(Somewhat) irrational hair thought of the moment

So for the past few months, I have been trying very hard to avoid the reality of labor and delivery.  And let me tell you, this stage of pregnancy has been hard to avoid.  I swear every BabyCenter newsletter has a whole section dedicated to "live births" or people want to volunteer the details of their traumatic experience.  So you ask, why am I trying to avoid all of this and remain in a state of ignorant bliss?  Quite simply, it scares the crap out of me.  The pain, the hospital, the fact that anything can happen...all of it.  I miss the days of believing the stork brought my little brother to our house.

But one thing I keep thinking about is holding my beautiful little girl and our first moments together.  So I'm giving you fair warning to laugh at me or think I'm some crazy pregnant lady but I wonder, is it wrong if the first glimpses my child eventually gets of me are weavealicous vs. natural?

Again, I prefaced this all with the fact that this thought is probably super irrational, trivial, silly, etc., but it is one that I keep thinking about.  Probably because my hair is one of few things that I an actually control.  Am I some type of a fraud if she sees me with with my weave and lashes (oh yes, lash extensions are my latest obsession -- post coming about that)?  Or should I be stripped down and natural like her?

I'm leaning towards the weave because I can only imagine how my natural hair would look after hours of labor.... it wouldn't be cute.  And maybe I am slightly vain for wanting to look somewhat decent when my child comes into the world.  It would be nice to have a fresh pedicure and for my hair to look presentable.

And quite frankly, I can't be the only one who has had this thought.  I know that some woman have full make up on, fresh for those post delivery pictures with their little bundle of joy.  Soo poo on you if you are judging me!  I'm just writing down what some people are thinking about :o).

Pregnancy Hair & Skin Advice

I’m 29 weeks today!  Part of me is screaming “YAY” and the other part of me is screaming “Oh s$*&, I’m not ready yet!”  But as I enter the last phase of my pregnancy, I have been reflecting on the journey not only my body has been through, but the journey my hair and skin have both experienced.  I thought that I would share some advice for others who are pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant because I found that a lot of what I was reading in books and on the Internet, caused me more stress than help.  As always I am going to keep it real, which may result in some TMI moments.

Your skin may freak out.  If you are prone to breakouts when you are on your period, your face will probably go ape s&*% crazy when you get pregnant.

• Take it from me, facials do nothing so don’t waste your money.  My face was HORRIBLE so I immediately ran to my esthetician.  After 3 times of spending at least $100 per session, my face still looked a hot mess.  The breakouts are caused by the hormones running through your body.  So your face may look good for a day or two, but eventually you will look a mess again.
• Talk to your doctor about what products are safe.  Do NOT rely on the Internet.  A lot of the stuff I banned from my bathroom for months due to all of the Mommy boards scaring the crap out of me, turned out to be perfectly safe in my doctor’s opinion.
• Drink a lot of water.  I’ve always drank a lot of water, but at one point during my first trimester, my skin was super dry, so stay hydrated!
• Keep your hands out of your face.
• Wash your face twice a day.  You can't do much about your hormones, but you can keep your face dirt and oil free as much as possible.
• Do not wear a ton of make-up.  I never wore a lot of makeup before all hell broke loose on my face.  But after waking up several times, looking at myself in the mirror, and crying, I felt like the only thing I could do was to cover it up with make-up.  Not only did this probably make matters worse, but I brought more attention upon myself because of my sudden use of make-up.  If you can’t imagine leaving the house with a bare face, at least keep things light and just use powder or a light tinted moisturizer.
• Do not beat yourself up.  Your body is doing amazing things to grow your beautiful baby.  In the grand scheme of things, your breakouts are truly a blip on the radar and are temporary.  By the middle of the second trimester, my skin went back to normal for the most part.

