I’m also working on getting all of my pregnancy posts from this pregnancy categorized onto one page like my pregnancy posts from my first pregnancy and it’s a work in progress around here. Hopefully soon!
Also, I just wanted to quickly say that I’m not planning to share a post tomorrow for my usual Things I’m Loving Friday roundup because I’m planning to take today to step away from work and focus as much as possible on some quality time with Chase before our little one arrives. I just wanted to share this here because I didn’t want anyone automatically thinking it’s baby time if you happened to stop by the blog tomorrow and don’t see a post from me!
I gave a brief update via Instagram Stories on Wednesday (this is also where I’m planning to share the first info about any baby news!) but just in case you missed it, here is the latest: During my 39-week appointment, I learned that our baby has officially dropped! My midwife said our baby’s head is very low and while I’m only 2 centimeters dilated and 60 percent effaced, she encouraged me to “not waste any time” getting to the hospital after labor begins because she’s anticipating a fast labor. (Famous last words?!) Ah! I’m seriously getting so, so excited and cannot wait to meet our little one so soon!
Anyway, onto my pregnancy favs…
Pregnancy Favorites
I shared my recipe for this DIY Organic Belly Butter on the blog last week but I am 100 percent obsessed with it! I initially made it as a gift for my sister who is expecting her first child in September and loves natural, organic products. I couldn’t resist whipping up a batch for myself after she told me how much she loved it and I became addicted to applying it after my shower every day and often before bedtime as well.
The belly butter is made with a combination of organic oils and butters and feels like a luxurious whipped body butter but even more hydrating and moisturizing. I love using it on my growing belly and my breasts to help with tight skin, itchiness and the prevention of stretch marks. If you’re not into the whole DIY thing, my second-favorite belly butter is Mambino Organics Oh Baby! Belly Butter which I initially discovered during my pregnancy with Chase and continued to love during this pregnancy as well!
I struggled SO MUCH with finding comfortable clothing during this pregnancy. My belly grew faster, I gained weight almost immediately and my hips, thighs and lower back seemed to soften and expand more rapidly. All of this was a recipe for feeling really, really uncomfortable in my clothes very early on in pregnancy. Many of the below-the-belly leggings I loved during my first pregnancy felt horrible to me during this pregnancy (my belly positioning was very different this time around) and I became frustrated and basically lived in joggers and sweats for months. Thankfully a ton of you (and I really do mean a TON) recommended lululemon’s align leggings to me and I purchased my first pair during my second trimester. I instantly fell in love with them and have since bought three pairs. (Note: I love the 25’’ pant but they’re also available in a full-length legging and crops.)
When I went into the store to try them on for the first time, the woman working at lululemon said the align leggings have some kind of maternity cult following and women absolutely rave about them. She encouraged me to try on my pre-pregnancy size saying they somehow grow with you and work well in the postpartum period, too. This actually made me feel a little bit better about splurging on the leggings since I know I’ll wear them for years, whether I’m pregnant or not. They feel soft and buttery and have lululemon’s “naked fit,” meaning they’re supposed to feel like you’re wearing nothing and they really do. Somehow the fabric is also smoothing and flattering without feeling the least bit restrictive. They’re magic, I’m tellin’ ya.
- Snoogle Pregnancy Pillow
It’s safe to say the Snoogle and I have a very intimate relationship. (Snoogle and Sadie are also BFFs. She’s in love.) I cannot help but cuddle up to this pregnancy pillow monstrosity every single night and swear it’s the only way I can get myself feeling even remotely comfortable in bed. It helps takes pressure off my aching hips and back and I use it in a myriad of positions. It can cradle my belly or go behind my back and I love the way I can semi-lay on my back at a comfortable angle when I’m reading at night with the Snoogle wedged under one side of my body. It’s a nighttime pregnancy game changer.
(Wearing the ASOS Maternity Cold Shoulder Top at my friend Danielle’s baby sprinkle)
This was such a wonderful discovery! I don’t love spending a ton of money on maternity clothing since it’s not something you wear all that long but there’s no denying that maternity clothing is 10,000 times more comfortable and often more flattering to changing and growing bellies. I am so glad I discovered ASOS Maternity Outlet clothing during this pregnancy because I was able to nab some cute but affordable additions to my wardrobe, including a couple of feminine dresses and flowy tops and some trendier items like a maternity romper. The regular ASOS Maternity line is also a great find and not that much more expensive. I loved it for maternity basics like tees and tanks. (Also, someone please nab this maternity jumpsuit ASAP! I didn’t see it earlier in my pregnancy and now I’m too far along to get it but it’s so darn cute and can easily be dressed up or down.)
