Maternity Essentials

It's so crazy to me how fast pregnancy has gone by. I feel like yesterday I found out I was pregnant. Being this was my first time around, I remember being so excited yet SO nervous. With my two step babies I had experience being a mom, but being pregnant was a whole new adventure. A lot of you have asked about my maternity essentials and pregnancy routine so I wanted to share a little more today.  

1. Long Tee & Tank - One of my biggest frustrations being pregnant was finding shirts that covered my belly. The two I found to be the best basic layering tops (both under $15) were: 

 * Mossimo Crew Neck Tees - I bought the long sleeve version because it was cold most of my pregnancy but here is a link to the short sleeve version for you Spring/Summer pregnant mamas (size up to get the length). 

 * My other go to was these $1.80 Forever 21 tanks. You can't go wrong for $2. I bought a large and wore one almost everyday I was pregnant. They are so great for layering I have like 2 in every color. 

2. Tiek's Flats - If you are a frequent reader of my blog you know I rarely wear flats unless it's sneakers or converse. It's been such an adjustment the last couple months of pregnancy wanting to still be a little dressy but not wear heels. I am completely in love with Tieks. I tried them for the first time this year and they are worth the price. I think the reason I hadn't worn flats much before is I couldn't find a pair that was comfortable. I wear these all day and my feet don't cramp or feel squished. I'm converted! (this is the neutral pair I got to match the most/ also love these)

3. Maternity Jeans - Let's just say I didn't really know what these were until I was pregnant. I pictured old grandma jeans in my head and didn't even look into them until I was over 20 weeks pregnant. I used hair elastics to squeeze into my jeans as long as I could. It got to the point even those didn't work and I would just wear super long shirts and leave my pants all the way unzipped because I didn't have any jeans to wear. That ended pretty quick and one of my friends told me designer brands made maternity jeans. LIFE SAVER. I wish I would have invested in these way earlier. They are a maternity must. My favorite maternity jean brands were AG Jeans and Paige. For me I liked the over the belly band ones from AG, if you follow me on Instagram you know I lived in this pair through my pregnancy. For the side bands ones,  Paige was my favorite (I have this pair). Destination maternity has a great selection of designer brands.  

4. Mustela Stretch Mark Cream - Face it our bodies morph and do crazy things for our babies, and sometimes our skin can suffer. My mom instilled in me to take care of my skin, so I have been really paranoid about stretch marks. I read a lot of reviews and Mustela was the the best. It is kind of expensive but two bottles lasted me my whole pregnancy. No stretch marks to date :) (knock on wood!)

5. Maternity Bra - Another thing I waited forever to buy that I wish I would have purchased earlier in my pregnancy. Some people say sports bras work for them but they squished my boobs down too much when I was wearing non work out shirts. I tried a couple different brands and these Cake Bras were my favorite. They also have little buckles in the front, so they can be used post baby for nursing. 

6. Body Pillow - It gets to the stage where it gets super uncomfortable to sleep, sit on the couch, all the basic things you take for granted. My best friend Jen found this company Bump Nest and I am obsessed with their pillows. I use my maternity pillow almost daily. I can't sleep with it every night because I am huge cuddler and I hate having space between Cody and I, but whenever I am watching TV, lounging, or working on my computer in bed, I'm always using it. It's great for your posture and they have the cutest pillow cases (I got the stone chevron). I also just found out they have an acid reflex pillow which is next on my purchase list because I have been getting the worst heart burn the last couple weeks.

7. Fetal Dopler - My cousin gave me this and it was a God - send. If you are a worrier like me the first 16 weeks of pregnancy can seem like the slowest time of your life. The baby isn't big enough to feel it kick and your constantly wondering if he/she is ok. This little device is basically an at home heart monitor. So anytime your paranoid something is wrong you can listen to your babies heart beat. I did this almost every other day the first couple weeks I was pregnant because I was so paranoid something might be wrong. Mine was gifted but you can find them on Amazon or just google "baby heart monitor" they are like $40-$70 but so worth the peace of mind. 

**Also a little tip: you don't have to buy the ultrasound gel, KY Jelly or Aloe Vera works the same and it's a lot cheaper. 

A couple other maternity basics:
I haven't bought a ton of maternity clothes really other than jeans and a few dresses. Almost everything I wore I just ordered 1-2 sizes up so I could wear it after I have the baby. Some other favorites:

 - Black Leggings - Love Hue

 - Nike sneakers

 - Cute maternity dresses - more of me & ASOS

 - Oversized Sweats
- Best Designer Maternity Clothes selection - here

Happy Pregnancy!

XOX, 

Christine