My Tiger Stripes

Pregnancy is a journey that not only changes your life forever, but your body as well. Like most women I was not looking forward to that part with Bree. I saw the models on TV with their perfect figures back in only a few weeks, no stretch marks and looking very put together. I also had women tell me that image was unrealistic, that you have large stretch marks, saggy boobs, and you never look put together until your children leave for college! Both are exaggerations and not entirely true- some of these things on both sides may happen, but either way have grace for yourself.

 Housing a human being for almost a year is hard work, and your body will change! My theory is that God allows this so that we can get our focus off of ourselves, and look to him more. The world doesn't revolve around my hair, my stretch marks, or my abs. While I firmly believe that we need to treat our bodies with great respect--- it is humbling to be imprinted with imperfections. So, I embrace my stretch marks, or as Nate and I lovingly call them my Tiger stripes. They are a badge of honor of the hard work that my body went through, a sign that I gave in a way that I have never done before.

However, there are lots of things that one can do to ease pregnancy complaints, and start enjoying this new chapter. Here are some of the things that I did and helped a great deal!

1. Exercise, Exercise, Exercise

6 months pregnant on the top of cathedral rock in Sedona!

I hated getting going, but I always loved the way I felt afterwards. I loved walking, lifting light weights, and yoga! These were my life savers! Any time I started to feel that achy uncomfortable pregnancy feeling, I would get up and get stretching. A little yoga, a walk or some weights, and before long I felt great! There are too many wonderful benefits to mention here, I will definitely be doing a post on this in the future!



2. Hydrate
It is suggested that a woman in her first trimester drink 2 liters of water a day, in her second 3 liters a day and in her third trimester 4 liters a day! I did well drinking the first and second trimesters, but 4 liters a day... was a lot! The point, isn't necessarily to keep a rigid count, but any time that you feel tired, sluggish, hungry or anything really--- start with 16oz of water!!! It makes all the difference, and helps with the pregnancy weight gain as well. Water has proven to reduce pregnancy swelling, a common problem in the third trimester. So, if you have some swelling, drink up!!

3. Eat for Two
Food is so critical when you are pregnant! I often joked before pregnancy that I couldn't wait to wear maternity jeans and eat for two, but I quickly learned the importance of smart eating. Pregnancy is a time to treasure yourself and take the best care of your body that you can. That means, eating good fats for you and all of those baby brains that you're making, eat all the protein that you can and lots of fruits and veggies. Meal plans helped me make smarter choices so that I wasn't always running to the freezer for ice cream. Oh and don't forget to have treats every now and then, just don't go overboard.

4. Vitamin B6
I had morning sickness all the way until my water broke, and it was not fun. This was an area that I could have done a lot more about, and would hate to see someone make the same mistakes that I did. So, start with vitamin B6 first thing in the morning with some crackers, this helped me some, but not entirely. But it may be just the ticket for you. Other solutions I have heard of are peppermint and eucalyptus essential oil blend, ginger, and fennel seed.

5. Bed Time Routine
The hardest time of the day for me, was always bed time. I either couldn't fall asleep, or stay asleep. I would try and find the most comfortable position, but in a few minutes time I would be uncomfortable again. My bedtime routine helped save me on this one. I began using my birthing ball every night for about 15 minutes doing different yoga stretches. I would have my essential oils diffusing, soft music, and light stretches... always did the trick.  I would put on my homemade stretch mark oil and set up my pillows and sleep a lot better! Read about my experience with stretch marks and the natural oil that I used. Natural Stretch Mark Oil





Well, good luck to you mamas, and if you have any questions, or want to share your own natural pregnancy tricks leave a comment!