Pregnancy... On... Fleek

I was born to make babies. I have always loved children and have been actively involved in my nieces and nephews growing up, and currently I help run the children’s ministries at my church. So naturally I feel ultra prepped for having babies/children of my own. 

I have been married to the love of my life for 4 years and he did not feel as ready as I was for babies. But that magical day came, on a warm day in August, my husband said he was ready. I knew I was ovulating, based on the signs that I had learned from “Taking Charge of Your Fertility” I had read the book years ago to prevent pregnancy naturally which worked for me. (Side Note I wish this book was required reading for all women)

That day my husband and I had a glorious, magical, steamy session! It was fantastic! I woke up the next morning and I am not sure if it was the Lord or my sub-conscience but I heard the small voice tell me that I am with child. And sure enough 2 weeks later that little pregnancy test from the dollar store confirmed what I had heard that day. 

Now I am happily 8 months pregnant with just 8 more weeks to go. And just like with so many things in life there really is no way of knowing what pregnancy would be like until you yourself are pregnant. I had heard about all the pain at the end while birthing your baby. But I had not heard about all the aches, pains and annoyances along the way to that special day when I get to meet my little guy. 

It started in the first trimester: 

My boobs! Growing so big (awesome! it’s like a free boob job), but then they hurt so much. Even if my husband would just look at them I would wince at the thought of the pain if he were to actually touch them.

Exhaustion, many days I would get home from work so exhausted! It felt as though I could not sleep enough. 

Mood swings, I could go from happy to depressed on a moments notice. So I decided to stay home and binge watch Netflix rather than socialize and make a fool out of myself.

Cravings, I normally abstain from carbs but now carbs were are all I wanted. Chips and noodles all day, every day. 

Pain, sex was painful the whole first trimester. My hips getting wider hurt. My back hurts. Sleeping on my side is uncomfortable. Bending down is hard. Standing too much hurts my feet. 

Many of these symptoms were only temporary, some have left for good while others have made come backs. 

What helps me feeling my best are the typical things, like eating right and exercising (I love running). And then there are other things: 

Tummy butter which I owe my lack of stretch marks to and refusing to itch helps too. (I wish I had known about the effects of stretch mark prevention creams during my growth spurts in high school!)

Belly support band helps support my back during my workouts and short runs. 

Icon undies help me stay dry and comfortable all day. My birth canal just seems to get more moist everyday as I inch toward delivery, and then there is the fear of peeing my pants from my sweet baby playing with my bladder. I haven’t had an accident like that yet but wearing my icon undies is like having an insurance policy, I am insured that if I do have an accident that only I will know.

It’s the little things in life like not feeling itchy, having less back pain and being dry down there that is helping me get through this season of being awkwardly big and uncomfortable.

I also like to speak positively to my discomforts: 

Thank you leaking boobs, for you will make incredible food for my baby boy. Thank you aching hips for getting wide enough to birth this big baby boy. Thank you discharge for getting amped up to help my baby slip out. And thank you son for kicking and punching to tell me that you are alive and doing well. Mommy loves you so much already.

I Gave Birth...And Now My Body Shows It

I... Gave... Birth... These words, grouped in that sequential order, still amaze me. In prepping for this week's post, I grew very excited about photographing my postpartum body. For the most part, I've always considered myself to be a body positive individual. Being one of the countless women who stare in the mirror, agonizing over imperfections, has never really been my thing. Perhaps this is due to me always being in a hurry to get dressed or undressed, thus not really having the time to glance in the mirror, let alone, obsess over what others may deem as flaws. As a young girl growing up, I never heard my mother bashing her own body. That woman proudly embraced every stretch mark and dimpled butt cheek. My mother not only thought that she was beautiful... but that she was FINE!  Her favorite song was "Brick House" (although technically she didn't meet the true definition of a "Brick House"... still, this was reality in HER head)  So naturally, I was all about the mantra of "accepting your body as is..." That was until I saw MY postpartum body photographed. 

