at a 10. The nurse said I could start doing small grunting pushes- what a relief! 

Finally the dr was there, he said he could see that I was going to tear if I stayed on all fours and suggested I turn over. As soon as I filped over I could tell he was correct- I could push better. 

Three contractions later she was out. I didn't tear and she was placed right on me. Was was blue, white slime, and beautiful! The nurses were AMAZING, they let me rub the vernix into her skin and just piled blankets on us. The dr waited to clap the cord and cut for about 5 minutes. He let Bryan cut the cord. I lached her onto my breast and she fed for about 10 minutes each side before they asked if they could let Bryan hold her and wheel me to recovery. 

Bryan got to give her her first bath while I was in the recovery room. As I was sitting there reflecting on how difficult that was I said "I will never do that again!", then Bryan came back with Brooklyn. He placed her in my arms and I said to myself "I can do this again, she is worth every single second of labor and pushing". 

My birth was amazing, I am so happy we went through the Bradley Method classes. I knew exactly what to do, Bryan knew exactly how to help and he knew that going to the hospital early wasn't worth it. Bryan was so supportive and exactly what I needed. My mom coaching me through not pushing was all I needed to hold on while I dialated to a ten. My team was amazing and I know that it never crossed my mind to use drugs because I was in control. Bryan kept reminding me "this is your body, your body won't put you in more pain than you can handle". He was right! 

My baby is beautiful and healthy. She came out with her eyes wide open and I believe that for me, natural child birth was the best thing for Brooklyn and me. This was by far the hardest thing I've ever done, but by far the most rewarding. Knowing who she is and seeing her little face- I know I would do it ten times over again just for her. (Thank goodness I don't!!) 

38 Weeks

How far along? 38 Weeks
Total weight gain? 24lbs
Maternity clothes? You know it.
Stretch marks? Still going strong! No stretch marks- lets keep our fingers crossed!
Sleep: Haha, if you can call it that. 
Best moment this week: This week was NOT a week I would ever like to re-live again. So the best moment had to have been hearing my baby's heart beat on Thursday. Such a strong heart beat! I love hearing it- makes things a little more real. Another great moment was when I has some very sweet friends bring me soup! Seriously, I felt like.. (stay with me- sick + hormonal pregnant= dramatic)... it saved my life. One dear friend brought me Zupa's for lunch on Friday and after she left I cried for 20 minutes of pure thankfulness and joy. I was starving and didn't have any energy to make food. The same happened when my other dear friend brought an amaizing hommade chicken noodle soup- people are amazing and I feel like cannot ever show the gratitude I feel.

Worst moment this week: Getting a sinus infection (and maybe strep too)! Not fun- my doctor put me on a z-pck on Thursday and I've been basically in bed since. I did go to work a few times- I can't leave my clients before I leave with my baby! 
Miss anything? Feeling normal.
Movement: Yes, she has been a little sluggish this week- maybe she isn't feeling good either, or maybe she is growing. I hope she is growing I want a fat little baby. 
Food Cravings: Soup all week, that has been the only thing that sounded good on my aching throat. 
Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope 
Gender: Girl
Labor signs: Nope
Symptoms: Monday and Tuesday night I couldn't sleep at all because it felt like she was head butting my bladder. Once I got sick she stopped trying to shove her head into my pelvis- this was a HUGE relief. I needed sleep the rest of the week.  A few BH, they are lasting longer, but still not painful at all. 
Belly button in or out? Out
Wedding rings on or off? On
Looking forward to: Not being sick!! I have actually felt "pregnant" these last few days. Body aches, lower back aches- I haven't really exercised since Wednesday and I just can't wait to move again (even in my very limited state). 

Also, my last baby shower is this coming Saturday!! I am so excited! I am also getting so excited to meet our daughter!! 

37 Weeks: Let the mind games begin!

How far along? 37 weeks
Total weight gain: 24 lbs
Maternity clothes? Yep, yep! Even maternity pants now!
Stretch marks? Nope (Yippee!!)
Sleep: I wake up a lot to use the restroom, I also feel like I toss and turn a lot. I can sleep mostly through the night though, which is a huge plus!
Best moment this week? There were so many! First, I got to see my baby in an ultrasound on Thursday! It was so strange to not be able to see all of her in one shot! The assistant took a picture of her foot, then her hand, and face. they took up the whole screen! She has grown so much and her face is actually like a human face, not an alien! It was weird and wonderful. Her heartbeat is strong, she loves to sleep, she is in the perfect position for delivery, and they estimate she weights about 5lbs, 9oz.
Second, my wonderful ward threw a baby shower for me!!! My dear friend Melanie put it on and it was SO fun! In fact I didn't even get pictures because I was so busy talking and opening gifts, and getting great advice from experienced moms! It was so fun to get gifts that weren't on my registry, but everyone would gasp and say "oh that stuff is a lifesaver!" or "I use that everyday!". I keep telling people, I have no clue what I'm doing! I love getting gifts that you have loved in the past, things that have helped you get through baby stuff. I spent almost all of last night in the nursery putting away all the cute clothes and other stuff. I'm getting more and more excited!
Annnnnd......I got a rocking chair!!!!!!! Melanie is the BEST! Not only did she throw a shower for me, but gave me a rocker! It's one that her SIL loved but didn't need anymore, it looks perfect in the nursery and it is so comfortable!

