Fit Bump Biddy

03/08/2022

Patrick A Furlow & I are thankful for all your help, gifts, time, prayers and selfless love. We are grateful to be surrounded by such a beautiful & supportive village. Each one of you have contributed to these special moments we’ll cherish 🥰 forever -Thank you!

I have enjoyed this journey more than you all know. After all these years of parenting, I really feel like I'm ready, again 😉😅.

Now, the only thing left to do is wait for MR. Maverick to make his grand entrance!!!

We love you all.
~Positive vibes always 🥰🙏🏾🤗💙🕉👶🏾

01/19/2022

We’ve made it to the 3️⃣rd trimester 💓👏🏾💪🏾
I can’t believe today is finally here!! I’m so blessed and happy 😆. All my kids have been premature and my pregnancies were significantly high risk.

👦🏾Kaden was born at 24 1/2 weeks. He was 1lb. 5oz. He had to stay in the NICU for 6️⃣ months before he came home.

👦🏽Kumari was born at 26 weeks he was barely 5 lbs. had to stay in the NICU for 3️⃣ 1/2 weeks before he came home.

👧🏾Karis was born at 29 weeks. She was 5lbs and 4oz. She only stayed in the NICU for 1️⃣.

This time around I’m significantly older😅🥴 but I’m healthy and I’m happy! I feel the difference and it’s really been a pretty easygoing pregnancy. Having a supportive partner & being in a place where I can live authentically is just a few reasons I have not been stressed out. Not to mention- the love and support from my family & friends. Im truly appreciative of this moment in time. Y’all don’t know how grateful I really am. 🙏🏾🙌🏽😭
God willing, I’m looking forward to Maverick being the 1st baby I will be able to bring home the day I leave labor & delivery.
For now, I’m gonna take it easy!! Continue my workouts and enjoy eating my additional 450 calories a day 🤣. We have 11 weeks to go! Can’t wait to meet my tiny human. I just want to spoil him so… and no, I’m not putting him down 🤣😅🥴😂😂.

12/11/2021

Omg, ☺️let the countdown begin… we have 1️⃣6️⃣ weeks and 4️⃣days before baby “MAVERICK”arrives 🙌🏽👶🏾🥰. I still haven’t locked down a middle name for this little one. 🤔Maybe I’ll just have a list of names and We’ll choose one when I see him & hold him. 😍😍

So far this 🤰🏾journey has been amazing 🥲 & fairly easygoing. My feet are getting fatter and I can no longer put my 🧦’s on or tie my shoes without using a stepping stool 😆. My 15 minute cat naps have turned into hour long sleep 💤 sessions, HAHA. I set alarms and totally disregard them🤪. All of these things are slightly uncomfortable and sometimes a challenge but it’s a walk in the park 🙏🏾compared to my other pregnancies.
I honestly just have only one complaint 😬- these frequent bathroom trips😫😣😩. Can a sister get a break 🤣. I can’t believe I really have to use the bathroom every 2 hrs!!!

12/03/2021

I’m officially 1️⃣5️⃣4️⃣ pounds & it’s all BABY!😉🥰🤰🏾
Let’s talk about it… 😬
WEIGHT GAIN during pregnancy!!
Here’s what’s we know- Steady weight gain is more important in the second and third trimesters — especially if you start out at a healthy weight or you're underweight. According to the guidelines, you'll gain about 1 pound (0.5 kilogram) a week until you’ve reach delivery.
For women who are overweight or have a BMI of 30 or higher, the guidelines suggest a weight gain of about 1/2 pound (0.2 kilogram) a week in the second and third trimesters.

