Sure, you’re hot and sweaty. But don’t let being pregnant in summer get you down. Next time you’re struggling with your summer bump, stay cool, think of your mocktail as half full, and remember these reasons why a summer pregnancy is actually pretty great.

pregnant woman by a pool with kids playing in the pool-pregnant in summer

photo: iStock

1. You don’t need as many maternity clothes. Forget the bump-friendly jackets and hard pants. You’ll be rocking flowy dresses. Buy a stretchy bikini and you may not even need a maternity swimsuit.

2. All that delicious summer produce. Get your nutrients thanks to in-season fruits and veggies like sweet corn, watermelon, berries, zucchini, tomatoes and stone fruits. Most you don’t have to cook, so meals come together fast.

3. Exercise is easier to schedule. Longer days and comfortable temps mean you’ll be looking forward to taking a long walk at dusk or going for a swim.

4. Vitamin D, baby. This powerhouse vitamin is important both for you and the baby, and those long, sunny summer days help you get your daily dose.

woman in hammock smiling wearing a sunhat and sunglasses - pregnant in summe

photo: Jordan Bauer via Unsplash

5. It’s the season for dressing down. Forget trying to stuff your pregnant self into jeans or sweating in your sweaters. Summer is all about easy-to-wear maxi dresses, flowing linen tops, and comfortable cotton tanks and shorts.

6. You can fit in relaxation time more easily. Summertime is synonymous with vacation, so many workplaces slow down and the living is just more easy. Lay in a hammock, lounge by the pool, or take a babymoon with your sweetie.

7. You have an excuse to see all the summer blockbusters. When your body is working overtime, stepping into an air-conditioned theater is considered self-care. If theaters aren’t your thing, buy a projector and watch movies on a wall at home or, better yet, out in the backyard.

8. Dare to bare your bump. Gone are the days of having to hide that you’re growing an amazing person inside of you. Being pregnant in summer is the perfect excuse to show off that baby belly, so break out those fitted outfits.

woman eating ice cream in kitchen - pregnant in summer

photo: Evieanna Santiago via Unsplash

9. Claim you’re eating ice cream for the calcium. Your baby’s need for bone-building calcium gives you the perfect excuse to grab a cone. Or two. Healthy pregnancy smoothies are also on the menu.

10. Swollen feet are a great reason to wear flip-flops 24/7. Thanks to pregnancy hormones, a gal’s feet can grow half a size, not to mention that fun pregnancy swelling. Swap out painful footwear for cushy flip-flops to give your feet a break.

11. You’ll have easier access to swimming pools. Submerging yourself in water gives you instant relief from the heat as well as aches and pains. Plus, there is no more gentle (but effective!) exercise than swimming or water aerobics when you’re working out for two. 

12. Your snuggly, warm cuddle buddy will arrive just in time for cooler weather. Having your baby in your arms as the days turn cooler is an excellent reward for being pregnant in summer. Baby snuggles are always special, but there is something particularly wonderful about cuddling a newborn wrapped in a fuzzy blanket in the fall and winter months.

—Suzanna Palmer & Eva Ingvarson Cerise

RELATED STORIES:
8 Tips for Keeping Cool This Summer
10 Must-Haves for a Warm Weather Maternity Wardrobe
What Not to Do While Pregnant

 

Please stop judging me for leaving the office at exactly 5 p.m.; my kids are waiting to be picked up from the sitter.

I know I’m missing this meeting, but my kid’s preschool graduation is more important.

I know I was late today, but I can’t drop the baby off at daycare until 7:45 a.m.

I know that I seem distracted because I am distracted. I have a sick toddler and I am waiting to find out when I can get him into the pediatrician.

I don’t want to look exhausted when I show up at the office, but I have been awake since 4:30 a.m. with an inconsolable kid.

I know that my eyes look glazed over, but I spent the last twelve hours trying to soothe a baby to sleep.

I didn’t mean for my email to seem snippy, but I have a five-year-old that cried this morning because he didn’t want to go to school, and I am worried about him.

Yes, I just banged my head against my desk. I received a text message that my kid has pink eye and I have to leave to get him even though this report is almost due.

I know my eyes are very swollen right now. I spent last night crying because I am exhausted, never get to be alone and haven’t taken a hot shower in five years.

