summer pregnancy essentials
Hey friends! Today we’re chatting all about my summer pregnancy essentials! This is my second pregnancy and we’re 32 weeks in, so I figured it was about time I shared what’s helped me enjoy/survive being pregnant.
The last time I was pregnant, we were living in our beloved studio apartment, so the choice to keep my list of essentials down to the true essentials was kind of made for me. This time, we’ve had a bit more space but I’ve stuck with a minimalist approach all the same. It’s helped keep things simple but still comfortable. Let’s jump in!
LIFESTYLE
prenatal vitamins
A super important pregnancy essential! I may be an adult, but I have to confess that I love gummy vitamins! They feel like such a treat! I’ve loved the Olly Prenatal Vitamin this pregnancy. It has DHA and folic acid — both important for baby’s development. The citrus flavor was really nice when I was in the throws of first trimester nausea and I love that I can easily swing by the store to pick more up when I need to. As always, do your research and talk to your doctor about what prenatal vitamin would work best for you, I’m simply sharing what I’ve used!
fiber supplement
This might be TMI but so much about pregnancy requires talking about our bodily functions so here we go. My fellow pregnant people might already know this, but sometimes all that pressure on our bodies makes it tough for our bodies to stay regular. It’s always recommended that we eat lots of veggies to get a good amount of fiber in our diets, but if you’re feeling like you could use some more help in the fiber department, I’ve really liked the Olly Prebiotic + Probiotic gummies. It’s a lovely peach flavor and it’s claimed a permanent spot in my medicine cabinet. Again, I’m not a doctor, just sharing what’s worked for me!
water bottle
If you’re a longtime reader, you’ll have undoubtedly heard me rave about my S’well bottles. It was one of the first swaps I made when looking to live a more sustainable life and I’m happy to report it’s a habit that totally stuck! I tote my bottle around all day, mostly from room to room since we spend the majority of our days at home, but I rarely leave the house without it. Staying hydrated is super important while pregnant. I’ve definitely noticed a difference in how many charley horse cramps and Braxton Hicks contractions I get when I’m properly hydrated. The downside is I’m running to the bathroom every 15 minutes, but hey — that’s just a part of pregnancy!
belly butter
I didn’t feel the need to use a belly butter last time I was pregnant. I stuck with my regular body butter and called it a day in the name of simplicity. This time, however, one of my pals gifted me some belly butter that she sells in her baby shop and I’ve loved it! I’ve been using the Urb Apothecary Belly Balm on my belly all pregnancy long. I’m not sure it’s preventing stretch marks (to be honest, my belly button stretched out so much with Izzy that it never looked the same after delivering) but it is helping with the itchiness! I don’t remember being this itchy last time I was pregnant and this has been a really nice way to nourish my skin!
day oil
You know when you come across a product and it kind of changes your life? That’s how I feel about the S.W. Basics Day Oil. Oh my goodness, it is so good on my dry, dry skin! I’ve developed random dry patches on my face during this pregnancy and this oil is the only thing that has helped me nourish them. It’s 100% a holy grail product that I will use as long as it exists. I honestly get compliments on how glowy I look whenever I wear it plus the slight lavender scent is honestly divine.
a good pillow
I realized a week ago that Brandon and I were sleeping on really, really old pillows. We’ve always washed them and use pillow protectors, but they were not the comfy pillows they used to be. So on a whim, I bought us some new pillows while on a Target run. I bought myself this pillow that lends itself to side and back sleepers since I’ve been forced to become a side sleeper while pregnant (not that I”m bitter about it 😆). Let me just say, WOW! What a difference it’s made in my sleep already! I’ve never used a pregnancy pillow so unfortunately I can’t recommend one. Honestly, though, my new pillow under my head and my old pillow slightly propping me up so I don’t roll onto my back has worked just fine. And bonus for me, I won’t have to store a pregnancy pillow!
reusable cloth masks
It wouldn’t really be a list of pregnancy essentials in 2020 if I didn’t talk about masks. Being pregnant automatically made me extra cautious about protecting myself and my baby girl. I’ll admit, I thought the pandemic would be over within a month or so, so I held off on actually buying a mask and instead used my bandanas to create my own little mask. After a few months, though, I knew I was going to need more than two face covering options, so I ordered some off Etsy (which I really like and use most often) but also picked some up at Old Navy and Target. I prefer a more structured style to my mask after wearing a bandana for so long. I’ve also found that kid’s sizing works better for my face size. The elastic on the adult masks is always too long for my face!
MATERNITY CLOTHES
true and co bras
i stopped wearing bras with underwire when I outgrew my traditional bras during my last pregnancy. Between pregnancy boobs and nursing boobs, I realized I needed something that was more flexible than my go-to bras could give me. Also, I realized just how uncomfortable I’d been in my wired bras all those years! About a year ago, I did an instagram collaboration with True & Co and got to try out a couple bralettes. I was still nursing Isaac then and I was so impressed by how well this non-nursing bra lent itself to nursing. I was finally comfortable, the girls had some shape and support, and I was hooked. Flash forward a year and I ended up ordering a couple more bras from True and Co so I could finally toss my old, uncomfortable bras. I especially like their new launch of the bras with lift because they really do seem to provide the extra lift! Perfect for someone who always feels like her boobs are halfway down her torso.
