October Home Stretch

I'm sure we are all thinking the same thing - how is it already October?! I've been waiting for October all year, because this is the month we'll meet baby girl. Time has flown by at lightning speed!

Since this weekend was pretty quiet other than celebrating our fav neighbor's birthday, I thought I'd share my few must have items that got me through my pregnancy.

Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter - I cannot believe I'm saying this, but so far so good in the stretch marks department even at 38 weeks. I'm owing it to a combination of staying active throughout my pregnancy and slathering on the belly butter after I showered every night. It kept my skin moisturized, and I loved that it didn't have a strong scent and was a natural product without parabens, phthalates, and petrolatum. Win-win!

Coffee - a big pregnancy myth is that you have to ditch you daily dose of caffeine. I honestly don't know how I would have survived if this was true. You can safely have up to 200 mg per day (about 2 cups of coffee). My morning Dunkin and Starbucks runs or walk over to the Keurig are still something I look forward to every day.

High Rise Leggings - As you'll see below, I have lived in flowy dresses but for barre and yoga classes or weekly Target runs my high rise leggings comfortably fit over my ever-growing bump. My favorites were these Zella high waist crop leggings from Nordstrom and these high rise crops from lululemon. Seriously the most comfortable pants ever!

La Croix Sparkling Water - Even when I can enjoy adult beverages again soon, I'll still keep my fridge stocked full of these pretty slim cans. It was a nice treat aside from drinking water all the time, and super refreshing to enjoy while lounging in the pool.  They come in a large variety of flavors and are 0 calorie, 0 sugar, 0 sodium, and the best part by far is 0 artificial sweeteners which equals 0 guilt. I picked up packs of them at Target, where you can also find them on sale a lot plus Cartwheel deals.

Flowy Dresses - Other than the dress I wore to my baby shower in CT and for our maternity shoot I haven't purchased a single piece of maternity clothes. Instead I picked up several flowy dresses that were not only super comfortable (waistbands are not your friend while your bump is growing), but helped me look put together even if just running out for a bit. One of my favorites was this dress from Express that I loved so much I picked up in multiple colors.

**If you live in a colder climate, and it's winter time I'd suggest pairing flowy dresses or tunics with high rise leggings to stay comfortable. I tried the belly band, and it worked but it made me super hot since it was like an extra layer of clothing under my tops**.

Workouts - As I mentioned here, keeping up with barre and yoga classes throughout my pregnancy especially during the yucky months of the 1st trimester was not easy but so rewarding. No matter how sick or tired I felt before class, I was always so thankful that I forced myself to go and left feeling so much better.

Prenatal Gummies - Some women feel sick from prenatal vitamins, and I don't do well with nasty big pills so I've been chewing on 2-3 prenatal gummies daily since before even getting pregnant. Not only do they taste great, but they give me all the nutrients that I need to help support the growing baby. Target of course for the win with great prices, constant sales, and Cartwheel deals.

Things I didn't waste money on or improvised on:

Pregnancy Pillow - As I got about halfway into my 3rd trimester, sleep became more and more uncomfortable with hip and joint pain. I've heard women rave for years about pregnancy pillows which tend to take up a ton of room and are expensive for an item you're only using for a few weeks or months. I took notice of the king size pillows that sit on the bed more for decor than actual use, and decided to try them out one night and it was magical! They're longer than a regular pillow so they provided me with the support I needed on my belly and in-between my legs to relieve the hip pain.

Maternity Clothes - As I mentioned above, I've been living in flowy dresses which have been super comfortable and can still be worn once baby girl arrives. I love that I didn't invest in a bunch of pieces that could only be worn for a short time, and rather in items that I'll be able to continue wearing.

Changing Table - I read a lot of reviews that said it's a piece of furniture you'll only use for a little while, and it's easier to just purchase a changing pad with a grippy bottom and place it on top of a dresser that will grow with baby. This is exactly what we did, and I'm very happy with our decision.

What were some of your must-haves and what did you skip out on that others may swear by?