Your hair will grow like crazy but you probably won't feel like doing it.  Non pregnant people still ask me, “Why do you have a weave? Your hair has grown so much!”  I tell them until they have been pregnant and understand how incredibly tired I am, especially during the 1^st trimester, do not say this to me.  The last thing I feel like doing is my hair and I don’t want the health of my hair to suffer.  Wearing a weave has been a lifesaver.  Granted I still need to take great care of my hair, but it doesn't take me nearly as long to do my hair on a weekly and daily basis.  Pick a protective hair style that will be easy for you maintain and make you feel great.

Your hair will grow like crazy...everywhere.  You will become besties with your waxer but eventually you will probably not care anymore because you won’t be able to see anything below your hips.  The moment when I discovered I could no longer comfortably bend down to shave my legs, was quite humbling and amusing.  My advice - wear pants or maxi dresses and keep it moving.

I can laugh now because I am not longer in the moment or just don’t care anymore.  But I am willing to endure anything for my baby girl!  Would love to hear any skin and hair tips from pregnant lovelies or moms!

Impulse decision

So big news first. My husband and I are expecting! The little peanut will be making his/her debut in October. Around the date of my last post is when I found out… needless to say life has been a whirlwind since then.

I was extremely tired during my first trimester (luckily that’s the only real symptom I experienced) and had a hard time keeping up with my hair. So I turned to a weave and that helped me out a lot. I figured it was better to take care of a weave properly, rather than risk damage to my natural hair by not giving it the time it needed.

So on Sunday after yoga, I had the bright idea to take my weave out because I missed my natural hair. My hair has always grown pretty fast and I always heard that your hair grows like crazy you are pregnant due to hormones and the prenatal vitamins, but I was not ready for the amount of hair I discovered. I was overwhelmed with the amount of hair on my head and I am at a loss for what to do with it.  I feel like I am starting my natural journey all over again.

I carefully removed my weave and washed/conditioned my hair like usual. I made an impulse purchase at Target and purchased Jane Carter’s Hair NourishingCream and used it as a heat protectant before I blew out my hair. I am very happy with the product and highly recommend it, despite the price tag (~$17). My hair was soft and had a nice shine when I was done. Later that night, I curled my hair on grey and purple flexi rods using some Natural Oasis hair oil. 

The next morning I had big, fluffy, textured curls. Now what do I do?  Besides a bun and two strand twists, I am fresh out of ideas. I know I should leave the heat alone and style my hair wet, but did I mention I was pregnant and tired? 

Day 1

Day 2

Reasonably priced products alert! Check out Pooka.

Hello lovelies.  As my internship ends, reality has set in and I'm slowly realizing that I am once again a broke student (only one more year of this, praise the Lord).

Pooka Pure and Simple is an all natural, handmade beautycare line that was conceived after the creator, Dawn Fitch, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.  She decided to take a natural approach to hair and skincare by making her own products.  I was even happier when I realized that the products are *gasp* affordable!

  

 

I had the pleasure of trying the Shea & Olive Hair Butter (4 ounces) and the Nectar Hair Oil & Treatment (4 ounces).  Following are the ingredients for each:

Shea & Olive Hair Butter - Shea Butter, Olive Oil, Beeswax, Rosemary Oil, Lavender Oil, Fragrance
Nectar Hair Oil & Treatment - Avocado Oil, Olive Oil, Rosemary Oil, Lemon Oil, Lavender Oil, Peppermint Oil, Fragrance, Lavender Buds, Rosemary Leaf, Lemon Peel

The first thing I noticed, about both products, was the amazing smell.  Both products smell so crisp and fresh and made me even more eager to try them.  The great thing about the Nectar Hair Oil & Treatment, is that it comes with a dropper, which makes scalp application a breeze!  The Nectar Hair Oil & Treatment claims to stimulate growth which I think is something that should be evaluated on a case by case basis.  As you all know, my hair doesn't "love" oils, so I've been using the Nectar Hair Oil & Treatment for nightly scalp massages.  This product also doubles as a hot oil treatment, which I have yet to try.

I've been using the Shea & Olive Hair Butter once or twice a week as a moisturizer for my twists.  What is great about this product is that it doubles as a body moisturizer as well.

I can easily see both products becoming staples in my hair routine.  Give them a try.  I don't think you will be disappointed.