Personal Pregnancy Tips

I really had no idea what to expect before I was pregnant so I would love to share with you a few things that have made the last few months a lot more bearable!

First trimester sickness.

My morning sickness lasted until around 20 weeks, I say morning sickness but actually it was feeling queasy al day and then would get worse in the evenings. Sadly I never found a magic cure, I just had to wait it out and if you are going through it now you have all my sympathy as it is awful! It got to the point when I couldnt remember what it felt like to not feel sick.
A few things helped a little bit though and I have listed them down below:

Having something to eat before getting out of bed. I would either keep some crackers or ginger biscuits by the bed or my other half would bring me up some toast and this ensured I didnt actually throw up which was always nice!

Drinking plenty of water. Also I found ginger cordial and fizzy water helped if I sipped on that throughout the day.

Sleep! I was exhausted throughout the first three months and a nap really helped. I know that this is a bit of a luxury but if you can manage a siesta then I really recommend it!

Walking. Surprisingly a brisk walk in the fresh air really helped. I think it took my mind off the sickness and it seemed to lessen the all-day nausea.


Second trimester!

This is when you really want to get things done. I had more energy after about 20 weeks plus the sickness went away, hurrah! If you want to take a holiday, decorate your house, get a nursery ready then this is the time to do it, buying baby clothes and lots and lots of Funky Giraffe bibs, or at least delegate other people to do it for you!

I do suggest you invest in maternity clothes at this point though as your bump will be getting obvious and comfort is important. You dont need to spend a fortune, most of my maternity clothes were all second hand as they are cheap and have only been worn a few months.

Some things I found super comfortable I have listed below:

Boden maternity jeans. These are really comfy and go with everything so handy to have.

Leggings. I bought a load of super cheap leggings off Asos and they are brill. They are not made to last for years but that is fine as I only want them for a few months and they comfortably fit over my bump and go under dresses or tunics.

Maternity knickers from www.cantaloop.com. These are so comfortable! They fit underneath the bump so you dont feel them at all. They also wash really well and are really well made so I think they will last. Definitely the best pants I have found!


Bras from https://mumbabra.com. I have always had slightly larger than average boobs so finding comfortable bras has always been hard and when they got even bigger and sore I really wasnt sure how I would manage but these bras are amazing. So comfortable and they have an ingenious number system to help you remember which breast you fed from last when and if you decide to breastfeed. They feel like a sports bra but they look nice and give you all the support you need without restricting you. I am definitely getting some more of these.


Third trimester tiredness and sore feet!

I am still in my third trimester so this will be quite short but certainly as my bump gets bigger I am getting more tired, hotter and my feet are now starting to swell in the evenings.

These are some things that are helping so far:

A massive pillow! I love sleep but it is getting harder to do as my hips hurt, my knees hurt and by bump feels like I am sleeping with an extremely heavy bowling ball pulling my stomach down! A huge body pillow has been an absolute must. I can arrange it to go along my back which helps my hips, through my legs which helps my knees and under my bump which just feels good!
Seriously if you dont have one of these then you must get one!

Grape seed oil. Apparently, there is nothing we can do to prevent stretch marks. If you are going to get them then we just have to grin and bear it but we can prevent the itchiness that comes with them! Grape seed oil is fantastic. For one thing it is much much cheaper than any of the fancy stretch mark oils you can buy. I got a huge bottle of it for only 5. It is organic and completely safe and free from nasties and it absorbs into the skin quickly without making you feel sticky. It gets rid of the itchy stretchy feeling on your belly quickly too!

Peppermint oil. I have only recently discovered this as a magic cure for my swollen feet. Combined with making sure I am drinking enough throughout the day peppermint oil massaged into my feet really does lessen the swelling plus my feet smell lovely afterwards!

So, these are all the things I have found have helped so far. Please let me know any of your tips, tricks and hacks for your pregnancy!