Sorry that I was short with you, but I spent the last hour arguing with a toddler over the necessity of wearing pants to the babysitter.

I know I am supposed to leave my personal life at the door when I come to the office, but when you are a mom to two small kids, that is hard to do.

So thank you to everyone that has given me grace over the last five years.

I could probably stand to give myself a little.

Being a full-time working mom with young kids is not easy.

Thank you to every boss that has let me leave for doctor’s appointments, unexpected sicknesses, preschool graduations, and school lunches.

Thank you to all the people that turned their heads when I was pregnant and had to run out of a meeting to go puke.

Thank you to everyone that has let me know they also had a hard time juggling their work/life/kid balance.

Thank you to the people that ignored my swollen eyes, exhausted face and the spit-up on my blouse.

Thank you to all the other moms that slay it each and every day and motivate me to keep going.

Thank you to the people that encourage me to keep going even though I can feel defeated at times.

Thank you to all the co-workers that have picked up slack for me because I had to make a quick exit to solve a kid emergency.

I know that I am not the only working mom in the world, but I am a working mom and I totally understand what you are going through.

I understand that you feel like you need to overcompensate because you get to work just on time and leave the minute the clock strikes five.

I understand when you eat your lunch at your desk because you have to leave early to get a kid from the sitter to the doctor then back to the sitter and then get yourself back to the office in time for your 2 p.m. meeting.

I understand that sometimes you show up to work looking like you were attacked by a flock of geese because the kids couldn’t find their shoes, you gave someone the wrong color bowl and then forgot to take Sleepy Bear to the babysitter.

I understand that you are tired. Exhausted probably.

But I also understand that you are capable and worthy of so much more than you realize sometimes.

You don’t have to choose between two worlds that you love. You can have them both. You can have a family and a career. It’s not easy, but it is possible.

Yes, the worlds might collide sometimes and make life much more complicated, but it’s worth it.

So don’t stop. Don’t give up. You’ve got this.

And P.S. Not everyone is going to understand. And that’s okay.

Until next time,

Jamie

This post originally appeared on Hashtag MomFail.
Featured image: iStock 

I am a full time working mom with two little boys, Henry and Simon. I write about real life and real life gets messy. Contributor for Motherly, HuffPost Parents, Scary Mommy, Today Parents, Love What Matters and Her View From Home. 

Photo: Melanie Forstall

I never thought that I would drop my young daughter into a giant pool when she didn’t even know how to swim. Yet here we are.

Motherhood can be such a head trip because you are often forced to make really hard decisions and there are no real directions. I think we can all agree that children need to learn how to swim. There’s really no argument there, right? In order to raise a healthy family, our children must be safe around water.

While we may agree with that part of the equation, what happens when our children hate it? Do we just throw them into the water? In my case, yes.

Several years ago, when we put our oldest in swim lessons, we thought this was going to be an easy process. She could not wait to start! Each day after school she would ask about swim class. We prepped with everything in her favorite color—green! Green suits, green goggles, and green flip flops! She was giddy with anticipation!

The day finally arrived.

Up until the point of actually getting into the water, the first day was great! Our teacher motioned to us that it was time to get in. Standing at the edge of the pool, I felt my child start to freeze. Understand, I was eight months pregnant with our second child, so wrestling a toddler on the edge of a pool was not something was I prepared for, or could gracefully manage. “Mommy, I don’t want to go,” she said as she tried to become one with my legs.

Her grip grew tighter and I could see her start to swell with tears. She began doing circles around me—hiding behind my swollen belly.

I look down at her precious swim teacher, who was about college-age, and asked what I should do. She shrugged her shoulders. But my eyes were pleading with the teacher to give me some direction, some answer as to how to make this work. Fantasy negotiations do not work with my child. Telling her that Minnie Mouse is in the pool will not work. Ever. She knows way better than that.

At some point during my stress, sweating, and balancing my very pregnant body on the edge of the pool I cracked my own internal whip. “Melanie! Get your sh*t together! She has to get in the water! Quit relying on the swim teacher to solve your parenting dilemma!”

In order for her to ever learn to swim, she has to get in the water. I did what I never thought I would or could do! I stood there, at the edge of the pool and dropped my crying child into the pool, into the hands of a stranger.