Important take away- 👉🏾 Gaining too much weight during pregnancy🤰🏾 can increase your baby's risk of health problems, such as being born significantly larger than average (fetal macrosomia). You might also be at increased risk of pregnancy-related hypertension, gestational diabetes, prolonged labor, and the need for a C-section or delivery before your due date. 😔Excessive weight gain during pregnancy can also increase your risk of postpartum weight retention and increases your risk of blood clots in the postpartum period.
💪🏾Here’s some tips I use to help me:
👶🏾monitoring your caloric intake,
👶🏾decrease stress
👶🏾drink enough water
👶🏾avoiding processed foods
(or at least keeping it to a minimum)
👶🏾Do your best to stay active
👶🏾Take your time
Remember to talk to your health care provider if uou have concerns or questions about your weight gain.

11/30/2021

Oh, baby- it’s cold outside🥶🤰🏾☺️

11/05/2021

🤣🤣😂🤦🏾‍♀️ Funny story…
Sooo, Karis came home after school. Washed her hands and changed her shirt. Walked downstairs and said hi mom, can I hug 🤗 you now??? I’ve washed my hands and changed my shirt 🤣🤣😂🤦🏾‍♀️ I had to lol 😂. I asked omg… am I that bad??? she said, yesssss🤣😂 every since you’ve been🤰🏾 you’re more of a germaphobe. And I know I won’t be able to hold the baby if I was outside or in public 🤣🤣🤣🤣😂🤦🏾‍♀️😩 All I could do was laugh.
She is 💯 right!!!

10/25/2021

As the knowledge of being pregnant begins to sink in, many of us drift off into fantasies about what our next 9️⃣months will be like. We subconsciously absorb information about pregnancy🤰🏾from movies & TV shows that sometimes depict non-pregnant actresses playing pregnant, with adorable prego bumps that can come and go on cue 😆.

We may also be effected by celebrities photos, social media accounts or even our own friends experience of pregnancy. All of this can come together to create an unrealistic sense of what your pregnancy journey may be like.

Listen, 😳it can be a huge letdown when the reality of pregnancy fails to meet our expectations. No matter how large or small, expectations are tricky. Because most are subconscious, we aren’t even aware of them until we feel like something is wrong 😑 when things don’t pan out the way we’d planned.

Being a mom of 3 premature babies, I’ve experienced my share of disappointment. This time around I feel more rooted and grounded. I have consciously taken steps back to get a clear sense of what my expectations are. I remind myself every day that every pregnancy is different and unique in its own experience. I affirm every morning: good health, self-compassion and being thankful I’ve been given the gift of motherhood.

Yes, it’s hard not to be anxious about the future — at times it makes being present a little uncomfortable. However, I still must remind myself that this particular experience, that I’m having right now, is special. It’s the only one I’ll have with this child 👶🏾.

😍🤪🥲😅🥴🤑🤤I’m a ball of emotional energy and the only thing that can help is being practical, living in the now, communicating my concerns with my partner and making preparation to meet my little one. Sh💩t gonna get real soon enough!!! 👣🍼💙

2️⃣3️⃣ WEEKS & 2 days to go!!!

10/20/2021

Week 1️⃣6️⃣ and I think it’s time to purchase maternity clothes 🤰🏾. Honestly, this is the only part of my pregnancy I wish I could skip🙄🤣.
Yes, I know I’m growing an entire human. However, that still doesn’t make the weight gain an physical transformation any easier to cope with. Especially when your used to crop tops & abs😪.

Dressing during pregnancy is different for everyone. Finding clothes that fit and flatter is challenging 😰. Our pregnant bodies change so much!! A growing “BUMP” is just one factor— breasts swell, feet can grown at least a shoe size and the waist can widen. Talk about growing pains 😩😂.

I guess maternity jeans 👖, boho dresses, and stretchy t-shirts are about to be my new wardrobe. Making the transition is still a little tricky. Not to mention- I’m a frugal spender🤑.

I’ve tried on a few pieces but still haven’t really found anything that fits to my liking. Im pretty sure I have 1 more week before I can’t button my jeans 😬.