Miss anything? I know I say this every week but- SLEEPING ON MY BACK!!!! I'm pretty sure that's why I feel like I'm tossing and turning all night. I keep trying to sleep on my back and my body keeps waking me up to turn to my side. My shoulders ache when I wake up from sleeping on my side. (it's almost over-I can do this!)
Movement? Yes! She loves to sleep, but when she is awake it's like she is trying to escape my belly. There isn't much room any more so her movement is down to pushing her feet against me, and swiveling around. Bryan felt her move last night and said "Wow she pushes so hard!", yes, yes she does and sometimes it really hurts! I love it though, I cannot wait to meet her!
Food cravings? None really. I just really love fruit. Fruit all the time! It's getting hard to fit veggies in! I  decided this week I would try harder to get in more veggies! I actually did better, salads, stir fry, and ranch all really help!
Anything making you queasy or sick? No, thank goodness! That flu was enough for me!
Gender: Still a sweet little girl!!! (They checked again in my ultrasound on Thursday, so there Katie- now maybe I can remove the gender part..... maybe! hahaha)
Labor signs? No
Symptoms? A little more heartburn than normal this week. I think bread gives me heartburn (but only sometimes... so annoying). My fatigue is better because I focused on getting enough protein this week and that helped! That and maybe gaining a few more pounds helped.
Belly button in or out? Out, but getting flatter each passing week.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time? Happy this week!!! (Although I did cry on Wednesday and told Bryan I couldn't do this one more day! I think it was hormones because I was fine on Thursday...)
Looking forward to? So excited to be so close! I'm looking forward to spray painting her dresser this week! One more step towards having her nursery done! Also excited to try to find a stroller.... it's a little overwhelming but that's the next thing on the "not so necessary list".

Exercise: Well, this week I got to swim laps because it was sunny and we heated the pool!!! I was worn out after about 25-30 mins, but at least I did it! I also did the elliptical a lot this week, and continued to lift light weights, I even lifted my legs! This was my last week of teaching ballet barre! I was SO sad! My very cute barre ladies (the ones who come every Friday morning at 5:15AM!) gave me the sweetest present! Some little ballet PJs and hangers, plus a gift card!!! (I feel so blessed!). I can't teach morning classes when this baby comes because Bryan is teaching early morning seminary this year. I will continue to teach evenings until she comes and after my leave (so if you're reading this, don't worry I will be back to teaching!). My inner thighs need the rest from ballet barre... it was getting a little worrisome, they would be SO sore after teaching- so maybe it's a good thing I'm teaching barre for now.

*********WARNING- UPCOMING CONTENT IS PERSONAL AND GRAPHIC!************
*PLEASE STOP HERE IF YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED IN VERY PERSONAL CONTENT!*

Oh, hey! So you decided to continue reading uh? Well, let me warn you one more time: This is girly stuff. Don't read on if you're not a girl, or just aren't interested in girly stuff.... you've been warned.

So, this is where I decided to talk about the doctor 'checking' me. BTW, why doesn't anyone tell you that this is EXTREMELY uncomfortable and borderline painful? People always say "it just doesn't feel that great". Well, yeah! It feels like the doctor is trying to stick their entire fist up there!!!!
Anyways, I really like my doctor so I didn't yell at him. He said I am at a 1cm and a little, and 60% effaced. "So, you've got a good two weeks. You won't go anytime soon". His words, then Bryan chimed in and said- yeah she won't come until your due date! I like the two weeks better, but I can't help feeling like Bryan is right. She seems pretty comfy, I don't think she will come anytime soon!
I was very surprised at how well I took this news. Just they day before I was crying and saying how hard this pregnancy thing is. But what I've realized is that the hard part (for me), is the mind games! Before my doctor told me I had a good two weeks, I was stressing out big time about when the big day will come. Now I feel like the more I know the better- I know that my doctor really has NO idea when my baby will come, but it's still comforting in a way to at least know that she won't be coming soon.... maybe that didn't make sense, but I have the HARDEST time with unplanned things. The knowledge, that I'm not even dilated very much, even if undependable, is keeping me calm.

Next topic of graphic girly news: BRAZILIAN BIKINI WAX.
Yep, you read that correctly- full Brazilian bikini wax. That totally happened this week, and I must say, I have never had a better situation to practice my relaxation techniques for labor.
I know you think I'm crazy- but pregnancy hormones do something to you, or maybe it's the knowledge that in a few weeks (maybe 4 or more), I will experience the most pain I've ever felt. Either way, I was not at all nervous to go for this.
I went to the new spa in Bountiful, my sister Eryn works there, Sego Lily Spa. I made sure to do a bunch of research, ask a million questions, and get the BEST most highly recommended, and experienced, bikini wax expert. Luckily they have someone at Sego Lily who not only specializes in brazilian waxes, but loves giving pregnant women bikini/brazilian waxes- she was amazing. If you go, ask for Kory.
Anyways, I won't go into detail- but yeah, it was painful, really painful. I just practiced my breathing and relaxation the entire time. She said she couldn't believe it was my first time. Kory did an amazing job making the experience over all good, and I would totally do it again. So there's that.

