Name: Holly McMahon
When is your due date? Do you know if you are having a boy or girl? Due date is March 23, and we are having a boy – Maverick Wade McMahon!
Where are you from and how long have you lived in Southwest Missouri? I am from Springfield, MO where I was born and raised. I moved away for 6 years for school before returning to Springfield, and then to Joplin almost 2 years ago.
What is your favorite thing to do with friends in SWMO? Simply just spending quality time together – no matter what it is we’re doing, we are having fun! We can entertain ourselves!
What was your reaction when you found out you were having a baby? Your husband’s reaction? Honestly, I don’t know if I was all that surprised by the time we actually took a pregnancy test because I had already started to notice several pregnancy symptoms fairly early. So then, a positive pregnancy test and trip to the doctor just kind of confirmed what I had already been feeling physically. But then to finally see and hear the heartbeat – that was an incredible and indescribable feeling! My husband and I are were so excited and thankful to start this journey together. He gave me a huge hug, told me he loved me, and he’s a coach, so I’m pretty sure he gave me at least 2 high fives!
How did you tell your friends and family? I apologize if this is a boring answer – but, we simply just picked up the phone to tell them the news! That’s exactly how we wanted to tell them -we just wanted them to know right away.
Was there anything you wanted to do before becoming a mom? Did you do it? Yes, there was – it was really important to me and my husband to feel as if we had laid a solid foundation for our marriage. There’s really no timeframe to put on that and really no clear cut answer to what that looks like – but I think we “just knew” when we were ready to start trying to grow our family.
Have you had any weird cravings? If so, what? Surprisingly, I have not had any weird cravings or aversions to any foods. Thank goodness! First trimester I did want comfort foods more, so I just tried to stick to warm dishes, root vegetables, and teas.
Have you enjoyed pregnancy or has it been a rough experience? Why? I have thoroughly enjoyed it – even at almost 39 weeks right now I am not ready for it to be over. I love feeling my baby move and I am just trying to enjoy and embrace every moment carrying him. Yes, at times it has been rough and trying – I’m definitely currently experiencing “third trimester insomnia”, and I’ve had significant nausea, fatigue, and body aches. However, every single symptom, even the negative ones I am thankful for because those are messages from my body saying I am still pregnant and that what is happening is normal and healthy. And that makes me thankful. 
I have also really focused on trying to control what I can with my pregnancy, since so much is out of our control. So I have made sure to try to stick to a healthy nutrition plan, my yoga practice has become more important than ever, and I have never spent so much time in my life practicing relaxation and stress management practices. This has all really helped keep emotions in check and manage all of the vast changes pregnancy includes.
What excites you most about becoming a mom? I am most excited about sharing this experience with my husband. We can’t wait to start a family and create lasting memories. I’m also SO excited just to snuggle and cuddle a (hopefully!) chubby baby boy and smother him with kisses!
What are you nervous about? Oh gosh – well, it’s hard to protect yourself from all the worries and nervousness of what all “could go wrong” when it comes to pregnancy, delivery, and raising a baby. So, I guess I would have to say that of course I am worried about health concerns or problems that could come up. My husband and I have decided that we will address those when they arise, and not let the fear consume us now. (Easier said than done!)
Do you have a birth plan or are you a more “go with the flow” kind of girl? A little bit of both. I know many things with labor and delivery can happen that are outside of a mom’s control, but I do have a natural birth plan. My husband and I have been able to receive education on the process, and I have been spending a HUGE amount of time practicing prenatal yoga, relaxation, and meditation techniques.
I am also working on having a “go with the flow” mindset if something unpredictable does happen. If I get to go home with a happy and healthy baby, then any birth “plan” is the right one.
What’s something your friends might not know about you? I have been racking my brain for days on this question, and I can not come up with anything! Does that mean my friends know everything about me?! Ha! I guess so!
One word that describes how you are feeling about becoming a mom: Happy!
