2020 has been chock full of various challenges and joys alike. Talk about the biggest (and longest) emotional rollercoaster. If I had to sum up the year in one phrase, it’d have to be The Year of Pivot. A sudden, rapid change of direction and focus has come about in almost everything in my day-to-day life, and I think we’ve rolled with those punches as best we could. The amount of time I spent traveling suddenly turned into the amount of time I spent at home. Wedding planning turned into prenatal care. Scheduled flights transformed into scheduled house tours. When life gives you 2020 lemons, make lemonade…because it’s yummy, refreshing and well, nonalcoholic 😉

Alex and I are so excited to be parents next year! I think at any given time, pregnancy news is a lot to process in and of itself. We’ve also been awaiting the opening of Australian borders, uncertain wedding dates and a cross country move! What. A. TIME!

Pregnancy Q&A

When is your due date? How many weeks are you?

I’m due March 2nd, 2021! I’m 19 weeks which means in just one more week, I’ll be halfway there…CRAZINESS. Baby is the size of a mango right now (and if you saw the latest IG photo, I think the billowing dress was helping me out a little bit with bump size ha!)

Are y’all finding out the gender?

Yes! We actually already know the gender, and we’re so excited to announce it soon. Don’t worry, we will not be doing anything involving pyrotechnic devices of any kind. Smh.

Did you notice any signs that you might be pregnant?

Just as every woman does when she’s pregnant, I missed my period. I’m very in tune with my body, so I noticed the skip immediately. This was on a Friday, and I let another day pass before buying a pregnancy test that following Sunday.

How did you find out you were pregnant?

I went into the bathroom to take a bath and brought in the pregnancy test without mentioning anything to Alex. I took the test first, set it on the counter, and got in said bath while the test produced the sign that would change our lives forever: +. In the back of my mind, I knew what it would say, and I think I wanted a few more moments of calm (if you can call it that) inside mind and body before confirming what I already knew. I don’t know if that makes sense to anyone, but I’ll always remember that bath…full of nerves, excitement, anxiety…my mind reeling with the kinds of thoughts it does when you’re on the verge of a life changing moment.

How did you tell Alex?

Note that this is not a crazy, dramatic pregnancy reveal lol. I got out of the bathtub, I looked at the pregnancy test that told us we were pregnant, and I simply couldn’t hold it in any longer. I walked into the living room and blurted out, “Ummmm…we’re pregnant!” Alex sat there a bit stunned and just kept repeating, “Are we really?! Wow. Wow. Wow. This is so cool. Wow.” It was late on a Sunday evening, so we started getting ready for bed. As I was brushing my teeth, I could hear him taking really deep breaths from our bedroom. As I walked back in, he immediately ran out and vomited in the toilet. Talk about a physiological response to pregnancy news! And I thought I was supposed to be the sick one! We laugh about it all the time, and just so you know, he’s very excited to become a dad regardless of the response ha!

Was this a planned pregnancy?

First and foremost, my heart goes out to all couples reading this who are having a hard time conceiving. I know it can be a sensitive topic and that everyone’s journey is unique.

Alex and I weren’t necessarily trying to conceive or using any fertility methods (tracking body temp, using ovulation strips, etc), but we weren’t not trying either. We both knew we wanted to have kids one day soon, and we also both knew our wedding was on hold for the foreseeable future. We both agreed that whatever 2020 had in store for us was meant to happen. What will be will be.

How long were you off birth control before getting pregnant?

Four months.

With a BRCA mutation, how did you decide between conceiving naturally or PGT/IVF?

I don’t plan on getting deep into this topic simply because it’s such a personal decision, but there was a point in time when I considered freezing my eggs. I did a bit of research on PGT (preimplantation genetic testing which can help identify embryos that are most suitable for transfer during IVF to give the best chance of implantation and a successful pregnancy). We’re thankful to have gone the natural route, and while I’m eager to see if my baby carries the BRCA mutation, I also know I’ve been able to live a very full, happy life with the gene mutation myself.

Are you able to breastfeed after your double mastectomy?

No, I’m not. Because both of my breasts were removed during the surgery, it’s impossible for me to breastfeed. I hear formula fed babies sleep like champs, so I think we’ll be okay 🙂

How was your 1st trimester? Any symptoms?

Thankfully, my 1st trimester went very well. I didn’t experience any morning sickness, but the fatigue was REAL. Some days I’d push through due to work, but other days I couldn’t get off the couch. Oh, and the bloating…wow wow wow the bloating. And just when I thought my energy levels were back in action, I’m literally writing this post right now while feeling incredibly fatigued and eating a rice krispie treat!

Are you experiencing any food cravings or aversions?

Sugar and carbs, carbs and sugar! Let’s be honest, I think those cravings go for pregnancy and non-pregnancy, but my excitement levels for salads during the 1st trimester were LOW. Again, that may be said for both pregnancy and non-pregnancy lol. I craved Pinkberry frozen yogurt and donuts a lot. I couldn’t eat salmon during the first few months either, but like the flip of a switch, the magic of the 2nd trimester is a beautiful thing!

