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November 15, 2018

FROM LOTIONS TO APPS: MY FAVORITE PREGNANCY PRODUCTS

Hello from 26 weeks + 6 days! I can not believe that in one week I will be entering my third trimester. It’s funny because when I follow celebrity pregnancies, they feel like they last eternity (do you know how agonizing the wait to see Kylie Jenner’s baby was?) but I swear my own pregnancy has flown by. The first trimester I felt pretty nauseous and sick, but around 15 weeks I started to feel more like myself. Unfortunately my anemia has worsened with pregnancy and has me very tired and a bit “out of it.” I am getting transfusions within the next few weeks so hoping they help as much as people say they do. Otherwise I’m healthy, he’s healthy, and that’s all that matters!

So I thought I’d share a couple of pregnancy products I’ve loved so far. There are so many options on the market and I really think less is more, but I’ve found that these lotions, apps, books,  and vitamins have helped me get through both trimesters. Plus they’ve all been used and tested on most of my girlfriends! (Side note: none of this stuff was given to me for free or sponsored… just sharing what I love).

Burt’s Bees Belly Mama Bee Belly Butter and Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Nourishing Body Oil: I know stretch marks are something that if you’re going to get, you’re going to get, and outside of drinking more water, they’re mostly hereditary. But that doesn’t mean I won’t try to keep them away. I’ve been lucky enough to not get any (that can change, I know!) and I’m unsure if it’s because of these products, but I love the way they make my skin feel. They help relieve itchy bellies, are great for sensitive skin, and feel very soothing. They also don’t come off on your clothing and keep my skin looking bright and moisturized.

Dry Skin Body Brush: I was body brushing before I got pregnant but I’ve enjoyed it even more now, especially after a long day of being on my feet. There are also some great benefits to it and it helps my dry skin, especially since pregnancy has made it go a little crazy. I especially love to use the Burt’s Bees Body Oil right after!

Angqi Pregnancy pillow: Heidy had bought me this when I first got pregnant and all I can say is it was one of the best gifts I’ve received during my pregnancy. Although I’m not that big yet, it keeps you comfortable and cozy all night. Because my stomach isn’t rounded out yet, I find myself laying on my stomach in the middle of the night without realizing it and waking up very uncomfortable, so this helps prevent that. I also plan to use it well after my pregnancy – my husband has also slept using it a few times!

Garden of Life Organic Prenatal and Garden of Life Prenatal DHA: Prenatal vitamins are so important when you’re pregnant. I started taking a prenatal a couple of months before I got pregnant and turned to my best friend Christina (who researches everything so I don’t have to 🙂 ) when picking one out. I have a very sensitive stomach and luckily this hasn’t been harsh on it at all. I added in a DHA vitamin at the beginning of my second trimester after my morning sickness let up. This one doesn’t have a fishy taste or leave any gross after-taste in your mouth.

Glow Nurture app: There are so many apps out there for your pregnancy, but many of my girlfriends suggested downloading the Glow Nurture app and I’ve loved it! I actually downloaded it the first time I got pregnant and found a lot of helpful resources and forums when I miscarried. There’s a great support group of women on there and you can join groups that relate to your pregnancy (i.e. when you’re due, what trimester you’re in, where you’re located, etc.) They also have apps to help track breastfeeding and take you well-past after your baby is born.

The Bump app: I use the Nurture app more than this one, but the Bump has great articles as you continue on in your pregnancy. Also every week I look forward to seeing what fruit size he is, and the descriptions of how far along he’s advanced!

Bringing Up Bebe: This book was written by a mother who compares the techniques of raising children in the US vs France, and the “secrets behind France’s amazingly well-behaved children.” I know I’m not a mother yet and am admittedly naive to raising children, but the book approaches parenting in a way I’d ideally like to adapt. I also love the humorous, laid back tone of the book. I also am reading The Happiest Baby on The Block which tackles something all of us new parents are fearful of – sleep. I recommend reading it earlier in your pregnancy – my husband is really enjoying it too!

