Every day, we have the pleasure of interacting with hundreds of moms and moms-to-be. Through emails and comments, we are the grateful recipients of your joyful stories. We listen to your fears and worries about motherhood (and we pass many of them on for answering to our partners, the experts at Brigham and Women’s Hospital). We share in your delight as your babies grow from week to week—and we love seeing the end results of your journey, too—the beautiful babies you’ve welcomed into your families!
Now, we’re delighted to introduce you to four women who, we hope, you’ll find mirror your own experiences. From first-time moms to seasoned pros, these Pregnancy Magazine Moms are here to share the wisdom they’ve picked up along the way. Over the coming months, you’ll find them here in this space reflecting on their own motherhood journeys with humor and candor.
Meet Amanda
Amanda Gordon is an expectant first-time mom (33 weeks!) living in Canada. Catch a peek into her life with her husband and two pups on Life at Cloverhill. There, the couple documents their experiences renovating a century-old farmhouse while they await their new baby.
What Amanda loves most about pregnancy:
I have loved getting to share my pregnancy with all the women in my life. Hearing my family and friends talk about their own experiences with motherhood has made me feel a part of something bigger. Women around the world have gone through this for millions of years, but it can be such an isolating experience feeling the changes in your own body. Getting to talk about it with others has really helped. I also love to think about my own daughter growing inside and what her life will be like. Every movement makes me feel so happy and it’s hard to believe how much I can love someone who I haven’t even met yet. I’m looking forward to her arrival so much.
Amanda’s craving of choice:
In the first trimester all I could think about was salty food—particularly salt and vinegar chips and very salty french fries. I tried to identify what my body was really craving and swap this out for sliced cucumbers with pink himalayan salt sprinkled over top or a small baked potato. Sometimes it worked and sometimes I still had to give into the craving.
Rachel Thompson is the voice behind Rachel at Home, a warm-hearted lifestyle blog documenting one woman’s experiences with motherhood and building a happy home. A stay-at-home mom to 15-month-old Elias, Rachel joins the Pregnancy Magazine Moms from Louisville, Kentucky.
What surprised Rachel most about motherhood:
I think the biggest thing that surprised me about motherhood is just how quick others are to criticize your parenting choices. I’ve learned to ignore the nay-sayers and to trust my own parenting instincts when it comes to caring for and raising my son. If it works for you, your baby, and your spouse, then don’t worry about what others are saying or thinking.
What Rachel wants expectant moms to know about childbirth:
I always encourage new moms to take a birth class and find an OB or midwife that supports them 100 percent. My husband and I took a 9 week course and switched OBs halfway through my pregnancy, both decisions were hands down, the best thing we could have ever done. I believe it’s important for women to understand their rights, have an advocate (whether that be you, your spouse, or doula), and to understand what you can request for at the time of your baby’s birth. Educate yourself and find the support you need!
Meet Amanda
Amanda Scott shares glimpses into her life in the country on her blog, Little Southern Life. A stay-at-home mom turned entrepreneur, Amanda is raising two little ones, Nolan (3) and Harper (2), with a new baby due in July.
Looking back to the early days of pregnancy, here’s the advice Amanda wishes she would’ve received:
You are tired, your boobs hurt, and you feel really nauseous, but it will pass! You are making a little baby in your belly and you need to remember that. Take it easy on yourself and know this is the start of a new chapter in your life. Take some time for yourself and rest.
What’s surprised Amanda most about motherhood:
How completely comfortable I am with the choices that I make for my kids. Mother’s intuition is real and I always trust it.
A first-time mom nearing the end of pregnancy (she’s due in May!), Ana’s blog AnaVicioso is a virtual inspiration board of stylish and wearable maternity fashion. Ana has a little boy on the way!
The pregnancy indulgences Ana can’t live without:
Massages and baths. It’s definitely what’s helped me through my physical and emotional adjustments during the second trimester. Food wise, probably sour candy. It’s the one thing that helped curb my nausea.
What Ana’s disliked most about pregnancy:
I can’t complain much about this pregnancy as I haven’t had any major complications. A big annoyance though would be my trouble sleeping and back pains. My mouth gets so dry at night and I find myself needing to sip on water which leads to getting up more often to go to the washroom at night. Let me tell you, there is also no amount of pillows or right way to sleep. I wake up with back pains every day.
Read more: Second-time moms dish on how to make pregnancy and labor easier