Pregnancy and Whole30 (Surprise?!)

I have wanted to write down my pregnancy experience so far, as it has been life changing! I am 11 weeks pregnant, today.  It took me 4 years to decide that "yes, I can do this again. I can mentally and physically have another child. You have to understand that 5 kids in 7.5 years, as fulfilling as they were to me as a mother, they were also very draining; physically, mentally and emotionally and I wanted to make sure I was a good mom to all my kids. I have gotten rid of all my baby stuff, thinking I was "done". But before I decided to get pregnant I kept having this feeling that someone was missing. A feeling I brushed aside for 1 1/2 years! I finally couldn't do it any longer and felt ready. That was the end of October 2013, fast forward to January 1, 2014. Our Crossfit gym had a whole30 challenge, for 45 days. I had done whole30 twice before in 2013, so of course I was up for the challenge, especially after coming off the holiday junk food fest! I was focused on making sure I not only ate whole30 compliant but that I was drinking 72 oz. of water a day, sleeping at least 7 hours a night and being active during the day as well as working out in the gym 5 days a week. I felt great!! When the challenge was in the 5th week, I found out I was pregnant! So when the challenge was over at week 6, I went out and bought saltine crackers, purposefully to have for when "morning sickness" hit! I have had 3 pregnancies of being very sick and throwing up. I have had 2 pregnancies of not throwing up but feeling completely bloated by the end of the day and just miserable. I was prepping myself for the inevitable to happen of being sick for 6 weeks, something I was completely dreading! After all, who has time to lie around on the couch all day when you have 5 very active kids with school work, after school activities and mouths to feed? My 6th week of pregnancy was probably the worst. Not because of the pregnancy but because I started eating foods that I thought I needed to eat (i.e. saltine crackers) that were not good for my body and add that on to being pregnant, it made the problem feel 10xs worse than eating that food and NOT being pregnant. Saltine crackers were given to the kids and the cereal that sounded "so good" was easy to give up when the dairy from the milk made me uncomfortably bloated the rest of the day (dairy did not settle well with me before pregnancy). I did not change my gym routine, still going in the mornings, 5 days a week (completely unthinkable with the previous 5 pregnancies!) and have been able to hide that I am pregnant from my kids and everyone else (not much longer as my belly is starting to pop out!) My routine has not changed. Now I will not say that every night I went to bed feeling wonderful because that is not true and my husband can attest for that! What I am saying is that doing the whole30, cleaning out my gut, the same month that I got pregnant was a huge blessing! It catapulted my first trimester in the right direction and has kept crazy cravings to a minimal and I have not had any sensitivity to smell. I do have to eat every 2-3 hours. Because I am eating so often if I am eating clean, by the end of the day I am not uncomfortable and bloated. If I am not eating clean (dairy, pasta, etc.) I am completely bloated and very uncomfortable and looking 6 months prego! So having gone through this experience with my eyes wide open, knowing what I was getting into when I got pregnant, I am so happy that I started with whole30 and that it has completely changed my life and this pregnancy! I am still counting down till the next 2 weeks are gone and I am out of the first trimester. And I am especially excited for this week as we are going to tell our kids after the first doctor appointment tomorrow! They are going to freak out!!