Oh, dear God, what have I done?

As parents, my husband and I balance each other out quite well. If it were up to him, he would have certainly taken her out of the pool area after ten minutes. Sometimes his way is better, sometimes it’s mine. But in this instance, we followed my lead.

Her lesson began and we could see her face was still a bit red and blotchy. I watched my husband as he paced the deck. All of his belongings next to me—wallet, phone, keys—all in the event he had to jump in and rescue her.

What seemed like four hours later, her lesson was done. Having her back on dry land was a relief to all of us. We hugged and celebrated how well she did. I asked her if she had fun and she answered with a resounding, “Yes!”

Really? I thought she looked totally miserable! On the way home, I asked her if she wanted to go back and she said that she didn’t. However, not going back wasn’t an option, so I rephrased my question into a statement. “Well, we are going back.” We were at a stoplight and I watched her in my rear-view mirror. She turned her head, thinking, then looked at me. “Mom, I can go back. I think I will be fine.”

The next lesson arrived and I wasn’t sure what it would be like so I did my best to hide my worry. We sat on the bleachers together enjoying a few goldfish before being summoned into the deep. At the time we saw the call from our teacher, our daughter happily took off her flip-flops and said, “See, Mommy, I’m not scared anymore!”

Overwhelmed with pride I helped her step right into the water and sit happily on the water bench. Throughout the lesson, she would look back at us for reassurance. My husband gave several thumbs-up and I smiled and waved. As she floated with her teacher across the pool, 25 yards away from us I said to my husband, “Well, she was right. She said she would be fine and she is.”

So even at three, our kids sometimes know more than we sometimes ever realize. I’m amazed and proud—of all of us! When I think about what life hands us as parents, it becomes clearer to me every day that it’s not always parents teaching children. Sometimes it’s all of us learning and growing together.

Now if we can just get her to put her face in the water.

Feature image via iStock

Melanie Forstall is a full-time mother, full-time wife, full-time teacher, and never-enough-time blogger at Melanie Forstall: Stories of Life, Love, and Mothering. She holds a doctorate in education and yet those many years of schooling have proved to be utterly useless when it comes to actual mothering.

 

Christine Hernandez

Christine Hernandez is a Mama on a mission to help other Mama's find their village and get the support they need to thrive.

The moment I saw that positive pregnancy test for the first time the part of me that wasn’t terrified went into instant Mama Bear mode. I wanted to make sure I ate all the right things, took the right supplements but what I didn’t realize was that what I was putting ON my body was just as important as what I was putting IN my body and my personal care products needed a little bit of a change up.

I used The Environmental Working Group’s (ewg..org) searchable database to check how the ingredients in the products I was using measured up against their safety guidelines and I was surprised at what I found. It took a little of combing through the shelves at Target and some trial and error to find things that were both clean AND effective but once I found these five staples, I have never gone back to my old stuff.


1

Mineral Salt Crystal Deodorant

Crystal Deodorant- Your Pits Will Thank You

$6.37

In my 20's I had a swollen lymph node under my arm for two years. It was so big that you could see it when I wore tank tops and it made my armpit look weird. I went to numerous doctors until one suggested I stop using deodorant. Unwilling to just wear NOTHING, I scoured the healthfood store shelves and this Crystal's claim of being amazing intrigued me. It is literally just mineral salts and you wet it and rub it on your pits and go about your business smelling fresher than a daisy without any nasty chemicals. Five years later, that lymph node is no longer swollen and I will never use conventional deodorant again (and I don't smell, you can ask my hubs).

BUY NOW

2

Beautycounter Skintwin Creamy Concealer

I Got 99 Problems- But Dark Eye Circles Ain't One

$31

The third trimester definitely prepares you for life with a newborn (hello 3am insomnia) and I was super thankful to have Beautycounter's Skin Twin Creamy Concealer to slather under my eyes to make me feel a bit more human. It comes in 13 shades and contains responsibly sourced ingredients that not only conceal dark circles and blemishes but work to improve overall skintone- without the use of questionable ingredients or animal testing.

