Maternity Must Haves | Part 2

maternity/nursing poncho | body oil | comfortable slippers

belly stickers | support tank | pregnancy pillow

Seeing as I'm getting closer, and closer, to the half way point in this pregnancy (19 weeks tomorrow!), I figured now would be a good time to share part 2 of what I refer to as my "Maternity Must Haves".

It goes without saying, that you could make it through nine plus months of pregnancy without owning these products, but I've found that during this current pregnancy, as well as with the prior 2, that many of these items make me really happy, and much more comfortable... and lets be honest, comfort is key when your growing a tiny human!

cover me ponchos-  a recent find, this product is seriously amazing, and I truly wish I had it for my other 2 pregnancies.  Not only can this poncho be worn as a stylish maternity top, but after baby arrives, it works as a nursing cover, and can also be used to drape over your baby carrier/car seat.  It's super comfortable and soft, and it's multi-functional, all of these points make it a must have in my opinion.

honest company organic body oil-  I love misting this stuff all over after a hot shower or bath.  My skin tends to get tight and dry, particularly over the winter months, and I love how lightweight this moisturizer feels.

comfortable slippers- pick whatever brand you like here... my Uggs have long been my favorites, but really the point is, comfy feet are so essential during pregnancy.  I have been fortunate in the past, and have not yet had the pleasure of dealing with swollen feet, but if your prone to them, you may want to go with an open back/slip on style... either way, your feet will thank you, and they're great to have when delivery time arrives!

belly stickers- okay, not exactly a necessity, but I think that these belly stickers are a super cute and fun way to document your growing bump!

support tank-  worth it's weight in gold.. seriously though, these are a bit on the pricier side, but once you slip one on, you will want to wear it every day, and you will certainly get your monies worth.

pregnancy pillow-  this item has recently become a definite must have for me.  I never owned one when I was pregnant with M&E, and decided to splurge this time around.  I'm a stomach/side sleeper, and now that I'm getting to the point that I can no longer sleep on my belly, I need to pull out all the stops to get in my Zzzzz's.  Some people say that you can purchase an inexpensive body pillow, but this gem is pretty much my new best friend.

There you have it expectant friends!

Maternity Style with Pinkblush Maternity

It's no secret that I've been pregnant quite a bit over the last few years,  and while many of us know that being pregnant can be tough on a women's body, I'm pretty sure that a good majority of us can also agree that finding fashionable clothing, and still feeling on trend while growing a tiny human, can be difficult too.

In the past I have been asked by expectant friends where I go to find cute maternity clothes, and though I've always had a small handful of go-to stores when it came to maternity clothing, this time around, I felt like I needed to find something new... another option in terms of trendy maternity clothes.

{sweater c/o pinkblush maternity}

That's when I stumbled across Pinkblush Maternity.  Ladies, if you are pregnant and looking for cute maternity clothes, this company has you covered and then some... from maternity maxi dresses, to tunics, to sweaters, shawls, and pants, Pinkblush carries it all.

They have 100% become my new go-to for clothing while pregnant, however I have to note, that in regards to the styles I have already received from them, I will be wearing them even when I am not expecting!

{maxi dress c/o pinkblush maternity}

I am so thrilled to have found quality, stylish clothing to wear while I am pregnant that has more of a maternity boutique feel to it.

{tunic c/o pinkblush maternity}

Pinkblush maternity offers amazing style choices while still maintaining wallet friendly prices, which for our currently growing family is a big deal.  As much as I adore wearing my yoga pants on the daily, it's nice to know that when I feel like stepping up my game and want to attempt to look put together, I now have another option in terms of maternity style!

17 week "bumpdate"

I've always been great about documenting my kids ages and development week by week, but not so much when it came to my pregnancies with each of them...

{maternity poncho/nursing cover c/o cover me ponchos}

Sure I snapped photos of my growing belly, but I never made it a point to write down what I was craving, how I was feeling, or where my head was at, at any given point during the 39 weeks that I was pregnant with both M&E.

I've been thinking lately, that it's never too late to try something new, so with this being my third pregnancy in just a few short years, I thought I'd take a stab at documenting how I'm feeling and what's going on week by week (or maybe month by month) this time around.

At 17 weeks along, and a few weeks into my second trimester, I'm thrilled to admit that the nausea seems to finally be behind me, my energy is returning, and I finally (thank God!) have the desire to drink coffee again!!!

