I will be 28 weeks tomorrow, officially in my 3rd trimester!
So, I thought I would share the things that helped me through these past two trimesters and made life as a preggo a little easier/more comfortable... or at least as comfy as you can be growing a human being. ; )
1st and 2nd Trimester Favorites!
A) My Aveeno face wash cloths. Since becoming pregnant, my skin has gone bonkers! These are wonderful at removing my make up, moisturising my face and so much easier to use than face wash over the bathroom sink on those nights that I can barely keep my eyes open long enough to make it up the stairs to our bed.
B) My belly band! I had it in white, and it was actually a gift from a friend of mine who used it through her two pregnancies as well. It worked wonderfully! You know, the awkward stage where you've got baby 'pudge' but not an actual bump yet... and your pants just don't button/zip right. These just slip right over your pants & help hold them up without having to zip or button them. I also really liked how it smoothed out my sides & made me feel secure. I did get a lot of use out of this item (about 5 months worth) and I'm glad I had it. Of course, you will reach a point where pants with a zipper you can't zip just won't be comfortable anymore and have to move on to something else.
C) Tums. Yes, I complain about the taste and how much I dislike them, but the DO work and as much as I dislike eating them, I dislike my heartburn more! My favorites are the Smoothies in wild berry 'cause they kinda taste like candy. I keep a large bottle of these bad boys in my purse. They also have the added bonus of calcium.
D) Preggie Pops! My honey bought these for me from Babies R Us but I've seen them at Motherhood & Walgreens as well. Used them mostly in my first trimester... but a few weeks into my second as well. I was SO nauseous 24/7 and these worked so so wonderfully. They actually made my nausea subside! Plus, they were delicious. My favorite were the sour raspberry.
E) BODY PILLOW. Get one. Just do it. Your hips, back, legs... they will all thank you for it. And even after you give birth to your little angel, you'll still be loving this thing, I can guarantee it. I got mine from Target for 10 bucks. Seriously, one of my best investments. And don't forget a cute & cuddle pillow case to go with it!
F) I'm not really into all the stretch mark lotions out there. 1 - I don't believe anything can prevent stretchmarks. They are genetic. 2 - Most of those creams don't smell or feel good to me. 3 - They're so over priced just 'cause they know people are willing to do anything to avoid the dreaded marks! That being said, I do believe that while they may not be avoidable, you can lessen the damage by keeping your skin extra moisturized so it's easier to stretch. And while it's stretching, it's gonna get itchy at times & I've heard that scratching your stretching tummy can make stretchmarks worse/deeper than they were to start with. ANYWHO, my favorite lotion for my tummy is Aveeno. I have sensitive skin, and this never irritates it. Also, it works so so well. My tummy is baby butt soft and so far (knock on wood) no marks have appeared. I know they will come in due time because I am susceptible to them, but as of now I'm enjoying my soft baby bump.
G) Ginger ale. Another nausea favorite. There were days where I couldn't even keep water down 'cause it would gag me, and this ginger ale was just the trick to help settle my tummy. (make sure it says made with real ginger)
H) Vitafusion Gummy Prenatals. I had a really hard time taking my prenatal pills because I was so nauseous and sick feeling all of the time during all of my first and most of my second trimester (nausea has actually started to come back now that I enter my third...) I was so happy when I found these! They were around 10 bucks at Walmart and taste like sour gummy worms. The only thing they don't have in them is iron (because they appeal to children as candy). I take iron on the side anyways, though. I take a slow fe iron that releases slowly so you don't get the icky constipation that is common with iron supplements.
I) Last but not least, my lovely VS yoga pants. You can really use any kind of yoga pants, but VS are my personal favorite. They seem to keep their shape a lot better than most I've had before and they're not as thin as most either. The flap also makes for a great maternity band once the bump gets bigger and they're just a great comfort all around. I live in these yoga pants & the VS leggins right now.
