Navigating Pregnancy in My 30s: Answering Your Most-Asked Questions (Part 4)

Hey there, beautiful souls!

Welcome back to my little corner of the internet. For those of you who are new here (hi, hello, welcome!), I’m Flor – a thirty-something first-time mom living in the concrete jungle of New York City and working as a full-time content creator. My online space is a real mixed bag of city life vlogs, behind-the-scenes peeks at the influencer world (including how I work with brands and make money), and now, my journey through motherhood.

Today, I’m diving into yet another pregnancy Q&A video – yes, another one! Trust me, I’m just as surprised as you are. I thought Part 3 would be the final installment, but after posting an Instagram story asking for questions about pregnancy, postpartum, and motherhood, I was flooded with pregnancy-related questions that I hadn’t fully addressed before.

So here we are with Part 4, which I’m pretty sure will be the last pregnancy Q&A (but never say never, right?). I’ve selected the five most frequently asked questions to answer in detail. If you missed the previous three Q&As, you can find them linked at the bottom of this post.

But first, let me share the video with you. Grab a cup of tea, get comfortable, and let’s chat about all things pregnancy!

How Did I Find Out I Was Pregnant?

Many of you asked about the moment I discovered I was pregnant and whether I had captured that special moment on video. I hate to disappoint, but I don’t have some grand, emotional story to share.

For my husband and I, finding out was surprisingly… chill.

I had been experiencing some cramping for a couple of days and initially thought my period was on its way. Having a pregnancy test on hand, I decided to take one – not really expecting a positive result. While our pregnancy was technically “planned” in the sense that we had been together for years, were married, and knew we wanted children someday, we weren’t actively trying for a baby at that specific moment. It was planned but unexpected, if that makes sense.

So when I saw that positive test, there were no cameras rolling, no elaborate surprise for my husband. I simply showed him the test, he confirmed it was positive, and we had this moment of “Okay, this might be happening.” We were cautious in our excitement, knowing that anything can happen in those early stages. We took it day by day, step by step.

Sometimes the most life-changing moments happen in the quietest ways, don’t they?

My Go-To Pregnancy Apps

Finding the perfect pregnancy app can take some time as you figure out which one feels most comfortable and matches your interests. While most people probably stick to one or two apps, I went full-on pregnancy nerd and used four different ones! I wanted to absorb as much information as possible at every stage.

My pregnancy app lineup included:

Ovia Pregnancy
The Bump
What to Expect
BabyCenter

All four apps allow you to track your pregnancy week by week, showing how your baby is developing, what size fruit or vegetable they compare to, and fun facts like “Your baby is growing ears this week!” or “Your baby can now see light!” I found these details absolutely fascinating.

I’ll be doing a comprehensive video soon about all my pregnancy essentials, including products and apps, so stay tuned for more detailed recommendations.

Did I Follow a Meal Plan During Pregnancy?

The short answer is no, I didn’t follow any specific meal plan during my pregnancy. However, I do have some thoughts on nutrition during pregnancy that might be helpful.

First and foremost, I strongly recommend discussing nutrition with your doctor. At my first appointment (around 12 weeks), my doctor took my weight, calculated my BMI, and suggested how much weight I should aim to gain for a healthy pregnancy. I tried to stay within that recommended range throughout my pregnancy, and I’m happy to say I managed to do so.

As for my eating habits, they definitely changed throughout the pregnancy:

First Trimester: My appetite decreased significantly due to nausea and fatigue. I had weird cravings for specific fruits or vegetables and generally just ate whatever I could tolerate. My advice? Listen to your body during this challenging time.

Second Trimester and Beyond: I found myself naturally craving healthier foods. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy burgers, fries, and other indulgences (because I absolutely did!), but I felt drawn to more fruits, vegetables, and properly prepared meals. I started eating breakfast regularly (even if it was just toast with jam) instead of skipping it as I had before pregnancy.

Rather than following a rigid meal plan, I paid attention to what my body was telling me it needed. I did some research on pregnancy-friendly foods but ultimately followed my cravings and hunger cues rather than strict rules.

The takeaway? Check with your doctor about nutritional guidelines, but don’t be afraid to trust your body’s signals.

How Did I Feel About My Changing Body?

Body image during pregnancy is such a personal journey, isn’t it? Overall, I felt pretty good about the changes my body was going through, though there were certainly challenges along the way.

I think first pregnancies are especially tough because everything is new and unknown. Your body is creating an entire organ (the placenta) to support your baby, which leaves you exhausted and often nauseous. This physical toll can definitely impact your mental health.

For someone like me who thrives on productivity during normal working hours, feeling weak and needing to take naps at 3 PM on a Monday was mentally challenging (though I recognize the privilege of being able to rest when needed).

The pregnancy journey had distinct phases for me:

First Trimester: This was the toughest, with constant fatigue and nausea that affected my daily life and mindset.

Second Trimester: Just as everyone says, I felt like myself again! My energy returned, the nausea subsided (with help from medication), and I was back to enjoying life in the city – attending events, meetings, and returning to the gym. This was definitely the “golden period” of my pregnancy.

Third Trimester: Things became less comfortable, though not exactly in the ways I expected. Julia (my daughter) positioned herself more inside my body than out, so I didn’t develop as large a belly as some might expect. While I didn’t feel the enormous weight many pregnant people describe, simple things became more difficult – sitting for long periods caused nerve issues, sleeping grew uncomfortable, and unexpected symptoms like heartburn appeared.

Looking back, I think when you enter a wanted, planned pregnancy, there’s a mental readiness to let your body change and allow this baby to “take control” for a few months. Your focus shifts to hoping for a healthy pregnancy and baby rather than maintaining your pre-pregnancy body.

That said, if you’re struggling with your changing body during pregnancy, please talk to your doctor or a mental health professional. Pregnancy takes a toll on your mental health, and it’s completely normal to need support.

Experiencing Pregnancy Away From Family

As some of you know, I’m originally from Argentina but live in New York City. This meant spending most of my pregnancy thousands of miles away from my family and childhood friends, with only my husband by my side (though some family members did visit briefly).

Surprisingly, this arrangement worked perfectly for me. When I’m not feeling my best – as happened during parts of my pregnancy – I actually prefer not having too many people around. I don’t enjoy being seen as sick or weak, so sharing the experience intimately with just my husband felt right.

The question implied that being away from family was difficult, but honestly, it wasn’t hard for me at all. I didn’t particularly enjoy people touching my belly throughout pregnancy (except for my husband), so being away from well-meaning but boundary-crossing relatives was actually a relief!

Overall, I had a positive pregnancy experience despite the distance from family. Our little unit of me, my husband, and our dog Oreo felt complete and supportive.

That said, I recognize this isn’t the same for everyone. If you’re pregnant and feeling lonely without family nearby, my heart goes out to you. I hope you’re able to arrange visits or perhaps travel to be with loved ones during important moments. If being close to your mom, sisters, or other family members during pregnancy is important to you, I truly hope that becomes possible.

Wrapping Up

And that’s a wrap on Pregnancy Q&A Part 4! At this point, I think I’ve covered pretty much every aspect of my pregnancy journey – from discovery to body changes, from family reactions to mental preparation. But if you have more questions, drop them in the comments below, and I’ll do my best to answer them there.

Who knows? If I get enough good questions that I haven’t addressed before, maybe there will be a Part 5 after all (though I highly doubt it!).

If you enjoyed this post, you might also like my previous pregnancy Q&As:

Are you currently pregnant or planning for a baby? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments below!

Until next time, Flor 💕

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