Every woman is going to have their own "must haves," but sometimes it's nice to hear about what's been helpful to others. Mainly, I'm blathering on hoping that the things that have been helpful to me may be helpful to you.
Water
I've talked about this nonstop in the last couple weeks, but I feel I must emphasize how much I've come to love drinking agua. Yesterday, I calculated my daily water intake to be 1-1.25 gallons a day (mind you, I'm talking about just water- this does not include any other beverages or the natural water I'm getting from the food I eat). A gallon a day! Can you believe it? My current relationship with the stuff is summed up pretty well right here:
Ooooh, yeah, water! Truth be told, I feel thirsty ALL THE TIME. It's less about drinking it for health reasons and more about just feeling parched non-stop, but as I've mentioned, water has been a lifesaver in a few ways (and I say this while knocking on wood because I know in throwing it out into the universe, I am tempting fate). One, I'm a regular girl. Yup. Pretty gross, but if we could all just be adults for a moment, doesn't being constipated, like, totally fucking suck? The answer is yes, friends. Two, I have yet to swell up like a crazy balloon (ask me how well this is going in a month when I'm in my third trimester. Again, I am just rolling the dice with fate). And finally, in a baby related way, the more water you drink, the more you pee, thus the more toxins you flush from your body and away from your baby. It's a science lesson I'm not willing to go into, but trust me, water is GOOD.
Kick Ass Nalgene Bottle
A quick side note about Nalgene bottles before I rave about the one I own. These became all the rage when I was in college and I loved the idea of not wasting tons of plastic because of the water I was drinking, so I got a sporty hot pink one. Within a few uses, my water tasted like plastic ALL THE TIME because they hadn't yet figured out that BPA leaches into the drink it's carrying. This has been corrected friends. It's safe to use a Nalgene again!
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| Does it make me 5 years old for giggling at the fact that it's their "wide mouth" bottle? |
Anywho, my friends Sally and Fiona got me an awesome one from Best Friends Animal Society a couple months ago (I would have linked up to the exact bottle, but they don't sell it on their site). It has been a lifesaver because I can tote my huge bottle of water with me wherever I go. I own a couple Sigg bottles, but they just don't hold as much.
L'Occitane Almond Supple Skin Oil
Warning: I am actually a non-believer when it comes to avoiding stretch marks by using lotions or creams. It's comparable to my disbelief that vitamin C can have any positive effects on my health if I'm sick. I'm of the opinion that if you're gonna get stretch marks, you're gonna get stretch marks no matter how many voodoo curses you send their way. Having said that, when your skin is as tight as a drum and comparable to these images, I feel it necessary to point out how damn itchy it gets:
Oh, St. Nick, how do you do it? My friend Jenny gave me this oil from L'Occitane in a "New Mama" basket she sweetly made for me, and while it may or may not tend to any stretch marks I might get, it does help with my seriously itching skin. And I smell like a dream afterward. No joke!
The Snoogle
You've heard me rave about it, so I'm sure it's no surprise that I am wholeheartedly endorsing The Snoogle. In the vein of things that are great but have horrible names, this full body pillow is certainly a part of those ranks.
I had a near nervous breakdown about a month ago because of my inability to sleep for three days straight. My stomach has gotten too big to comfortably (or safely) sleep on my back and my hips hurt when I lay on my side... tack on peeing at least 3 times a night from all the damn water I drink (see above) and it was exhaustion just waiting to happen. While I still get up a few times a night, The Snoogle has certainly made life easier.
Gap Maternity
It's true. I am straight up sold on Gap Maternity. One, they have a plethora of online sales, which helps because while their stuff isn't horribly expensive, I certainly wouldn't call it cheap. Two, they have MANY great basics, including their leggings, their tanks, and dark wash skinny jeans.
I will say, full disclosure, that I'm a bit peeved at them with how quickly things in my size fly out the window right off the bat. Cute dresses and some tops have been just within my reach and then snatched away at a moment's notice. Free shipping on orders over $50 and an easy return policy still make them my go-to shop for clothing that actually fits me.
Blogs
If you read my bumpdates, you've probably already seen me recommend these, but why not put them in one place where I'm actually recommending things?
About Pregnancy:
Pregnant Chicken (do yourself a favor and read it now)
Baby Center (if you're feeling like a risk taker, go ahead and watch their "real birth" videos. Makes it's VERY real, let me tell you).
Lucie's List (to assuage any baby registry stress... helped me loads!)
Nursery Decor:
Lay Baby Lay (I've actually found a few nifty bits via the inspiration boards here)
Design for MiniKind (launched this week; written by the same gal behind Design for Mankind!
Pinterest (obviously, people, c'mon, get your act together!)
Mom Blogs:
Design Mom
Motherhood Mondays on A Cup of Jo
MomFilter (full disclosure, recently found this, but like what I see so far!)
And I think that's all I got for you folks. Folks? Anyone there?
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