BUY NOW

3

Belli Acne Control Spot Treatment

Banish Those Pregnancy Pimples Safely

$16.99

Most over the counter acne treatments contain salicylic acid, which some providers advise against use during pregnancy. Belli Acne Control Spot Treatment features colloidal sulfur, tea tree oil and chamomile that absorbs quickly and penetrates pores to help control blemishes and keep skin clear. It does not include glycolic acid, salicylic acid, or benzoyl peroxide, common acne-fighting ingredients that can over dry or irritate the skin and are not recommended during pregnancy. Every Belli product is allergy tested, free of paraben preservatives, gluten, phthalates, and artificial dyes or fragrances and is approved by OBGYN's & dermatologists. I was one of the (un)lucky ones who's pregnancy glow faded into pregnancy pimples and Belli was my go-to!

BUY NOW

4

SheaMoisture Daily Hydration Body Oil

Rub That Belly, Baby

$9.99

There is some evidence that whether or not you get stretch marks is hereditary but that did not stop me from slathering my belly with this oil on the daily. Did I get stretch marks, no. Do I know for sure it was because I used this oil, also no. But, it was nice to take some time every night to rub my belly and connect with the tiny person growing inside. It doesn't contain any sulfates, parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, or petroleum and is cruelty free!

BUY NOW

5

Beautycounter Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer

Seriously The Only Face Product You Need

$45 BUY NOW

I have never been one to like the feeling of foundation on my face but Dew Skin is makeup with the feeling of a moisturizer plus- it has SPF. On my most exhausted of days, I can take five seconds to rub some Dew Skin on my face and BOOM- I am out the door. It features a blend of black currant seed oil, peony root extract, and vitamin C to help brighten while leaving skin looking radiant and non-nano zinc oxide, a mineral sunscreen that is coral safe. Like all of Beautycounter's products, it's free from over 1800 harmful chemicals, never tested on animals and ethically and sustainably sourced.

Pregnancy comes with its highs (tiny little kicks, that first ultrasound image, growing an awesome human) and its lows (swollen feet, backaches, stretch marks). One thing every pregnant woman needs through it all is support—and not just the kind you get from a mom group. We’re talking gentle, targeted compression garments that help alleviate all of those aches and pains and speed up postpartum recovery: Motif Medical’s Maternity Compression Garments.

Made with moms in mind, these maternity compression garments are are FDA-listed and designed by healthcare professionals to provide comfortable and gentle compression where you need it most. Plus, Motif uses soft, breathable and supportive fabrics that are undetectable under your clothes.  Best of all, moms may qualify to receive theirs through insurance. Here are a few of the ways Motif supports mom during pregnancy and after delivery.

Whatever stage of pregnancy you’re in, Motif is ready to lend some support. See if you qualify to get Motif’s Maternity Compression Garments through insurance!

Motif Medical’s Pregnancy Support Band

Recommended from 3-9 months.

Stay active, comfortable, and supported! The Pregnancy Support Band works by lifting, supporting, and redistributing the weight of the baby. These adjustments relieve pregnancy-related pressure from the lower back, abdomen, hips and pelvis to reduce the aches and pains associated with body changes during pregnancy. The easy-to-use band is adjustable and also improves posture!

Motif Medical’s Compression Socks 

Recommended from 3-9 months.

Stay comfortable on your feet for longer periods of time and prevent swelling, circulation issues and varicose veins with Compression Socks. These socks provide increased blood flow through your ankles and legs to support your cardiovascular system with a controlled and gradual amount of pressure. Motif’s ultra-stretch fabric makes them easy to put on and stay in place with all-day comfort. And the cute designs guarantee these will not look or feel like your great auntie’s compression socks!

Motif Medical’s Recovery Support Garments 

Recommended for postpartum: (Natural & C-Section)

Motif Medical offers two options in their Recovery Support Garment: a Natural Birth Recovery Garment and a C-Section (and Natural) Birth Recovery Garment.

Once baby arrives, you’ve got enough to worry about. Heal and recover quicker after birth by stabilizing joints with Recovery Support Garments. These support garments reduce postpartum swelling, bleeding, aches and pains, while increasing mobility. Thanks to its tightening and toning, the garments also help shape and firm your belly, hips, waist, pelvis and lower back.

The C-Section Birth Recovery Garment also has a side zipper for easy, gentle wear, helping avoid irritation of the c-section incision.