36 Weeks!

How far along? 36 Weeks
Total weight gain: 21 lbs (at my last doctor appointment)
Maternity clothes? Oh yes.
Stretch marks? None yet! (fingers crossed!)
Sleep: I have been doing A LOT of this lately! Yesterday I took a 2.5 hour nap, then was exhausted by 9pm and went right to sleep! I woke up this morning feeling really good around 7am, and now at 9:15am I feel like I need a nap....???
Best moment this week? One of my Pilates clients is leaving on Saturday to play tennis for BYU Hawaii! She threw a huge luau last night complete with Hawaiian food, music, dancing performances, all of us dancing, and a fire dance to end the night! It was amazing! I am pretty jealous, Hawaii would be an amazing place to live! I couldn't help but get up and dance last night! (I waited until it was mostly dark) I was probably I sight to see!!! Haha! I've heard that women in Samoa are only in labor for a maximum of 4 hours, if they dance like that throughout their pregnancy I can see why! I decided all I need to do is dance every weekend and she will come out in no time!!
Worst moment this week? I had to add this in. Last Sunday night I went to bed at 10:30 or 11pm ish, then I woke up at 12:00am feeling really sick. I ended up throwing up for the rest of the night, not sleeping at all. I kept throwing up into Monday morning and finally around 10am was able to sleep for a while. Being about 8 months pregnant and being sick all night was NO FUN! I can't even imagine what some women go through (throwing up their entire pregnancy). I think I just got the stomach flu or something. I've felt nauseated on and off this entire week, but thank goodness no more being sick!
Miss anything? Again, just sleeping on my back.
Movement: She has slowed down in movement a little, she mostly just slides around. I'll bet see is going through a growing spurt again....
Food cravings: No
Anything making you queasy or sick? Nothing in particular. I just feel nauseated from time to time.
Gender: Girl
Labor signs: Nope
Symptoms: Just fatigue!!!
Belly button in or out? Out, but getting flatter as she grows!
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time? Happy most of the time.
Looking forward to: This week my goal is to finish the nursery! Then I will post some pics!!
Exercise: I am super tired lately, plus being sick made me less active this week. I still did light weight lifting for my upper body, did the elliptical for 30 mins (slowly!), and taught ballet barre. I am hoping I can swim some this coming week. This rain has been crazy!

35 weeks

How far along? 35 weeks
Total weight gain: 21 lbs
Maternity clothes: Yes, and as of this week I am officially in maternity pants! I can button up my old shorts, but man they are uncomfortable!
Stretch marks? Nope! (Yay!)
Sleep: Waking up a lot to use the bathroom. Hips ache when I get up, and this morning my back hurt! That's a first!
Best moment this week: I had a doctor appointment and he checked her position. Head is down!! This is what I thought (I'm pretty sure she's been head down for a while), but recently I got worried (pregnancy= worry for no reason) I was afraid she was transverse. She is for sure head down, and I'm not going to give her any reason to change positions!
Miss anything? I get jealous while teaching my clients. They get to do all the fun stuff!!!
Movement: Yes, mostly wiggling around. She will preform for Bryan though, all he has to do is put his hand on my belly (and sometimes sweet talk to her), and there she is wiggling right under his hand. Already a daddy's girl!
Food cravings: No, well... maybe ice cream.
Anything making you queasy or sick: No
Gender: Girly-girl
Labor signs: Nope
Symptoms: Braxton Hicks like mad (not painful at all though).
Belly button in or out? Outy-out!
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time? Depends on when you're talking to me. Warning: don't try to converse while hungry or tired..... Oh, wait. That's ALL THE TIME. Haha
Looking forward to: We picked out the color for her room and we are painting it today or tomorrow!! We are also going to attempt to spray paint a dresser, and paint a tree on the wall. Yes, we are very ambitious!
Exercise: Let's see.... um I feel like I can't move! Hahaha good thing I have my ballet barre class to keep me going! I do pelvic tilts but even those are limited now, downward dogs, stretching, swimming, elliptical, light weight lifting.... that's all folks! (See why I'm jealous of all you people who can move?!) I did do a step class on friday after I taught barre, I felt like my bladder was going to explode half way through, but it was fun.

33 Weeks

How far along? 33 weeks
Weight gained: 18lbs (but I have a doctor appointment on Monday, I think I have gained a few more pounds!)
Maternity clothes: Um, YES. I can still fit into some non-maternity things but it's getting harder. Maternity leggings are AMAZING!!!
Stretch Marks? No
Sleep? My shoulders are getting really painful when I wake up. I think I'm going to have to give in and get/borrow a body pillow. Or just pile a lot more pillows around me.
Best moment this week? There are SO many!!! I'll pick two. First, on Friday my awesome Father-in-law took some maternity photos for me! That was really fun! We went up to Alta, the wildflowers are blooming and it's beautiful up there!!

Second, I had my first baby shower!!!! My Mom threw me a baby shower, it was so beautiful! My sisters and my sister-in-law are amazing decorators and made it so cute! I was gifted lots of cute little clothes, head bands, and my first two cloth diapers!!!

They has a Polaroid camera for people to take pictures with, it was so fun and cute!

We are playing the diaper game in this picture. You melt a candy bar into each diaper and people have to guess what type of candy bar it is. I think it's hilarious and even better it looks like poop!! Haha!

I also received some thing pretty special, my grandma hand made a little quilt and pillow for my baby! I love it when people make gifts, it means so much! It will mean so much for my daughter to have a blanket that Great-Grandma made just for her! 

My sister Eryn made this fruit basket, how I have no idea! She is amazing! 

