I wanted to take a minute and thank all of you for being apart of this pregnancy journey with me! I know some of you have followed the Honeybee for years and pregnancy may be a distant thought to some of you so I want to say thank you for still following and sharing in this amazing chapter in my life. I have tried to mix it up a bit and still include health, fashion and lifestyle posts but being that this was such a huge part of my life I had to share! So thank you all for your patience. I promise it will not completely turn into a mommy blog but I will continue to share certain parts of it!
Being my first pregnancy I wasn’t sure what to expect but knew I wanted it to be a fit and healthy one! It is possible but making consistent healthy choices is key! My goal was to gain a healthy pregnancy weight (which based on my pre pregnancy weight was between 25-35 lbs). I ended up gaining a total of 29lbs and felt great all the way up until the end. I exercised regularly and made sure to stay on track as much as possible with my eating. I definitely indulged but did so in moderation. Here are some pictures from my pregnancy journey from start to finish…
(Im 8 weeks pregnant in this picture but basically looked the same at the start of my pregnancy)
A few days before I gave birth (39.5 WEEKS)
5 Weeks Postpartum
I still haven’t started working out yet as i’m waiting for for my 6 week postpartum checkup to get the ok from my doctor. To be honest I really haven’t felt the need to rush back to the gym either. I am just really enjoying this precious time with our little girl. I did lose 24 lbs within the first two weeks after giving birth though! I was not expecting it to drop off so quickly but think it had a lot to do with the constant breast-feeding (and I mean constant…my daughter is a little piglet). I am still 5 lbs away from my pre-pregnancy weight but have a feeling that will stay with me until I stop nursing, and i’m totally fine with that. I definitely have a lot of toning to do and am also anxiously awaiting for that darn black line to disappear!
My eating has been extremely tricky because so many things (esp fruits and veggies) give my little one painful gas. I also need to make sure i’m taking in an adequate amount of calories to keep up my milk supply. Trying to juggle both of those aspects and still eat healthy has been a frustrating challenge but I know its totally worth it. I am eating a TON of healthy carbs (oatmeal, rice, ezekiel bread etc) and lean proteins (salmon, chicken, and turkey) but CANT WAIT to start eating all my veggies and fruits again (not to mention indulging in a glass of wine or two!).
Again thank you ladies so much for following this journey with us!You have showed so much love and support over the past 10 months and it has made this experience so much more special for little Ava and I 😉
WOW Andee you look GREAT!! Such an inspiration!! If I ever get the chance to be pregnant (infertility issues) I hope I grow (and shrink) as wonderfully as you!! Keep up these posts and I look forward to more!!
♥ Ashley
atparsons.blogspot.com
thank you ashley! sending lots of love your way!
I think I speak for many when I say it has been a treat to follow along on this journey, and you've been such a healthy and open example of a preggo mamma 🙂 So thank YOU for sharing the experience, and the tips!
awww thank you Chelsea! xo
Hi gorgeous! Looking splendid! I hope you are feeling amazing! What a beautiful momma you are! Thank you for putting yourself out there, sharing your journey, focusing on health, fitness, and all that goes along with it! I'm inspired by you to keep up my healthy eating and exercise as I am in the beginning of my 2nd trimester! Yayyy Andee! Enjoy that pretty little Ava you got there 😉 xox!
thank you! and congrats to you on your pregnancy!!! xoox
Goodness, you look great! I hope I will look that good 5 weeks post-partum. I can’t wait to see how long it takes you to get toned again…something tells me it won’t be long! 🙂
First I have to say that I just absolutely LOVE your blog! I like the mix seeing that I too am a mother of 2( 4yr old little girl, Avery and 14month old boy named Mason)and that I'm into health/beauty/fashion and although I'm busy with two kiddies I still love to keep up on all of this stuff. Secondly, I only wish that I would of had a blog like this to follow when I was pregnant the second time around!!! You are truely an inspiration with how well you took care of yourself before and during this pregnancy. Let me tell you, you look stunning 5 wks out!!! Give yourself a HUGE pat on the back for being fabulous! 🙂
thank you so much for the support Raquel! so kind of you xoxo
you lucky girl! how did you lose all that weight? Figure of Chic
No thank you for sharing every stage of your pregnancy with us. You look just as awesome as you did before you got pregnant! Your a lucky person. Ava is absolutely beautiful, those lips one her I just want to kiss…can't wait to see more pictures. Xoxo
🙂 thanks lovely!
