Hey guys! First and foremost, thank you all so much for your positive thoughts and well wishes for our little Cody. We got updates from the doctor yesterday that he was doing well, even though he still has two kidney stones that apparently couldn’t be flushed out. So I’m not quite sure where that will lead us…but it sounds like he should still be able to come home later today with us, so we’re thrilled about that! <3
Switching gears a bit, I’ve got a fun pregnancy post for you guys today, so let’s get to it!
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Let’s face it…pregnancy isn’t always easy! While there are certainly aspects of the process (and most certainly, the outcome!) that are enjoyable, those 10 months can have their ups and downs.
So as I enter into the 30th week of my 2nd pregnancy, I thought I’d go ahead and share some of the things that I’ve found to be incredibly helpful for me in either one or both of my pregnancies. Because really, fellow mamas and mamas to be out there, we’re always looking for a little extra support or advice, right?! Okay, maybe the advice is on the fence, but regardless, take this list as you wish and feel free to try out all, some, or none of them!
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Always Sheer Dailies & Always Xtra Protection – Ok, let’s get a little TMI for a second right off the bat. There are usually certain things that are kept off the table, if you will, since they may be a bit too taboo to discuss. But let’s get real for a second here. These are great for when you start laughing way too hard at Impractical Jokers, etc (tell me you watch this show!?).
They’re also great for the not-so-enjoyable parts of pregnancy, too (we’ll just leave it at that). The liners allow you to feel “shower fresh” all day, every day, and they’re so thin and discreet that I honestly don’t even notice I’m wearing them. Always Xtra Protection Dailies absorb leaks and odors in seconds, while Always Sheer Dailies are thin and comfortable enough to wear every day. As someone who has used the Always brand in one form or another since at least junior high school, I can tell you that they’re great.
Essential Oils and a Diffuser– I’ve been using YL oils for maybe a little over a year now, although not as consistently as I’d like to. There’s a lot to learn about them, that’s for sure!
But I have learned that Lavender, Peppermint, and Lemon are all incredibly helpful in treating allergies, and just with providing a nice, uplifting feel. I diffuse them together (when I think of it) and really try to be more adamant about it when I notice my allergies kicking up a bit. I’ll either diffuse them by my bed or I’ll mix them all together with some coconut oil and rub on chest/wrists/sinuses/feet!
Prenatal Massage – I totally get that this is more of a luxury than a “necessity,” but ladies, if you can, you MUST try to get a prenatal massage at some point during your pregnancy. If you think about it, you’re pregnant for almost 10 months, right? There’s bound to be a holiday or a birthday within that timeframe where you can ask for a gift card, right?! I know I take full advantage at Christmas and birthday time!
Maternity Clothes and Underwear – With my first pregnancy with Lucas, I feel like I went a little longer until I had to start wearing maternity clothes. This time around, I’m fairly certain I broke out the bin of maternity wear shortly after finding out the news. Things starting growing much quicker this time around, and there was no sense in trying to force myself into my favorite black skinny jeans when it was just totally not comfortable. Embrace the way your body is growing and find some clothes that fit you, fit you well, and make you feel GOOD. Need some ideas? Check out my post on 15 Pregnancy Wardrobe Staples!
Preggie Pop Drops and Life Savers – The Preggie Pop Drops are great, and I definitely noticed some nausea relief when trying these during the first trimester, but they can be a little expensive. I also found that just sucking on plain, fruity candies like Life Savers also helps tame my nausea a bit. Not to mention the fact that I tend to crave a LOT of fruity things in my first trimesters (fruit snacks, candy, etc.), so they become rather enjoyable, too.
Pregnancy Pillow– I’ve heard SO many women rave about their Boppy pregnancy pillow, and I’m starting to wonder if maybe I dropped the ball on that one. But I actually just use a full length body pillow while sleeping and it really seems to help quite a bit with getting comfortable. It was absolutely amazingly comfortable. I would shape it like an actual Boppy so it would support my belly if I were to switch and lay on opposite sides during the night. Then I would use additional pillows, a few under my head, one between my legs and one under my knees. It was quite the set up, but it was very comfortable.
Eucerin Original Healing Soothing Repair Lotion – I dealt with the most awful, itchy belly for the majority of my first trimester. I slathered lotions, body butters, and creams all over my growing belly every night before going to bed, but nothing seemed to help. After talking to my OBGYN, she recommended that I try the original Eucerin lotion…and ever since, my itchy belly has drastically improved.
Sometimes, simple is better!
Water – Ladies, you feel me on this one?! Some days I’m better than others, but I can always notice a difference on the days when I don’t wind up drinking as much. I may be making a couple less trips to the bathroom on those days, but I also tend to feel more crampy, bloated, and just overall blah on the days where I’m not guzzling my H20. Invest in a fun, reusable water bottle to keep by your side all day long, and you’ll likely wind up drinking more of the good stuff. For me, I tend to drink much more when I have a cup with a straw. This is a really fun water bottle!
Prenatal + Extra Supplements or Vitamins – Of course, ladies, we need to take our prenatal vitamins everyday! While I do really enjoy gummy vitamins, I always have a hard time knowing that I’m paying more money for them, so I tend to stick with a regular capsule. They’re occasionally a bit tough to swallow during the first trimester nausea, but I just try to power through.