Miss anything? Being able to breath normally, being able to move (you know like just rotate my spine), and being able to get up from a deep couch. I'm sure it's really entertaining to watch me try to get up off a couch!
Movement? Yes, all the time! She is so active! This week I've noticed that she sleeps for long periods of time and is awake for long periods of time. It seems to be when I sleep she does and when I'm moving she does, I hope her schedule stays that way!
Food cravings? This is amazing.... I don't want any sweets. Yep, I just said that! I have noticed I don't feel well when I eat them. I just want fruit, veggies, and lots of protein. I am being serious. I don't crave anything in particular.
Anything making you queasy or sick? If I eat something really sweet, I really don't feel great. Other than that, no!
Gender? Girl
Labor signs? No
Symptoms?Actually heartburn hasn't been to bad. I found that if I eat an apple it really helps! Also, pregnancy brain. (I forgot about this symptom and, no joke, had to come back and edit my blog post!! Haha!) I have the worst pregnancy brain. I would almost trade it for some back pain! (maybe not)
Belly button in or out? Out, you can see it in some of my pictures! :)
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time? This week I'll say moody. I'm really happy when I'm happy, but the nervous anticipation is settling in! Sometimes I think about becoming a Mom and I get nervous! It's a BIG job!!!
Looking forward to? More baby showers!! This coming weekend is a big baby shower put on by my best friend!!! We were doing some planning last night, it's going to be amazing! I am so excited to see people I haven't seen in a while!!!
Exercise: Getting more difficult with each passing week, but I'm sticking to it. I've slowed way down as far as pace goes. I lift weights but it takes me longer. I do the elliptical but only for about 20 mins. The very BEST is swimming! I can do that for about 37 mins straight! With the rain this week I wasn't able to swim as much, I'm hoping I can this week!!! I can still do ballet barre, but it has started to really kick my butt! I just can't breath very well!!! I love doing it though, it is really fun!
I am still doing planks (I drop to my knees after holding for about 20 seconds, then hold on my knees as long as I can), my back doesn't hurt. I still stretch my inner thighs (it feels amazing!), do  pelvic tilts, and practice Kegels.

32 Weeks

How far along? 32 weeks

Weight gained? 18lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes! Still haven't tried the hair tie trick with my pants. I keeps thinking I'll have to but I haven't yet. Maybe by next week! 

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep? Ok, still have sore hips and shoulders some mornings. Also I have the strangest dreams! 

Best moment this week? We had a big suprise this week! We got a a baby monitor in the mail from our dearest friends!!! It's amazing! It's a video monitor with infared night vision, color video for day time, it can detect sound level, and play music! I am so excited for this! It's perfect for mamas who run and check on their baby every few seconds (I'm pretty sure this will be me!). This totally made my week! 

Miss anything? Yes. Breathing normally, being able to lift heavy with my legs, sleeping on my back. 

Movement? Yes, all the time! She is starting to feel cramped. She keeps trying to stretch out her legs and ends up digging her sharp little heels into my ribs, lungs, and diaphragm! It hurts some times!! I do love to feel it though! (Weird) 

Food cravings? Just want ice cream. 

Anything making you queasy or sick? No

Gender? Girl 

Labor signs? No 

Symptoms: Heartburn, feeling out of breath, hips aching once in a while. 

Belly button in or out? Almost all the way out. 

Wedding rings on or off? No 

Happy or moody most of the time? Well, I have my moments. I'll say happy most if the time! 

Looking forward to? It's August!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe we are so close! (Yet so far). This month I have baby showers! I am so excited for the first two baby showers the first two weeks in August! I can't wait to feel a little more prepared! 

Exercise: As I mentioned, I can't lift heavy with my legs. It doesn't feel ok anymore. She has dropped a little lower and is heavier, it feels like way to much pressure "down there" to try and squat weight. This week for leg lift days I did: leg press machine, balance lunges, seated hamstring curl machine, wall squat, walking lunges... That's about it. I still can lift upper body, I just get tired easily. Swimming is quickly becoming my preferred style of cardio. It feels SO GOOD to swim laps on my stomach and not feel weighed down! Also, I am still doing planks, pelvic rocks, and Kegels every day. 

Also, my flower framed mirror came this week! Her nursery is slowly coming together! 

