I've been reading through some of my old posts from when I was pregnant with Arden & it's so fun to be able look back at how I was feeling & the things going on in our life at that time. I'm trying my best to keep up with the posts this time around too so someday I can look back at these. Here are a few of my absolute favorite things that got me through my second trimester with babyT.
1. Lavender essential oil
I think we use this just about every night! Lavender is so calming and peaceful and we just turn the diffuser (more on that below!) on right before bed and it's a lovely way to fall asleep. Having the diffuser on has also helped get a touch more humidity into the air in our room, which has helped my poor stuffy pregnant nose quite a bit. I was congested last pregnancy too - it's definitely annoying & makes sleeping (peacefully) difficult!
2. Berries
I was on a berry kick during my second trimester for sure. Kind of too bad since nothing is in season in Dec/Jan/Feb! Arden has been on a berry kick too ("blue blue blues!?") so the fact that we had them in the house all the time probably helped my addiction as well.
3. Fage yogurt
I've been just a little obsessed w/ this greek yogurt lately! Been eating 1 a day, usually mid-morning and they are the perfect snack! I've been adding in a little bit of granola for some crunch - yummm.
4. Bella B Tummy Honey Butter
Okay I'm not sure how I survived without this! Last pregnancy I used this and it was great, but it's straight liquid so it's a little hard to apply (though overall I liked it). Early in this pregnancy I was using this, but it's really just more like thick lotion, which is okay, but let me tell you - it's nothing compared to the belly butter. The belly butter is AMAZING. The consistency reminds me of coconut oil a little bit: pretty solid at cooler temps but it's not quite as liquid-y when it warms up. It's thick and stays on really well - I usually put it on at night and still feel like my belly is lotion-y in the morning. The one downside IMO is that it's a little greasy so I always wash my hands after putting it on and then make sure my sleep shirt totally covers my belly.
5. Diffuser
I love our little essential oil diffuser. I got it a few years ago and it's just the perfect size and super cute. I kiiiind of wish we had one on each floor of our house...I'm always taking it up and down stairs with me depending on which room we're in! In our bedroom I usually use lavender, breathe easy (a blend to help w/ allergies) or peace & calming. In the kitchen/living room I tend to use purification (to help get rid of cooking smells) or a mix of thieves & citrus (for a wonderfully spicy, clean smell). Whenever we're downstairs working on Arden's new room, I've started diffusing the peace & calming and my newest oil, Gentle Baby.
6. Belly Band
Before our trip to the UK, I splurged on a black belly band by Belly Bandit and it was SO worth it. It's super supportive and just lifts my belly up, which redistributes babyT's weight, making my back feel so much better. I wore it all over the UK while we were traveling and walking for miles each day and it made a huge difference. At home I usually only wear it when I go on walks or know that I'll be standing for long periods at a time because it's not super comfortable to have on while sitting.
7. Pilates
I love me some pilates! I've been following Robin from The Balanced Life for about 4 years now and LOVE her programs. I'm part of the "Sisterhood" program which is basically an online workout community - Robin sends us monthly workout calendars, recipes, etc. I signed up for her prenatal videos last pregnancy and have been using them this time around too. Pilates at home has been the perfect workout for me for the past few years - it's easy to do in my PJs or yoga pants, I can do it morning or night (I usually aim for morning!), and you can choose the length of your workout depending on how long you have at that moment (10 mins? no problem! longer weekend workout? easy!).
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