We are so thrilled to be welcoming another BOY to our family this winter! He is so very loved already!
Experiencing pregnancy this second time around has been so different in many ways. I feel privileged and blessed to be able to carry this sweet little baby and to be growing our family.
I wanted to share a list of my favorite pregnancy essentials! You know I’m a minimalist at heart, so these are all simple things I genuinely love and use.
The most essential things you need are, of course, plenty of rest, nourishment (spiritual and physical), emotional support, sunshine and ice cream. Everything else is just BONUS.
Wellness:
Nausea…both a blessing and a curse.
I was grateful every day I woke up feeling sick during that first trimester, because that was a sign that baby was healthy and growing! But also…dealing with almost constant nausea? TERRIBLE.
There were two things that helped curb my morning sickness and food aversions: sparkling water and these ginger raspberry drops. GAME CHANGER.
Staying hydrated has been key for me this pregnancy. I’m the kind of person who drinks water constantly- we’re talking at least a gallon of water a day. But despite the volume of water I consume daily, for the first few months of this pregnancy I really struggled with headaches and migraines. My husband suggested that I start replenishing with electrolytes after my workouts, and lo and behold, I rarely get headaches anymore!
These Nuun Sport Electrolyte Tablets have been my favorite find. I try to drink one every day in the morning and that seems to help a lot, especially on the super hot days!
I’d mentioned in my stories the other day that I’d been consistently working out this pregnancy, and that has made such a difference in my energy levels and overall well-being this time around. I tapered off of my usual HIIT workout routine at some point during my first trimester, and have been doing Nourish Move Love pregnancy and prenatal workouts since then!
I absolutely love that Lindsey is actually pregnant in these workouts and CRUSHES them. She inspires me to keep going even when it’s challenging! I can’t wait to continue doing her workouts postpartum.
Books:
There are way too many books out in the world about pregnancy, birth, and parenting. So many approaches. So much information. I get overwhelmed easily and try to be pretty intuitive when it comes to these topics, but I have read and recommend just these three books!
- The Montessori Baby by Simone Davies and Junnifa Uzodike. I love so much about the Montessori approach to parenting, which entails a lot of respecting your child and allowing them to explore the world in their own way. Both this book and The Montessori Toddler have helped give me so many ideas around how to set up our home and approach to daily life that best serves the natural growth of our kiddos.
- Nurture by Erica Chidi Cohen. I read this cover to cover during my first pregnancy, and found Erica’s practical and natural approach to pregnancy, birth, and early motherhood to be reassuring and refreshing.
- Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman. This memoir cracked me up! Such a fascinating look at the differences between American and French parenting.
Comfy Maternity Clothing:
I’ve gotta be honest…I am not a huge fan of maternity clothes. I’m more in the wear-what-I-have-until-it-doesn’t-fit camp, and then I try to mostly size up in clothes I know I’ll still love and wear postpartum. The only exception has been one pair of maternity jeans that I found and LOVE.
Outfit 1:
- Oversized tee – (old from H&M – similar)
- Madewell Over-The-Belly Perfect Vintage Jeans – I bought these during my first trimester, and I’m not surprised at all that they are sold out now. Do you know how hard it is to find maternity jeans that are NOT skinny jeans?! Impossible! These are seriously amazing. So comfy and flattering! I would suggest trying to find them secondhand online (Poshmark, Mercari, etc.) if you are like me and want to rock a pair of jeans that make you feel like yourself even while you’re pregnant. I took my normal pre-pregnancy size!
- Birkenstock Arizona Sandals – Literally my shoe of choice every day.
Outfit 2:
- Lululemon Align high rise shorts – I own these in three colors. Sized up one size (from an 8 to a 10) and they fit great! I wore the Align Leggings throughout my entire first pregnancy. I’ll be buying myself a second pair and bustin’ those out again as the weather gets colder.
- Luluemon All Yours Tee – Mine is an older version, but I’ve heard great things about these new cotton tees!
Outfit 3:
- Vuori Performance Joggers – I bought these in two colors during my first trimester and still reach for them almost every day! I got a size small and are still very comfortable, but I might have to size up to a medium as my belly continues to grow!
- Oversized tee – (old from H&M – similar)
- Birkenstock Zermatt shearling clogs – I got these last winter and wear them around the house constantly.
Pregnancy is such a gift. A wonderful ride! So excited to share more as this pregnancy progresses!