Lauren Conrad Opens up About Her Pregnancy and Preparing for Labor

In a few short weeks, Lauren Conrad will be meeting her baby boy.

The fashion designer graces the July covers of Parents and Fit Pregnancy and Baby, where she speaks about the moment she learned about her pregnancy and preparing for her labor. “I always thought, ‘Someday, I’ll have a family.’ But it wasn’t until I was married that it was a real conversation. I think your 20s are about figuring out who you are and finding a career,” says Conrad, who wed lawyer William Tell in 2014.

The pair made it a point to have a “couple years” to themselves before starting a family. “When you’re a mother, you’re no longer your own top priority, and that idea was a little scary to me. But we’re ready for a baby now.”

Despite their parents “emotionally playful but persistent” desire to have grandchildren, the newlyweds wanted to wait until the moment was right.

“I tried to plan my pregnancy down to the month,” the Hills star confesses. “My first lesson about motherhood was that you can’t plan everything.”

Aside from her husband, Conrad says, “The first person I told about my pregnancy was my best friend, because my initial reaction was to freak out—in a good way. I wanted to be able to tell our parents later in a calmer, celebratory fashion. But my girlfriend has known me since we were in elementary school, so she was my choice for a freak-out.” She shared the news publicly on Instagram just after the New Year. “I started showing fast, and it was tricky to hide. I wanted to share the news with everybody, and posting my sonogram felt like the simplest way to do it.”

Conrad hasn’t “had crazy cravings,” but instead experiences some aversions. “For a while I couldn’t eat meat,” she says, adding that she can’t wait to eat her favorite foods again. “I must have been eating more cheese and wine than I realized, because I’ve really been missing them.”

“Early in my pregnancy I was nauseous all day and having difficulty putting on weight, which was funny because I’ve never had that issue in my entire life!” the mom-to-be says. “My mom told me to start drinking milkshakes and my doctor said to go for it — to have a daily milkshake.”

The former reality star “really wanted” a boy and her wish is coming true. She plans on taking it easy until her little man arrives and has been focusing her time on putting together a birth plan. “My friends have said, ‘Have a plan, but don’t be so committed that you’re unwilling to change if you need to.’ I’m not worried about the pain that comes with giving birth,” she tells the magazines. “Maybe I’m just naïve, but it’s pretty low on my list of concerns. I feel like women have been doing this forever.”

Conrad is still deciding how much she will share of her son’s life on her Instagram and Twitter. “I’m going to have to figure out how much of motherhood to share on social media. Obviously you want to protect your child in every way you can. At the same time, my brand is based on being accessible and sharing the milestones of my life, and I’m so excited about it all,” says Conrad, who just released a Kohl’s maternity line. “I’ll find a middle ground.”

Photo Credit: Brian Bowen Smith / Fit Pregnancy