One of our favorite bloggers and a soon-to-be mom of FOUR, Amber Massey of PB+J Babes knows how to fashionably dress the bump! Having just entered her second trimester, we reached out for the maternity essentials she swears by and her tips for a cute and comfortable beginning to your pregnancy journey.
Guest Editor: Amber Massey of PB+J Babes
Being pregnant this third time around has been a whole new experience. I’ve done this before a couple times, you know, so I should know what to expect. But, it’s been so much different than my pregnancies with the girls! With the twins, as well as Baker, I had an easy breezy first trimester. I was hardly sick and occasionally forgot I was actually pregnant, and while the exhaustion never ceased, it was manageable. With this little boy in my belly I had morning, or more like evening or ALL DAY sickness. I am so exhausted, too. I basically slept on my face at night even with a two hour nap during the early afternoon every day. It’s pretty weird how pregnancies can have your body react in such different ways. I’ve really accepted this time around that while I can control a lot of things in my life, but this isn’t one of them, so I’ve adapted a go-with-the-flow type mentality. With my first trimester recently rolling to a close, I thought I’d put together a short list of some of my favorite that have helped me get through those first 13 weeks.
Get moving, stay hydrated, + take your vitamins!
Invest in a good water bottle. I fill a large water bottle and I carry it everywhere. My OB suggested drinking 10 glasses of water or more every day and my giant bottle holds about 40 ounces, so I know if I re-fill my water bottle at least two times I am in good shape! Not to mention what I am eating and drinking outside of water itself.
Saltine crackers. I was never without a sleeve of these crackers during the first trimester, and a short stack almost always kept my queasiness at bay. Almost.
Fruit. I always love fruit, but when I am pregnant it’s like we need an apple orchard and strawberry farm in the backyard to keep up! A bowl of fresh fruit is hands down my favorite first trimester snack…okay, maybe my favorite pregnancy snack in general.
Activity tracker. Thankfully my sickness wasn’t in the morning when I am used to working out. But even then, waking up extra early has been hard! Wearing an activity tracker has been a great thing to help keep an eye on my heart rate while working out but also to help keep me motivated to move throughout the day outside of boot camp.
Who doesn’t love a horse pill prenatal, am I right? As if your gag reflex isn’t already at its all-time high, you need to nearly choke on a large chunk of chalk. Ugh. I am a horrible pill taker in general, and took one for the team while I was pregnant with the twins. I hated life taking those giant prenatals … and when I was pregnant with Baker, I used the Honest Company Prenatal Once Daily vitamin, and although it wasn’t the worst, I still couldn’t take it on an empty stomach. I made a healthy habit of taking my vitamins after dinner before going to bed so that I slept through any stomach discomfort. This time around I have decided that the gummy vitamin is the way to go. I also take an additional (gummy) calcium supplement. I’m still not convinced these gummies aren’t candy–a far cry from the horse pills!
I need support! … & a comfy pair of jeans.
Snoogle body pillow. The Snoogle body pillow has been a lifesaver. Up and having to quit sleeping on your back or stomach can be a real drag, especially if you’re that kind of sleeper- which I am a hard core stomach sleeper. My belly is still small enough I can ALMOST get away with it… but I wake up so uncomfortable within an hour. This pillow is a must have. I swore by this pillow during my previous pregnancies- and when I was pregnant with the twins it took me until about mid-pregnancy to make the splurge. That’s the best part about pregnancy the second and third time around–when you know better, you do better– all the little things you learn along the way add up for the next time around. The Snoogle pillow encompasses your entire body giving you back and tummy support. I love that it will last all pregnancy… and some time afterwards. If I’m being truthful- the hubby found out that I had pulled this puppy out from the darkness while he was at work and browsing through my social media. Basically sent me the crying emojis for three hours. Sorry hubby!
Speaking of support, I embraced maternity clothes much sooner this time around than I did with the other two pregnancies, and I am so glad I did! My belly is measuring almost 2 weeks larger than I actually should be. I fell in love with the comfort and style of Motherhood Maternity in my first pregnancy with the twins and again with Baker. When you can find quality, comfort AND consistency in one place I totally can appreciate that. I have several pairs of Motherhood Maternity jeans and have ventured over to the work style pants and chinos as well as leggings and workout gear. I know exactly the size I need and shopping online has been easy. I about DIED when I found these faux leather leggings in their collection. FAUX LEATHER. I will find every reason to wear these! Not to mention they are by their Jessica Simpson Maternity Collection, which has inadvertently become my favorite! I’ve also stocked up on the basics- casual hoodie to throw on with leggings, layering tees with all sleeve lengths to wear with sneakers and boyfriend jeans or dressed up with a quilted vest and booties for date night! These styles will carry me through my entire pregnancy and beyond- looking comfortable and cute. It’s an easy way to stay comfortable but still cute while toting my going belly along.
So, I know those are just a few items, but truth be told the first 13 weeks aren’t riddled with many crazy life changes. I took that time to focus on sleeping and trying to eat when I could. It was back to basic survival skills with less of the fun stuff. What did you swear by in your first trimester?
You can shop Amber’s outfit below and all our maternity styles for a fashionable start to your pregnancy here.
V-neck Side Ruched Striped Maternity Tee // Jessica Simpson Secret Fit Belly Skinny Leg Maternity Jeans
The views expressed on this post represent those of the guest author and not of Motherhood Maternity.
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