Pregnancy thirst (and the need to stay hyrdated!) is REAL and I know thirst will only increase when I (hopefully) begin nursing our little one. I am kind of a baby about drinking a large amount of water – it’s oddly hard for me – but when water is COLD and I have a straw on hand, it’s a lot easier for me to sip away. I have my Hydroflask or Yeti with me at all times during pregnancy and it definitely helps me stay hydrated and consume more water throughout the day. A must!
I SWEAR by this as a natural nausea fighter! I discovered Quease Ease during my first pregnancy with Chase when I was desperate to find something to help me travel when I was pregnant because I would throw up every single time I flew anywhere. This is the only thing that helped with motion sickness that was only exacerbated by pregnancy and I used it a lot during this pregnancy as well, especially during longer car trips.
I did a lot of research into high-quality prenatal vitamins before Ryan and I began trying for a baby after our first loss last year and while I liked the prenatals I was taking before (they were gummy vitamins and totally delicious), I switched to Rainbow Light after reading so many wonderful things about them online. (I bought them through Thrive Market which helped with the cost a bit.) It is a plant-based vitamin that provides all of the standard essentials (folic acid, Vitamin D and more) and seemed to be easier on my stomach which was VERY welcomed during the first 18 weeks of my pregnancy when I was constantly nauseated. One important note: The pills in the original bottle of Rainbow Light prenatal vitamins I purchased were HUGE. We’re talking horse pills, people. I had the hardest time swallowing them every night and was MUCH happier when I switched to their mini tablets. I actually ran out of my the Rainbow Light prenatal vitamins a few months back and have most recently been taking prenatals, calcium and fish oil supplements from Care/of and love them as well! I’d recommend either option!
- Pregnancy Teas
I struggled big-time with nausea for the first 18 weeks of this pregnancy and then nausea returned with a bang in the final few months of pregnancy. My nausea definitely didn’t dissipate after the first trimester and there are a few things I look to that help me when I struggle the most. Some pregnancy teas seem to help with nausea and settle my stomach more than others and my favorites are Traditional Medicinals Organic Pregnancy Tea (a comforting combination of raspberry leaf, strawberry leaf, spearmint, rose hip and more) and Earth Mama Organic Morning Wellness Tea(my go-to when I feel extra queasy).
Bless you guys for introducing this slightly sweet drink into my life! When I initially mentioned an increase in foot and calf cramping to my doctor, he recommended looking into a magnesium supplement. Since I also struggled with sleep during this pregnancy, a few of you mentioned Natural Calm to me and said it helped tremendously with both cramping and sleep. I figured it was worth a shot and quickly fell in love with this stuff! It mixes easily into water and it’s not overly sweet. I honestly look forward to drinking it at the end of every day and feel like it helps my cramps and also makes me sleep deeper.
These little candies are my first and second trimester obsession. For a few months there, I felt a bit like the grandmother who always has some kind of a candy at the bottom of her bag because I never went anywhere without a few of these in my purse. They work well for me, especially when I am somewhere that I cannot immediately eat something substantial and need something to help dissipate nausea until I can eat real food again which always seems to help the most.
Shop My Pregnancy Favs
Additional Pregnancy Favorites
And here are a few additional pregnancy favorites I loved during this pregnancy. Long-time readers may recognize a few of these from my first pregnancy with Chase as well!
- Panic Free Pregnancy (A wonderful book, especially for the more anxious expectant mamas out there!)
- Maternity Support Belt
- Sparkling Water
- Birkenstock Madrid Slides (So comfy and great for sweaty feet!)
- Babes & Babies Podcast
- Witch Hazel Toner (This was a second-trimester natural beauty find and a good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin B and Vitamin A – great for natural skin brightening and anti-aging! While I cannot claim that this toner helped my skin since I know my hormones are all over the place right now, I have not had any break outs or cystic acne since I started using it which is awesome.)
- Rose Water Spray (So refreshing!)
- BabyCenter App
Question of the Day
Are there any things you absolutely swear by as pregnancy must-haves? Please share below!
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