It's crazy because the only part of you that grew bigger was your belly 😉 You are one lucky momma! I know so many women who gained a lot of weight in other areas too while pregnant. You look amazing!
So proud of you for keeping up such a healthy lifestyle while prego!!! You look amazing and your are such a beautiful wife and mother.. Thanks for sharing your journey with us:)
thank you Careyanne xo
I'm not one to normally comment, but we've had very similar pregnancy's and my little one had a fussy tummy as well. She is still milk and soy intolerant so I had to cut that out of my diet entirely while I was nursing. But, our saving grace was giving her probiotics (and having me take them as well). She went from a colicy baby to a happy smiley one. I tell everyone I know about them because it was such a life savor for us! maybe it would help your little Ava. Good luck and congratulations!
thank you for commenting …love that! Thanks for the tip we started giving Ava probiotics as well and are a big believer in them! I can't eat soy but will def try cutting back my milk in take too! xo
You looked amazing while you were pregnant, and you look gorgeous post baby as well. Breast feeding sure helps with weight loss. Enjoy your time with your baby, and get back into the swing of things when your ready 🙂
thanks love! yes I'm def taking my time!
you are very inspiring. I'm 23 and have been with my bf for 6.5 years. we plan to marry after college is over with right before i start med school and i have to tell you that i have had issues with weight. i've always teetered at that line between normal and overweight so i'm not huge but i know that pregnancy will be so much better if i am healthy and get healthy now. i am starting a journey this summer to get in the best shape of my life and i'm telling you, your pictures inspire me because you are beautiful and responsible. you aren't a poster girl for plastic surgery, you are good old fashioned healthy and i love it. your daughter is going to grow up with great examples on how to eat, unlike me 😉
Thank you Jessica and good luck to you! Thats awesome you want to start getting into the best shape of your life!! xo
Oh my goodness…. you looked amazing the WHOLE time! How was working out for you during the first trimester? Will you email me? I seriously have some questions!!
thank you Courtney! Working out in the first trimester was awkward at first…esp jogging but after i got 10 mins into the workout i was totally fine. After 6.5 7 months its started to become much more difficult so toned it down a bit more but was still active
You looked great throughout your whole pregnancy! I can hardly believe you put on 29 lbs. I wish I fared as well as you did! I was definitely very lax with my dietary habits (not horrible, just not strict the way I was pre-pregnancy, and it's gotten MUCH, MUCH worse since I hit 39 weeks… I will be 41 weeks tomorrow).
It's funny how different weight gain can look on different people! I have gained about 36 lbs total during this pregnancy. I have basically lost all of my tone (stopped lifting weights around week 32 or so, stopped exercising – with the exception of walking – for several weeks due to recurrent colds), but I hope to get back to my pre-pregnancy size within the first 6-9 months of having my baby.
funny you say you stopped lifting and and exercise except walking because of colds! The same thing happened to be at 7.5 months! I only walked a few days a week from then on because I was so worried about getting sick again! Don't worry enjoy this time and you will be back to your pre prego shape soon! xo
You look great!! You'll lose the last 5 pounds in no time! Following you along during my own pregnancy has been invaluable so THANK YOU!! Glad you're feeling good and getting to spend lots of time with your little chunk! 😉
Thanks natasha! I LOVE reading all your posts too!!! xo
This isn't even fair. You look incredibly awesome! I agree that being consistent with diet and exercise is crucial to snapping back. When I had my daughter 4 years ago, I was very healthy before I got pregnant. I gained almost 50lbs. with her, but afterward I was quickly back to my size and I believe it's b/c of my fit lifestyle……Fast forward, I ended up having a severe injury which prevented me from my exercise, which was a bit depressing. I gained weight and have not been able to bounce back. Plus, I'm in my late 30's and I can tell that makes a difference too. Kudos to you for remaining healthy and not using the excuse "eating for two" to overindulge.
You inspire me to be healthy, Andee. Thank you for sharing your story and tips with us. They are beyond helpful! You seem like such a lovely person despite your good looks! That's rare to find. 😉 P.S. Where did you get that bikini top? Your boobs look amazing in it! XD xoxo C
thank you!! and the bathing suit top is from Victoria Secret!
You look amazing
You are gorgeous! Congrats, you look awesome!!!
thank you Jess! xo
Lucky you, you look amazing…I sure hope I can lose my baby weight that fast too!
