Category Archives: Pregnancy

Essential Oils for the Third Trimester

Disclaimer: I personally use essential oils to help support my body during pregnancy. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration or Health Canada. I’m sharing my personal experience with the oils. As always, please consult with your health care team when incorporating new products into your health care routine.

I’m getting asked all the time which essential oils I’m using in my pregnancy so I thought I’d do a round-up of oils that I’m using throughout the trimesters. You can read about the oils I used during my first trimester here and second trimester here. Here are the oils I used during my third trimester.

Essential Oils for Third Trimester

The third trimester in a twin pregnancy was by far the hardest trimester. I don’t think I was truly prepared for how uncomfortable I’d be.

Heartburn: Last semester I talked about purchasing Ginger Gravol (US Amazon Link) or (Canadian Amazon Link) at my midwife’s recommendation. However, even that wasn’t working some nights. So I went back to essential oils and applied Digestzen/Zengest & Ginger in fractionated coconut oil to my esophagus and that brought immense relief.

Stretchmarks: I managed to make it until week 36 until the stretch marks appeared, so in addition to using the Body Butter & Yarrow | Pom I have been applying Immortelle and Helichrysum to my belly at night before bed.

Natural Labour Induction: I made my own blend of essential oils and have been applying them to my ankles under the ankle bone from week 37 until our induction date. The blend included Clary Sage, Lemon, Lavender, Ginger, AromaTouch.

Anxiety: With the impending birth, I was anxious at times and dealing with personal and work stress. So I would reach for my Adaptiv roller constantly and apply to my pulse points, the palms of my hands and then take a moment for a deep inhale and exhale to ground myself.

What essential oils did you find helpful in your third trimester?

My Hospital Bag Checklist

Did you know they (different pregnancy experts) recommend packing your hospital bag at 27 weeks with a twin pregnancy!? So when I saw that around week 26 I panicked slightly and then found a few resources and started packing! So here is my Hospital Bag Checklist…

I’m using my Away rolling carry-on suitcase, Mike got himself a really nice duffle bag from Flag Fail. We also got gifted us a Tactical Baby Gear Diaper Bag so the babies’ supplies are packed in that.

Mom’s Hospital Bag

  • Snacks: Granola Bars (I like Kind Bars & Hemp Bars from Costco), Ginger Candies and Smart Sweets. I’ll also throw bananas in closer to the due date.
  • Electrolytes: I grabbed 2 containers of coconut water from the grocery store and Nuun sport tabs (watermelon flavor) and Vega Sport Electrolyte Hydrator (I got the little sachets in lemon-lime) from our local health food store.
  • Simple Sugars For Energy: Heinz Baby Applesauce Pouches from our grocery store (I got the Apple, Pear & Cinnamon and Apple, Strawberry & Raspberry flavors), Endurance Tap which contains maple syrup, ginger blend & salt and Honey Sticks from our local farmer’s market.
  • Labour Gowns + Night Gown from BabyBeMine (I ended up ordering from the states because I couldn’t find exactly what I wanted on Amazon). I ended up ordering the Zoe Blue Floral 3-in-1 Labour Gown, the Marin 3-in-1 Labour Gown, and the Lisa Nightgown. What I love about the Labour Gowns is that they have a stretchy neck so they are easy to breastfeed in, snaps up the back for having an epidural sighted, and a slit in the front for easy access to my nether regions by the hospital staff! I’ll wear the Lisa Nightgown after birth and it also has a stretchy neckline for easy access to the boobs.
  • Robe
  • Flip Flops for the Bathroom & Shower
  • Slippers in case we’re allowed to walk around the hallway
  • Earphones for listening to music without disturbing anyone working in our room
  • Phone & Phone Charger
  • Earplugs
  • Yoni Soak + Large Mason Jar for Steeping: My Port Alberni Doula brought me a Yoni Soak for post-birth and recommended bringing a large mason jar for steeping as the hospital should have a kettle for tea. I can steep it in the mason jar and then use it in the peri bottle they give me there.
  • Incontinence Underwear: While I know the hospital will give me those fabulous mesh underwear I’m popping a few incontinence underwear in my bag in case of heavy bleeding. I ordered the Always Discreet.
  • Water Bottle with Straw: I have the Teal YETI 20 oz Rambler and picked up the lid with a straw to bring with us to the hospital.
  • Toiletries: I’m packing travel-size dōTERRA shampoo & conditioner, OnGuard toothpaste, lip balm, and hair ties.
  • Going Home Clothes: I’ll pack these probably as I go into labor as I want to throw my Lululemon Align tights, a nursing bra, and a nursing top in and I’ve been wearing all three during my pregnancy. I also grabbed a pair of the Knixwear Core Love highrise leakproof underwear so I’ll throw those in now so I can wear them home.