Both garments are cleared and approved by the FDA for the treatment and prevention of postpartum-related issues and discomfort. 

Whatever stage of pregnancy you’re in, Motif is ready to lend some support. See if you qualify to get Motif’s Maternity Compression Garments through insurance!

 

To all the moms whose kids don’t ever sit still, I know your day is long.

I understand that these are the longest days you have ever known in your life, and you are hanging on by your teeth. Dad’s, you’re in it too, I know. There seems no reprieve from the endless drawl of open time, and the little ones don’t play by themselves for very long. At least the ones who don’t ever sit still. And if they are sitting still panic shoots through your chest in the realization that trouble is afoot. They have found the flour in the pantry and have decorated the living room quietly. They have unearthed your poor potted plant from its cage and released it into the wild nature of the bathroom. Granted, the bathroom does have wall hangings of flowers and leaves stenciled in patches, and the toilet wand is in the shape of a small tree, a gag gift given by a friend at some point that seemed a shame to waste. The kids can be smart, you can’t blame your budding conservationist for seeing the connection there, and wanting your sweet house plant to be in its rightful place.  

Let’s be honest. The bubbles poured all over the air hockey table in the basement was pure genius. You only wished you had been in the room when your little Einstein turned it on to see if the air would make the bubbles blow. It did, making one tiny three-year-old face light up with great joy. It almost didn’t matter that the wood surface of the hockey game was already swollen and ruined by the time your oldest child reported the misdeed. These are the confusing things with our children who don’t ever sit still. They destroy every ounce of peace, and most of our furniture, but they curate such love and admiration at the same time, you almost break in half every single day trying to parent them. They are amazing and infuriating, and they don’t ever sit still.

I know absurd things are coming out of your mouth these days, things that make you stop and ask yourself if you really just said that? Did you really spend ten minutes convincing your toddler that they can’t wear the same jammies four days in a row and then sleep in them again? I mean, three days is the limit. Or challenge your preschooler during “gymnastics” time to a pushup competition and then cheer when you won, and they lost? Because just dipping your tummy doesn’t count, you have to bend your arms! And should you be worried? No, probably not. Quarantine is an alternate universe that knows no time or space or specific dictations on how to set appropriate rules or boundaries with children who don’t ever sit still.

When your kid is jumping from the couch to the coffee table and back, cheer them on. When they run circles around the room, throw on a backpack with a few books in it, so they get some heavy sensory work out of it. When they are carving your kitchen table with a fork because you forced them to sit for lunch instead of gnawing on a cheese stick as they wander around bugging the other children, calmly hand them one of the dozens of amazon boxes stacking up in your recycling to destroy. Someday you will look back fondly at that table and think, I remember that day of quarantine 2020. That was hell. Then vow to carve up the table when all this craziness is over and keep that one piece of wood that has your kids’ artwork, albeit angry and maniacal slash line art, but still, your little one made it. Put it in their baby box for future fun. Or is this one of those things we say in quarantine that makes you wonder, is this okay? Should I be worried? Nah, it’s just a table, right?

It may not help you right now, but it’s worth it to say that children who don’t ever sit still are the ones who will dig in and work the hardest on their passions. They are the ones who will put endless hours into their families when they grow up. They are the ones who will run the longest in a race and cheer everyone on and hold everyone up because they have the energy to do it. They are the ones who will take every ounce of your energy to parent them, and drain you and climb on you, need more from you than you think you can give, and then refuse to go to bed at night.

They will wake up early as hell and make you dream of swimming in coffee, infusing it directly into your pores because you are so damn tired, and there is nowhere else for them to go. Nowhere else for you to go. Know that you are not parenting in vain. The key is to sink in when you want to run. Let go when you want to force your way. Hug tight when you want to scream. And when you think you can’t give another inch, remember you always have the bathroom with the houseplant in it because no one ever really cleaned that up yet.

Have a seat and take a breath, read one page of a magazine, bring some chocolate that you stole out of your wildest kids candy stash, and tell yourself you are a great mom. You are a great dad. As long as your kids know they are loved, they will be just fine. Your house may need a few touch-ups at the end of all of this, but paint is a magical thing. In the meantime, Godspeed. Keep going, and remember this one truth: there is always time for a dance party in quarantine. Alexa, play some gangster rap, please.

