Friday Favorites: 5 Pregnancy Essentials

It’s not easy to remember to take care of yourself when you have little ones running around. They demand so much help, attention and food, that “time for mom” is limited to a fraction of the day. When you are pregnant, regardless of how many other people you’re taking care of, it’s important to find time to take care of yourself. It was a hard routine to get into for me, but my first trimester was pretty rough, and taking time to take care of myself starting making it a lot better. It’s not easy for me to remember all day, everyday, but I’ve been trying to take a little more “me time” the past few months and at least take my vitamins and eat some lunch! 

Below are 5 pregnancy essentials that i’d highly recommend:

1. Mama Mio: About a month ago, I started using a few products from the Mama Mio skincare line and love them. Over the course of 3 pregnancies, I’ve tried quite a few “belly creams” and the Mama Mio TummyRub Butter is my favorite. It doesn’t go on thick and sticky like some do. It’s omega-rich and safe and effective for protecting against stretch marks and itchy bellies. My skin always changes a lot during pregnancy, and I always find that my usual face wash and lotion needs to be switched up.  I’ve been using the Mama Mio Gorgeous Glow Face Wash and Face Swipes and they’ve been the perfect solution for my skin. I’d highly recommend this line! 

2. Prenatal Vitamins: I’ve been taking Rainbow Light vitamins for a while, but each time i’ve been pregnant, I have a lot of trouble with prenatal vitamins. I tried breaking the capsule open and sprinkling in a smoothie or in breakfast (you can do that easily with some of the Rainbow Light Prenatals), but during the first trimester, I was having trouble eating most foods that  I could add the vitamin to. I found out that Rainbow Light makes a “Prenatal Petite” and tried it. They are awesome if you have trouble swallowing/ tolerating prenatal vitamins. They are so much smaller than a regular pill. The Rainbow Light Prenatal Petite is gluten-free, sugar-free, lactose-free, dairy-free, wheat-free and yeast-free. It is 100% natural, and contains no artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, preservatives or additives.

3. Earth Mama Angel Baby Organics: I had a few friends recommend this brand for different reasons: pregnancy products, breastfeeding and for babies. While I haven’t tried the breastfeeding products just yet, the pregnancy items they have are awesome. I was very sick the first trimester and continue to have to rough mornings and nights here and there. The Earth Mama Organic Wellness Morning Tea and the Happy Mama Spray are wonderful. I’ve also recently tried the Organic Heartburn Tea too and it helps more than antacids! The whole line is all natural and safe. Two of the baby products that we’ve all been using this summer: Angel Baby Bottom Balm (helps bug bites!) and Mint Herbal Lip Balm. 

4. Kocked Up Fitness: It was a lot easier for me to find time to workout and take exercise classes when I was pregnant with my first. Now, in order to work out or take a class I have to go late at night when my husband gets home or hire a babysitter. I recently found a great way to fit in prenatal workouts at home: Knocked Up Fitness. I’d recommend starting with the The Knocked-Up Fitness Guide to Pregnancy Book (there’s an e-version too) and then getting to work with the DVDs. Knocked up Fitness really helps out with keeping you in shape while pregnant. It offers safe and effective exercises to stay fit in as little as 10 minutes a day so you may have a faster delivery, healthier baby, and quicker return to your pre-baby body. The workouts are fun, provide a great workout and my kids get a kick out of watching me do them in our living room! 

5. Relaxing: This is by far the hardest thing for me to remember to do during pregnancy. I’ve never been good at “resting” during the day and usually push myself to the limit and pass out at night. This was really taking a toll this pregnancy and i’ve had to think of ways to get the kids to “relax” with me for a little while each afternoon. I’ve also found a great mother’s helper in my neighborhood who comes and plays outside with the girls once or twice a week, while I rest inside. One of the best ways I “relaxed” this summer was after SwimWays sent along one of their Spring Floats (the kids were supervised in the pool by another adult while I relaxed). This float is so comfortable and even holds up a growing pregnant lady! We don’t have a pool of our own, but this float travels well: it easily folds up into a small circle and slips into a bag. The Spring Float makes relaxing in the summertime a breeze. 

Now for a fun Friday giveaway: One lucky winner will receive a SwimWays Spring Float. You don’t have to be pregnant to enjoy some relaxing in the pool this summer! You can enter using the Rafflecopter below. Happy Friday! 

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