Saturday, January 9, 2016

pregnancy favorites (so far)



so I'm getting close to 20 weeks pregnant and I can't believe I've barely written anything about it here on the blog. I've shared sporadically on Instagram, but mostly pregnancy has felt quite private to me. I have been writing- more than usual in fact, but it's mostly in the form of letters, journal entries and a poem or two. 

That being said, I thought today I'd share a list of some of the things that have been making these past few weeks and months more enjoyable. The second trimester has been wonderful, and mostly I'm just loving being pregnant. But there are a few things that have made it easier that are worth mentioning. So here's a humble little list. 

mama bee belly butter & mama body oil

I have both belly butter and body oil for mamas and I'm loving both. I usually use one in the morning and one in the evening, just so I have a bit of a routine. The belly butter I'm using is this one from Burts Bees. I love that it's unscented, which was excellent those first few weeks when I was super sensitive to any smells. The oil I have is this one and it smells lovely. I'd highly recommend both or either.

midwife recommended pregnancy teas

These are quite readily available here in Germany and I'm so glad I picked one up. It's apple, elderberry and hibiscus and it's absolutely delicious. Of course, you can drink other teas during pregnancy (and I've been enjoying my share of Rooibush) but it makes me feel kind of special to have a pregnancy specific tea in my cupboard.

maternity jeans (and leggings!)

okay, these have been a life saver. I tried the whole rubber band trick for a few weeks, but mostly just felt very uncomfortable and I'm so glad I just decided to purchase my maternity jeans and leggings a little early. They really are super comfy and most are designed with a pregnant body in mind and flatter in all the right places. 

Great With Child (Beth Ann Fennelly)

This is the only book I've come across so far that I would recommend across the board to all pregnant mamas. I'm reading it a second time and it's just so full of wonderful insights about motherhood that are so beautifully written and expressed. I can't recommend it enough.

swimming


I wasn't much of a swimmer before pregnancy, but I've been really enjoying it these past few weeks. It's something a little different and is good exercise without being too hard on your body. Before pregnancy my main forms of exercise were cycling (to work, haha) and aerobics, and I've been happy to trade them in for this alternative.

granola with yogurt & berries

aside from the occasional piece of chocolate, this has been what I've been craving for most of my pregnancy so far. I know it's not berry season at all but seriously...just give me all the red berries! 

Pregnancy+ App

I've been using this app on my phone since soon after I found out I was pregnant. It's a great resources, with weekly photos and updates about how the baby is growing and developing. There are also daily posts with tons of information covering a wide range of topics related to pregnancy and new parenthood. I like how the app doesn't only focus on the mother but includes lots of info for new fathers too. It's also good to have small bits of info to read daily, so that you don't feel overloaded with everything all at once.

Coffee and Crumbs blog

I was aware of this blog before getting pregnant but have only started consistently reading it in the last few months. Every post is so well written and offers a refreshing perspective on motherhood. I appreciate that the writers don't shy away from talking about the difficult things that may not be considered "polite baby shower talk" but that are also a part of this wild and amazing experience of becoming a mother.

baby knits

and of course, I've been really enjoying knitting for baby. So far I've made the Annabelle cardigan and several baby booties and socks. I've got the yarn to make a lovely neutral striped sweater and have cast on a summery cotton blanket for our little June bug. 


There are of course a few more things I've been enjoying, but that seems like a well rounded list to share today. As always, I'd love any tips, if you have anything to share from your own pregnancy that you enjoyed! 

4 comments:

  1. Congratulations!! I'm so happy for you :) I don't have any experience myself but it's nice to read your recommendations. Baby knitting must be so soothing. I hope the rest of your pregnancy will go smoothly as well!

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  2. nikki mcclure journals are so beautiful, i bought 1000 Days for a friend and she loved it. I wish i'd known of such a thing and journaled about the baby and toddler days when mine were born. I did some journalling but it was sporadic and i wish that i'd pushed a bit harder to fit it in amongst all the demands.
    Lovely to hear your updates and look forward to seeing the knits!

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  3. Thanks for sharing, I'm going to check out the tips. The maternity jeans and leggings did the trick for me too at first, but now they don't always hold up, maybe I have to buy one of those with adjustable buttons on the side. I drank a lot of ginger tea in my first trimester for my nausea and it helped a lot!

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  4. Absolutely, pregnancy feels like a very private matter to me too! I've never gotten used to everyone wanting to rub my belly, I think it's amazing that people think they can just come up and do that without asking (even if it's my mom and father-in-law).
    I've been in maternity jeans from 11 weeks on and as soon as I put them on I was like "Wow, these are fantastic, I will never go back to normal jeans!". A friend of mine whose baby is 6 months old still wears hers because they are just so comfy :)
    Other than knitting for baby (obviously) and planning more sewing and knitting I just enjoy chatting with other Mamas immensely - it helps to hear how everyone else is experiencing this special time.

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