 

 

 

Krissy Dieruf is a licensed marriage and family therapist. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and three children, loves to sing and dance around the house and has a soft spot for rebels and crazy hair. 

Do you find that your kids are always outgrowing their shoes? Shoes that are too small put your children at risk for foot deformities and other serious health issues. Turns out, two out of three kids are wearing the wrong size shoes.  

Shoe display

BlitzResults recently conducted a survey  and found that 67% of all kids are wearing shoes that are too small. Shoes that fit incorrectly can cause a condition called hallux valgus. This is a foot deformity that occurs when the big toe starts to angle inward causing a swollen lump just below the big toe.  

Shoe size infographic

When shopping for shoes there are a few important tips to remember. The right and left foot are rarely the same length. They could have a difference of length of up to half an inch, but that discrepancy corresponds to almost a full shoe size. Parents should always go by the longer foot when buying new shoes. 

Take note that shoe manufacturers label their shoes using standard sizes, but there is no mandatory industry standard. With that in mind, never rely strictly on shoe sizes, have your child try on each shoe carefully. 

A measuring guide, sources and studies on the topic can be found here

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Amit Lahav on Unsplash

RELATED STORIES

This Study Shows the Stress Working Parents Face Could Actually Cost Them Their Jobs

New Study Reveals How Praise Affects Students’ Behavior

New Study Finds the Brains of Babies & Adults Sync Up During Play-Time

When it comes to dancing during pregnancy, there’s often a ton of mixed opinions. My opinion is – don’t stop! It’s not hurting your pregnancy. And if anything, you’re celebrating your body and taking control of your image. That’s not negligence, but a revolutionary act of claiming your fitness, your body, and your passion.   

I mean, honestly, there’s so little you can control when you’re pregnant (including your mood swings) that at least you can feel like you’re doing your best to stay healthy and happy. I am sitting at 34 weeks today and my hips are numb from rolling side to side trying to find a comfortable position to sleep. My feet have swollen to the point where I can’t wear any of my shoes except my house slippers. My lungs are compressed thanks to my growing uterus pushing against it, and I can’t take five steps without running out of breath. And oh! Don’t even get me started on morning sickness and midnight cramps. I hear of these women who have had these sublime, serene pregnancies, and envy grows deep in my chest – or maybe that is heartburn from last night’s dinner still (I’m not sure!).  It is such a hard burden to bear, when you feel trapped in your own house or job and must limit all of your activities because you are not sure when the next wave of nausea will strike. So, the least you can do for yourself is anything that’ll keep you happy.  

The one thing that has kept me sane for the past 34 weeks is, that’s right: Dance! It brings immense happiness to me. I’m blessed to be surrounded by a very loving and encouraging community who understands the positive effects that dance has had on my pregnancy and they couldn’t have been more supportive. However, every now and then I come across a few people who like to pass their judgment and troll me for “not being responsible” or for “potentially harming my baby.” 

I’m breaking all the myths surrounding ‘dancing through pregnancy’. Dancing (or staying physically active) is great, in fact, recommended during pregnancy. And even better, researchers say that it has multiple benefits including (but not limited to):  

  • easing common pregnancy-related problems like backache, posture issues, and constipation
  • increases the supply of oxygen in you and your child 
  • helps you handle the strain of giving birth
  • strengthens your cardiovascular system, making you feel fitter and more resilient
  • prevents blood clots and varicose veins
  • improves the quality of your sleep
  • reduces your risk of gestational diabetes

For me, the main benefit of dancing through pregnancy is – I’d be lost without it. I like to believe that I haven’t had any mood swings so far (you should ignore my husband if he tries to tell you otherwise), and I credit that to dancing. The estrogens that are being released while dancing, certainly seem to be working for me. And if I’m happy, the world around me is happy and that makes this a happy pregnancy. Otherwise, how would you explain this – with my swollen ankles and weight unevenly distributed, scratching an itch at ankle level is a feat of flexibility. However, as soon as the music goes on, my mobility is restored, and doing knee drops is no biggy. I forget about the constant joint aches and nausea is far from my mind.  

