Ok, now that we've been social media public, I can now share that I'm on the path to join the "Mom Club" with my sis, Sylv. It's official we're expecting a baby boy, Celso Jr. at the end of February! Before I give just a few helpful tips that basically saved my preggo ass in the first trimester (remember this is a blog for anything I truly find a blessing and should be shared stat, but also I am not a doctor, so please speak with your OB and GP before making any decisions related to your body!), Let's get a few of the common questions I got asked the moment my close friends and family found out and the rest that found out after we went public.
Was this planned? I get this a lot, the truth is we were always planning on having children, but we were planning on trying at the end of this year or sometime early next year and that was something my family and friends knew about so when I did tell them I was pregnant, they were extra shocked! We were stoked, nervous, excited and feeling very blessed that we were able to even get pregnant. I'm fully aware of the difficulty that can come of trying to conceive and have witnessed some of my family and friends go through this hurdle and feel for them deeply. Which is why I'm only answering this on my blog and not boasting it on social platforms, because pregnancy can be a very personal daunting experience for those who have had difficulty and/or had a/multiple miscarriages. Shout out to my gals who have been and are going through this, you've been dealt a difficult card and I hope the resolve comes sooner than soon...
What are you having and have you picked out any names? We are having a boy and he will be named after my husband, Celso. In Hispanic culture , it's very common for there to be a repeat in the first born son and daughter. It runs in my family and my husband's and I love it. It's also very humorous to me and I don't mind the confusion at all. You know what it is for there to be three generations of Sylvias existing (mom, sis, niece). It's wild! I FREAKING LOVE IT! Celso my son, will technically be the sixth Celso in the family and although we are doing a slight name change by giving him a different middle name than his father, it still falls in line with out family tradition and values. Our Son will be Celso Alexander, after his father ( and grandfathers before him) and his middle name Alexander will be after his sweet, late uncle, Alex. His uncle was full of magic and wonder and I have no doubt that he's watching over him as he grows...
When will you have your next kid? YES! THE NEXT BIGGEST QUESTION I got was when we plan to have the next one. Which reminded me of when we were engaged and people asked us about kids. Like relax, I don't even live with him yet. Can I get married first? Many moons ago growing up I dreamed of four kids by 25 and having a career! lmfao!!! I was a child obviously, but when you want to emulate your parents who were young and already had three by the time they hit their mid 20's it seemed doable. Haha thank goodness for life and swift kick in the arse. Today I dream of two children and if I'm lucky I can proceed to a second pregnancy a year and change after Celso Jr. is born. I'm also grateful to have experience that timelines are all nice and all, but nothing goes as planned and it will happen as God wants it to happen. I do think his timing with all of this paid off because experiencing what I have experienced now and the clarity that comes with knowing "This is happening" has been a blessing.
Growing a family was something I've always wanted but was always scared to start because of the line of work I am in. Working on growing my acting career is hard enough as it is, but it's not something I should allow myself to prevent other important things to happen like starting a family. We will figure it out and there is so much peace knowing that the wheels are in motion and what makes people brave in situations is knowing that they have no other choice but to figure it out. My career will always be there and will ebb and flow as my life's seasons change. I'm so excited to know that I get to embrace this journey now of motherhood. My goal as a parent is to raise a man who will passionately go after their dreams, love and respect himself and those around him and love life. What a task to be given, but oh so fulfilling.
A still from our pregnancy announcement. Watch our birth announcement HERE
FIRST TRIMESTER WINS & WOES
Alright now that I've shared my feelings on the beautiful side of this journey of motherhood- let's get even more real with the fact that I've never looked forward to pregnancy from all the things I've heard and know were possible to experience myself. lol I'm NOT one of those who is all sunshine and lollipops and thinks this is the greatest experience of all time. Ha! This is a mother- effing battle inside my body.
I found out I was pregnant at 4 weeks after being 6 days late. Having a pending botox appointment and leaving to our summer vacation, I needed to figure out if I was pregnant fast so I could cancel my 'tox appointment and recalibrate my eating & drinking habits on the trip! I face-timed my sis and was like "gggrrrrrrrlllllllllllllllll......I'm late" clearly she was shocked and excited and was already calculating the date of the birth and the best available weekend for a baby shower within 30 minutes of telling her! NO LIE! I bought three " CLEAR BLUE" pregnancy test and those suckers said "PREGNANT" and double lined faster than you can say "Holy Shit". It was hilarious, a few hours later we met up on her lunch break and headed to Costco to buy snacks, a year's worth of prenatal vitamins and hydration. She drilled me on everything I needed to know, walked me through my doctors appointment for my 8 week checkup and all the things that helped her get through the possibility of morning sickness. At this point I was still feeling " not pregnant" and was mentally preparing for the worst, because that's what I do and it works for me- ok?!