And if you’re a mom, new mom, or expecting, please let me know what products, apps, books, or vitamins you’re loving! I’m always looking for suggestions.

x Jill

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FOLLOW ALONG @jillbadlotto
Yesterday we celebrated Heathie boy’s 6 month bi Yesterday we celebrated Heathie boy’s 6 month birthday. ❤️ Can not believe it’s been half a year but also can’t believe there was a time where he wasn’t a part of our family. Heath has such a peaceful presence and calming nature. I love the way he takes the world in, a little skeptical and curious but still always smiling. He is so happy to be out on adventures and admires everything that Jude does. He’s constantly laughing, rarely gets upset, loves when we play music, and is turning into a little water baby. But nothing makes him happier than putting him in his sleep sack and taking a nap (just like his mama 😂). He is truly an angel on earth and we are so lucky he is ours. ❤️ #heyheathjoseph #6monthsold #babyboy #childhoodunplugged
Foolishly thought because I felt fine after my fir Foolishly thought because I felt fine after my first shot that the second #covidvacccine would be fine. Yeah... 😂😂. Had body aches and a bad headache all day yesterday that kept me in bed, with a fever last night and chills. Feeling so much better today, especially sitting outside in this beautiful weather we’re having. So excited to be fully vaccinated and hopefully pass along some antibodies to my children! #ᴠᴀᴄᴄɪɴᴇssᴀᴠᴇʟɪᴠᴇs #florida #darlingescapes
YAY for science! And vaccines! 💉 Received my 2n YAY for science! And vaccines! 💉 Received my 2nd dose of the #covidvaccine and it feels like Christmas in April. I know we still have a bit to go and it’s crucial to follow CDC guidelines, but this shot in the arm felt like that light at the end of the tunnel actually exists. This time last year I was sad that my job was put on hold (and eventually eliminated), we had all of our weddings for our coordination business postponed, and I had no idea when I’d see my family again. And now I can almost taste an overpriced glass of wine in a crowded bar with my friends. So grateful for science, doctors, nurses, essential workers, and all those who continue to carry our society through this pandemic. #WillSelfieForVaccines #covid_19 #ᴠᴀᴄᴄɪɴᴇssᴀᴠᴇʟɪᴠᴇs
Sharing some photos from our time in Florida so fa Sharing some photos from our time in Florida so far and some tips for road tripping with two kids on the blog today! 🚗 🌴 #linkinbio
Spent the afternoon at the Miami Beach Botanical G Spent the afternoon at the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens with the family. ❤️ Jude looked like a leftover Spring Breaker with his black eye (he ran into the rocking chair a few days ago) and one shoe that he lost. 😂
There are two dates every year that I dread when t There are two dates every year that I dread when they come around, one of those being April 1st. Three years ago I unexpectedly found out I was pregnant and I unfortunately lost the pregnancy soon after. While I know that there was a reason that pregnancy failed, the hardest part about my miscarriage experience was that loss of innocence around pregnancy. I was so sad that my first time telling my husband and those memories of sharing our joy with our family and closest friends was forever tainted. I wasn’t just losing a “what could have been”, I was losing that perfect image of what I always hoped pregnancy would be. And although I got pregnant quickly after and have dealt with my grief through therapy, there’s still a forever piece of my heart missing. It took me awhile to accept that I can be angry about losing my first pregnancy, but also extremely grateful things turned out the way they did. Two opposite ends of grief felt at once. Without that unbearable heartbreak there would be no Jude or Heath, and that’s a love I can’t remember how I ever lived without.

One afternoon when I was healing from my miscarriage, I was laying down on the couch and in a state of half dreaming and half awake, I saw a little boy standing there smiling. Part of me felt he was part of me, but part of me also understood he was never mine. I woke up feeling at peace. Is is stupid to believe in those types of things? Probably. Maybe it was just my brain giving me the closure I was desperately looking for. Whatever it was, I was so grateful for that moment of peace. It’s a peace I hope all women can have at some point in their journey of grief.

My story is one in a sea of millions of women who, unlike me, didn’t have anyone to share tears with, are waiting for their rainbows, or have experienced this grief over and over again. Please think of these stories before you make a pregnancy April Fool’s joke.

