Sofia, 26 weeks

"Deep down inside I was so ready to be a mother and was excited to see my husband as a loving father. I love kids, I love their innocence. Matt is truly the best thing in my life and I am still shocked that he decided to marry me! Waking up next to him every day is the most amazing feeling.

Although initially shocked at how fast we were able to conceive, I am finally getting into my pregnancy groove. I’ve been super energetic which can be attributed to my eating habits and Rainbow Light prenatal pills. I am a huge fan of clean eating. I consume a lot of protein, vegetables and fresh fruit. Prior to pregnancy, I stayed away from dairy, grains and legumes, but I’ve reintroduced those into my diet in order stay full and satiated. I’ve done my best to stay away from sugar and processed foods but definitely (carefully) indulge from time to time."

"The eating habits are not the only thing that changed, I also had to slightly modify my physical fitness routine. I was initially a 6-7 day a week fitness freak. I have a Classpass membership, a gym membership, and a studio membership at Core Society Fitness (focusing on LaGree Method). During my first trimester, I was super lethargic, often sick, and hardly ever hungry. I didn’t have the energy or the desire to work out after a day of work. After week 12, however, I was back on track."

"I continued to run and spin, but became especially obsessed with a high impact, low intensity workout called Lagree Method. The method emphasizes slow and controlled movements to reduce injuries and incorporates all the essential elements of physical fitness such as strength, endurance, core, cardio, balance, and flexibility which was everything I wanted in a nice neat little package. I still do a lot of what I used to, but I’m focused more on maintaining strength, and not trying to set any personal records. Also, on days when im tired, I just don’t do anything. I let my body rest more now than I used to."

"Lastly, my favorite discovery so far has been in the essential oil realm. I had to discontinue my non-pregnancy friendly skin routine. I was using was Retin-A which is proven unsafe while pregnant and breast feeding. I started to reach out to friends to ask about some natural, holistic solutions to skin care for the months to come. A friend of mine suggested essential oils from doterra. I purchased a few that she recommended and was extremely satisfied with the results. The few that I am obsessed with are the following: Frankincense for the face – I’ve been mixing it with my moisturizer and it helps make my skin glow. Lavender – this one has a dual purpose I use this one at night to help me fall asleep, and it’s been known (not proven) to work as a preventative measure against stretch marks. I mix it in with my Burt’s Bee’s Mama Bee Belly Butter and use after I shower"