This week, Perelel turns two. And we'll be the first to admit that we're getting all the feels. Not only does this time have us reflecting on how much we've grown over the past two years, (Albeit because of you, our always-inspiring community.) but also we're thinking about how you and your families have grown with us, too. So, we reached out to a few Perelel customers who have been by our side to hear what changes they've experienced over the past two years. From new babies, new beginnings, life lessons and silver linings—here are some of their learnings on the journey to becoming "mom."
Read on below.
Alesia
In our village for two years.
Perelel: Why did you choose Perelel to support you throughout your journey? Which product did you start with and where are you now?
Alesia Veasman: I was introduced to Perelel through my good friend, but what sold me was educating myself on the product. Learning that Perelel had created a prenatal that would change through your pregnancy journey and deliver you and your baby the vitamins you needed at that moment was a no-brainer. I have been a loyal fan since day one.
I started with the Conception Support Pack and I'm currently taking the Mom Multi Support, although I could probably graduate to the Women's Daily Vitamin Trio now.
P: How did you feel when you found out you were pregnant?
AV: I remember it like it was yesterday. Seeing the positive pregnancy test was a flood of emotions! I was excited, scared, nervous, grateful, excited, shocked, and excited again. Those emotions were on repeat until my husband got home and I could share the good news with him.
P: What were you most excited about?
AV: I was most excited about officially starting our family—and that I got pregnant. I have underlying medical issues and I'm on a handful of medicines, so I thought our fertility journey might be a long one. To this day, I'm still grateful we got pregnant and delivered a healthy baby.
P: Most fearful of?
AV: I was most afraid of the unknowns. And I had so many questions!
What's next? Literally, what do I do right now? Do I call my doctor? When can I get an ultrasound? What should I eat? I need to switch my prenatals to the first trimester ones. Wait, what? I'm how many weeks? But this just happened! I'm a mom now?
P: How did you take care of yourself in those final weeks before giving birth? Any suggestions to 3rd trimester mamas?
AV: About a month before my due date, I decided to stop working. I was freelance so I could do that. That last month, I did a lot of self-care. I took long walks (or waddles) in the neighborhood, drank lots of water, read all the pregnancy books, listened to the podcasts to mentally prepare for birth, got prenatal massages, nested hard (I would hang out in our baby's room for hours), ate yummy meals with my husband, binged Netflix, visited with my mom and grandma, and generally did things that made me happy. I was a lady of leisure knowing this would be the last time I could be one.
P: Do you feel like parts of yourself changed after becoming a mom?
AV: Once I became a mom, a part of me that I didn't know existed came to life. I literally look at everyone and think, 'Wow! You're someone's child.'
I'm a lot less selfish and have more empathy towards everyone. As a person, I've completely changed and it's a constant juggling act. Today, I'm the best mom. Tomorrow, I'm a great wife. Next week, I'm a good sister, friend, daughter, colleague...the list goes on.
"Once I became a mom, a part of me that I didn't know existed came to life."
P: Looking back, what advice would you give yourself at the start of your pregnancy?
AV: Looking back, I would tell myself, "Don't stress! You've got 10 months to figure this all out. You don't need to know everything or have all the answers right now. Baby steps. You've got this."
Dre
In our village for over one year.
Perelel: Why did you choose Perelel to support you throughout your journey?
Dre Thomas: I chose Perelel because I was really intrigued by the idea that my vitamins could grow with me. I started with the Conception Support Pack and worked my way through each—1st Tri, 2nd Tri, 3rd Tri. It was really cool how each pack had a different color box. It got me excited about going through the journey and helped with counting down to being a mom. Now, I’m taking the Mom Multi Support Pack.
"[Perelel] got me excited about going through the journey and helped with counting down to being a mom."
P: How did you feel when you found out you were pregnant?
DT: I felt all the feels but mostly elated with a hint of disbelief! The news came at a moment in my life where I felt like I was a bit stagnant and needed something new and boy did I get it.
P: What were you most excited about? Most fearful of?
DT: I was most excited about having someone to do things with, like a new best friend. In that same breath, I was scared that I was in over my head and romanticizing everything.
P: How did you take care of yourself in those final weeks before giving birth? Any suggestions to 3rd trimester mamas?
DT: Lots and lots of naps! In the early stages of my pregnancy, I felt guilty about napping. I kept saying to myself, 'You should be doing this or that or getting this ready.' Towards the end, I really embraced napping and took advantage of it as often as I could.
P: Do you feel like parts of yourself changed after becoming a mom?
DT: The biggest change has been not being able to adequately plan my day and being okay with it. I no longer obsess about ticking everything off my to-do list. I’ve learned to celebrate even the smallest of wins—like taking a shower!
"I’ve learned to celebrate even the smallest of wins."
P: Looking back, what advice would you give yourself at the start of your pregnancy?
DT: Embrace taking it easy and eat what you want.
Dani
In our village for over one year.
Perelel: How did you feel when you found out you were pregnant?
Dani Herber Koenig: Excited, shocked, terrified—really all of the emotions one can feel in a given moment.
P: What were you most excited about?
DHK: I was most excited about having a nuclear family. I'm an only child and my parents divorced when I was young, so I was always looking forward to the time in life when I'd have a family of my own.
P: Most fearful of?
DHK: With regards to what I was most fearful of, I really hated being pregnant and so I worried I'd harbor some of that resentment of the process towards my baby. Spoiler alert: This did not happen at all and I, somehow, fell instantly in love.
P: How did you take care of yourself in those final weeks before giving birth? Any suggestions to 3rd trimester mamas?
DHK: I went for lots of walks, tried to spend quality time with my husband, and allowed myself to feel however I was feeling, which was mostly exhausted and antisocial—two characteristics very unlike me.
P: Do you feel like parts of yourself changed after becoming a mom?
DHK: I just didn't know I had this level of love inside of me. Sometimes I look at my daughter, and I feel like my heart might physically burst. I think becoming a mom added a softness to me.
"I think becoming a mom added a softness to me."
P: Why did you choose Perelel to support you throughout your journey?
DHK: I liked that Perelel offered a solution tailored to where I was in my pregnancy journey, and where my baby's development was in that process. This was also the prenatal solution my OB/GYN recommended, so I liked that it was a product she believed in as well.
We want to hear about your experience—wherever you are in your motherhood journey. Join our community, Village by Perelel, to connect and find support with other women going through the same. Plus, shop OB/GYN-made vitamins for your exact stage of motherhood now.
This article is for informational purposes only. It is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and we recommend that you always consult with your healthcare provider. To the extent that this article features the advice of physicians or medical practitioners, the views expressed are the views of the cited expert and do not necessarily represent the views of Perelel.