I also keep some fiber gummies on hand, which are especially helpful in the first trimester when constipation can rear its ugly head. Ugh…the worst, right?!
Stash snacks everywhere – Trust me. You do NOT want to go hungry during pregnancy. Keep snacks everywhere. Your desk at work, your purse, your gym bag, your nightstand, your car…wherever you need to keep ‘em, do it.
And of course, we can’t forget the all-important one as an added bonus to the list…SLEEP! This goes without saying. Pack in as much of it as you can while you’re pregnant because, let’s be real…you’re going to be missing out on quite a bit of it once your little bundle of joy arrives!
What do my fellow pregnancy veterans think? Anything you’d add to the list as a must have during your pregnancy?
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Always. All opinions are my own, and I thank you all for your continued support surrounding sponsored content on STSL! <3
Colleen says
Wait, there’s such this as pregnancy underwear?!?!
Marielle says
Snacks everywhere is a must!!! I also can’t live without maternity yoga pants. Beyond Yoga is my favorite!!
maria says
also pregnancy pillows/body pillows is really nice to have, i recently got one finally after reading some reviews like this for example http://reviewssimple.com/best-body-pregnancy-pillows/ and i choose number 2. and yeah i find it give a needed and comfy support, even if you are not pregnant its nice to have that extra support. works great if you are a side sleeper to :)
Brynn says
All the water! I never had a prenatal massage but enjoyed foot rubs from my husband!
mallory says
my bf and i are obsessed with impractical jokers!! haha love it. i even took him to see them live in boston last year for his bday! they are hilarious!!!!!
Courtney says
That’s awesome! I didn’t realize they had a tour – just went to check it out! Wish they were coming closer to us, haha!
Julia @ Lord Still Loves Me says
Not pregnant so I don’t have a lot to add to this post, but YES to Impractical Jokers. That show is one of the best programs I’ve ever randomly stumbled across. We now DVR it and never miss an episode!
Kimberly says
Not pregnancy related either, but did you ever make the lemonade with the cucumber and mint? It sounds so good and would really like to have the recipe.
Courtney says
I did! Not much of a recipe though…just filled a cup with lemonade and added a few slices of cucumber and a few leaves of mint! :)
Kimberly says
Thank you! Sounds good! Good luck with Cody!
Ruthie says
I can’t believe I went my 1st pregnancy without a pregnancy pillow. The snoogle ROCKS!!!! Also… get Young Living Progressence Plus for post partum! It was incredible at helping balancing my hormones. Loved it.
Courtney says
Oooo, thanks for the tip, Ruthie! I’m all about helping balance out the hormones, haha. How did you use it?? I may have to look into getting it!
Ruthie says
I used it on my wrists and behind my ears.. twice a day for about 12 weeks. With Ford I had some pretty normal post baby blues/ overwhelming feelings and I had NOTHING with Lucy. Not sure if it was because I was more confident as a mother but I just really enjoyed the newborn phase and felt so much joy. Post partum hormones are icky! It is an amazing oil though… I’ve heard of friends using it for menopause, fertility, periods, PMS..
Jayne says
Love the advice from the mom to be ! I myself don’t have any children yet but I’m loving getting o know what the experience is like as well as before and after the baby comes it’s exciting to me to hear what other women have to say!
Bethany says
Love these ideas as I am 39 weeks pregnant myself. I would most def second the pregnancy pillow and massage! I few other things that have helped me are gum (for when I an nauseous), belly band ( I do not wear it to hold my pants I just like the support it gives me and it seems to work the crazy amount of oil I put on my belly stay longer).
Andrea @ Pencils and Pancakes says
God I wish insurance would cover massages because they are necessary! And YES to #1….LOL even if it is TMI. And I find it difficult to drink enough water!!! When I have a day off of work and I don’t have my usual water bottle by my side in my classroom I end up feeling crappy and don’t know why. Then I remember…..water!
Amanda says
I just want to say that I love your blog, I’ve been following for about two years, and I’ve been loving the pregnancy updates more than ever as I’m expecting too. I’m confused though because a few days ago I was reading the blog post below from 2014, and I took note of the essential oil for allergies recommendation (I use YL oils, AND have allergies in my first trimester so it really stuck out), and I was surprised to see that your essential oils paragraph in this post was word for word the same as in the post I read a few days before. I’m not judging at all, but it just made me wonder if this is a normal practice in the blog world?
http://livelikeyouarerich.com/17-must-have-items-that-will-make-your-pregnancy-much-more-comfortable-2/
Courtney says
Oh my gosh, Amanda, THANK YOU for pointing that out for me! No that is definitely not something I would ever intentionally re-post word for word (and I’d hope it’s not normal practice in the blog world either!). In total transparency, I found that post (and a few others) when I was trying to make sure there weren’t any other ideas I had forgotten about when creating my own post. I likely copied it so I’d remember to add essential oils to my own post, and then completely forgot to re-write it in my own words. GAH! I certainly wouldn’t appreciate if someone had done that with my work, so I TRULY appreciate you pointing that out to me so I could re-word to fit my own experiences with them. Thanks so much for reading the blog, and have a great weekend!
JenG says
Would you mind sharing info on oils? We have a 10mth old in daycare and it seems as if one of us is always sick. So Many Germs!! have you diffused oils for this purpose? I’ve been trying to do some research but there is SO much out there it’s overwhelming.
Thanks!