It's strange, because so many people have asked me if my pregnancies were different when I was pregnant with a girl vs. a boy.  They weren't really at all, except for the fact that with Max, I knew he was a boy 100% from day one and with Ella I was clueless as to what we were having until my 20 week ultrasound.

This pregnancy has been the most different thus far, and I can't say it has anything to do with the sex of the baby.  The cravings I've been having are mostly the same... carbs and sweets, all day every day.  Spaghetti and meatballs, cupcakes, french fries, and English muffins are constantly on my mind... which as you can imagine, will likely do wonders for my weight gain.

The way I have felt this time has been so different though.  I never dealt with nausea before, and with this baby, it was bad.  I was also totally lacking any form of motivation for awhile there, but I suppose growing a human while chasing 2 around, will do that to you.

Much to my dismay, I'm also feeling much bigger, much faster this time.  Chalk it up to not losing all of the baby weight after having Ella, my uterus being stretched out, or a combination of the two, but I get the feeling I'm going to be feeling large and in charge for the next several months... Thank goodness for full panel maternity pants!

I began feeling kicks and flutters very early on with this pregnancy, around 14 weeks, maybe even a little sooner.  Prior to this, those flutters weren't felt until about 17 weeks, so that has been a fun change.

Another fun change with this baby, has been getting to share it with Max and Ella.  They are so excited!  Max always makes it a point to tell me that he is being careful around my belly, and Ella's new favorite thing to do is pull up my shirt, put her mouth to my bump, and say, "Hiiii, baby!".

I had a check up earlier this week, and all was well with the baby's growth and heart rate, so now the countdown is on to find out the sex... which thankfully (no pun intended), we will find out just before Thanksgiving.  I am literally dying to know if we are having a boy or a girl.  For all of you who manage to hold out for the surprise until the end, props to you, because I could NEVER make it!!!

Aside from all of that, I'm working at continuing with light exercise at least three days a week, enjoying the final days of being able to sleep on my tummy, and looking forward to all of the shopping that will ensue as soon as we know whether this babe will be sporting pink or blue.

Maternity Must Haves | Part One

prenatal vitamins | DHA | long sleeve maternity tee

refresh oil | belly butter | maternity leggings | preggie pop drops

Seeing as this is my third pregnancy in the last 4 years, I like to at least pretend that I have a little bit more of a clue this time around then I did during my first pregnancy.

Pregnancy number one included lots of book reading, internet searching, and Pinterest pinning in terms of what I needed, what was happening to my body, and which fruit my baby was shaped like during any given week along the way.

This time around, "ain't nobody got time for that"! So, even though sometimes it feels like I might just be winging it, I thought I would create a little series of lists of my own maternity must haves... perhaps for all of those first timers who are feeling as clueless as I did in the beginning, or maybe even for you seasoned professionals who are looking for some new and fun things to try along the way!

The following is part one of my "must haves":

Olly Prenatal Vitamins- Prenatals are super important during pregnancy.  I prefer the chewy variety, and I love this brand that can be found at Target.

Honest DHA Complete- First of all, this stuff is strawberry flavored, which means no weird after taste, but more importantly, this stuff includes Omega 3's and Vitamin D, and promotes fetal brain and eye development.

Maternity Tee- I literally own these in every color they sell.  they are incredibly comfortable, the long fit covers your growing belly, and they look great paired with maternity jeans, yoga pants, and even over a long tank and leggings.

Refresh Oil-  With this pregnancy, I've been getting a lot of headaches and have been feeling drained.  I'm not big on taking anything for the headaches (not that there's much you can take while pregnant anyway), so I keep this stashed in my purse, and roll it on my wrists, behind my ears, and even under my nose when I'm feeling tired, or when I feel a headache coming on.

Belly Butter- I've been fortunate, thus far, to not have experienced too many stretch marks, but I certainly have experienced the itchiness that comes with stretching skin and a quickly growing belly, this stuff helps to soothe that, and may just be the secret for continuing to avoid those stretch marks.

Maternity Leggings- Hands down, my number one must have!  I cannot live without a good pair(s) of maternity leggings, I even wear them when I'm not pregnant!  They are comfortable, cover/support my belly, and can be dressed up or dressed down, depending what they are paired with!

Preggy Pops Drops- Thanks to lots and lots of first trimester nausea this time around, pregnancy number 3 has provided me with a reason to try these for first time.  They honestly taste great (particularly the green apple flavor), and for some reason sucking on them does seem to at least tame the nausea a bit.

Stay tuned for more maternity must haves!