Are you still keeping to your same workout routine?

I wouldn’t say “same” workout routine. It’s definitely been altered with this growing baby! The 1st trimester was full of fatigue, but I’d still make time to move my body, even if it was a few mile’s walk in the neighborhood. I still keep up with my running, but it feels like I’m moving through quicksand most days. It’s TOUGH, but my doctor said I can keep up with all workouts I was doing pre-pregnancy including (modified) yoga, of course!

Will you be teaching any prenatal yoga classes? How will this affect LimitLes Movement?

Yes! I’m currently getting my prenatal certification which I’ll incorporate into an entire section on the LimitLes Movement platform! I’m so excited for that. As for regular classes, I’ll be incorporating demos with yogis like my sister as I continue to teach on the platform. She’ll move through the class on the mat while I instruct. This is actually the way I was taught during my yoga teacher training – to teach off my mat while walking around the room to give adjustments and assists, so I’m excited for the change for the time being!

Will you keep operating LimitLes trips?

Of course, and I can’t wait to take flight with LimitLes Travel again in 2021! We have two postponed trips to operate first, and I’m very blessed to have the best babysitters a couple could ask for here in Arkansas. Thank you, Mom and Dad!

Are you going to raise your kids in LA or will you move?

By now, you probably know we’ve moved from LA to Arkansas! It was a hard decision to make, but to be honest I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with LA. It’s never felt like home to me, and I can’t visualize raising a family there. For now, we want to be near family so Arkansas felt right…for now! I also know that many other couples are moving through similar decisions right now, so the advice I’ll leave to you: Nothing is permanent.

What prenatal vitamins are you taking?

During the first few weeks of pregnancy, I was taking this prenatal vitamin with choline and folate, however, they began to upset my stomach. While they tasted good(!), I felt like they were also full of sugar. I made the switch to these prenatals instead with DHA. My doctor signed off on them, and they work better for me.

Is Alex allowed to go to your doctor appointments?

He wasn’t allowed to go to my OBGYN appointments in LA unfortunately. I recorded lots of video from each visit to show him as soon as I got in the car! He has driven me to each appointment and waits in the car, the most supportive partner! We’ll see if my new OBGYN office in Arkansas allows partners inside.

Are you nervous that people will judge you since you aren’t married yet?

Not at all! I’m sure this will trigger some people, but the year reads 2020 and certain ideals are a bit outdated. My partner and I love each other and are engaged to be married. We actually intended to do so this week on 10/10/20, but the pandemic had other plans. To judge us because we don’t have a legal piece of paper signed? I just have to laugh at that.

Will your baby have dual citizenship? 

Yes, likely so! The baby will become a citizen of Australia by descent, so we’ll just need to send in an application once the baby arrives. The current processing times vary between 4 – 7 months.

Does having the baby postpone the wedding?

COVID postponed the wedding, but we like to think that having a baby is our way of taking back control from this virus.

Will you travel while pregnant?

Yes, I will, and that includes road trips (obviously!) and flights if the right trip presents itself. For example, we plan on a babymoon sometime in the near future. I only have a short window remaining to travel anyway and plan on taking every precaution available while doing it.

While we are on this topic…I love this community so much, and I also know that the travel/pregnancy/mom shaming is real. We do not want any negativity stealing our joy. Shame on those who shame others. Please refrain from doing so. Sending a BIG thank you to everyone for your love and support thus far! We feel it!

Do you plan to travel with baby?

Yes! I know it’ll bring certain challenges with it, but I’m SO excited to raise a little traveler. I firmly believe that travel provides the best education. If you meet the world with curiosity and love, it’ll meet you right back, instilling so much understanding, patience, empathy and other amazing qualities. I also feel as though I’ve lived a slightly selfish lifestyle for many years. It’s been largely just about me until I met Alex two years ago. Now, I am thrilled to be able to see this world through my child’s eyes and travel with a completely new perspective.

Will you be sharing pregnancy and baby stuff on the blog?

I will! It seems like there’s a lot of interest from y’all which is really important to me. Of course, once travel fully makes a rebound and baby is ready, we’ll take flight as as family and start back with our regularly scheduled travel content 🙂

What’s your favorite/least favorite thing about pregnancy?

Hmmm. I’d say my favorite thing about being pregnant is feeling the fluttering of kicks! Alex and I just felt the baby a couple of nights ago and it was the best moment! My least favorite thing about pregnancy is not having any control over my body. I think pregnancy is a beautiful thing, and it’s definitely a learning curve and lesson in progress to fully surrender to a growing belly, stretch marks and the like. I surrendered a lot of my control once the pandemic hit, but this is another thing entirely. It’s all in the name of creation, and I’m sooo here for it 🙂

Next up: 1st Trimester Must-Haves