 It is certainly no secret that pregnancy was a very difficult time in my life. It happened much more quickly than we anticipated, and while I do realize how much of a blessing it is that we did not struggle with infertility, in a much more minimal way, I struggled with the uncertainty, doubt and anxiety over every little detail. I did a lot of coping through online shopping, which is certainly not a healthy way to deal. However, I did manage to pick up a few things that helped me get through pregnancy a smidge easier. PharMeDoc Pregnancy PillowThis first item is the PharMeDoc Pregnancy Pillow with Jersey Cover. I was pretty uncomfortable sleeping even very early on, and this definitey helped. Yes, it took up a very large portion of our bed, but even my husband can say that it was worth it. It comes in various colors, and is currently only $39.95 on Amazon. www.amazon.com/dp/B07JBNVJ9Q/ref=twister_B07DNJFKMS?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 Bump Box Subscription If you're a sucker for a monthly subscription like myself, this one is a no-brainer. I did ~3-4 months of BumpBox and it was a little ray of sunshine in my mailbox during the month. You enter your due date, and they send a monthly curated box targeted towards where you are in your pregnancy. While I admit that there were some things I definitely did not use and perhaps re-gifted (secret), there were plenty of things I did use that I probably wouldn't have purchased for myself. The prices vary, but if you want a full nine months, it will run you $34/month. bumpboxes.com/ LeTote Maternity I had a few friends and co-workers who were kind enough to give me some of their maternity wear, some was not appropriate for the time of the year, etc. so I knew I had to get some of my own. And while I perused every Old Navy, Gap and Target clearnace sale I could, I still struggled with spending money on clothes I knew would be a thing of the past in a few months. LeTote is a monthly clothing rental service and they happen to have a maternity option as well. This ran me $79 per month. I would receive 5 items of clothing per month that I was able to choose myself. I had the option of purchasing at a reduced price as well, which I did for a couple of Summer & Sage nursing sweatshirts I'm still wearing 10 months later. This is great for working moms, as it is so hard to find a decent array of maternity office apparel. This service helped me get a little bit of new-clothes confidence back, and spared my closet from being too cluttered. Below are a few looks where I felt my "best". www.letote.com/maternity Books   I read like crazy during pregnancy. Probably to a fault. It definitely fueled my anxiety, but part of me just felt so much better being armed with knowledge about something I previously knew nothing about. I read so much so that I made it one of the foci of our maternity shoot. Above are a few of my favorites:
Skechers Slip On Sneakers Guys. I'm serious. As my coworkers will attest to, I wore these babies with everything. And even though my sister-in-law Jessica lovingly calls them my "water shoes", these puppies saw me through some rough times. Ankle swelling... what?! That pitting edema in both my legs was atrocious and I was devastated that my normal footwear just did not fit. And again, trying not to end up with a closet full of things I wouldn't wear, I opted for a cheap pair of Skechers that I wouldn't mind getting beat up. The openings are still stretched to this day. Amazon has a lot of cute options for slip-on shoes. Be open! They're not that bad. www.amazon.com/s?k=skechers+womens+slip+on+sneakers&ref=nb_sb_noss Amazon Floral Pajama Pants  I cannot even tell you how many times these have been purchased from Amazon by me. I discovered these pre-pregnancy and got them for all of my bridesmaids. I them discovered that these expand nicely with a growing belly. Since then, they have been one of my go-tos for every pregnant mama I know (sorry, another secret is out). Just too good not to share. www.amazon.com/dp/B073P8H9QG/ref=twister_B07GVD8JPD?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 Yeti Tumbler If anyone owns any Yeti products, you know they are amazing. Drinking water is something I've never been especially diligent with, but I felt noticeably worse when dehydrated during pregnancy. I purchased the Yeti tumbler for hiding my non-alcohol drinking during pregnancy but also for ice water, and paired it with a straw. Any time during the day I went to take a drink, it was still ice cold. This came to the hospital with me when I had Carson and was next to me at all times during the postpartum period. It's BPA-free and dishwasher safe. And comes in lots of cute colors. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073WJX9ZV/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_aWljEbH4VYM3Y Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter and Peppermint Foot Lotion  We have a good friend who works for Burt's Bees and sent some pregnancy and baby items our way. Like any pregnant mama, stretch marks were certainly not something I wanted to experience, but I am also aware that there is no real evidence that these types of products do much to help stretch marks from developing. But with no real downside, I slathered myself in this belly butter each night and low and behold, I do not have stretch marks (note: staying hydrated definitely has something to do with it!).
Another pregnancy woe of mine were terrible foot and leg cramps that would wake me up in a panic and cause me to jump out of bed just to stretch my feet. I tried magnesium sprays, special socks, you name it. The only thing that brought me a bit of transient relief was the Burt's Bees Peppermint Foot Lotion. I looked forward to my nightly ritual of belly butter + foot lotion!
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AuthorHi! I'm Laura, a 30-something first-time mom raising her little dude in southern California. It's been quite a first year, and this is my way to try to make sense of it all. This is a safe space for all moms to get some laughs, recommendations and feel like they are not alone. Archives
July 2020
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