Just before Bianca King took a break from social media to focus on giving birth and taking care of her and her husband Ralph Wintle's first child, the actress made a series of posts for her followers and for her baby.
"It’s time for me to listen to my body and surrender," she captioned the first in the series. "I wanted to do & post more, clean & prep more, but my physical struggles are getting to me. Don't be fooled by the cute photos - these are all taken on good days!"
Bianca then announced, "Before I go offline, I thank everyone in this friendly community: who responded to Q&As, sent DMs & well wishes, shared their experiences & resources, and all the lovely brands I’ve worked with & made pregnancy/baby buying easier!
"I would have felt a bit lost and drowned without all of you. I feel empowered, confident and excited! In spite of the aches & anxiety. Meditation & hypnobirthing will help it pass. I will be back with a whole new perspective to share."
Bianca's insights on pregnancy
The first-time mom next shared the insights she's gleaned from her pregnancy in a form of a letter to her baby.
Month 1 & 2
Bianca finds out she's pregnant around Week 7. Her symptoms include feeling unwell, "nauseous everyday," and "useless" because she's always crying, hungry and peeing.
She admits, "I feel isolated sometimes but talking to friends about pregnancy is helping me cope. It helps to be in therapy and talk about anxieties & trauma."
Insights that are relatable to pregnant women:
1. Know the right questions to ask at the onset of pregnancy. This helps in finding the the health care provider you can align with.
2. Give yourself positive affirmations. Start by telling yourself "it’s ok to rest and do nothing, to have no direction for a moment. "
3. Apply oils and creams on your belly and boobies daily, and put everything aside to grow and nurture your baby, as well as your partner.
Month 3 & 4
Bianca takes the noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT), and the results turn out great!
Insights that are relatable to pregnant women:
1. Start researching on how you'll give birth as early as possible.
She recalls, "I would like a water birth and was told I might have to be induced? I didn’t understand, nor did I think to ask, but this sparked the deep dive into birth education.
"I asked others about their experiences, read books, listened to podcasts and watched documentaries. Then I understood that I have nothing to fear and I am physiologically capable of birthing you naturally without intervention - given the right circumstances. As long as we are healthy and low risk."
She points out, "Every woman should be encouraged to birth the way they want without judgment or instilling fear. As long as there are no complications to indicate otherwise. Whether that’s a free birth or elective C section.
"Every journey is unique and women’s birth stories imprint on us differently. What’s important is you surround yourself with energy and words that support you, a care team experienced in the birth that you want and you empower yourself with knowledge. The more you know, the less you fear. And openness is achieved."
Month 5 & 6
Bianca's baby bump becomes noticeable, but still "cute," as she still finds it easy to dress and have lost of energy "to do efficient work and feel good in my body."
Insights that are relatable to pregnant women:
1. Address the need for more emotional, mental, and informational support.
Bianca's need is filled by a private midwife and a doula provide this. She recalls, "??At 20 weeks we switched to home birth plans with a midwife. We felt a little judgment and a little praise."
She adds, "The environment, the support of a birth team in promoting natural hormone production with no medical intervention, being able to move around in labour, and try different positions in the comfort of our home are appealing to me."
She remembers not having an easy time convincing Ralph to her choice for a childbirth. But her husband turned out to be open and trusting. "Once he learned about women birthing healthily at home and the benefits, he was convinced." They then did hypnobirthing classes together.
2. Investing in birth classes.
3. Start your baby list and registry. It's never too early to buy baby stuff.
Month 7 & 8
At this point, both Bianca and her baby are getting heavier, and she feels more the aches. Her pregnancy symptoms include lighting crotch, Braxton hicks, back pain, feet pain, pelvic pain, and more!
Insights that are relatable to pregnant women:
1. Get some pregnancy pillows.
2. Expect bathroom trips five times each night.
3. Organize your home for your baby's arrival.
4. Get some maternity undies and upsizing bras are a must.
5. Ignore but know that people don't mean harm.
Month 9
Bianca considers this time as the "longest month." She's "on a mad dash to buy as much as I can for your arrival, declutter and deep clean the entire house, batch cook frozen meals, deliver content I owe and hopefully have a week to disconnect from the world and focus on relaxing."
At the same time, she's "struggling with various aches and pains from hand to pelvis. So she tries to get relief from massage, acupuncture, acupressure, physiotherapy, birth ball exercises and meditation."
Insights that are relatable to pregnant women:
1. Listen your body and prioritize your wellness now.
2. Be patient as you start cocooning and waiting for your baby's arrival.
Read here for things to prepare if you're giving birth in the hospital.
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