Dear Mom-to-be, also known as ME!
First, you’re adorable. I’ve never seen such a cute baby belly; I hope you’re showing it off. Everyone told me I was cute with my first and I didn’t believe them, but I was. Does that sound stuck up? Or does it just sound like me? LOL. I see pictures now, and with perspective I see, OMG, that is one cute pregnant lady. So . . . don’t say “I’m so fat.” Please. You’re pregnant and beautiful. Be proud. Even though I “felt fat” (whatever that means, right?), I still wore fun clothes. I mean who wants to feel like they’re walking around in yoga pants and a giant black sweatshirt for nine months? No. Don’t do it. It will eat away at your self esteem. This letter is about wanting you to feel amazing and excited about motherhood, but also to give you advice from a veteran, and to remind you that you are a goddess. It’s easy to get down on yourself when you’re pregnant; your body is going through so much.
Indulge, pamper, and arm yourself! I’m going to let you in on a secret. My secret weapon of pregnancy. Yes, I love bath salts, but that’s not it. I mean go ahead and use those, but no. Don’t get me wrong. I want you to surround yourself with whatever you need to feel good about your body. You’re working hard. So, sure, take a bath.
This is real ammo sister. Poise® feminine products (there are packages in the bathroom, I stocked up for you). Trust me. You’ll stay fresh and confident with Poise® pads and liners, they’re for Light Bladder Leakage (LBL), that happens in pregnancy. Yes, it happens. And no one tells you! Honey, have you had a big sneeze lately? Peed a little? That’s your LBL right there. Wear a Poise liner every day and you will be good to go. No. Matter. What. Feels so good to know you can go anywhere, wear anything, leggings, dresses, shorts, and you have this pregnancy covered because you’re covered with Poise.
By the way, don’t be embarrassed, it happened to me with my first, so it’s almost guaranteed to happen again. It’s OK. I wish I’d had someone to tell me.
“Hey, you might have some leakage, and it’s normal. Oh, you did Kegels? Well, you still may have LBL.”
Your bladder is doing some serious work down there watch out for a big cough or sneeze. One evening out, I was dressed to the nines, hugely pregnant with baby #1, I’d been brilliant enough to wear a Poise liner along with a killer LBD and no stockings. Brad said I looked hot. For some reason known only to pregnancy Gods, my legs had stayed thin and shapely, so they were rocking it. Well, I sneezed big. And I totally peed a little, was blessed all around, and went on drinking my sparkling water and scarfing down the hors d’oeuvres. Thank goodness for Poise liners. I felt sexy! Pregnant me, sneezed, peed a little and I still felt sexy. Can you believe it? Me?!
Anyway, I’m trying to say, it’s a lot. You’re making a person, your body is working overtime and yes, you will have bladder leakage, but you don’t have to hide at home and stop living. Like exercise. Keep doing it. I’m a runner. I have to run or I’ll go crazy. As mom’s we have to do so much for others, let’s make sure we keep doing for ourselves, so keep up with your exercise it will do so much for how you feel. It will help your self-esteem, make your pregnancy easier, and recovery. You. Will. Thank. Me.
I was notorious for bladder leakage during exercise, but nobody knew. I even did a 5k during pregnancy. Since I’d been running so much, my doctor said it was OK, but my bladder said “Hah I’m not holding in that pee,” and the first time I ran without Poise®, it was not pretty. Enough said. Lucky for me, after that I used Poise® pads. They. Are. Amazing. I couldn’t believe I could do an actual race, not take like 573 bathroom breaks, and not be embarrassed by leakage. I felt so good about myself, I almost forgot I was pregnant. It was so much fun and I got to hang with all my running buddies. I wasn’t the “pregnant lady” on the bench, I was me out with all my friends. Awesome.
Finally, because I really do know you. Please do not worry about losing the weight. It took nine months to gain, you’ll lose it. Really. Enough said. You. Made. A. Person. Babies don’t do things on any kind of schedule and neither do our bodies. You will not fit into your skinny jeans tomorrow, so do not try them on! Don’t be surprised if you need behind the scenes help. Spanx, anyone? And, Poise® Microliners; perfect for the occasional leak, and post baby, this will still happen. I promise. It’s OK. The liners are so absorbent and thin, offering discreet Light Bladder Leakage (LBL) protection to help keep you feeling dry and comfortable every day. Even when you’re back in your skinny jeans. Want to know another secret? I still use them daily! Sometimes those sneezes, they sneak up on you . . . and I’m still a runner . . . and I’m still working on my Kegels, so Poise® is in my bathroom cupboard, and in my purse, and in my travel bag. I feel confident with Poise®.
And, don’t forget, no matter what, I’m here for you. Your friends are here for you. You have community. You’re strong and capable and you will be an amazing mother. You have support, you have supplies, and you have Poise®!