Babies’ Diaper Bag

  • Diapers: I packed newborn Hello Bello & Honest diapers as I’d like to have less toxic versions on hand for the babes. I am not buying preemie sized diapers so I will have to rely on the hospital ones if they are teeny tiny.
  • Diaper Cream: I packed a tube of the dōTERRA Diaper Cream (US Shopping Link & Canada Shopping Link)
  • Onesies: I grabbed the Buy One, Get One Free onesies that you may have seen in our pregnancy announcement photos, and then 2 other sets of long-sleeve onesies (which we can use for going home outfits).
  • Baby Announcement Picture Outfits: We have a swaddle & bow for our baby girl and a swaddle & hat set for our baby boy to get them all dressed up for their social media debut to the world.
  • Swaddles: We were gifted a bunch of new and used swaddles so I’ve thrown a few in the diaper bag even though we’ll have ones in the hospital.
Buy One Get One Free Onesies

Random Items

  • Breastfeeding pillow: We purchased a gently used My Brest Friend from the Once Upon a Child Nanaimo store
  • Car seats: We purchased the Chicco KeyFit
  • Pillows & blanket
  • Cooler for the placentas as I’m doing placenta encapsulation

My Husband’s Bag

  • Changes of clothes
  • Flip flops & swim trunks in case he joins me in the shower or tub
  • Pillows & blanket
  • Phone and phone charger
  • Camera
  • Earplugs
  • Bluetooth speaker for music in the room

So my husband actually purchased 2 emergency OB kits. He’s done training as a paramedic and has actually delivered 3 babies. When we decided to give birth in Nanaimo instead of Port Alberni (which is an hour away) he purchased the kits just in case something were to happen on the drive into Nanaimo and he has to catch his newborns 🙂

So how did I prepare my checklist? I actually didn’t watch any YouTube videos on the subject or read any other blogs. I received a printed hospital checklist from my prenatal and post-partum Doula and my Naturopath sent me hers which is up on her blog! I felt overly prepared in the hospital checklist department so I’m really glad for all the resources I had to prep.

Why I Can’t Give You Advice on Your IUI Cycle

Ever since I shared on Instagram that we conceived via IUI I have been inundated with messages in my DM asking for advice on what to do to conceive via IUI.

Here is why I can’t share advice, I can only share our story and my perspective.

  1. I am not a fertility specialist
  2. I am not a doctor or a health care professional
  3. I had one round of IUI and it was successful in the first round (this is not always the norm).
  4. Our bodies are all bio-individual and we have so many factors to take into account when undergoing fertility treatment (from nutrition to hormonal health, to underlying health issues and more).

Success rates for IUI depend on so many different factors. From maternal age to the reason for infertility, to the clinic you attend, etc.

Here is a study on the Success Rate of Inseminations.

We attended the Ottawa Fertility Clinic and they state that “In general, a healthy woman under the age of 35 can expect a pregnancy rate of about 19% per try.”

I’ve been asked everything from what diet to be on, to should someone exercise or not during a cycle to what supplements they should take.

And while I’m a huge proponent of an anti-inflammatory diet, a proper meal plan will depend on so many factors.

