Pregnancy changes everything. The way you feel, the way you look, your skin, your sleeping and eating habits...SO.MANY.THINGS! Adjusting to all the changes can be overwhelming and down right exhausting! Especially since there's soo gadgets, apps, lotions and potions and random stuff everywhere promising to make the entire 9 months the best of your life. Well, I'm approaching 22 weeks now, and I feel like there are definitely a few things that have made my journey a lot easier and healthier. Here are some of my must haves for the first half pregnancy. Check it out below!
As I progress through the 2nd half of my pregnancy and onwards to the 3rd trimester, I am sure I'll have a few more to add to the list.
1 - Health
I love everything about The
Honest Company. I started ordering their
Wellness Bundle, which includes the Prenatal and DHA/Omega-3 as soon as I found out I was pregnant. Their prenatal vitamins has real food nutrients and include wholesome organic fruits & veggies to ensure optimal absorption. They also contain 1.5 billion beneficial (CFU) live probiotics to enhance digestion, immunity and overall intestinal health. These supplements are free of commonly used binders, fillers, allergens, pesticides and other contaminants, and are tested and certified for quality, purity & potency. Personally I think taking Honest prenatals versus other prescription brands helped keep me feeling good and the nausea at bay! The only downside is that each pill is HUGE, and the daily suggested dosage is THREE of these ginormous pills! You get use to it...
2 - Fitness:
Polar Heart Monitor &
Tracy Anderson Pregnancy Project
I wanted this heart monitor (in pink of course) even pre-pregos, but I felt like I needed it more during pregnancy. I wanted to be able to track my exertion rate since I wanted to continue running, and ensure I was within the safe zones. While said "safe zones" vary in each person, I felt more comfortable continuing my exercise routine through my first trimester with this handy gadget. I was actually surprised by the calorie burn by each workout - I guess when you're trying to breathe for two, you're also burning more calories.
I heard such great things about Tracy Anderson's workout routines, so I decided to try The Pregnancy Project and has been such a great addition to my regimen. Its low-impact focus caters to those suffering major nausea and sickness during the 1st tri, and I love that it incorporates a lot of the barre movements I'm used from Cardio Barre. If you were pretty fit and active before, these workouts are great when you're super exhausted, which can be often during these 9 months. It does get a bit harder once you get farther along. I'll do them once or twice a week in the mornings in conjunction with evening walks for extra cardio.
3 - Skin Care
The thing I was most concerned about during pregnancy was stretch marks! I know most of that is determined by genetics, but I definitely wanted to make sure I was taking every preventative measure. Enter
Mama Mio! I love this brand. I searched and searched for various creams and body butters that smelled good and one that was not greasy or too creamy, and I found that in the T
ummy Rub Stretch Mark Butter. I use the butter in tandem with the
Stretch Mark Oil. The oil just feels good on your skin. I used the butter twice a day and the oil just in the evenings. Downside - Its pretty pricey, each costs about $40 for a 4 oz. jar, which lasts just under a month if you use religiously like I do. But it's so worth it. Both items, as well as the brand, come highly recommended by various bloggers and celebrities.
And last but not least, I use gold old fashion Coconut Oil {from Trader Joe's} to moisturize everything everything else.
4 - Fashion
I don't think this needs much explanation. All women love maxi dresses. But pregnant women live in them! Its comfortable. flowy. and grows with your belly. Period.
5 - Apps
I've downloaded and subsequently deleted MANY pregnancy apps. Most are just not informative and lack utility. My faves so far have been "
What to Expect" and "
My Pregnancy Today / BabyCenter". They both provide great weekly breakdowns on baby's development and easy excess to communities of various topics from Birth Club (moms due the same month) to health & fitness, complications and ultrasounds.
6 - Sleep
The
Leachco Snoogle Total Body Pillow is a dream. I got it just a couple weeks ago and its seriously the best purchase ever! Its super comfortable and feels like you're being spooned all night! I originally got it to help transition to left side sleeping. Its still a challenge for me to stay on my left since I'm a back sleeper, so this pillow totally helps a lot.
7 - Peace of Mind
Excect for a few weeks of pure exhaustion, I felt pretty good and normal throughout my first trimester, so I wanted to confirm from time to time that he was still in existence...somewhere in my belly! So I got the
Sonoline B Fetal Droppler. Its pretty amazing! After initial use, I could find baby's position and heart beat pretty quickly. From weeks 10-16, I used it just weekly to celebrate his week mark. :) I have the 3MHz version and it's the same one my OB's just during our regular visits.
If you have any other recommendations, send them my way!
XOXO!
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