A few of my favorite things...
There must be something in the water.. As soon as I announced our pregnancy, a bunch of my girl friends started texting me and confessing that they too are pregnant! So exciting!!! Anyone that knows me well enough, knows that I'm a product junkie. I really love trying out new things, and testing a whole bunch of products and seeing which ones are the best for me. So naturally, these same ladies have also been asking me what sort of prenatals I'm taking, what do I do about morning sickness (besides buckling down and holding on tight), and what I am doing to prevent stretch marks. So I figured I may as well share what I've been doing pass along some of the good stuff ;)
As a first time mom, with the worst morning sickness EVER, I have tried everything. No really, everything... Gingerale and saltines, having a glass of water by bedside when I wake up first thing in the morning... and nada. My doctor told me I may have to brace myself for a long pregnancy since I'm already out of my third trimester and it hasn't let up (fantastic, thanks doc!) Since I'm not a fan of taking prescription medication, I will usually exhaust all of my holistic options first. Lucky for me, I happened to find these awesome little suckers called Preggie Pop drops at Babies R Us while I was buying something for a friend from her registry, (yes, I wasn't kidding about something in the water - we're all preggo at the same time, ha!) They're natural and made from brown rice syrup and cane juice, and come in a variety pack of flavors so I don't get tired of just one. They have several different options to choose from that they make, but I bought the kind you can pop into your mouth because I don't want to be stuck with the stick and have to find a litter bin after.
Since finding out I was pregnant, I went cold turkey on caffeine. (Lord help me and those I share my home with for the first few days as the withdrawl kicked in, haha!) However, I still crave a warm cup of something every morning or occassionally in the evenings. Then I found Traditional Medicinals' organic Pregnancy Tea, yes please! I started getting into teas last year as a friend of mine referred me to some that really helped me get through some long nights, and now I've found a new one to love. They are a great tea company, that really take their responsibility to the earth seriously, which I love, and are non GMO Project verified. I asked my doctor and he gave me the green light on this so I added it to my cupboards. It tastes really great and has a nice little minty taste to it that I enjoy. I've had luck finding them sometimes in Publix, and other times in Whole Foods. If I can't find it for some reason in Publix (as it seems to run off of the shelf when it is there,) I usually ask a manager and they can order it and make sure they carry it in stock for me. The other one I'm dying to try if I could just find it is Yogi Tea's organic Woman's Mother To Be tea. This particular Yogi tea also claims to help soothe minor upset stomach - which is right up my alley! I've tried a variety of their teas before, and have thoroughly enjoyed the different flavors, but I can't seem to track down a store that carries this one varietal, and I may just end up ordering it online, and I'll let you know what I think. If I'm not in the mood for tea, sometimes a traditional mug of hot chocolate will do the trick for me (especially at night time before bed, I find it helps me sleep.)
As for prenatals, my doctor told me that if I wasn't to choose from one of the samples they give out on your first visit, that I should bring in the ones I'd like to take. I decided on New Chapter Perfect Prenatal vitamins, which I also found at my local organic supermarket. They can be a little pricey, but I just discovered www.MyNaturalMarket.com and I ordered them for a much better price. I was able to get a complete trimester's worth (270 tablets) for around $53, which is a steal compared to what I find them for elsewhere. What I love about them, besides being organic and non-GMO, is that they're easy to digest and I can take them on an empty stomach..(I know, I'm pregnant, when am I ever without food? But I don't have to worry about taking them first thing in the morning, or last thing at night.) And I meet and exceed most of my vitamin and mineral requirements for the day. I do however, eat a lot of calcium rich foods to supplement the low amount of calcium in the vitamins, including yogurts, cheese, and fortified OJ. For DHA, which is very important for baby's brain development, I eat good, wild caught, low mercury fish, including salmon, trout and herring, as well as eggs and nuts. Just make sure you check with your doctor if you are interested in taking these before you start to make sure they're right for you.
As far as stretchmarks go, so far I've either been really lucky - or all of the work I've been putting into lathering myself up like a greased pig after every shower has been working. There are 2 products that I really love for different reasons, and have been using intermittently. The first is Mustela's Stretch Marks Survival Belly And Bust Duo from Babies R Us. I love this stuff!! I really do love this duo. I use it first thing as soon as I get out of the shower, and really enjoy not only the scent (cocoa butter makes me gag off and on lately, go figure) and the texture. Non greasy, and really absorbs well into my skin. So far so good, I've been using it as directed for the last 4 and a half months, and I don't have a single stretch mark. They have one for your tummy, hips, legs and butt, and a lighter one for your bust. Its a french product, and I've always found that their skin care lines are top notch, so I have faith this will work out for me too! The other magic potion I've been using is Mother's Special Blend All Natural Skin Toning Oil. I found it on Amazon, where you can buy an 8oz bottle for about $15. With 4.5 out of 5 stars consumer rating, and a personal recommendation to me by one of my good friends (who I swearrr is Super Mom) I was not about to pass up on an opportunity to try this stuff out. While this one is definitely more on the greasy side, I do feel that after massaging it into my skin, it is very well absorbed. Super Mom has 4 gorgeous kids under 4, and yet she doesn't have a single stretch mark to prove it, so I'm definitely following her lead on this one. This one does have a slight cocoa butter scent, but since it's an oil instead of a lotion, it isn't as killer. It also has no chemicals, preservatives, artificial colors or perfumes so I feel good about what I'm using.
These are a few of my favorite things, and I plan on sharing more as I discover them along this journey through pregnancy and into motherhood. What are some of your favorite pregnancy must haves? Anything that you'd like to share with your girlfriends or other first time moms?