In regards to supplementation, I do share the protocol I was on at the time of conception. However, I am referring everyone who asks about supplements to my Naturopath, Dr. Rachel Corradetti (who’s been following me since my MS diagnosis). She is now a fertility specialist. The supplements you take will be unique to you based on your bloodwork. While many are standard for most women I do recommend working with a practitioner to ensure you are taking what’s right for you.

And in regards to exercise, the clinics will usually make a recommendation. I was already active and doing HIIT workouts a few times a week. I even went for a hike the day the procedure happened. While I can’t make that recommendation for everyone I know that keeping my stress low through exercise was something that was great overall for my health. But if the clinic tells you to stick to only walking do that. It again will depend on the individual.

I totally get that the fertility journey is at times frustrating, lonely and hard. You are seeking answers and hoping there is a prescriptive list of things you can do and follow to have a successful fertility treatment. I simply can’t provide that for you. I can only share all the things I did and learned in the hopes that it inspires you to do your own research.

You’ve got this.

Being Pregnant In A Pandemic

I didn’t know if I was going to write this post. But as I’ve done before my blog is not only to provide useful information, it’s also personally, for me a chance to document life. And what a time to be documenting what’s going on.

I can officially say that I’ve been pregnant during a pandemic. And while I know many other mamas-to-be may be experiencing “much worse”, I still wanted to share my experience and share our joys as well as our frustrations and not diminish our struggles because they “aren’t as bad”.

In this pregnancy announcement post, I shared that we found out we were pregnant 3 days after I signed a contract for a new job on the west coast, which meant we would move our family out to a brand new province, a brand new town and start a new job all while pregnant. They say that moving and starting a new job are stressful times even if they don’t seem like it and I decided to tackle both by myself while pregnant. Thankfully my mom came out with me for the first month so I had amazing in-person support.

As I started to meet people at work and around the city, it was hard to connect with them and talk about my fear and worries as I wasn’t talking about the pregnancy until we got to our second trimester. I was also so busy with my new job that I didn’t take the time to try and truly make friends around the city yet.

Mike arrived in Port Alberni with our pups on March 13. The following Monday, I started to work from home as we saw our nation going into “lockdown”. This meant that we became isolated at home together as he wasn’t starting work until the beginning of April. While that month was truly great for our relationship and I believe it was strengthened during this time, it was also hard to just spend time together.

I truly believe for a couple to thrive you each need your own support systems and friends. And with no ability to go out and try and make new friends in town it became one of the loneliest times we’ve experienced and are still experiencing.

We hosted a virtual baby shower pretty much just as an excuse to meet up online with our friends back east. I also try and book FaceTime dates with my friends around the country to keep in touch and have a connection. I know it’s been harder for Mike to say goodbye to friends because I think it’s harder for guys to suggest FT dates with each other. So needless to say we’re lonely.

On the positive side, because Mike and I were both home, when I felt the babes move for the first time, Mike was steps away and I could call him over to feel. The first time he felt them kick happy tears sprung to his eyes and I’ll cherish that memory.

Ok so how is the pandemic affecting our pregnancy?

The hardest part is Mike not being able to participate in appointments. And while I know many partners don’t attend every ultrasound or doctor’s appointment, Mike has wanted to. When he arrived in Port Alberni we were scheduled for an ultrasound the week after. We hadn’t yet heard that they weren’t allowing anyone else in with you. So when we arrived, I broke down in tears since Mike hadn’t seen our babies since our ultrasound in December where we found out we were having twins. I was sobbing so much the hospital took pity on me and got Mike to wear a mask, gown and gloves to be able to come in the room with me. Because we’re having twins we get monthly ultrasounds and I’ve had to go to each appointment alone. While that might not sound like a big deal, I get to see their heartbeats and tiny faces and Mike only gets the picture print outs. I can’t even FaceTime him in.

On a positive note, the hospital is so empty that it’s an absolute breeze heading there for appointments.