For me, tonight I’ll put two little boys to bed with a husband by side, and I’ll lay down to sleep with a full heart that I’ll never take for granted. And every year on this day, I’ll think of the never-forgotten soul that could have been, who gave me my two greatest gifts. ❤️

FOLLOW ALONG! @JILLBADLOTTO

Yesterday we celebrated Heathie boy’s 6 month bi Yesterday we celebrated Heathie boy’s 6 month birthday. ❤️ Can not believe it’s been half a year but also can’t believe there was a time where he wasn’t a part of our family. Heath has such a peaceful presence and calming nature. I love the way he takes the world in, a little skeptical and curious but still always smiling. He is so happy to be out on adventures and admires everything that Jude does. He’s constantly laughing, rarely gets upset, loves when we play music, and is turning into a little water baby. But nothing makes him happier than putting him in his sleep sack and taking a nap (just like his mama 😂). He is truly an angel on earth and we are so lucky he is ours. ❤️ #heyheathjoseph #6monthsold #babyboy #childhoodunplugged
Foolishly thought because I felt fine after my fir Foolishly thought because I felt fine after my first shot that the second #covidvacccine would be fine. Yeah... 😂😂. Had body aches and a bad headache all day yesterday that kept me in bed, with a fever last night and chills. Feeling so much better today, especially sitting outside in this beautiful weather we’re having. So excited to be fully vaccinated and hopefully pass along some antibodies to my children! #ᴠᴀᴄᴄɪɴᴇssᴀᴠᴇʟɪᴠᴇs #florida #darlingescapes
YAY for science! And vaccines! 💉 Received my 2n YAY for science! And vaccines! 💉 Received my 2nd dose of the #covidvaccine and it feels like Christmas in April. I know we still have a bit to go and it’s crucial to follow CDC guidelines, but this shot in the arm felt like that light at the end of the tunnel actually exists. This time last year I was sad that my job was put on hold (and eventually eliminated), we had all of our weddings for our coordination business postponed, and I had no idea when I’d see my family again. And now I can almost taste an overpriced glass of wine in a crowded bar with my friends. So grateful for science, doctors, nurses, essential workers, and all those who continue to carry our society through this pandemic. #WillSelfieForVaccines #covid_19 #ᴠᴀᴄᴄɪɴᴇssᴀᴠᴇʟɪᴠᴇs
Sharing some photos from our time in Florida so fa Sharing some photos from our time in Florida so far and some tips for road tripping with two kids on the blog today! 🚗 🌴 #linkinbio
Spent the afternoon at the Miami Beach Botanical G Spent the afternoon at the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens with the family. ❤️ Jude looked like a leftover Spring Breaker with his black eye (he ran into the rocking chair a few days ago) and one shoe that he lost. 😂
There are two dates every year that I dread when t There are two dates every year that I dread when they come around, one of those being April 1st. Three years ago I unexpectedly found out I was pregnant and I unfortunately lost the pregnancy soon after. While I know that there was a reason that pregnancy failed, the hardest part about my miscarriage experience was that loss of innocence around pregnancy. I was so sad that my first time telling my husband and those memories of sharing our joy with our family and closest friends was forever tainted. I wasn’t just losing a “what could have been”, I was losing that perfect image of what I always hoped pregnancy would be. And although I got pregnant quickly after and have dealt with my grief through therapy, there’s still a forever piece of my heart missing. It took me awhile to accept that I can be angry about losing my first pregnancy, but also extremely grateful things turned out the way they did. Two opposite ends of grief felt at once. Without that unbearable heartbreak there would be no Jude or Heath, and that’s a love I can’t remember how I ever lived without.

One afternoon when I was healing from my miscarriage, I was laying down on the couch and in a state of half dreaming and half awake, I saw a little boy standing there smiling. Part of me felt he was part of me, but part of me also understood he was never mine. I woke up feeling at peace. Is is stupid to believe in those types of things? Probably. Maybe it was just my brain giving me the closure I was desperately looking for. Whatever it was, I was so grateful for that moment of peace. It’s a peace I hope all women can have at some point in their journey of grief.

My story is one in a sea of millions of women who, unlike me, didn’t have anyone to share tears with, are waiting for their rainbows, or have experienced this grief over and over again. Please think of these stories before you make a pregnancy April Fool’s joke.

For me, tonight I’ll put two little boys to bed with a husband by side, and I’ll lay down to sleep with a full heart that I’ll never take for granted. And every year on this day, I’ll think of the never-forgotten soul that could have been, who gave me my two greatest gifts. ❤️

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