31 Weeks

How far along? 31 Weeks
Total Weight gain? 18lbs
Maternity Clothes? Yes, still kind of comfortably wearing my old jeans and shorts. I need to try the hair tie trick in the up-coming weeks. I love wearing maternity shirts.
Stretch Marks? No
Sleep: Still sleeping pretty well. Some days I wake up with a sore hip or shoulder, but I can walk it off usually. I haven't gotten a body pillow yet, maybe I should get one?
Best moment of the week? I am slowly getting closer to being done with her nursery! I got a beautiful rug that really brings color into the room, it's pastel colors (pink, purple, yellow, green). I love it! I also ordered a round mirror for her room. The frame is in the shape of a flower, I hope it looks good! I loved it when I saw it and couldn't resist. We were going to paint one of the walls an accent purple, but Bryan isn't so sure and now I'm not either. I think I need some opinions.
Miss anything? Like I said last week, sleeping on my stomach or back. Also, my cravings for sweets have been up this week! I ate some almond milk ice cream and some Nilla Wafers (those things are SO good!), but I resisted my cravings last night for Oreos. That's going to have to be the norm. I'm so close and I just want to end on a healthy note!
Movement? Yes, she is starting to sleep for longer periods of time and be active for a little longer. I think she is starting to fall into a routine, but I haven't paid enough attention to know exactly when she will usually be asleep/awake. She doesn't kick as much, but when she does it feels like my whole center of gravity moves with it. I love that. I cannot sit slouched over, or else she will kick my ribs and diaphragm. (I love that too, even though it hurts.)
Food Cravings: OREOS.
Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope! But I have found that if I eat to many complex carbs at once I start getting heartburn.
Gender? Girl
Labor signs? No
Symptoms? Heartburn, sore hips, I can't walk up stairs as well- my legs burn and I'm out of breath. But I take them anyways.
Belly button in or out? Out! It looks funny poking through my shirts haha.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time? This week I will dare to say happy most of the time. :)
Looking forward to? My baby showers start next month!!! I'm so excited to start feeling more prepared and organize her nursery!
Exercise: Ballet barre kicks my butt, but I still teach and do it with the class just fine. Pilates has turned into me sitting and walking around while I talk everyone through the exercises. My favorite things to do have become: lifting weights (my most favorite! I don't feel out of breath or weak), elliptical or swimming (I feel very out of breath, and have to stop every once and a while to let a BH pass), planks (I can still do a full plank, not for very long though), Kegels, pelvic rocks, hip circles. That's about all I can do right now. It's hard to remember to do my Kegels (my birth class wants me to do them 100x a day!), I need to figure out the best time to practice those.
I have already started to plan out my post pregnancy fitness plan!!! I'm so excited to ease back into core work!!!!! I love core work! Also, I am excited to RUN again! I had a dream the other night that I was running a race, I was crusin' along and looked down at my belly. I marveled that I could run with out RLP, I really wish that dream would come true!

This week:
We went boating yesterday with some friends and that was a blast! I even did some wake boarding! I was really tired after wake boarding and missed the ladder trying to get back on the boat, I slipped and scraped up my leg pretty good. I luckily didn't hit my belly, but she's really well protected in there. My leg hurt badly, so I decided to use the waves of pain to practice my relaxation techniques for labor. Haha, it actually worked (it hurt). I didn't cry, and I was able to distract myself with my favorite places, and focusing on relaxing. My biggest fear is that I won't be able to relax through the pain of labor, so this helped me practice!
In our birth class this week we learned how important it is for the husbands to be on board with a natural birth and breast feeding. We also learned some massage techniques that Bryan is supposed to practice on me every day (not complaining!). I love that Bryan will get to be so involved with labor and birth. After all, this is his daughter too and I know he will be the best person to support me through it all.

My awesome battle wound from trying to get on the boat yesterday. 

30 Weeks

How far along? 30 Weeks
Total weight gain? 16 lbs. but my doctor appointment is tomorrow and I will probably have gained more than that.
Maternity clothes? Yes, still in my normal pants and skirts but I'm wearing maternity shirts.
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: I must take naps. This has become a necessity! I sleep well at night, although I toss and turn a lot because of the heat. During the day I am so active, but my energy can't keep up! I have found that if I don't take a nap it's bad news bears for the rest of the day.
Best moment this week: I had some dear friends/clients take me to dinner for a private little baby shower this week. It was so nice to sit and eat (without cleaning up!) and talk about their experiences. I loved listening to their stories because it gives me hope that there is a somewhat normal life after baby comes. I also received some really cute gifts this week! She is already spoiled with darling little outfits and shoes! I can't get over the cuteness of baby clothes!!
Miss anything? I miss doing crunches. Yep, I just said that! I hate not being able to demonstrate the Pilates 100 etc. I just have to remind myself that luckily I'm good at cuing such exercises, and that most people know how to do crunches :)
Movement: Yep, not really sharp kicks anymore. It feels like she's just rolling around in there. She is getting stronger, when she does kick it feels like my whole belly jolts to the side and almost pulls me with it!
Food cravings: Sweets. I just want cake, cookies, and ice cream.
Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope thank goodness! I need all the protein I can get my hands on and luckily I want meat a lot!
Labor signs: I've noticed more BH lately, especially in my lower belly! What a weird feeling!
Symptoms: I'll get a little heartburn if I eat to much at once, or try and swim after eating. :) Also, not being able to get up from a deep couch or chair.
Belly button in or out? Half of it is out, the other half is quickly catching up!
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time? I wish I could say happy, but this week I'd better go with moody. I've been a well of emotions that could boil over at any second, Bryan has been so good to be patient with me! Also, I didn't take enough naps!
Looking forward to? I am buying paint for her nursery this week! I wanted to get it this weekend, but time got away from me. I am excited to start painting and organizing her room and new clothes!
Also, I have almost finished registering!!!! I LOVE registering! I decided to register at 3 different places, Babies R Us, Buybuy Baby, and Target. I have finally decided on the diaper bag I want, car seat, and different small items. I still have yet to decide on a stroller. I really want a jogging stroller... any suggestions?
Exercise: Like I mentioned I miss crunching, but luckily I can still plank! I can still do side planks, elbow planks, and hand planks with my classes. I have been continuing to lift weights, and do cardio. My lung capacity feels like it's shrinking so I allow myself to slow down a little on the elliptical and take breaks while swimming. I usually do my pelvic tilts, Kegels, and stretches with my classes but I also try and remember to do them on my own.

