Congratulations! You've just seen a little pink line (even if it's faint, it DOES count :) ) and ready or not, here you come to parenthood! Here's the deal: you are about to embark on a crazy next couple of months. But don't panic; you're going to make it through with flying colors.
1) Use Pinterest wisely. When you start to feel the pressure creep to have some extravagant (out of your budget) nursery, or start some impossible take-this-same-picture-every-year-till-they-graduate collage that you know you're never going to finish, stop. Take a breath. And close your computer. Our mothers raised us wonderfully without all those ideas. And when they shift from ideas that inspire you to insecurity creators/ comparative judgement, that's when it's time to step back and take a break.
2) Eat what you can, but do it healthfully. You really are going to feel better if you eat often. Shoot for every 2 hours having something of substance. Think hard. Even when you're queasy, usually some sort of protein sounds manageable. Maybe it's an apple and peanut butter, cucumber and cheese, almonds, chicken noodle soup, etc. Find what works for you and don't give up trying. And when all else fails, crackers and ginger ale make the world a better place.
3) Preggy Pops. Buy them from Amazon by the truck load. Seriously.
4) Move as much as you can. I couldn't do my normal workout routine without getting queasy and lightheaded, but when I was outside for a walk, I felt the best I had all day. Again, find something that works for you and just do it.
5) Give yourself GRACE. Some days it's all you can do to sit on the couch, watching Netflix and eating a cheese stick every couple hours. Don't beat yourself up. Your body is doing some seriously hard work creating a person.
6) Buy some flowy tops. Bodies look bloated before they look pregnant, and when you've had your baby in 8 months, you'll be glad you have a few cute flowing options to flatter your figure again. Again, give yourself grace here. You can control your healthy choices, but your body need to grow and gain some weight. This can be emotionally difficult some days and feel like no big deal on others. That is totally normal.
7) Be quick to ask for forgiveness and for help. Between hormone changes and feeling slightly sick all the time, I found myself snapping at Joseph, the one I love the most, the one who is my partner on this grand adventure. But can I tell you what a difference it made to stop myself as soon as I realized what I had said (or how I had said it) and say sorry? These husbands of ours are amazing men. Allow them to hear your heart and share in this exciting time. It's not a time to alienate them in the name of hormones :)
8) If you are waiting to share your exciting news until week 12 or 13, let yourself have a godly woman friend in on the secret. Having someone who has been there and can be a source of encouragement and prayer makes this weird season less isolating. If you aren't waiting to tell the world (I get it! We didn't wait the "appropriate" amount of time either :) ), just make sure those closest to you hear it from your mouth before they read it on Facebook. Trust me, it's way more joyful to get to share this news face to face or voice to voice.
9) Most importantly, spend time in God's word. You are about to embark on the best journey of your life. You are being entrusted to nourish a little person for the next 9 months before you love and parent them forever. What a wonderfully large responsibility!
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