Social media maven, Katie is strong, centered, and preparing for motherhood with her first. 

After recently losing her mom, this charming entrepreneur and co-founder of The Edit talks staying calm while grieving and navigating pregnancy in the time of Corona. Plus, her quarantine routine, business with her bestie, learning to cook (finally), and reconnecting with nature. @katie

Wow, the world has changed so much since we last saw each other. For the most part, I’m feeling good. I’m 25 weeks and just had the 3-D scan (of which I was super grateful they didn’t cancel the appointment and I was able to bring my husband). Seeing his features come alive, made all of this very real. Plus, they said he’s is super healthy and in the 90th percentile for size and weight.

We’re having a boy.

Physically, great, but emotionally, less so. While I haven’t had morning sickness or felt drained, it’s been a lot to navigate “expecting” without having any idea what to expect. This is supposed to be one of the happiest times in my life and instead, it’s a bit chaotic.

While dealing with the Coronavirus has been difficult, right before the outbreak in the States, my mother passed away from cancer. It was sudden and I barely had time to grieve before we went into quarantine. I’ve had to process her passing, the reality of the virus, and deal with pregnancy all at the same time which has been an emotional roller coaster, to say the least.

She had cancer for the past two years but we thought she would pull through or at the least make it until the baby was born in August. When she passed suddenly it rocked my world and has by far been the hardest thing I’ve ever experienced. That said, I’ve been trying to make the most of this time to heal and find the positives.

Mainly, learning to slow down. Even after my mother passed, I jumped right back into work and my routine rather than taking time to process her death. Perhaps this is the Universe’s way of telling me (slash all of us) to grieve, reset, prioritize, and reconnect with friends, family, and ourselves.

I’ve been reading more than ever, meditating regularly, and taking long walks around my neighborhood to simply think. Overall it’s helping me heal.

I’m such a planner, so the uncertainty of everything has been driving me nuts. At this point, things are changing so rapidly with regulation it’s hard to plan for anything. In general, I have so many questions from, Is my baby going to be safe? to, Should I plan a baby shower? Sadly, no one really knows or has answers. 

Pre-Corona, I wasn’t mindful about what I ate or put in my body. I would absentmindedly order Postmates for lunch or grab a protein bar on the way to a meeting. Instead of eating out or ordering in, now we’re meal planning and cooking at home. As a result, I’m thoughtful about the number of carbs I’m consuming or the type of sugar I’m having…natural, not refined. Plus, best of all, I’m finally learning to cook!

Yes! Things I ate as a kid, such as my dad’s famous mash potatoes, or meals from the restaurants we frequented growing up. Also, ice cream is my weakness. This one’s tough as I‘m trying to cut back on sugar to avoid gestational diabetes, but I love it!

It’s definitely on my mind, especially as I read more books on pregnancy. Right before social distancing, I took a prenatal class and three women in the class (all incredibly fit and healthy), had gestational diabetes. Since my baby is growing ahead of schedule and I’m showing more than others, I certainly have some concerns. I’ll be able to test for it next week, but in general, when planning our meals I try to keep sugar to a minimum and incorporate lots of protein, mainly chicken and steak.

I thrive off a routine, so this new life is quite a departure. The first few days felt like a bizarre confusing vacation, but now we’re finding our way.

My husband is an early riser and on calls with Asia and Europe by 6 am. Since we’re working out of the same house, this has shifted my schedule too. I get up about 6 am now and do my best to start the day reading before reaching for my phone. Then, I head to the bathroom for a quick face rinse followed by a 30 minute streaming workout. Since pregnant, I’ve used more organic skincare products but not I’m not a stickler about it. I like Osea, Biologique Recherche, and Elta MD. After working out, I’m making an effort to get out of sweatpants and into an actual outfit. This makes me feel better about myself and be more productive.

Before, I loved going to the office at the same time every day and collaborating with my team, therefore it’s important for me to be in front of my computer and working by 9:30 am. I usually schedule a Zoom call with my partner or a client to get me started. I work until 6 pm with a couple of breaks, plus lunch, and a mid-day walk.

Lastly, in the evening we go for sunset walks, make dinner, talk, connect, watch a bit of Netflix and bed by 9 pm. I have to say, all the quality time we’re having together as a couple before the baby comes has been wonderful.

Fitness has always been part of my life. Before C19, I went to The Studio (MDR) pilates 4 to 5 times a week through the first five months of my pregnancy. Now I’ve been streaming their 30 minute daily classes plus I take a walk around the neighborhood or into the bluffs. I still make a point of hitting 10-15k steps a day.

No Mud, No Lotus: The Art Of Transforming Suffering. It’s an easy, relatable read not only for those that have lost someone but also for the times we’re living in. As I said, I used to be one of those people that would grab my phone the moment I woke up and start looking through my email which makes me anxious. To curb that habit, I’m making a point to reach for my book instead of my phone.

My partner has always been a big proponent of taking as much time as we need while being mindful that we have clients and a business to run. I could never check out entirely, nor would I want to. But, given that our company is focused on digital, I can do a lot remotely which gives me some flexibility. Overall, I plan to take it one day at a time. Also, who knows when any of us will be back in the office.

Lauren and I were best friends in middle school, high school, and college. After graduation, we went our separate ways. I went to NYC to work for Burberry in PR and she went into the music business. After two years I moved back to LA and we reconnected. Since both of us were freelancing in social media, we started co-working together, then we shared an intern, followed by an employee, and finally, after several years of work-dating, we officially launched The Edit. We took it slow as working with a friend can be tricky, but we’ve had a good go at it!

Perhaps this is more a reminder to myself than advice to anyone else, but take time, slow down, and enjoy pregnancy. I’m one of those people that’s constantly on the go and thinking about the next thing. It took COVID-19 for me to take a step back and realize how lucky I am to be in the place that I am at a time like this.