This is my second pregnancy and I have some new things that I am loving this time around. (Here’s what I loved last time. I still advise the TempurPedic, by the way!)

1. I’m still loving this Mother’s Special Blend oil. I used this during my first pregnancy and it was the first thing I ordered again this time. It claims to help prevent stretch marks and that has been true so far for me, but the real benefit here is that it helps prevent the itchy, tight skin that pregnant women complain about! I use this after every shower or bath. I added 10 drops of Frankincense and 10 drops of Gentle Baby to it as well to help keep my skin healthy as it continues to stretch and expand.
2. Here’s a roundup of some of my most-used essential oils during pregnancy (I use Young Living oils): Gentle Baby, Frankincense, Lavender, Peppermint, Ginger, Sleepyize, and Lemon. I forgot to add Thieves, but I also use that because no pregnant woman has the time to get sick and if you do get sick, there’s pretty much no medicine you can take while pregnant anyway. So here’s a quick breakdown:
   1. Gentle Baby: this one is probably one of my favorites! It’s super versatile as it’s both a calming oil as well as a healthy skin oil. It helps reduce stress and it’s the most wonderful smell ever (it has Rosewood, Geranium, Palmerosa, Lavender, Roman Chamomile, Ylang Ylang, Lemon, Jasmine, Bergamot, and Rose in it sooooooo basically your all-star lineup). It reduces stretch marks and scar tissue and is super soothing for chapped skin. It’s great for babies too (thus the name; it was designed for pregnant mamas and newborns) so it’s a good one to have on hand for after your baby arrives!
   2. Frankincense: supports beautiful, healthy skin so you can just go right ahead and apply a drop to your face after you wash your makeup off. (It also reduces wrinkles and helps prevent stretch marks and fades scars so there you go!) This is one I’m planning to use after labor as well as it is a mood booster and increases focus and concentration.
   3. Lavender: it’s the everything oil, but I love it most for it’s calming scent. Diffuse at night or rub on the bottoms of your feet. Put a drop in your mascara for some lovely lashes. Add a few drops to your unscented body lotion. Drop some in a 1/2 cup of epsom salt for a relaxing bath. Use as a skin moisturizer. Make a linen spray with lavender, witch hazel, and water and your bed will smell like a spa.
   4. Peppermint: this one is generally not advised for use in the third trimester, however, it is powerful during the first 2/3 of your pregnancy, especially for morning sickness! Also great if you get a craving for peppermint brownies.
   5. Ginger: again, morning sickness
   6. Sleepyize: this is in the kid’s essential oil line, and it’s just as great for adults. I diffuse this at night to help get lots of rest (and to help me go back to sleep after I get up to go to the bathroom for the 408th time). (The Tranquil roller is also amazing for sleep!)
   7. Lemon: morning sickness (the fresh citrus is amazing) and it’s also great for later on when acid reflux hits! Just rub a drop on the front of your neck/sternum in the evening. (I also love to add a drop to my water!)
   8. Thieves: build your immunity. There’s no time for getting sick.
   9. DiGize: morning sickness and acid reflux! This one is a game changer when it comes to eating food and not regretting every decision you just made.
3. Ningxia Red for energy and boosted immunity! Just 1 ounce has the same antioxidant power as 100 oranges, 814 blueberries, 22 medium carrots, 10.85 pounds of spinach, 59 broccoli florets, 73 strawberries, and 93 apples. Drink it plain (I like it cold; not room temperature!) or add it to a smoothie! I prefer the 2-ounce packets because they’re easy to take on the go, but if you’re a pour and drink kind of person, you can grab the bottles of this magic juice.
4. This Deep Relief roller is so great for those achy muscles. I have worked out during both of my pregnancies so there’s been a lot of general exercise aches as well as growing aches (evenings seem to be the worst). Deep Relief is great for pounding temples as well as any tender tension areas like shoulders, low back, and neck.
5. I didn’t have a pregnancy pillow during my first pregnancy and I didn’t really need one until I hit about 30 weeks in my second pregnancy. And by “need”, I mean “want really, really badly.” If you don’t have one, you can obviously make do with a fort of about 8 pillows around and under you, but a pregnancy pillow just makes sleep life so much easier. I especially like to have some pillow support under my belly and between my knees.
6. Longline, basic tank tops are so great in normal life and I’ve been using these from H&M for my whole pregnancy (they’re not maternity, but they are stretchy!). They are slender enough to easily wear under sweaters or as layering pieces and are also perfect for bedtime!
7. Super B vitamins are a life saver! My doctor recommend vitamin B6 to help with nausea and then I started taking Super B. Folate is essential for the healthy development of the fetus, especially in early pregnancy and Super B contains Orgen-FA, which is a naturally derived source of folate from lemon peels, plus all 7 other essential B vitamins! I take it in the morning because it gives me a huge energy boost (which is especially helpful since I ditched caffeine) and if you need another boost, take a second one at lunch.
8. AlkaLime is formulated to neutralize acidity and maintain desirable pH levels in the body so, you know,  bye-bye reflux.
9. Gin-Gins were a lifesaver during the first trimester and I bought them in bulk so I still have plenty left for car rides.
10. Find yourself the most comfortable maternity leggings and wear them every day of your pregnancy. My favorite are these Isabel Maternity ones from Target. They are just thick enough that you can’t see through them, but are not too thick that they’re hot. They also have just enough spandex in them that it’s easy to brush off crumbs and other things that you will inevitably spill on yourself.
11. As you can tell, I’m all about basics this time around. I’m already a mom so my priority for clothing has been minimalistic, affordable, and comfortable. I’m on the floor playing, I’m cleaning up potty accidents, I’m cooking meals…I need an easy wardrobe. I grabbed this white maternity tee on clearance at Target when I first found out I was pregnant and actually hated it at first because it seemed too long. It wasn’t until I got bigger that it fit exactly how it should and now I wear it several times a week; as often as I can throw it in the laundry! Since I alternate between being cold and hot all the time (hello, third trimester!), I often wear this with my leggings and layer a cardigan over it.
12. Progessence Plus serum helped me a lot with nausea. I put a roller on the top of the bottle and did a swipe on the back of my neck every morning during that first trimester.
13. Pregnancy is not the time for buying a ton of new bras. You change sizes quickly and you’ll probably change a few more sizes up or down before it’s all over (and afterwards!!). But if there’s one thing I can recommend, it’s finding a really comfortable bra (no underwire!! It’ll hurt so bad once your belly is big enough to press up against your boobs!). I adore these from True & Co and bought several because I wear them every day. They have them in regular sizes and also in larger sizes for those of us who got more than we bargained for. The wide straps help distribute weight so there’s less back and shoulder pain and it’s an easy pullover design with no weird bulges.
14. I just recently got Claraderm. It soothes dry and itchy skin and is great to massage onto pre- and post-pregnancy bellies. And in other news, it’s great for promoting healing to stressed skin before and after childbirth.

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