At the end of the day, I just want to be “CUTE” & “COMFY”. Or should I say, “COMFY” & “CUTE”. 😪🤣🤣

If you ave any suggestions or links to purchase maternity wardrobe, please help a sista out!!! Thanks in advance 👣💙 

10/05/2021

Well, I’m Finally in the 2nd trimester ☺️ and it’s a scientific fact we’re expecting a 👶🏾 boy💙👑! I’m so happy It was HIS DIVINE 🙏🏾will to give us what we’ve manifested.

So far everything is going great and slowly falling into place. I’m leaving room and preparing for a few ‘just in case’ bumps in the road. 🙄 I know everything can’t be perfect, but I’m sure as heck gonna make it my business to get as close as possible. “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Falling short is not an option for us😉.

A huge part of our plan is having a great support system. Creating an environment of love and stability. Including our family and friends in this journey truly has made this transition more seamless. I’m so grateful for my mom Tausha V Willoughby (Mama) & Patrick’s mom Janice Samuel (Nana) for their selfless service to our family and business. We’re not their only children 🤣 and they also grandparent our wonderful nieces & nephews. Yet, they find time to care for us, and make sure they are present at any given moment ☺️🥰☺️ we love you 2 dearly & appreciate all of your sacrifices.😘

You both have taught us to treat people the way we want to be treated. And if people don’t treat us how we we expect, teach them how.💕- Thank you.

🗣 Thank u from the most loving parts of our hearts ♥️ to our wonderful family & friends this weekend. You all have once again outdone yourselves with the outpouring of love, support and time. Spending your Sunday with us celebrating our family means everything. Whether you joined us at the restaurant, sent text messages or showed up in the zoom meeting it was all beautiful. And we appreciate you all. 💙💙💙💙💙

💙💚💛ITS A BOY💛💚💙🎉

Fun fact: People once believed the umbilical cord represented one’s destiny. In the 18th century FRANCE, the umbilical cord of royal 👑 babies we’re dusted with powdered cumin & myrrh! They were sure this would effect their future 😆.

10/04/2021

OMG!!! Words cannot express how deeply grateful we are to have shared this special moment with you all!! We love you all dearly 🙏🏾💙💙💙💙👣👶🏾 We’re having a boy! 🥰🥰🥰

09/26/2021

👣We’re 2 weeks away from the 2️⃣nd trimester (HONEYMOON phase)!!!!! Baby is growing and Im feeling 99.9 percent better. Morning sickness has subsided and I’ve been getting sleep 😴.

👣The scary part of my pregnancy journey has came to a close. All the 🧬 genetic testing results are back along with the gender 🤭 and our baby is growing & healthy. Although I feel like I’m 25, 🙄 I’m considered high risk and “advanced maternal age”. Women who have had premature births & women who conceive over the age of 35 are at a higher risk of developing complications during pregnancy. It’s important to seek advice from your healthcare provider to help insure you have the best chances of a healthy pregnancy. Eating healthy and staying active lowers my risks of gestational diabetes & other gestational diseases along with helping my baby develop healthy & strong.

👣Unfortunately, my anxiety 😟 is at an all time high ⬆️ all because I want to know if I’m housing a boy 💙 or girl💗. Of course, it goes without saying we’ll be happy either way.
🗣 😉

👣We’ve decided on a name and it happens to be unisex. 😊😊☺️ Now, I’m just patiently waiting for him/ her to develop and grow so we can meet. It’s safe to say… We’re gonna spoil this kid😜.

👣I’m proud of myself because I’ve really kept my word and have not purchased one single item for the baby. It’s been such a challenge. I want to buy everything I see. These IG & Facebook ads are 😈 teasing me. 😪😂

👣Having the support of Family, close friends & XPF/ D2F family means the world 🌎 to Patrick & I . Honestly, I don’t know what I would do without them. You all have made this pregnancy 🤰🏾 journey so enjoyable and easy. I appreciate all the phone calls, text and food runs. 😂😂 I feel so loved 🥰 and protected. We have yet to meet and this baby truly has bought so much joy & excitement to our lives. Our village is strong 🦾. I’m so grateful to have been chosen to birth another beacon of love 💗. We are blessed beyond measure!

09/17/2021