We were mentally and physically preparing for going through the birth together. I had always pictured being able to have a Doula in the room with us offering support and for a long time they were only allowing 1 support system in the birthing suite with you in the hospital. Thankfully, the hospital where we are planning to give birth finally lifted that restriction. So crossing our fingers nothing changes, we will have a Doula there to support Mike and I.

I’ve had a hard time with “complaining” about it all because I know there are mom’s in the United States who’s partner can’t even be with them during the birth. So I get that when you compare hardships, we don’t have it hard but it’s still affecting us. So my purpose of sharing this is that a hardship is a hardship no matter what. We shouldn’t diminish how we are feeling or are struggling with something, simply because someone “has it worse”.

Second Trimester Recap

What to Expect and my Pregnancy Calendar app let me know that second trimester included weeks 14 to 26. We hit week 14 on February 7th, which was the same day we got the key’s to our new house!

Because Mike wasn’t moving out to Port Alberni until early March he came out to Vancouver Island to visit for the Family Day long weekend. We booked a room at Blackrock Oceanfront Resort and did a pregnancy announcement photoshoot! Before we headed out to Ucluelet though I brought Mike around to our different office locations and introduced him as he would also be working for the Coulson Group when he arrived later in March. We actually had the opportunity to tell my boss that we were pregnant together which was pretty special.

I only had to manage another month on my own before Mike arrived with the pups on March 13 which was the start of week 19 for us. I was barely showing at week 15 and then the belly really started growing around 20 / 21 weeks. By week 26 you could have mistaken me for a full-term singleton pregnancy.

Week 15 vs. 26

Most of the symptoms from the first trimester went away except for insomnia and heartburn. And insomnia all but disappeared later into the second trimester. Once Mike arrived I started sleeping well again, which was such a relief. So that just left me with lots of heartburn to contend with. Thankfully it usually just bothers me in the evening so I don’t have to worry about it during the workday.

The Twins First Flight

The babes got their first chance at air travel during the second semester! I flew to Sacramento at the beginning of March for the North American Aerial Firefighting Show and I got to go up in my first helicopter ride for an air to air photo shoot. I had a few concerns about the noise in the helicopter as we were going to be flying with the door off (so the photographer could snag amazing shots such as the one below). However, I was assured that one of our C-130 pilots has flown that aircraft through 2 pregnancies and it was even louder than a helicopter. I had the chance to speak with her and her firstborn son’s hearing tested fine upon birth which made me feel so much better.

COVID

Mike, the pups, and the bus arrived on March 13th and we went into COVID physical distancing practices starting the following week. I started working from home as of Monday, March 16. This was a blessing in disguise. As my body started to grow I slowly started growing out of all of my clothes. Bras started hurting so I would pretty much spend the day braless unless I had a zoom call. Even comfy pants that fit were unconformable so my uniform of choice became flowy Bali pants.

Renting Maternity Clothes

Before COVID hit I had started a monthly rental box with the Sprout Collection allowing me to rent maternity pieces perfect for the office. We returned back to work as of May 11 so I was able to quickly start up my monthly rental box again. I had also purchased 2 pairs of maternity jeans after trying one out in a previous month’s rental box. So those and my Lululemon Align tights have been the only pair of pants I can wear out in public.

I’ve tried to wear a few of my own dresses but they just weren’t built for a twin pregnancy belly so thankfully the Sprout dresses are stretchy. I’m wearing a size medium in most of the dresses and everything is fitting and accentuating the curves quite nicely!

I think one of the hardest parts about being pregnant during these pandemic times is having to go to appointments alone. Mike is so excited to become a dad and so present in being there for everything that it’s been a bit disheartening to go to ultrasounds or midwife appointments alone.

Gender Reveal

And last but not least, the most fun was had week 24 of our second trimester when we finally were able to learn of the babies’ sexes for our virtual gender reveal! We are so excited to be having a boy and a girl!

Gender Reveal

Two trimesters down! One to go!