A healthy pregnancy guide containing everything I learned while I was pregnant with my first child, from planning our boho floral baby shower to preparing for a natural, unmedicated birth.

I found out I was pregnant on March 2, 2020 – just 9 days before the World Health Organization officially declared a pandemic. Being pregnant for the first time during a worldwide pandemic was an interesting time, to say the least. But I managed to have a healthy pregnancy and ended up having the unmedicated birth I’d been dreaming of. Here’s everything I learned while I was pregnant with my first baby…

Pregnancy Transformation Week By Week

I decided to document my growing belly with photos week by week, and I am so glad I did! I used the Bump app to track my pregnancy and learn about what symptoms to expect each week. It was really fun, and I loved that the app tells you how big Baby is in comparison to fruits and veggies. This inspired me to put a HealthNut spin on these pregnancy transformation photos!

The First Trimester (0-13 weeks) Healthy Pregnancy Guide:

In all transparency, my first trimester was not easy. To be honest, I was really hesitant to share this post and video but I also didn’t want to sugar coat my experience during the first few months of being pregnant. Most importantly, I don’t think anyone should feel ashamed or alone with their feelings. I wanted to share my experience with the hope of helping someone else and to let you know that you are not alone if you were in the same boat as me. I hope that this post and video is helpful to you!

Pregnancy Must Haves!

I slowly made a list of all of my top favourite pregnancy must haves that I collected during my first trimester. It will come as no surprise (being the HealthNut that I am) that all of the products I mentioned to help with managing pregnancy symptoms, from headaches to acid reflux, are totally natural and healthier alternatives to the conventional options. I also tested out Amazon’s top rated pregnancy products to see which were worth buying!

DIY Belly Oil for Pregnancy and Postpartum

If you’re a Mama, or a Mama-to-be, you may be familiar with that stretching, itchy and tight skin that comes with having a growing belly! There are many products that claim to prevent stretch marks and reduce this irritation but I learned that many contain toxic ingredients such as parabens, mineral oil, or PEG compounds. As I was browsing through belly balms, I noticed that the active ingredients in most cases were pure essential oils. With that in mind, I decided to created my own DIY Belly Oil for Pregnancy and Postpartum using just a few simple ingredients. This way I know exactly what I’m putting onto my skin, and the essential oils I’m using are 100% pure and therapeutic grade! This DIY belly oil is super simple to make and whether you’re pregnant or not, you can use this as a night time facial and body oil and wake up with baby soft hydrated, glowing skin.

The Second Trimester (14-26 weeks) Healthy Pregnancy Guide:

They say that the second trimester is the “honeymoon” phase of being pregnant, and I can definitely see why! I felt more myself overall – I had a lot more energy and was able to actually start enjoying pregnancy. In this blog post, I recap everything I experienced ranging from exercise to sleep to beauty and self care. I also share baby updates, body updates, food, supplements, bloating, my birth team and all about my mood and energy levels.

Pregnancy Night Time Routine

Being pregnant seems to bring up a lot of aches and pains – especially at night time. If you know, you know! After a long day, I was tired, hips were achy, my lower back was tight and I felt like I needed some good rest and relaxation before winding down and heading to bed. This is the ultimate pregnancy night time routine that kept me feeling happy, calm, healthy and well rested throughout my later months of pregnancy!

Outdoor Boho Maternity Photoshoot

The end of my second trimester was a great time to think about maternity photos and document my gorgeous growing belly. We decided to do an Outdoor Boho Maternity Photoshoot! I documented how I chose my outfit, style, and location. I also gave you potential inspiration as to how you can plan your own outdoor maternity photoshoot and decide on necessities such as what to wear and the best timing for your maternity shoot.

The Third Trimester (27-40 weeks) Healthy Pregnancy Guide:

The third trimester was like this huge grey cloud that had been looming over my head since the start of my pregnancy. Unfortunately, when you get pregnant many people feel the need to warn you that “things get worse” in the third trimester, which made me feel anxious about what was to come. Yes, there are a lot of not so fun things about the end of your pregnancy. But that being said, I think we need to change the narrative and instead shower new moms in positive thoughts, encouragement and good energy!

Boho Floral Baby Shower

Is there anything more worth celebrating than the arrival of a new baby into the world? I was so happy that we were able to (safely) celebrate our little girl with our closest friends and family. As a first time Mama, I really felt that celebrating this pregnancy and soon-to-be arrival of Baby Acorn was essential. This baby shower was a way to celebrate the highs and lows, and acknowledge all the hard work that went into growing our little girl ! In this post, I share  inspiration for planning a baby shower, decor, healthy snacks and treats, and a FREE printable download for you to use!

Packing The Hospital Bag

Everyone says that you overpack for your first baby, but you know what, I was ok with that! Being a first time mom who was delivering my baby during a pandemic… I wanted to be prepared. I’m a planner who would always  rather be over-prepared than underprepared. I also didn’t think Matt would actually be able to leave the hospital once we got there meaning – I figured if we had forgotten anything at home once we arrived, we’d just be out of luck . Here’s what I packed for labor and delivery, postpartum care, clothing, snacks, my going home outfit, and baby’s hospital bag, along with a FREE printable checklist!

How To Prepare for a Natural Unmedicated Birth

When I pictured my ideal birthing experience, I was hoping for one that would be natural and unmedicated. Having said that, mine and my baby’s health were the top priority, so if need be I was open to alternatives.  Honestly, I wanted to fully experience what birth was like and looking back, I am so glad that my plan worked out the way it did. This is what I did to prepare for my natural unmedicated birth. When I was preparing for labour and delivery, I hoped these techniques would help, but I didn’t really know if they would.  Looking back now, I can say for sure that I think all of these things helped me to prepare for my unmedicated natural birth, which  is why I want to share them with you!

So that’s everything for my healthy pregnancy guide. I really hope this helped you, and if you’re pregnant, I wish you a happy and healthy pregnancy and birth.

What’s your top tip for pregnant mamas? Pop it in the comments below to help others! 

If you’re pregnant, be sure to also check out my Boho Floral Nursery Tour and my Top 11 Tips & Hacks For Postpartum.