pregnancy favorites {glamorous edition}

Sometimes or alltimes I feel bad when a friend announces their pregnancy because it's so terribly instinctive of me to want to give obnoxious and very much unsolicited advice about virtually all things bebe and maternity. I usually fail despite trying desperately to physically hold my hand over my mouth (or chuck my phone with my text-happy fingers and gently snap my laptop shut) so this is my version of getting it all out of my system to protect the future innocent, I guess. Sorry you're the unlucky audience. Sort of sorry. A little bit sorry.

I can't refer to any of these as "must-haves" because what I "must have" you might hate and what YOU "must have" I might not necessarily love but ... these all work together in sweet harmony to make my pregnancies significantly better.

High maintenance? NEVER.

I think I'm on the stage third from the right and I've never gotten to the cutting stage but the pregnancy is young.

0. We'll start with my favorite pregnancy essential especially in the third trimester and that would be: SLEEP. As previously typed, never have I ever been so excited for the kids to go to bed so that I might quickly follow and while I'm sure it's Mother Nature's way of letting us rest up before all adorable hell breaks lose postpartum that Mother Nature is a smart cookie. So, I'm guessing a majority of us can agree there. Maybe.

Moving on.

1. Memory foam pillow - I had terrible back pain toward the end of Sebastian's pregnancy and we happened to visit my lovely grandma when I was about 34 weeks along and I happened to sleep on this ridiculous pillow and what do you know? Pain vanished. I've been "borrowing" the pillow ever since but if she ever politely demanded it back .. I would happily shell out the cash for another because it keeps me sane especially towards the bittersweet end. Although! I have to admit I'm intrigued after having read countless rave reviews of these but for now ... I'm good. And for the honest record, I loathe sleeping on memory foam mattresses ... riddle me that.

2. Mustela Stretch Marks Double Action - Growing up in New Mexico's dry climate, I grew accustomed to dousing my epidermis with lotion after every shower lest I wanted to resemble the lizards that inevitably snuck into our house day and night. And even though the midwest is humid as bleep during the summer months ... I still can't quit the habit and have grown stupidly picky about body lotion (smell, consistency, etc - I'm the worst) and I love this stuff. I know that stretch marks are genetic (right? I believe so) and I've escaped them thus far (although of course they aren't even kind of the end of the world, at ALL!!) but just in case this has anything to do with it I'm not quitting the double action potion anytime soon. I mix it with this to stretch it a bit and help to elevate my skin tone from Casper to Casper-saw-the-sun-for-a-quarter-second.

3. Blanqi Support Tank - One of thee only reasons I stay on top of the laundry these days is to keep one of these clean at all times because I've become sadly dependent on it. If I go hours without wearing it and then I put it on it's like that feeling you get after standing all day and then finally sitting, if that makes sense. It's so supportive (Simon not-so-affectionately refers to it as Fort Knox) without being bulky and it's nice because it provides tanktoppy coverage if you have the weird issue of maternity shirts being bizarrely low cut (Phoebe grabberson Patton doesn't help either). I can wash and dry them without worrying about the quality suffering at all. Okay, off my soapbox. For now.

4. Paula's Choice Triple Action Dark Spot Eraser - I honestly might be willing to trade some stretch marks for my pregnancy mask (melasma, chloasma, whatever you want to call it asma) because it is BAD. I never think it's that bad until I look back at photos and then wonder what blinding drugs I was smoking because it truly looks like I've sampled every color of foundation and not blended OR painted on a camo mask and am readying myself for some dangerous mission in the wilds of beige brush and vegetation. I've tried loads and loads of dark spot erasers and this works practically overnight. If I'm diligent with scrubbing my face with baking soda (which I'm not) that helps too but it's nice knowing I won't necessarily be mistaken for a "serious and infectious skin disease" patient and be wheeled off of Labor & Delivery and into isolation when I have the baby. Here's my referral link for $10 off your first Paula's Choice order ... if you fancy. 

5. Magnesium - I've blogged about it before and I'll probably blog about it again but it helps me sleep sounder, keeps leg cramps completely at bay, and keeps general end-of-pregnancy aches to a dull roar. I've taken it ever since Sebastian's pregnancy and while the end of pregnancy is never a blast I still remember with great acuity how miserable I was at the end with Julia and have yet to get back to that cruel point. I blame you, Magnesium

I'm still on the hunt for an at-home barista to whip up terrible and sugary caffeinated beverages at a moment's notice, a discreet and portable bathroom, a personal trainer to peer pressure me into getting off the couch, and a magical varicose vein zapper (first time I've gotten them and holy horrible). That's all.

What am I missing? A million essentials I'm sure ... I recently discovered the delight that is avocado toast and have been living off of that so I'm only about five years behind the curve. Enlighten me, pretty please.


Oh! And of course! Other unsolicited pregnancy advice posts for your skimming pleasure:

hospital bag essentials
postpartum lifesavers
exercise and supplements: pregnancy style