So Much Love,
Me/You/Every Woman
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Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Poise, but all opinions are our own.
50 Comments
My best pregnancy advice is to make sure to ENJOY every moment. It goes SO quick!!
My best advice is to get all the sleep you can, and make sure you have comfy clothes ready for after the baby is born!
My advice is to get all the rest you can. Your body is working hard and you are about to experience the least amount of sleep you have ever had so get it while you can.
Don’t stress over the little things! Everything will all work out fine
My best pregnancy advice is to allow your body to change and love the changes. Also don’t panick with little pains.
Don’t stress out and don’t worry about weight problems during your pregnancy because you can focus on that after the baby is born. Live the moment and enjoy it!
Take it easy on your body. Give yourself a break!
Invest in a good support belt or wrap.
My best pregnancy advice is to rub shea butter on your stomach everyday. It prevents stretch marks.
My advice is see friends before the baby comes because you will not see them much when the baby is small.
MY advice is to do light exercise.
My best pregnancy advice is to get lots of sleep, because when the wee little one arrives you won’t believe how tired you are.
My best pregnancy advice is to educate yourself on all things pregnancy related.
My best pregnancy advice is to enjoy every minute of it!! i know some woman reading that who may be pregnant are like “are you crazy” but seriously even with the heart burn, cravings, weight gain, swollen ankles, hot flashes and uncomfortableness…. it is one experience you can not fully describe to someone unless they have gone through it and you will find yourself missing some part of what it was like to be pregnant. so i say, just enjoy the miracle that has been given to you, and try to enjoy and take it all in
Best pregnancy advice is not to stress too much about things and to enjoy every moment even when things get tough 🙂
eat properly, get plenty of rest and stay active
Be good to yourself and your baby (babies) – get proper rest, eat a balanced diet and try to stay moderately active.
Stay active and make sure to get enough sleep.
I actually have no advice not having been pregnant.
Don’t take over-the-counter medications or herbal remedies without first consulting your obstetrician or midwife.
Buy yourself same nice maternity clothes, your body is changing and you will enjoy the new clothes.
My advice is rest now while you can, when you can and if you need to
My best advise is not to google all things pregnancy, too much disinformation out there.
don’t google your symptoms, talk to your midwife or obstetrician
My advice is to learn how to relax and taking it easy. Take enough sleep and vitamins.
My beat advice to pregnant mom’s is to take it easy on yourself. Let go of the guilt and do what you need to do to be healthy.
My best pregnancy advice is to try and stay active. Walk 15-20 minutes daily or take a pregnancy exercise class. It is a great stress reliever!
Swimming is a great activity to do while pregnant to keep mom & baby active, healthy, & mentally feel good.
I would have to say my advice is to get a good body pillow to help with getting comfy in bed, mom to be needs her sleep and it can be hard to get in the right position as the months go by.
My best advice is to not stress and enjoy yourself. I overloaded myself with pregnancy book and googling when I should have just relaxed!
Sleep with a body pillow.
Please do not believe everything you read! Your absolute best advice about pregnancy comes from the women in your life and a nurse who works in the delivery ward. I wanted to know about getting an epidural after reading about countless spine problems following getting the injection. I went to the delivery floor and got the info from a nurse. I felt so much better, found out complications are very rare, and enjoyed my delivery courtesy of an epidural.
We are all different and every one of us experience something different. So don’t listen to all those scary stories people like to tell you! Enjoy every moment
Rest when you can because it’s impossible once baby comes! Also, it takes 9 months to gain the weight, expect that long to lose it!
My best tip for pregnancy is to eat healthy and exercise. It is important to take you prenatal vitamins.
I was pregnant, many years ago, my best advice would be to stay active but rest when needed and enjoy the experience
My best advice it to put your feet up whenever you can. It keeps your feet and ankles from swelling up.
Don’t stress out. Drink milk!
My best advice is to take it easy and not compare yourself to other people and their pregnancies. Everyone is unique and experiences different things!
My best advice is get lots of rest. You’re growing a baby so sleep!
My best pregnancy above is to make sure you know how many hours you need to work before applying for EI. I’ve seen a couple women not get it because they were less than 8 hours (one day!) short.
My best advice is to remember how quickly its over , try to enjoy it , get photos taken ! I wish I had any nice pictures of me when I was pregnant !
I have to agree with another comment below, which is to embrace every moment of it.
Just stay calm.
My best tip is to get plenty of rest.
I think staying active and doing light exercises is really important!
Take naps. I felt good so I just kept going and wish I’d had all the naps.
mine was to stop and enjoy every moment
rest when you can and enjoy every minutes because they fly by!
Enjoy the good and the not-so-good moments. It is such a miracle to be creating a little person in your body.