Pregnancy Essentials

1. Kind Bars | 2. Blender Bottle Sport Mixer | 3. Soapwalla Deodorant Cream | 4. Ingrid & Isabel Everyday Cami | 5. Leachco Total Body Pillow | 6. Tracy Anderson: The Pregnancy Project DVD | 7. Slim & Toned Prenatal Barre Workout DVD | 8. Ingrid & Isabel Belly Leggings | 9. Cortaid | 10. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser | 11. The Bump Phone App | 12. Basq Resilient Body Oil | 13. Basq Advanced Stretch Mark Butter

So far my pregnancy has been amazing. A little nausea in the beginning with a few food aversions and most recently some pain from stretching in my tummy- but other than that it's really been such a joy being pregnant and experiencing such an incredible miracle. I feel very blessed.

Right when I found out I was pregnant, I began doing research, following blogs with women who had amazing pregnancy tips, talking with friends, and asking my doctor questions on what I should be doing/eating/and using. Above is my list of pregnancy essentials. 

I've tried to be pretty healthy with my pregnancy as far as eating and exercising goes. I have found that hunger pains hit at all times of day- so I always carry around a few Kind bars in my purse. They have been lifesavers! Being pregnant, it's very important to stay hydrated, so I always have my Blender Bottle filled with ice cold water with me at all times. It's crazy what you discover is ok and not ok to use during pregnancy. A good, safe deodorant was a big concern of mine. So when I discovered Soapwalla Deodorant Cream, I was beyond ecstatic. It's all natural and it actually WORKS! I think I will continue to use it even after I've given birth. My go to clothing items have been the Ingrid & Isabel Cami and Leggings. They really hold everything in, they are comfortable, and they are cute! What's not to love? I just change my sweater, shoes, and jewelry every day to keep it fresh and new. My sleep hasn't been too bad, but with the belly growing more and more each week and with more back pains than before, the Leachco Body Pillow has been wonderful. I had never noticed how fantastic it was until I slept one night without it while I was away- will not make that mistake again for the rest of my pregnancy. As far as exercising goes- I was doing the eliptical a ton at the begining, but with a bigger bump now I do walks and home DVD's. I like the luxury of not leaving the house to workout- plus I feel like I'm not losing all of my tone if I keep up with these pregnancy strength training exercises. 

As far as my beauty regimen- it has only slightly changed. I used to use a strong spot treatment on any zits that popped up, but I wanted to go with a more natural, safe way to treat acne now that I'm pregnant. Cortaid has been great for that- it actually works and doesn't dry out the skin- just the zit. I got this tip from one of my favorite blogs, The Honeybee. I've also been using Cetaphil to cleanse my face-it's safe and works really well. My girlfriend used The Bump app on her iPhone while she was pregnant and highly recommended it to me. I've been attached to it from the begining. The bump tracker is fun and it gives you a week by week, day by day checklist- reminding you about things that you didn't even think about but that are super pertinent. It's been such a big help and I love reading about the size of my little one each week and what's been going on with his transformation. It should be a staple for any expectant mama. Lastly, I've already raved about Basq body oil and shea butter stretch mark cream- but it really has been an important part of my daily pregnancy regimen. Still no stretch marks (knock on wood) so as of now, I'm sticking with Basq products. Are there any necessities that you couldn't live without when you were expecting or if you are expecting right now? I'd love to hear some tips! xo