I loved squatting this week! (I have actually felt stronger muscularly, cardio is getting harder as I mentioned.)  Luckily she didn't seem to mind it to much!

 I had to also include this picture, look at how big she is getting!!!

29 weeks

How far along? 29 weeks 

Weight gain so far? 16lbs 

Maternity clothes? Yep, still wearing maternity shirts with my old shorts. I might need to start doing that hair tie trick soon so my pants will still fit in a couple weeks. 

Stretch marks? Nope! 

Sleep: Still sleeping pretty well.

Best moment this week? I LOVE the 4th of July! I love BBQs, swimming, fireworks, and the heat of summer. We went to see Captian America at the Kaysville Theater (I know we are behind on movie watching!) and if you haven't seen it, there are a lot of explosions (typical superhero movie). The baby was startled with each "action scene",  I felt so bad but at the same time I loved feeling her move! She was moving around like a little jumping bean! She did the same thing with the firework show on the 4th! I could hardly enjoy them because I felt so bad! I could feel every startled kick, I think I'll try putting a pillow over my belly for the 24th! 😊

Miss anything? Sleeping on my back and laying out next to my pool on my stomach! I am pretty sure my front side is much more tan than the skin on my back. I probably look really funny! 

Movement: Yes! Yesterday on the way to the Bee's baseball game I couldn't sit normally in the car, she kept kicking my ribs and diaphragm! She is getting crazy and big! 

Food cravings? Not really, I ate more red meat this week so that took care of that craving. Obviously I really want ice cream... All the time! I allowed myself to have an ice cream cone at the baseball game. Ice cream has never tasted so good! 

Anything making you queasy or sick? Not any particular foods. Sometimes I'll kaput get sick to my stomach for no reason. It comes and goes so quickly and is so random, I've started to think it might be her kicking my stomach. 

Gender: Girl

Labor signs? No

Belly button in or out? It's still half way out, but the part that's still in is getting more and more shallow with each passing week- or day. 

Wedding rings on or off? On 

Happy or Moody? Happy most if the time! My hormones seemed to have stabilized. 

Looking forward to: Finishing up our home projects this month, so that next month I can focus on my baby showers!! 

Exercise: I am still doing 30 mins of cardio per day and 45 mins of weight lifting. The cardio is either elliptical or swimming, my weight lifting routine changes depending on what body parts I'm focusing on. I'm still teaching barre and Pilates. I can't do a lot with my Pilates mat classes, but they are awesome and follow verbal cues really well. I along warm up with pelvic tilts, planks, cat/cow, Kegels, and downward facing dogs. Theses are all part of my homework for my birth classes! They are supposed to help encourage the baby to sit the right way and relive back pain. It's been working as far as back pain goes- I haven't had any! 

Birth class update: 

I know you probably think I'm crazy for want to have this baby unmedicated- but I don't care. This is what I want, so I'm going to do my best to prepare for it. 

Our teacher is awesome! She is very experienced and nice. The first class was all about nutrition and exercise. I really liked all that the Bradley Method pushes good balanced nutrition. So many people need this, especially while pregnant! It makes labor and dilivery so much easier! 

Same with exercise, she went over reasons to start getting 30 mins of exercise in per day (again- it makes everything easier!) and the other exercise we need to be doing everyday (Kegels, pelvic tilts, and squats- yes squats). 

Next class will be more about the husband's roll- I'm so excited!!! Bryan really seemed to like the class too! 

27 Weeks- The count down begins....

How far along? 27 Weeks
Total weight gain: 14lbs (WHAT? 4 pounds in 3 weeks... or maybe 1 week!)
Maternity clothes? Yes, still in maternity shirts. I can still wear most of my pants and shorts comfortably, not sure how long that will last.
Stretch marks? NO! (yay!)
Sleep: My seasonal allergies are going away!!!! (does a happy dance) I'm sleeping really great, I do wake up sometimes with sore hips and shoulders, but at least I can BREATH!!!
Best moment this week: Entering the third trimester is so exciting! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! I know that the third trimester is usually the hardest, but it's so exciting to be closer to meeting our little girl!
Miss anything? Sleeping on my stomach and back.
Movement? I think she had a growth spurt this week, she moved very little until today. Today all throughout church she was squirming around, then in sacrament meeting she really started going crazy! I about jumped right out of my seat at one point, she kicked me so hard in the ribs it hurt!! I haven't felt her kick my ribs until today! I think she grew!!
Food cravings? Not much. I just LOVE my oatmeal in the mornings, it makes it hard to eat my eggs. I decided to try and keep hard boiled eggs in the refrigerator all the time so I can have them for lunch! I also decided to officially up my calorie intake for the third trimester (I have been starving the last few days!!). I am now tracking my calorie intake at 2,200, hopefully that will take care of the 'I'm starving all the time' feelings!
Anything making you queazy or sick? Nope, thank goodness.
Gender? Girl
Labor signs? Nope
Symptoms? I woke up this morning to find a very faint brown line running from my belly button to my pubic bone. :( I read up about it and apparently it's very common. It has to do with hormones (NOT surprised, we will talk about that in a second.) and can be helped by eating more folic acid. Also, it's supposed to go away about 3 months after you give birth. (I HOPE SO!) Now, about those hormones. This week has been a roller coster ride! I really haven't had to deal with hormones until the last two weeks! This week especially was crazy. I woke up mad or sad and for no reason! I've started to get hot flashes, (really strange) and poor Bryan has to put up with a moody Kelsey! I hope they will even out in a few weeks!
Belly button in or out? Still half way in and half way out!
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time? Well, let's say it's a 50/50. I swing between the two!
Looking forward to: My baby showers are coming up!!! I'm so excited! (let me know if you want an invite!!!) Also, this week I am going in deep with cleaning! I am taking some stuff to D.I. and cleaning things out this week!! It will feel SO good!