To be perfectly honest (and not to be overly cocky), prior to seeing my post-babe bod, I honestly thought that MY body was bangin. Don't read me wrong, I never thought my body was Naomi Campbell worship status, but I honestly thought it was somewhere between Naomi Campbell & being hot enough that somebody thought it dope to procreate with... The truth is, after much studying of this postpartum photo, I didn't recognize my body. My tummy,  softer and laced with marks reminded me that I had, two times before, housed a small human. My boobs... saggy... don't even get me started on my booty. I mean, I've always been a part of the little booty committee. However, I couldn't believe how my booty now resembled a popular breakfast dish... the pancake.  I... Gave... Birth... and now my body showed it..

After giving birth, I remember the first feelings of going to the restroom. Peeing resembled something of a double dutch match. Releasing a stream of urine initiated a timidness that can only be compared to feelings of a first date. Like many mothers, I have had to reacquaint myself with not only my body, but my bladder. The last minute rush of finding a public restroom while out and about, all while doing the low key, grown woman pee pee dance is one of the worst feelings in the world! In doing so, I run the risk of the slightest sneeze being the trigger to a full on accident. 

Postpartum Urinary Incontinence is an issue that women seldomly discuss. One in three women suffer from urinary incontinence, and it usually takes several years on average for most women to even seek help… all the reason why I was so excited to spread the word about the brand, THINX and their newest line of feminine products, ICON. Imagine if you were able to ditch your panty liners, and most importantly, you could ditch the worry of those minor accidents!! ICON, similar to their predecessor THINX, offers beautiful underwear with built in technology designed to hold any leaks, preventing grown woman accidents. ICON panties are available in two beautiful styles: High Waisted & Bikini. I chose to take the High Waisted design out for a test drive. After trying these beauties on for the day, I must say… I was pretty impressed. I stayed dry all day… no leaks or mishaps. To really test them out and see how well they would hold up, I decided to jump on a trampoline while wearing my ICON Undies.  Once Again… no accidents or leaks. All clear! As an added bonus, they are super comfortable and soft. I actually almost forgot that I was wearing underwear.

Pictured wearing ICON undies. https://www.iconundies.com

In addition to being in awe of these well made undies, I was equally impressed with their philanthropic work. The creators of THINX/ ICON are heavily involved with the Fistula Foundation. What is Fistual (Obstetric Fistula)? An obstetric fistula is a hole between the vagina and rectum or bladder that is caused by prolonged obstructed labor, leaving a woman incontinent of urine or feces or both. Research shows that there are 1 million women living with Fistula.

"At the heart of our mission as a company is a focus on eliminating the shame and anxiety that women feel when they are held back by their bodies. We support that mission twofold: through our products in the first world, and by improving the lives of girls and women in developing countries through our giveback."--Kejal McDonald (VP of Marketing)

Calculated in every pair of ICON underwear sold, contributions are made toward the surgery and treatment (including antibiotics, transportation, recovery and education) for women living with Fistula. "The best part of the Fistula Foundation's work, is that once women have had this life-changing surgery, they also have access to education and midwife/ nurse training to assist other women." --KM

Here's how it all breaks down:

•    One pair of Icon underwear can provide a single course of injectable antibiotic to give to a woman prior to surgery to prevent infection.

•    Two pairs of Icon underwear can provide rehabilitation training materials for a woman after her surgery.

•    40 pairs of Icon underwear can fund transportation to the fistula surgery for one woman.

•    300 pairs of Icon underwear can fund a life-changing surgery to repair one woman's obstetric fistula.

An amazing pair of undies that you can feel confident in, all while assisting in the rebuilding of our fellow women’s confidence across the globe… I'm totally down for that!

Yes, my body has changed. My boobs may point a bit more south than I’d like. My butt may not be as firm as desired. My belly may not be as chiseled as in years past (perhaps that was just in my head). While my body may lack society’s standards of perfection, THIS body is mine. It has housed and nourished (and is still nourishing) two baby boys. I thank God for my "fun" bladder, as it serves as a reminder that I pushed a baby out of my vagina LIKE A BOSS. I… Gave…Birth… and now my body shows it. For this I am forever grateful.