By week 6 in the middle of my husband's and I's three week vacation, I was FEELING IT! O. M. G. !!! The constant feeling of nausea, not knowing what the hell to eat and falling asleep if I sat somewhere for too long was REAL! WHOA! I was still working out up to 8 weeks but then it just kept getting worse. I also didn't want to risk getting lightheaded and injuring myself in the process too. So soon after I was back from my vacay, I was between the couch and my bed for the next several weeks. I had zero desire to do anything and was sick and tired of being sick and tired.
I finally approached my first appointment with my OB. My husband and I got there, filled out paperwork, and had my first ever ultrasound. Deep down I was scared because I knew a lot of people that would make it to this step and they would receive sad news. Be it viability, no heart beat etc. I was prepared for the worst. What looked like a little toad but you could clearly see a head and body separation with small legs and feet blew my mind, and then the best thing happened, before they turned the volume up so see if there was a heartbeat, the baby moved. I saw the legs and arms move the moment it was on screen. I quietly cried tears of joy and was just beyond grateful. Aside for early pregnancy symptoms I had nothing else to go off the pregnancy until now.
After I got my first set of ultrasound pix, we chatted with my doctor, aske all the questions and she mentioned an anti-nausea medication called BONJESTA and if I wanted to start taking it now, I could. She had done so herself the previous year and took it till she was 20 weeks pregnant. I said, well let me see if this subsides since I was already halfway through the first trimester...
LOOKING BACK AND WHAT I WILL DO NEXT TIME- TAKE THE EFFING MEDICATION THE MOMENT YOU FEEL LIKE SHIT! I will never allow myself again to wait it out lol. What the heck was I trying to prove by waiting to see if it subsides, and being stuck to the couch or bed because of the debilitating "morning sickness". Every time i find out someone is pregnant, that's the one unsolicited advice I give them. Bonjesta, Bonjesta, Bonjesta, you are incredible. Once the bonjesta got into my system I was able to workout, and go about my daily errands. Due note my dumb ass waited till week 13.
People often ask, when do you start telling people. Obviously my husband and sis new right away, but the golden rule is to wait till 12 weeks when some of the risks have gone down. Here's the deal, I do believe you should wait a certain period of time to tell people but for your close immediate family and friends, you tell as soon as you want. My thoughts are this, God forbid something happens, they are ready to offer support or it's one less thing to explain why you've been down or reclusive. I told my parents and rest of my siblings at 11 weeks, simply because after a bit, I had feeling they were going to figure it out and I just couldn't wait anymore. Not to mention it's summer time and when we went to our annual summer keys stay with the fam, they secretly wondered why "Miss Fitness" had grown some boobs all the sudden and the thighs and butt were looking extra Cuban. After telling them my mother legit yelled " I knew it, I knew, that butt's too big", I even have it on camera. it was epic, please if you get the chance, record as often as you can those moments. It's the best memories to look at!
The HIGHLIGHTS of the First Trimester |
Learning that you're pregnant and any loved one you get to share the news with.
Anytime you get to have an ultrasound and see the baby, since all you really feel are icky symptoms.
Bonjesta , the medicine that came to my rescue, don't wait like I did.
Being able to take a blood test as early as 10 weeks to find out the sex of the baby. ( we got our results at 10 weeks but waited till 12 weeks and change to find out with our parents, and siblings)
Helpful foods and snacks for first trimester:
Lemon Water or Sparkling Water- these two saved me and kept me refreshed.
Cheese Its/Crackers- Have them in your bag, car and nightstand perfect for when you feel your about to gag.
Salads, fried r steamed veg or protein - this could be a craving but refreshing food throughout the day made me feel less gross and denser foods at night helped balance the nausea.
Ginger- yes this is true but I preferred mine if drinks versus the chews. The chews made me gag. I preferred a lemon/ginger drink to aid me.
What's to Come in Second Trimester |
The second trimester is known as the golden trimester, and it's pretty true. Energy comes back, nausea subsides and nesting begins. However I got schooled on the potential of C-Section preparation, a four day stay at the hospital and the uneasiness of "Will I make it to full term?" Stay tuned to learn about the signs of pre-term labor and what I should have done to prevent it.
Thanks for joining in on this new series of the wins of woes of my pregnancy experience. This is the first installment and I hope my experience is helpful for anyone needing a laugh, or the simple tip of "get Bonjesta" or any other anti-nausea medicine they have to offer.
xo,
Caro
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