I am also looking forward to the 4th of July! I love summer and summer holidays! BBQs, swimming, fireworks, it's all so exciting!

There is so much to look forward to....

We start our Bradley Method birth classes on July 2nd!! And this week I have a doctor appointment, I get to see the results of my blood test. (I hope I don't have gestational diabetes!). These next few weeks should go by fast. I feel like I have so much to do!

Exercise: I am loving weight lifting right now! I did 45 mins everyday this week and felt great! I also did 30 mins on the elliptical each day, I couldn't swim because of those cold wet days this week. I MIGHT try running outside this week. I was running around in the park with Luke (my dog) yesterday and I didn't have any RLP (round ligament pain)!!!!! I can't wait to try! I miss running A LOT! I also practice my Kegles everyday, cat/cow, planks, and side planks most everyday. I have started to notice my hips feeling looser, which means my S.I. pain has been acting up. But if I do those Kegles and planks- it goes away!

26 Weeks and Happy Father's Day (Hello Hormones!)

How far along? 26 Weeks

Total weight gain: 10-12lbs (depends on the scale I use)
Maternity clothes? Luckily I wear workout clothes for my job so most of the time I'm in yoga pants and a stretchy top. I do wear maternity shirts with my jeans and shorts. I haven't had to buy maternity pants yet. 
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: I will sleep really well as long as I do a saline nasal wash, then I am able to breath throughout the night. My hips are getting sore from sleeping on my side, but as I stretch and warm up throughout the day the soreness goes away. I might need to buy a body pillow.
Best moment this week: I am refining my registry! I love making big decisions on the car seat type, etc. Plus, I have been gathering ideas for decorating the nursery. (Annnd She started to kick a lot again this week! I LOVE that). 
Miss Anything? Running. I love swimming, but running is so fun! 
Movement: YES! She does these funny flutter kicks for long periods while I'm lying down. I love feeling her move. 
Food cravings: Not really, I have been wanting more protein in general. I love eating hard boiled eggs and chicken and fish. I do get crazy for water! I will all of a sudden NEED water, so strange.
Anything making you queasy or sick: No 
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: Well, heartburn is a common problem when I eat spicy foods. (I LOVE mexican food, so this really bugs me).
Belly Button in or out? half in half out
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy most of the time, but.... my hormones are getting worse! I have found myself getting very annoyed easily, over small things. This week we went to Costa Vida for dinner, the guy making Bryan's burrito was in a HUGE hurry. He made Bryan's burrito quite small compared to a usual Costa burrito. I got SO annoyed! I found myself saying very loudly "That's a SMALL burrito!!". Bryan looked at me like I was crazy and had to nudge me down the line. I was SO PO-ed! It took me a while to calm down (What the?!). All I know is, don't make me mad! Haha
Looking forward to: Finishing my registry, and getting started on decorating the nursery! I chosen to do a lavender accent wall. I love the color lavender for our girl.  

Exercise: Like I said, I haven't been running. Even with the belt, the round ligament pain is terrible if I run. So I've been sticking to the elliptical and swimming. I have found that lifting weights is fun again! I was so tired in my first trimester that I didn't have the energy to lift, but now it feels good! I do plank variations every day, pelvic tilts, and Kegels every day as well. Doing those helps back and hip pain disappear! 

Luckily I didn't have to drink the glucose drink that everyone says is disgusting. My doctor just had me do a fasting blood draw. I liked it, the fasting was harder than I thought but it was over quickly. 

Here I have to do write a special shout out to my husband. When we first got married I told him my hope for a baby girl, he gently explained that girls are rare on the Oram side. I gave up all hope and looked forward to having all boys, Although, every time we talked about kids I would say "A good a guy as you, there is no way you'll get away without a daughter". I was joking of course, but today in church someone gave a wonderful talk on Fathers and daughters and I realized that remembered telling him that. I cried through the entire talk, I know Bryan will be such a good father to our daughter. I love that he will be the example for the type of man our daughter should look for. He is kind, patient, understanding, and loving. He honors his priesthood and loves me unconditionally. I am so thankful that I can be with him forever and eternity. 

    

25 Weeks- Focus on Food

Hello, 25 weeks!

How far along? 25 Weeks
Total Weight Gain: 10 lbs!
Maternity Clothes? I have been wearing a mixture. I was brave this week and wore some workout tops that I haven't worn since I started feeling fat. My belly is getting round so now people know I'm pregnant. I can still fit into some of my pants, although I have a feeling I'm going to have to start using the hair tie trick in the next few weeks.
Stretch Marks? Nope
Sleep: Better! My OB put me on a Z-pack on Thursday because I have a sinus infection. Since I've been on the Z-pack I've been able to breath a little better at night and I am sleeping through the night! (minus the trips to the bathroom!)
Best Moment this Week: Bryan took apart the crib, and put it back together again in the baby's room!!! Such an awesome moment, we both looked at each other and realized that this is actually happening! It was so fun to see Bryan get so excited!

