Pregnancy Favorites

With so many of my girlfriends and acquaintances who are pregnant or are going to be pregnant soon, I thought it was only appropriate I list my top ten favorite items I used during my pregnancy. Same disclaimer as always: I'm by all means not an expert on this stuff, but I thought it might be helpful to other mamas-to-be to share what I couldn't live without during my pregnancy with Sydney. So, without further ado...

1. Spoiled Mama Tummy Butter and Bump Gloss - Like most women, I worried about getting stretch marks . . . but I worried about it when I was -- oh maybe six weeks pregnant? (We found out I was pregnant super early. C'mon -- I had 34 weeks ahead!) I know stretch marks are usually hereditary, but being that I don't know my [biological] mother's history, I felt it couldn't hurt to take precautions. I immediately began researching the best stretch mark lotion and found The Spoiled Mama to be a pregnant woman's favorite. I started with only the lotion, using maybe once every other day, and then gradually increased to once a day and then twice a day, applying after using the gloss. At the end of my pregnancy, I was bathing in 'generously applying' the gloss and lotion at least twice a day, but it was worth it because I never got stretch marks (and I feel like I stretched A LOT).

2. A Pea in the Pod Maternity Ponte Leggings - I would advise any pregnant woman to invest in a good pair of leggings because you. will. use. them. Most women usually cringe at the thought of maternity clothes. I mean, I get it -- most maternity wear is still so ugly. But pants that have ELASTIC WAISTBANDS that look like regular pants?! If you know me well (or at all), you know what side I'm clearly on. Still, I struggled to find cute maternity clothes because everything I tried on looked frumpy, dowdy or tacky. I found this pair of leggings from A Pea in the Pod and was pleasantly surprised by the fit, and dare I say even flattering?? In a sea of weird-fitting/ill-fitting/not-fitting clothes, these were an immediate purchase.

3. Leachco Snoogle Pregnancy Pillow - A girlfriend told me to buy a pregnancy pillow sooner rather than later, so after careful research (are you noticing a trend here? I research a LOT, ha) I purchased the Leachco Snoogle . . . when I was five weeks along. Pretty sure she didn't mean that early, but what can I say? I was just so excited to welcome a huge body-sized pillow into our bed. I'm so glad I started early, though, because I had a hard time getting used to the pillow at first (I usually sleep flat on my back). By the time I was huge and uncomfortable, I was able to snuggle into the pillow and never had any troubles falling asleep. Since Sydney's birth we've moved the pillow to a closet in one of our guest rooms, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't kind of miss it. ;-)

4. Organic Ginger Root Capsules - I mentioned earlier we found out I was pregnant really early; we found out when I was about four weeks along, so between then and eight weeks I felt GREAT. Awesome. Pregnancy was a breeze, and I couldn't figure out what all the fuss was about. Then week eight came and I was suddenly hit with a Mack truck carrying 24/7 nausea, ZzzQuil-induced tiredness and all around yarfness. It was like the worst hangover combined with a serious aversion to the majority of foods that would normally make me feel better but without all the fun from the night before. Nothing made me feel better -- until Jordan's dad's wife gave me one of her all-natural ginger pills that she takes for motion sickness. I can't say I was ready to climb a 14er (like my sweet husband suggested we do one sunny Saturday in my early days of pregnancy -- are you f-ing kidding me?), but I did feel significantly less vomit-y.

5. Bump Sparkle Water - I don't know how I stumbled across this water initially, but I'm so glad I did because I loved it. I didn't realize how much I loved beverages--alcoholic and non-alcoholic the same--until I became pregnant and suddenly my choices went from the world is my oyster to the world is only water. I've begun to realize I usually always have at least two different beverages with every meal, usually three. (I'm really thirsty evidently.) Bump Water had me at hello for its 100% RDA of folic acid (essential for healthy fetal development), Vitamin A, D, B6 and B12, Niacin, Biotin, Zing and Magnesium. I loved the Cranberry Ginger Sparkle Lite because I a) was drinking anything that had 'ginger' in the name (see above); b) loved the bubbly; and c) wasn't very sugary or sweet. The bottles are of course BPA-free and the water is all natural. A total win-win!