Wow, I am so in love with this post! You are such an inspiration and RIDICULOUSLY beautiful! :] I cant get over how cute your belly was! This makes me so excited for pregnancy one day! I just hope I have as much self control with food as you do! haha. Thanks for sharing pretty mama! :]
your to sweet monica thank you xo
You are an amazing example of healthy, consistent choices. I'm doing pregnancy so much better the 2nd time around, only wish I'd done it with my first! Love your blog and that you share so openly – you are definitely a positive influence in the blog world. You will lose that last 5 lbs in no time, esp. if you continue to breastfeed. Many blessings to you & your sweet little family!
Thank you so much Tammy that is so nice to hear! xo
Wow you look good!
Im 7 months Post Pardum and the line is just now fading away.. Still an outtie belly button to. Hear it does take up to a year for all to go "normal" again!! We'll see 🙂 You look beautiful!
oh man hope I still don't have 5 months of this lovely black line 😉
Well done my friend 😉 I really think the key to losing the weight easily is to gain around 25-30 and breastfeed! Just like you did. I gained 50 with both of my babies and always lost 25 quickly from bf'ing. Then the last 25 takes forever! My tummy line took over a year to fade. 🙂
You look great Andee, absolutely stunning! Well done…you should be so proud.
You look amazing, but then again you had an amazing body to begin with. I gained 28 pounds with my daughter and 21 with my son. I kept 15 pounds on while breastfeeding, and then it came right off after I stopped.
Just curious, do you have a particular stance with vaccinations? I'm pregnant with number 3, and I'm thinking I may delay them for some time.
Awww congrats to you Leena!! The vaccinations are a tough one for me. I let my husband decide on these because to be honest I felt damned if I did and damned if I didn't. We are going to vaccinate but are just spacing them out a bit. My hubby (like many others) were a fan of the doctors Sears method. We also skipped the Hep B vaccine in the hospital.
You look amazing and should be proud of yourself! Think we look different at our bodies after having kids, we kinder and not expecting so much from ourselves being proud of what we just went through…..well done 🙂
I loved your progression, so cute ! Isn't it funny how breastfeeding makes you hungry like a teenage boy ! My daughter is six months old now and that hunger has subsided. And I will say I thought I would hang on to the weight too ( I did with my son) but I am below pre-pregnancy weight. Your body knows what it's doing trust me !
it SERIOUSLY makes you ravenous! haha
Andee! You look amazing! Sorry to ask such a personal question, but I have to know…what cup size are you? I have a similar build to you, but my (natural) boobs are HUGE! I'm a 34G. I'm currently pregnant with baby #2 but once we're done having kids, I'm dying to get a breast reduction. Anyway, I obviously plan to go smaller, but don't want to be tiny either. Your pre-pregnancy size looks perfect. Anyway, sorry again for such a personal question but I just had to ask haha.
I started following your blog whilst you were pregnant (I was also preggo at the time)and it has been lovely following you through your pregnancy/birth. I was very similar to you, I lost all of my pregnancy weight apart from 4lbs in one week and then the following week I lost even more and ended up weighing less than before I was pregnant!!! It is crazy what breastfeeding does, Im permanently hungry and think about food all day. Your looking absolutely fabulous by the way, motherhood definitely suits you xx
thanks love and congrats to you as well! xo
Andee, you have been such an incredible inspiration throughout everything. First of all, the fact that you wanted to have a healthy, balanced pregnancy is so inspiring. Secondly, you look AMAZING 5 weeks postpartum! Thank YOU for sharing more personal aspects of your life with us <3
thanks so much Rebecca xo
you look fantastic! 🙂 loved following your journey throughout pregnancy!
You look amazing Andee! Long time follower!
Which vitamins did you take during pregnancy? Were you taking any before you knew you were pregnant as well?
Love that dainty necklace you are wearing in that last photo- details?
~KJ
Thank you I was actually taking MAXI HAIR from Whole Foods (you can search my post on it in my search box on the right side of my blog) before pregnancy and then I switched to some different prenatals from Whole Foods so I will post a pic of those on Honeybee FB this morning (someone else had asked and I keep forgetting to post them) Also the necklace I am wearing was an early mothers day gift from the hubby its by ginette_ny and is from Shopbop.com
You're awesome. I love this blog!