Miss Anything? Starting this week I will probably start to miss sugar! I've decided to cut out a little more sugar (I don't eat a lot to start with). Just be a little more aware of how much sugar is in certain foods. (For example the syrup I drenched my pancakes in this morning! I looked at the nutrition label after and nearly had a heart attack!)
Movement: She always moves at least a little each day. I think that she has been a little less active this week. (I suspect the medication)
Food Cravings: Nothing in particular. Although we had pasta the other night and I think I ate the entire box.... note to self: don't make a whole box of pasta! (Good thing it was whole wheat!)
Anything Making you Queasy or Sick? Nope.
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: I've been trying to figure out what BH feel like. But I don't think I've had any yet.
Symptoms: My linea alba has been a little painful. I reallllly hope I'm not ripping!
Belly Button in or out? Still half way in and half way out!
Wedding Rings off or on? On
Happy or Moody Most of the Time? Mostly happy. I have noticed a few times I've snapped back at Bryan for no reason (What is with that?!), but most of the time I'm normal (but maybe you'll have to ask Bryan about that!).
Looking Forward to: Finishing my registry!!! My good friend helped me start the daunting task last night. I'm glad she pushed me to because I honestly don't know if I ever would have started! There are so many brands, types, and just things in general you don't think about! If you have any suggestions I would GLADLY take them! I tend to get lost in all the craziness! (It reminds me of the scene in 'What to Expect When you're Expecting' the movie. She is wondering around the expo in a haze of baby stuff!)

Another good moment was when I discovered that Target sells cloth diapers!!! Not only do they have a good selection, the prices seem to be reasonable! I was so excited I registered for a ton!!!

Do any of you have suggestions about where to register? I was thinking BabiesRUs, or ByBy Baby, but if you have a suggestion let me know!

Thanks for all the messages last week! I'm feeling a little better about all the post-delivery healing.... I guess it's coming weather I like it or not! haha

One of my best friends gave us this cute little outfit! It's the first one we've gotten (understandably), but just putting it in her room is so exciting! I'm excited for my strawberry bum to come!

I've decided that since I have 16 weeks left I should really start to make every calorie count. I am eating more often and if I am going to make it to 40 weeks and gain 20lbs all together I want to make sure each thing I eat has a high nutrient value. I've decided to focus on veggies and protein for the next few months. Tonight, it's grilled chicken with a green salad! Yum!

24 Weeks and Girl Talk

Wow, 24 weeks already?! I'm excited to be getting closer to meeting my baby girl!



Summer is here and I am loving the heat and swimming for exercise! I've given running a break this week, I bought ear plugs and goggles for swimming. I've been working up to swimming for 30 mins straight (that's how long I usually run) but swimming is really hard!! I bought silicone ear plugs and I love them.

She has been very active these past few days and I LOVE it, feeling her little kicks and movements is so comforting. I'm really excited to make it to June! This is the last month before my third trimester, if I can make it through these June allergies then maybe I will sleep in July (haha).

With the arrival of summer also comes the arrival of BBQs and ice cream cones, so I've decided to refocus on food. I haven't been eating terribly, but I want to get back to focusing on the pregnancy diet guidelines that the Bradley Method gave me. I just need to not be lazy and make myself a salad! I want my baby girl to be built of all the right stuff... and I don't want to pack on unneeded pounds! I haven't weighed in this week, I'm scared to! I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow and they will weigh me in. My goal is 20-25 lbs total, so If I only have around 9 pounds left then I may not hit that goal.... :( 

GIRL TALK: 

Ok ladies, we need to talk about 2 things that have been on my mind lately. 

#1: I've been reading up about all the fun post-delivery stuff! I couldn't sleep last night (these allergies are KILLING me! I cannot breath), so I decided to read 'What to Expect When You're Expecting'. I read everything about week 24 and 25 (I don't like to read to far ahead), so I decided to read the chapter about post-delivery. I want to be prepared for things not going as planned (if you know me I don't deal very well when my plan doesn't play out), I am particularly keen on preparing so I can combat any PPD that may come my way. I have struggled with depression for a while now, (it's thankfully under control now) but I don't want to slip up when I'm exhausted with a new born.
Anyways, I'm reading all these sub headings such as Soreness, Bleeding, Mood Swings, Bruises, Issues Eliminating, Engorgement and breast changes, Trouble Connecting to your Baby.....

Um, excuse me?? Why does no one talk about this stuff?! This makes pregnancy look like a piece of cake! No wonder we have to go 40 weeks and get so uncomfortable that we would do anything to get the baby out, because (not even talking about labor and delivery) this makes me second guess pushing this baby out (not that I have a choice at this point).

#2: Some of you may have seen a link I shared on FB recently (http://mentalhealthforparents.com/do-not-drink-anything-while-reading/) Highly entertaining read, especially if you've ever experienced DIY waxing kits..... I have, but we will save that scaring story for another time.
Waxing. Yep, we are going there. I've been reading about all these women who wax their... AREA during pregnancy and right before delivery. They are SO happy they did it and apparently it's just nice when you are trying to heal after delivery.
So question: Did YOU wax while pregnant? Is it really painful (should I even ask this?)? Were you glad you did?

I'm thinking about it, I just don't know what to do after my belly grows to big to (ha hem) shave down there.