Baby girl is two-thirds of the way cooked say whaaat? I’m still loving my faves from the first trimester, but here are my pregnancy must-haves from weeks 13 to 27:
1. Coconut Oil. I’m still waiting on that radiant there’s-a-baby-in-my-belly glow. My skin has been extra dry lately so I’ve been using coconut oil as a moisturizer on my face every night before bed. It’s cheap and totally natural and can also be used to make delicious chocolate chip cookies. That’s a win in my book.
2. Rose Water. I spritz this spray on my face first thing in the morning and whenever I feel overheated throughout the day. So basically all the time. Rosewater can help restore the PH balance of your pores, minimize blackheads and hydrate your skin. And it’s great to use over makeup.
3. Slippers. The bottoms of my feet started to feel more sensitive during the second trimester, especially if I walked or stood for a long time. Wearing cozy slippers for extra cushion helps relieve any aches or pains.
4. Back Rubs. Real talk, I gained about ten pounds during those fifteen weeks and definitely felt the pressure of that sudden extra weight in my lower back. I could go to an actual masseuse but what are husbands for?
5. New Bras. As the girls continued to grow, my old bras quickly reached their limit. I found a bra in Target that I love and bought another on Amazon. When you’re already feeling self-conscious about body changes, it’s important to invest in bras that are comfortable and supportive.
6. Belly Bands. These are my best friends and the reason I can still wear all of my pre-pregnancy pants and shorts. I bought one in black and one in white and use them all the time. Usually I’m like FREE THE BELLY but it’s great to have that coverage, especially since my outie belly button will show through fitted tops otherwise.
7. Prenatal Pilates. I rotate through several prenatal exercise DVDs and this one is a fabulous full-body workout. You can choose to do one 10-minute segment or do all five at once, depending on how you feel and how much time you have. Stretching is what keeps the leg cramps away so I do pilates at least once a week.
8. Papaya. Second trimester is when I started to experience heartburn. Walking after eating, not drinking during meals and avoiding spicy or fatty foods helps. My midwife also told me to eat papaya to ease heartburn and it works! Weird, I know.
9. Essential Oils. I’m not very knowledgeable about all the properties of essential oils, but I do know both lavender and orange are recommended during pregnancy. I love diffusing lavender as a calming scent when I’m going to sleep and diffusing orange as an invigorating scent when I’m working around the house.
10. Fan. I’ve always been the person with perpetually freezing hands and feet that walks around wrapped in a fluffy bath robe. I don’t even know this person who sleeps with no covers and turns up the fan until a mini tornado is whipping around the room.
Third trimester, I’m coming for you! I’d love to hear from any mamas or mamas-to-be on what got you through the final stretch.
Hannah Rose 