We are closing in on 27 weeks pregnant over here and I am officially freaking out over how fast this pregnancy is going by!

27 week bump update
A couple days shy of 27 weeks!

I was going to wait until after Thanksgiving to share this update but I have been feeling so incredibly thankful to be experiencing this pregnancy. With the holiday tomorrow, it seemed fitting 🙂

Next week I will be in the third trimester, which is so exciting but also means sh*t is getting real, real quick. The first 10-12 weeks drag since you can’t tell anyone and you also don’t really look pregnant (at least I didn’t). Then after about week 18 or so time really started to fly by and pick up the pace. I believe you truly need these 9 or so months to get yourself together and prepare but also embrace the last moments of it just being you and your significant other and to bed honest you and YOU. I keep calling it “the last days of selfish-ness”. And by selfish I really just mean being able to go to workout a few days a week, meet friends for lunch or dinner and not have any commitments or responsibilities other than work for the most part.

You likely saw on Instagram but we took our mini “baby moon” around week 23. We started off in Palm Springs with Garden of Life for some fun work events then drove out to Ojai (more on that here) and stayed there and in LA for a few days. When we first started talking about a trip before the baby, I said Australia. Jord basically looked at me like I was crazy because of how far that is and I’m happy I listened to him because traveling wasn’t as easy for me as I hoped (more on that below). It was so nice to get away just the two of us in one of my favorite places ever. We got to eat tons of good food, relax a little bit and escape the construction for our bathroom renovations that was driving me insane. 9 weeks later though and the bathrooms are DONEZO.

Now we are starting to put the nursery together since the crib and big pieces of furniture came. There is a changing table, stroller and we are such news for it all. We are still trying to figure out the exact look for decor that we are going for. I love all the neutral things and nothing too gender-heavy. Likely going with the some look and feel as our apartment with some added flares for the babe. Plus I want to be able to reuse these things for the next couple of babies coming down the road! We are hoping to have the nursery done by the end of this year (I will believe that when I see it) and then I will do a full reveal once the baby is born and is actually living in there. As soon as we took the the rocking chair out of the box, I sat in it for hours one morning just staring at everything. What used to be a room of random ISH is now going to be the room for our babe – it is so crazy to even see the floor in there, ha! Every time I walk by the room I pinch myself that soon our baby will be sleeping in there.

I’m officially seeing the doctor every 3 weeks and soon every 2 weeks now that the third trimester is around the corner. I remember when they said “see ya in 4 weeks” for the first 25 weeks. Now the trips are becoming more frequent and the baby is growing like crazy. He is around 2 lbs or so they think (too early to measure but that is the average size) and about 14-15 inches long. When I saw he past 12 inches and was bigger than a foot long sub, I couldn’t believe he was in my belly!

Around 25 weeks I did have a little fright where I was spotting one morning through the afternoon. It was light red and so subtle but it was there (TMI but you know me…). My doctor said to come in immediately to get everything checked out and thankfully all was okay. Still not sure what it was – maybe irritation from a bikini wax? But as long as the little bub is OK, that is all that matters!

The past few weeks, the pooping issue has been at bay. I am pretty sure I nailed down what I have to do to stay regular (more on pooping while pregnant here).

Now let’s get to more of the juicy updates for you..

27 week bump update
24 weeks in LA!
27 week bump update
Baby moon in Ojai

Here are a few of my main updates 27 weeks in:

  • Backaches – I messaged Jord the other day saying I couldn’t believe how bad my back was hurting and he goes “maybe you pulled it in barre class”. I was like dude I’m pregnant, backaches are huge from what I hear this point on. I’m still on the heating pad daily whenever I sit down. Probably sit with it a bit too much but it really relieves the tension from my back and helps loosen things up a bit. I also am trying to get massages every 3-4 weeks to loosen things up. I use this service for a prenatal (get $20 off with code RACHL and this link). At first it was my lower back and now its more the middle of my back too. I definitely take it easier in any workouts I do and also try to avoid lifting anything heavy like packages, groceries, etc. I keep this backpack around so it is small and helps me avoid carrying a lot.
  • Difficulty flying – So around 23 weeks we flew to California, which is 6 hours from here. I am usually a great flyer, never have had an issues ever but I had the worst shooting pains in my back, tush and legs. Didn’t get nauseous at all or anxious, but I just was the most physically uncomfortable in my life. It happened both going there and coming home. I had my compression socks on though to help with any issues there and also walked around as much as I could but nothing helped. We sadly canceled our next trip to Austin but I still plan to go to Florida over the holidays. Hopefully since it is a quick flight, all will be okay!
  • Indigestion – Never in my life have I had this before. I drank a kombucha (yes, I still drink this – my doctor said it is okay! please consult yours though) and it was a seasonal flavor with lots of spices almost like an apple cider. A few minutes later I felt like my chest was on fire. Not sure why it is called heart burn, it’s more like chest burn. It took about a day to go away but (knock on wood) haven’t had it since. I didn’t take anything for it, just drank lots of water!
  • Excessive thirst– You’d think I am in a desert with the amount of dry mouth I get. I am thirsty all day, all night and no amount of water seems to satisfy me. I carry a water bottle (I love this one) with me everywhere and stick with room temperature water or hot lemon water. I’m not much of a cooler water drinker (especially in the winter). I also think the more I drink, the more it helps me keep my digestion in shape (as you read about here).
  • Energy starting to dip – The energy is on the decline friends. Very similar to first trimester so far where I’m exhausted in the afternoons. I don’t have much stamina at workout classes either, so I just take it easy when I am there and lay down like a dead whale whenever I feel like it. I try to do laptop work from the couch as much as I can. I also have to say I am proud of myself to not be so stubborn and keep on going. When I am tired, I park my tush down and I relax. Even if that means putting my laptop on a pillow on my lap and doing work that way. It still gets done, but the kitchen hours and cleaning dishes sadly require me to stand up 😉
  • Trouble sleeping – According to my wise mother, she said it’s my body preparing for many sleepless nights ahead, HA. I do sleep decently but for me, it’s not as deep of a sleep and it takes me much longer to actually fall asleep at night. We don’t use phones in bed, no TV in bedroom and I try to get into bed before 11pm and up around 7:30am on my own (weekends and weekdays). Unless I have to get up for something, I’m in bed until 7:30! I also think that because I can only sleep on my side, that makes it a bit challenging. I’m a back sleeper so it’s been an adjustment switching from side to side. I still use a body pillow in between my legs too to help me stay in place.
  • Swollen ankles – This started to happen around week 25. I got home from working at a coffee shop all day on my manuscript and looked down and my ankles were the size of BALLOONS! It was crazy. Usually when I am sitting at a table or desk it happens if it is longer than a few hours. I try to elevate my feet as much as possible to avoid this but at the same time, it is common during pregnancy too.
  • Bump is BUMPIN’ – I woke up at 23 weeks in Palm Springs with a bump that was ready to come out and make his debut. I thought I was bumpin’ a bit before hand but at 23 weeks that is when my jeans stopped fitting and people could actually notice I was pregnant. The bump is the coolest thing ever and by far my favorite part of being pregnant. I love seeing how much my body is changing and having the bump in front of my all day just makes me feel so much closer to our baby. I’m definitely one of those annoying women who put their hands on their stomach all day and rub it but just want to give the little bub TLC! I also still apply oil and body butter like a mad woman. I heard that stretch marks start to really appear around this time so I do this every single day! I love this body oil and butter so much. It’s a mild smell and also just feels good to apply. I also add it to my boobs and tush and inner thighs. The more the better..
  • Kicks + flutters – Around 22 weeks I started getting more kicks and flutters. I didn’t know what they were going to feel like but to be honest, they feel like digestion in my opinion. Like my stomach growling or digesting something I just ate. I feel him most of the time in early evening and at night, when I am laying down. The more still and calm I am, the more active he is. The funniest is when he is on just one side so my right side will look like a mountain and the left looks like a valley. It is crazy!
  • Increased hunger – Food around the clock over here. Every two hours or so I am snacking or eating something. I have been trying to incorporate a lot of the top allergens too like gluten and dairy (hello pizza), nuts, etc. What I love the most is how I’m not stressing over food or the amount I am eating. I know the baby needs and I need it. I’m growing a human in there! There isn’t much I cut out from my lifestyle before besides the obvious of raw and undercooked meats. I still use collagen and manuka honey (which many of you have been asking!).

A few of my favorite must-have’s during pregnancy and things I have stocked up on for when the babe arrives:

More updates, info + fun things:

  • Due date: February 22nd
  • Size of baby: Around 2 lbs
  • Name picked out? Yup! But not sharing with everyone until he’s born 🙂
  • Sleep: sleeping 7-8 hours a night! Peeing 2x each night but not sleeping as well as usual.
  • Missing anything? Not really. Just embracing every part of this! The good and the challenging
  • Exercise: going for a walk each morning and working out about 3x a week at The Class by TT and barre3 (just modifying for me)
  • Food cravings: Nothing new. Just increase in quantities and snacks. Been snacking on grass-fed meat sticks (code RACHL for 15% off), these snack bites,  dark chocolate, crackers and always these Perfect Bars!
  • Feeling sick? Only when standing on the path train or subway with no seat. No morning sickness at all, so lucky!
  • Belly button: Still in but it is starting to “wink” haha!
  • Feelings on bump: LOVING every single moment of having one. It is such an awesome experience and I am so grateful to be carrying our baby. Especially after the journey to get here. I have to say my mood is usually very positive and no increased level of anxiousness (only about work stuff!)

Thanks for reading guys! I promise to do more of these now as I love hearing how much you guys like reading them.

xx, Rach