6. SmartWool Ultralight Compression Socks - Although I traveled quite a bit during my pregnancy, thankfully I never really swelled up until the very-very end (I'm talking like a couple days before I gave birth) -- THANK GOODNESS. The horror stories I heard terrified me, and I irrationally feared puffy feet. I accredit the blessing of non-swollen feet to my dedication of drinking a zillion ounces of water a day and to these awesome compression socks. While traveling for work, I used to have multiple flights to catch in addition to long hours on my feet, so I bought a couple of pairs to try and alleviate any swelling that may occur -- and they worked so well! One time we even had to make the 14+ hour drive back to Minnesota and my feet stayed their original size. Thank you, SmartWool!!

7. Vaseline Cocoa Butter Lotion - I don't really know why I switched lotions when I became pregnant; maybe I thought using cocoa butter lotion everywhere on my body would send good vibes to my belly to keep it from stretching? Regardless of the reason, I ended up really loving this particular lotion despite testing out other cocoa butters. My skin felt more soft and more moisturized than it had in long while (CO winters are brutally dry), and now that the seasons are changing and the weather is getting cooler, I've started using it again. (No, not pregnant, Mom.)

8. A Pea in the Pod Maternity Sweater - I would also advise to any pregnant woman to not only invest in a good pair of leggings but also a good go-to top. When I first started at my previous job, I remember complimenting a pregnant co-worker on how great she looked and how she was all bump -- to which she would always say, "Thanks, but I'm huge and disgusting," or something along those lines. I couldn't figure it out because she really did look great, but then I got pregnant and immediately understood. Generally speaking, being pregnant is hard. I know everyone hears that, and I know people (men) say they understand, but the fact is I'm not sure anyone is prepared for what their body is about to undergo unless it's happened to them before. For me, I just never felt completely comfortable in my own skin while pregnant. I was like my co-worker; I felt huge and disgusting despite what (incredibly sweet) people told me. I wish I could have understood the magnitude of the miracle that was happening inside me (as cliché as that sounds, it's TRUE) because I would have said thank you and meant it. But all that said, having a reliable go-to outfit that makes you feel good is clutch while pregnant. I like this particular sweater because the soft white color is so pretty, especially for fall and winter, and the zipper detail on the sleeves adds an interesting touch. Plus, the sweater doesn't scream, "I'M KNOCKED UP," but subtly hugs your adorable (and yes, it really is adorable) belly.

9. Village Naturals Therapy Mineral Bath Soak -- Aches & Pains - Therapy mineral bath soak. Aches and pains. Need I say more? As a pregnant woman, you're probably experiencing way more aches and pains than you even knew your body could feel -- my hands even hurt sometimes. I'm a huge bath enthusiast but pregnancy took my love to an even higher level, and I'm pretty sure I was taking about 4-5 baths per week. These particular bath salts were amazing! Plus, the eucalyptus and spearmint fragrances were heavenly.

10. Uggs Tall Boots - Oh, Uggs. Poor, innocent, discriminated against Uggs. People either strongly hate these boots or strongly love them. Like a typical sorority girl (guilty as charged), I fall in the latter category, as my love for Uggs grew deep when I was a child and tried on my dad's pair (yes, Uggs make man boots, and yes, my dad was a trendsetter). Regardless of where your love/hate stands on the Uggs spectrum, I promise you, pregnant women of the world, your feet will thank you when you slip on a pair of these boots. They're like walking on clouds, people. Big, fluffy, puffy clouds that hug your sore swollen feet with love.

I had a pretty rough pregnancy, and I can't say I loved being pregnant -- BUT it had the best silver lining I could ever imagine. Sydney is absolutely the light of our lives, and I would go through unlimited amount of pregnancies again just to have her. Congratulations, mamas!! You're going through one hell of a wild ride, but the best is yet to come!