15 Natural Products That Have Helped Me Through The Second Trimester
15 Natural Products That Have Helped Me Through The Second Trimester
It was so nice to get out of the first trimester woods and finally start to feel relatively normal again. Aside from a stretching belly, round ligament pain, shortness of breath, unpredictable fatigue and Braxton Hicks, pregnant life has been relatively easy in trimester two. (Dare I speak too soon!) Next week I am going to blog my experience of The Best and Worst of The Second Trimester… so stay tuned! But for now, here are some of my favorite discoveries that have helped me breeze through the second trimester just like it’s a walk in the park (wink wink).
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First of all, you’ve gotta get the right nutrients for baby to be happy and healthy. My Naturopathic Doctor recommended this prenatal based on the combination, forms and amounts of nutrients that it contains. I switched from my previous prenatal (which made me so nauseas) and have felt amazing taking this Metagenics Prenatal. Plus the calcium/magnesium tablets (which I take in the evening, included in the pack) have really helped me sleep more deep throughout the night and I haven’t had any leg cramps that I’ve heard about from other preggers friends! I also contribute this prenatal to my balanced mood – I get a little bit irritated on days I’ve forgotten to take it!
Acid reflux, heartburn, fullness and pressure are just some of the many joys when trying to digest dinner with a growing baby crushing your organs. Drinking this tea after a big meal has helped me relieve some of the discomfort and calm my stomach. It has quite a particular taste, something like roasted grains, but it goes really well with vegan cookies 😉
I am in LOVE with this body wash which I also use as a face wash and seriously my skin has barely broken out this trimester… well, a few odd pimples but not as much as before! This wash is so pure and light whilst also feeling nourishing and hydrating on the skin. It lathers really well and smells fantastic (which was much appreciated a few weeks ago when my sense of smell was extremely hyperactive!)
I have pretty much lathered myself up with this lotion day and night after every shower and bath since my belly started stretching at the beginning of this trimester. It smells so fresh and is lightweight and non-greasy. I love climbing into bed having coated my torso in it’s deliciousness! Plus I have not had any dry skin, stretch marks or night body itches so far, so it’s definitely doing something right!!
KATE BLANC COSMETICS ORGANIC JOJOBA OIL
This pure and organic jojoba oil has replaced my previous night moisturizer and I love that it leaves my face feeling so soft and smooth when I wake up… I guess it’s really helping create that ‘pregnancy glow’ which everyone is talking about. Seriously though, bit of this on the nips at night also helps avoid those itchy nipples too!
SCHMIDT’S DEODORANT STICK – GERANIAM
I had to replace my previous natural deodorant as the smell made me so nauseas in the first trimester, I couldn’t handle ever smelling it again, so I got this Schmidt’s Deodorant in Geraniam and it smells divine! I love getting a whiff of my armpits in the day! It’s a bit chalky and streaky, but it seriously lasts for the entire day and still smells good, which is a miracle for natural deodorants! It’s well worth a few white shirt-streaks 🙂
DOTERRA ESSENTIAL OILS – LAVENDER
I add a little drop of this on my face overnight to help avoid breakouts and keep my skin un-inflammed. It’s super calming and relaxing too. I also add a couple drops to my woolen laundry balls (so you don’t need to use drier sheets) and the washing comes out smelling heavenly!
I have a couple of baths a week just to unwind and relax, as I’m soaking (in mid-temperature water obviously) I add these blissful bathsalts to help relax my body and muscles from all the growing tension and extra weight I’m carrying. I also put in a handful of amethyst crystals to help absorb and remove any negative vibes from my body or energy field. Then I do a little meditation, connect to baby and love feel it swimming around in my tummy as I’m soaking in the tub!
ORGANIC SMART SNOOGLE PREGNANCY CUSHION
Buying this changed my life!!! Lol. It is sooooo extremely comfortable for sleeping with The Bump and I just love snuggling it all around my body, feeling supported and protected from every angle, literally! I also prop it up with some bed pillows if I have acid reflux and want to be more inclined in the night. It does take a lot of bed real-estate and hasn’t been amazing for my nighttime relationship with hubby who now has to fight through the giant wall to touch me, but honestly, at this stage I’d rather he didn’t anyway, lol!
After I was experiencing a high number of Braxton Hicks my OB recommended that I drink at least 90ml water a day. So I went and got this large sustainable water pitcher from Soma, I fill it up every day and make sure to get through it all by night time! It’s helped to stay hydrated and not only does it prevent the often amount of Braxton Hicks I was experiencing, but also think it’s helped my skin, health, organs and baby get what they all need too, h2o!
I don’t know if everyone experiences this sinus dryness during pregnancy, but I guess there’s a connection with nasal blood vessels breaking, nosebleeds, nasal dryness, and all that. I was waking up with such a dry throat every day that it would become painful to swallow first thing in the morning, so I purchased this room humidifier and air purifier from Dyson and now I set it on auto through the night. It has really helped provide moisture to my sinus’ and prevent that awful dry feeling in my passageways during the night.
I’ve been loving my prenatal yoga class at YogaWorks in West Hollywood, but I got a few lightweight dumbbells for home and do a few reps every morning to keep my arms toned, as well as some squats and stretches to help my glutes! It will really help to build my strength and arm muscles for when I’m picking up a growing baby or lugging around a car seat around in a few months!
My sister told me about Pregnancy Journals and I’d never heard or thought about them before now! I found this super cute one from ‘Studio Oh!’ on Amazon and have really enjoyed recording and journalling as I’m going through the journey to look back on in years to come… I imagine that when I’m onto my second or third child I won’t have the time for this, but it will amazing to one day reflect back on the power of my body and remember the various stages and feelings I went through at the time.
My Bestie got me this amazing polish when I told her I was pregnant! It’s free from the seven main toxins in nail varnish, they have so many awesome shades and honestly when I do my nails with this and the Pacifica Top Coat my manicure will last for a full week, or more. I need to go out and find some summer shades now!
OWAY ORGANIC, PLANT BASED HAIR DYE
As soon as I found out I was pregnant I switched to non-toxic, chemical free hair care and found an organic salon that used this amazing brand of hair color products. I have premature greying and there’s no way I could get through 9 months of growing out my roots without looking like a grandma, but at least I found an amazing color replacement that is not toxic for the body and not harmful to my baby. I doubt I’ll ever go back to regular hair color again! I love that when I go to my hairdresser to get my color done there are no horrid chemical smells and I still get amazing color and long lasting results!
I hope you like this little list of products that have helped me get through The Second Trimester! If you’d like to read more then check out my previous Pregnancy Blogs – How I Prepared My Body For Pregnancy, How I Found Out I was Pregnant and The Best & Worst of The First Trimester.
