5 Weeks Pregnant Bumpdate: Baby Is A Sesame Seed

Week Update: I’m 5 weeks pregnant!!!!! Super excited and nervous. I took a total of three pregnancy tests just to be sure. I told husband right away because I couldn’t wait. But if you can then totally check out these awesome pregnancy announcements for husband. I think that was more for me than for accuracy. Anyway, for this pregnancy I am going to write a weekly update every week along with a bump picture. I am going to focus on what I’m researching and learning about each week along with my weekly action items that I am tackling. I want to be prepared once baby arrives! Lastly, I will add my favorite maternity find and my favorite baby find of the week! 

What I am learning about at 5 weeks pregnant? Things to avoid during pregnancy

Now is the time to learn about everything I need to avoid to have a healthy pregnancy. Here is the list I have so far. If you have any to add, then please do so in the comments!

The things that will be hardest for me to avoid will be caffeine (at least I can have 1-2 cups a day), hot tubs, steam rooms, saunas and alcohol.

For the house, I have found to avoid changing the kitty litter and avoid secondhand smoke (and quit smoking if that applies to you). I also read that you should get a radon test for your house because that can be super bad if you live in an area that could have high radon.

Test your house

It is also important to test your paint in the nursery room for lead to see if it needs be removed. What about the rest of the house? Yikes. Also, if you plan on painting the nursery like me, you should not be the one painting due to the toxic fumes.

I am also just going to avoid using traditional household cleaners. I will use baking soda and water as a cleaner and substitute vinegar for bleach. There are just too many chemicals in cleaners, and I want to err on the side of caution.

And speaking of chemicals, make sure to wash new clothing before wearing them! Clothing can be coated with chemicals from the factory they were made in.

Go through all of your medications and check the labels. You can also google them all, which is what I did to make sure they are safe. Additionally, I will be asking at my first appointment if they are all okay.

Check your makeup and skincare products

After that, check all of your ingredients in your skincare and makeup products. The ones I have found to avoid are

• retinol
• retin-A
• retinyl palmitate
• tazorax
• accutane
• benzoyl peroxide
• salicylic acid
• hydroquinone
• aluminum chloride
• formaldehyde
• oxybenzone
• avobenzone
• tetracycline
• dihydroxyacetone.

I have also read to avoid essential oils and since they are chemicals too and contain trace chemicals, it seems like a good idea. I guess certain ones can even cause miscarriage. Lastly, no DEET which is usually in bug spray.

Foods to Avoid

For foods, it seems like avoiding undercooked (including smoked), raw, and processed fish, egg and meat. This means no sushi (at least my favorite dishes) or deli meat. Also, high mercury fish such as shark, swordfish, King Mackerel, and Tuna are a big no. But eating low mercury fish is important during pregnancy because of omega-3 fatty acids, so I amazoned the Nordic Naturals fish oil pills. Raw sprouts and unpasteurized milk cheese and fruit juice should also be avoided.

What are my action items of the week?

My favorite action item of the week is to celebrate the good news with my other half. We plan on going out to dinner tonight to celebrate and spend the whole time talking about baby and all the exciting things we have to look forward to!

I also want to stop by at a store this week and grab a journal. I want to have a place to keep record of everything. A place to keep pregnancy to-do lists, questions for my care provider, details on tasks, all of the names I think of. Hey who knows how handy it will be once preggo brain starts.

I also plan on calling this week to make my first appointment. I am pretty sure I want to go with a midwife so I will make my first appointment with a midwife and then decide later on if I want to stay with that route. I know from friends that it is very common to switch after a few appointments, so I am not too worried about making that decision now.

Also, a big to-do item is to start a prenatal pill if you haven’t already. I am already on one and take Women’s One A Day. I have heard that the prenatal pill can make morning sickness worse, so I plan to switch from taking mine in the morning to in the evening. I am also going to find a few more prenatal pill options that look good to me so if my morning sickness is bad, I can try another brand. I have heard that Pink Storks Prenatal Pills are really good for morning sickness.

My favorite maternity find of the week:

I started looking at clothing even though I don’t need any yet and wow there are some really cute maternity outfits. My favorite find this week is learning there is something called a belly band. It gives you a few weeks extra in your normal clothing. Anyone reading this have any thoughts on the belly band?   

My favorite baby find of the week:

Since I spent so much time learning about all of the harsh chemicals to avoid while pregnant, I decided to also learn about the best laundry detergent to use while pregnant and also for baby. I really wanted something that was fragrance-free, chemical-free, brightener-free and hypoallergenic. My favorite finds were the All Free Clear Liquid Laundry Detergent and the Babyganics Fragrance Free Laundry Detergent. I plan on buying both and trying them out while pregnant.

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Emilia Lewis

I am a wife, teacher, and mother to two awesome girls. I write about what I am passionate about, which includes being a mom, house projects, beauty and skincare. I love to share my experiences, failures, and successes with my readers.  Let this space be a resource for you to pursue your very best day.

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