seamless undies
Since we’re chatting about undies, I have to quickly say that a good alternative to buying expensive maternity underwear (at least one that’s worked for me) is buying seamless or laser cut hipsters. They have a little more stretch than cotton underwear and don’t have an elastic band on them. As much as I love simple cotton underwear when I’m not pregnant, the elastic tends to dig into me as my pregnancy progresses and I just hate that feeling. I’ve really liked the laser cut briefs from Target’s Auden brand — budget friendly and they don’t ride up. Win, win!
a belly-friendly swimsuit
Being pregnant in the summer automatically means thinking about swimwear, but being pregnant during a pandemic meant I couldn’t really go swimsuit shopping for the beginning of the summer. Luckily, I’ve been able to make my non-maternity swimsuit from Aerie work! I initially bought it last summer to have a swimsuit I could still nurse Izzy in. I loved the green color (shocking, I know) and also love the fact that the strings in the back are long enough to accommodate a bump! Overall, I’m super happy with this swimsuit. It’s budget friendly, comes in pretty colors, and has managed to work through nursing and pregnancy seasons without really being “made” for that.
a simple tee
Confession: the reason I don’t buy maternity tops is because I find them unflattering and because it’s so hard to find a maternity t shirt that doesn’t gather all the fabric at the sides. I know the gathering is meant to make the top more comfortable and bump-fitting, but for some reason I can’t stand how it looks. It’s a weird pet peeve, I know. As much as I tried to make my regular t shirts work in pregnancy, the reality is I needed a maternity tee. Thankfully, I was able to find one without the side rouching from ASOS. I really love this tee. It’s comfy, it’s a closet staple, AND it’s gather-free! Perfect for a picky girl like me. 😆
a longer t shirt
Speaking of finding good t shirts, I was pleasantly surprised to find that one of my non-maternity tees from Old Navy works really well as maternity tee! The key to a non-maternity top working with a bump is to find something that is long enough. Being short, tees from places like Old Navy are usually quite long on me, which never bothers me because I tuck in all my tops when I’m not pregnant. It turns out being short works out in my favor while pregnant because I didn’t have to worry about buying a whole new set of tops!
maternity jeans
Being pregnant in the summer means I haven’t worn nearly as much denim as I usually do. I have kept my maternity jeans from Old Navy in my drawer, though, because you better believe I’m wearing jeans on the rare occasion the temperature dips below 85! My maternity jeans are ones I bought during my first pregnancy, but I think the premium full belly panel style of maternity jeans from Old Navy is a good value for the price. The denim is pretty good quality and the full panel gives me the extra bit of support I need once the bump really pops out.
elastic waist shorts
Honestly, I didn’t even realize how much of my maternity wardrobe is from Old Navy until putting this post together! I don’t usually shop there very much for myself (kids stuff is a different story), but during a time when thrift stores were closed and when online thrfiting was slim pickings, I had the best luck finding pieces I desperately needed within my budget at Old Navy. Wherever you decide to get elastic waist shorts (and pants!), I think the best way to make non-maternity shorts work is to look for ones that aren’t high waisted. I tried to make some high waist ones work for me and eventually, I was either forced to wear them so low that they looked weird or I had to roll the top down to make it fit under my bump, which made the shorts much tighter than was comfortable. Learn from my mistake and embrace a lower rise—just for pregnancy! We can go back to our beloved high rise in due time.
smock dresses
I should preface this by saying even if you’re not a dress person, you’ll more than likely reach a point where even the most comfortable of shorts and maternity jeans start to feel uncomfortable. I say this because it happened to me. I’m still making my shorts and tank tops pregnancy outfit work, but I’ll be honest, the smock dresses in my closet are way more comfortable (and stylish) at this point in my pregnancy. My go to dress is my lovely green one from ASOS that I bought for our mini babymoon to Palm Springs when I was pregnant with Izzy, but I recently found a gauzey white smock at TJ Maxx that I love!
linen overalls
I wore my white linen blend overalls for a solid portion of my pregnancy. Even though they weren’t maternity, the low rise on them made them bump friendly. Sadly, my bump got too big for them so I set out to find another pair of linen-y overalls. I’m already a huge fan of overalls because I think they’re a stylish way of changing up outfit formulas. I found some deep seafoam green ones at Target recently and I’ve been really happy to have them in my closet. I’ll be honest, I’m not super sure if they’re flattering on me. What I do know is they’re comfy and at this point, if it’s comfortable and it fits, it’s a winner! The ones I bought are sold out, but it looks like there are some similar ones available if you’re in the market for a pair.
comfy shoes
For a girl with a curated closet, I have A LOT of shoes. The thing is, I wear them all (doesn’t everyone say that?)! There are, of course, some shoes I wear way more often than others. The third trimester has officially turned me into one of those people who wears the same three or four pairs of shoes. Most of it is due to comfort — at this stage in the growing-a-baby game, I need shoes that are comfortable or easy to put on. 😅 I’ve been mostly rotating between my Toms San Clemente slip on shoes (that are sadly being discontinued but might be available on Poshmark) and my Teva sandals
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That’s everything that’s made this pregnancy enjoyable and bearable! I’m including the video that went up on my channel last week where I covered the same topic down below. In case you didn’t know, I have a YouTube channel! I just recently hit one thousand subscribers and I couldn’t be more thrilled! So thank you to all who have subscribed or watched my videos. They’re a labor of love but I love making them! And if you haven’t subbed yet, please do!
Ok, ok, enough self-promotion
Take care,
Alex 🤍