Gone are those days when pregnancy was often treated as a condition that should be greeted with as little activity as possible. Dancing through pregnancy is not a taboo anymore. As long as you have clearance from your doctor, you shouldn’t fear to slid into a pair of stilettos and twerk away the medicalized bias that views active pregnant bodies as unorthodox. Okay, maybe I went too far! Fitting into stilettos is going to be at least an hour-long hustle in itself. But you get my point!       

Growing a baby is such an amazing thing our bodies do, but I don’t see it as a time to sit back, relax and eat. In fact, the whole, ‘eating for two’ theory is a myth! But that’s a topic for another day. Studies have shown that staying fit during pregnancy can help you have a more comfortable pregnancy. And who wouldn’t want that right? Certainly not the people who’re trolling you. You should ignore the ignorant minds and do what makes you happy. Thankfully the strong community at fittamama.com  understands the need to stay fit during pregnancy and have the most comfortable clothes that feel custom made for you, giving that perfect support to your bump. Also, they’re super cute! Do check out their collection.   

Check out my series of ‘dancing through pregnancy’ on the Live2DanceSeattle Youtube channel.  And while many people believe that dancing with a baby bump must be very different, honestly, if you are dancing already, the growth of your belly is so slow (remind me to tell you how I feel like I’ve been pregnant for a year) that it doesn’t feel very different. Just keep it up! Your body will tell you when something is becoming too much, so always listen.  

Finance graduate, MBA in Marketing, Project Manager by profession, dancer by choice, mom to a gorgeous boy, and blogger to keep that funny bone alive. My blog is an attempt to find a humorous side to parenting and other stuff. Expect to read and laugh over parenting, dance, travel, and life in general

After nine long months of swelling, illness after illness and plenty of pregnancy drama, Jessica Simpson gave birth to daughter Birdie Mae! Congrats to the now-mama of three.

Simpson’s pregnancy wasn’t the easiest three trimesters. Fans who followed the celeb on Instagram saw Simpson’s pregnancy progress from a barely-there bump to feet so swollen the singer asked her social media followers for help—pronto.

Simpson also got real on IG about her pregnancy issues with severe acid reflux, bouts of bronchitis and now-famously broken toilet seat dilemma.

Judging by her recent birth announcement IG post, everything Simpson endured has finally paid off and in the best way possible. Daughter Birdie Mae Johnson made her grand debut on Mar. 19, weighing in at 10 pounds, 13 ounces. (Whoa.)

Congrats to Simpson on her daughter’s birth and for delivering an almost 11-pound baby like a champ! We can’t wait for all those baby snuggle photos we know will be all over her IG feed—and we hope this mama bear gets some much-deserved rest first!

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Jessica Simpson via Instagram 

 

RELATED STORIES

All the Celebrity Babies We Can’t Wait for in 2019

Jessica Simpson Reveals Her Baby’s Name at Her Gorgeous Baby Shower

Jessica Simpson Opens Up about Her Difficult Pregnancy with Baby No. 3

Following a week-long hospitalization for bronchitis, celeb mama-to-be Jessica Simpson is finally back at home. The singer, designer and mom to two hasn’t exactly had the easiest pregnancy this time around—and we totally feel for her.

Simpson’s pregnancy woes aren’t new. After announcing her pregnancy last September, the celeb’s Instagram feed became a sounding board for her tough time. In January, Simpson posted a pic of her super-swollen feet, asking her followers for help. Even though the swelling went down, her pregnancy problems didn’t end there.

In February, Simpson posted another pic of a problem. This time the mama showed off her brand-new recliner—purchased to help with the severe acid reflux.

The star’s current battle with bronchitis, which she also ‘grammed, isn’t the first during Simpson’s pregnancy. According to her post, this her fourth go-round with the illness in the past two months. Fortunately Simpson is on the mend and, again according to her IG post, baby Birdie is “doing awesome!”

You’re in the home stretch, mama!

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Jessica Simpson via Instagram

 

RELATED STORIES

Jessica Simpson Opens Up about Her Difficult Pregnancy with Baby No. 3

Jessica Simpson Reveals Her Baby’s Name at Her Gorgeous Baby Shower

Jessica Simpson Fesses Up to This Hilarious Pregnancy-Related Fiasco