When did you start popping?
I thought my belly was so pronounced at 20 weeks but now looking back it looks so small. The picture above was a couple of months ago and compared to now, my belly wasn’t big at all. In the last month or so I would say my belly has grown a ton. And in a couple of pictures I posted last week a lot of you said it looked like he’s dropped!
What are your biggest pregnancy cravings?
Fruit, smoothies, and iced tea lemonades. Chris’s pregnancy craving is Häagen-Dazs ice cream hahaha.
Have you had any food aversions?
I have not been loving seafood and normally I am a big Thai food lover but it’s sounded so gross so I haven’t had it once during pregnancy.
Do you have stretch marks? What products do you use to prevent stretch marks?
So far I haven’t seen any on my belly but I feel like I will know for sure post-baby once my stomach isn’t so stretched? I already had stretch marks on my butt that I’ve had since I was a teen so pregnancy might add to that, I’m not sure. And I have been using the Summer Fridays Belly Balm throughout the entire pregnancy.
What’s the baby’s name?
So many people asked about the name and I can’t wait to share! We will announce once he’s born 🙂
Books you read to prepare?
I tried to read several from all different points of view. Some of my favorites were Expecting Better, Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy, and The Mindful Mom-to-Be.
What has your workout schedule been?
We try to take the dogs on long walks 4-5 days a week but if I’m being honest doing any other type of workout has not sounded fun or appealing so I haven’t done it! I think it’s important to do what feels right for you with this – but I haven’t felt the pressure to “stay fit” while pregnant.
Favorite pregnancy buys?
Almost everything I’ve purchased is for post-pregnancy but my favorite pregnancy buys were stretchy dresses and compression socks. Especially entering the third trimester, the socks help achy feet and legs so much!
When is your due date?
June 10th! I know so many people who have delivered early/late… When do y’all think he will come?!
Who do you think he will look like?
Chris thinks he already looks like my dad so he’s guessing he will look like me. I think he’ll be a mix of both of us.
What are your fears? Are you nervous about delivering?
To be honest I am scared of delivery. I think because I’ve obviously never done it before and there are so many ways it could go, you just don’t know. I’m also terrified of the epidural… I know everyone says it’s a Godsend but it sounds so painful. I asked Chris to answer the fears part of this one too and he said he isn’t really fearful but as a husband his main prayer is for a healthy baby and for it to be as painless as possible for me.
What are you planning to wear to the hospital?
I haven’t really thought about this but I just want to be comfy! I will let y’all know what I end up in.
Why did you take your post down about your feelings about being pregnant on IG?
If you missed the story I was just sharing about how hard it can be to have people send you negative messages about decisions you do/don’t make, how you look, or making assumptions that aren’t true. I have a hard time being vulnerable with my close friends, let alone with the entire world, so I have an internal struggle of wanting to put myself out there but also knowing that doing so opens me up to more criticism. I also never want a post like that to come across as me feeling bad for myself or feeling like a victim because that is not the case. I know there are people dealing with way worse struggles so sometimes I feel guilty for feeling down. I go back and forth on this because I want to share as much as possible with you guys and 99% of you are the kindest, most supportive people who I LOVE sharing with… but sometimes the 1% can really get to you and I think the story I shared was just to remind people to be kind and remember that we are all human ❤️
Will you be doing a full nursery reveal?
Yes, very soon! Just waiting on all of the photos but I’m so excited with the way it turned out and feel so much better/more prepared having it completed.
What are you packing in your hospital bag?
This is another one that I am not totally sure of yet. I am going to work on packing the bag this week and after birth I will do a blog post with everything I packed, what I wished I had packed, etc!
I hope this is helpful for y’all! If you have more questions you can comment or DM me and I will do a part 2 post to answer them. Thank you all for the sweet messages you guys have sent me about Baby Lane lately. They don’t go unnoticed and I’m so grateful for each of you!
Don’t be scared to ask for epidural once you are in labor if you want it. The contractions are worse and cover any pain from getting the epidural itself if there is any pain from it. Neither time I got an epidural was there any pain. All I felt was the contractions. You got this mama! Congratulations on your growing family.
I was also afraid of the epidural. I went into labour at 33 weeks with twins and I was shaking, both because I was in shock, but also because I was afraid of the epidural. The nurse told me to look into her eyes. I asked her how they would do it when I was shaking. She told me to lay down. I asked how they will you do it if I am laying down. She said, it is done! Did not feel a thing and thought about it for 8 months!
Omg babe don’t be scared of the epidural. Took it twice you just feel a pinch. It’s God sent literally was watching YouTube videos the entire time until they said it was time to push. I was joking with my mom and husband and just having a good time. Thanks to the epidural I had two amazing labors that were pain free.
I was also so freaked out by the epidural. So much so that by the time I asked for it, I could not be still. After them trying for about 40 minutes, the baby was coming out & I had her naturally. The “best” thing about it was that I got to be up immediately. I showered & called my Mom & told her she has a granddaughter as of about 2 hours ago!
One item you might want to pack in your hospital bag is a few suckers—I know it sounds weird but here’s why. When you are in labor and want something to quench your thirst, very few Dr.s will all you to drink or have ice cubes. So if you have a sucker, it stirs up your saliva glands. This was a godsend for me during a long labor.
Hi! First off, congratulations! ❤️ Being a mom is THE best! I just had a baby in November! I saw you’re scared of the epidural and I was too! But honestly, it’s not bad at all so don’t worry too much about that! Praying for a quick easy delivery for you and baby!
I read your comment about being scared of delivery, I had my daughter at the age of 20 and I think most or all upcoming mommies are scared too. I was as well. My daughter was actually born right on her due date, also I got the epidural after 6 hours of being in pain. You know just pray that God will be there with you through it all, you will do great!
Hi Lauren! I have an 8 week old baby girl and wanted to reassure you that the epidural does not hurt what so ever! I was glad to get it with how contractions felt and it was literally just a pressure sensation. Xox Julie
My biggest tip for the hospital bag is to pack a sound machine. And possibly a night light. It was so helpful and I got more sleep in that way. I also learned that the lifting was either too much or not enough during the night, and a night light came in handy for me.
As far as for the epidural- I’d recommend to not take it too late during labor if you’re feeling a little scared about it. It’s hard to sit still with strong contractions and I think it would be easier for you to get in to the zone during more manageable contractions. As a first timer I think that might be a good way to go about it anyway if you’re ok with the epidural. The actual epidural doesn’t really hurt at all. They numb you at the injection area. You’ll do great!!! It’s the best and coolest experience you’ll ever go through!! Roll with the punches 😘
I’m sure you get this all the time but you are so gorgeous pregnant! Isn’t it an insane experience growing a baby that you will then deliver and nurture and care for the rest of your life?! Congratulations! I am 4 months postpartum, and it truly is the biggest joy I have ever found. And it keeps getting better. Excited to watch you become a mama, you will always be one of my FAVORITE women that came from The Bachelor world.
You will welcome the epidural and probably won’t feel it, you will just want the relief! After that you can relax until push time!
Totally natural to be nervous and scared about the epidural and labor. My first I was so scared and didn’t do an epidural and was in so much pain. My other two I got an epidural and it was amazing and made labor easier. Didn’t even feel it going in. My first I went into labor on my due date.