😉 thanks Lily
You look amazing having just given birth, and your baby is absolutely precious:)
thank you all for your kind comments! xoxo
You are right the breast feeding helped the rapid weight loss but you didnt gain a lot of weight anyway….. As you commented and I commented before everyone has a bit of advice and here is mine for this period: I breast fed both my kids for a year. I actually lost weight during my pregnancies since I was obsessed with taking good care of myself during that time and ate right and rested. SO, the advice is be careful with nutrition at this time. I bought into the thought: Oh, I'm breastfeeding so the weight will come off and ate more each day. As time progressed and especially past six months when baby starts solids you will breast feed less and less and have to watch the food caloric intake… So there's my two cents.
Enjoy your little one!
I have really loved going through this journey with you. I have recently started my own blog and would love it if you stop by and tell me what you think.
http://danaslookbook.blogspot.com/
Thanks.
Dana
You look amazing! I can't believe you're already back in shape after barely 5 weeks, I wish I could be like you. You're a real inspiration. I'm almost 19 weeks now, and I've been working out daily both cardio and strength, I hope I can continue like this until late pregnancy. It really helps with the swelling and tone the body for after the delivery.
Did you start working out? How was your eating since you delivered? Do you think that breastfeeding was contributing on your fast recovery?
You look amazing Andee!! Loved following your pregnancy and so happy for your little family!
Congrats on the baby! I am a mother of two young boys and I love it. You also look amazing. I was wondering if you could tell me what size your ps1 handbag is, as well as, what size is your Givenchy Pandora handbag? Thank you
You look amazing! What type of working out did you do throughout your pregnancy? I would walk 4 miles 4x a week but was scared to do anything else. I gained 35 pounds but it took me 7 months to get back to my size.
I also started a blog to talk about my weight loss story.
Thanks!!
fitfabyum.blogspot.com
giiiiiirrrrlllll you look amazing post baby!!! as a matter of fact, the only thing that changed during the pregnancy was the growing belly, everything else stayed perfectly intact!! you are such a beauty :)))
Thanks for sharing…you look beautiful before during and after xoxo
you were seriously so adorable your entire pregnancy! i admire your healthy lifestyle commitment during your pregnancy and think you are already looking amazing post baby! congrats on your beautiful additon to an already beautiful family!
Your pictures are inspiring. If you dont mind me asking what size are you or height? I had my 2nd daughter 4 months ago. I really need to slim down and try working out. Is there any advice you can give me. My wedding reception is in Oct and I must lose lbs to fit into my dress. Thank you sooo much!
i've been following your blog and i love it!!! A lot of inspiration. I do have one question. Do you mind me asking what weight you started before you got pregnant? BTW your daughter is the most beautiful thing 🙂
thank you so much…My starting weight was 115 and I'm 5'4
It's been ages since I have been online because of work… Grrr… Nonetheless, I just had time to go thru your blog posts today… And this is a lovely post. You did so great! Looking after yourself does pay off.
You're blog started out for me as an interest in makeup and clothes and general reviews, but now I'm just more inspired to adjust the foods I eat on a regular basis and make sure I maintain general motivation for health, fitness, and happiness…
Btw, it sounds all cheesy and all but it's true 🙂
Hi Andee, i stumbled upon your blog by accident and saw your pregnancy diary. Can i just tell you that i am truly inspired. i am 26 years old who absolutely love exercising trail running.I am very far from pregnant or getting pregant any time soon, but have always wondered how i would be able to tackle pregnancy in terms of my love for exercise and a bit of a fear of what it will do to my body. i understand our bodies will react differently to these things. but you have proven that exercise and healthy eating before, during and post pregnancy helps with getting back in shape. Thank you very much for this. well done!! enjoy your baby girl
Hi Andee,
Will you tell us how far along you were in each picture. As a mom to be I am super curious. You are beautiful:)
Cheers,
Tara
I have 4 weeks until my due date. I'm getting so excited & anxious for my little lady to arrive. I have a question about BF. I plan to BF for 6 months and will continue from there if I really enjoy it. How many extra calories do you eat while BF prior to pre-pregnancy? Do you eat a lot of the same stuff? I worry I will have to eat a lot more and it's important since it's going to my baby. I eat pretty heathy as it is, but also enjoy treating myself during pregnancy :)) I just want to be sure I eat enough without feeling like a porker. Do you have any healthy eating advice for BF?? LOVE following your BLOG!!!!!