When I found out that I was pregnant I wanted to make sure I did everything I could to ensure this baby was healthy and happy growing inside me. I wanted to grab as many vitamins as I could, wanted to slather my belly in as many creams and potions as I could get my hands on to ensure my skin stayed supple and stretch-mark free and wanted to know everything I could about keeping baby happy. When it came down to it though it turns out there have only been a couple of products I've actually needed / used during my last two trimesters and as I'm now on the slow approach to the finish line with just 7 short weeks to go, I thought it was about time I gave you a round up of my fave products that have helped me through.
Folic Acid
Having a quick google seconds after taking my positive pregnancy test there was no denying the one supplement I needed in my life was folic acid. As it was Christmas day I couldn't do anything about it there and then but as soon as boxing day came around I popped to Boots and picked up a tub of the tiny tablets. I thought pregnancy would be a long battle of taking multiple supplements and vitamins everyday but it turns out that for the first 12 weeks, folic acid is all you need to ensure your baby is getting the goodness it needs. I picked up this tub from Boots for just £1.40 and it lasted me the whole 12 weeks!
Bump / Stretch Mark Cream
One thing I was determined not to get during this pregnancy was any more stretch marks. Of course I know that this is my body doing it's think and I'm bound to get a few stray ones but since gaining and losing a lot of weight over the last couple of years I already have quite a lot on the inside of my thighs and I really could do without adding any more to my collection. Preventing stretch marks and making sure my tummy is as smooth and moisturised as it can be during my pregnancy has therefore been one of my number 1 quests as I grow this little life inside of me. A couple of my absolute favourites and ones that I have been recommending to absolutely everybody are the ones photographed above. The Clarins Stretch Mark Minimiser Cream is a luxury moisturiser designed to prevent and minimise the appearance of stretch marks, it's a gorgeously light cream that glides over my bump and gets sucked up by my skin within minutes. I love using this every day as an overall light coverage for my bump, boobs and hips and mixed in with my next fave cream, have so far not had any new additions to the stretch mark family! My second favourite for an everyday coverage (I use one in the morning and one before bed) is the Palmer's Cocoa Stretch Marks Cream, a beautiful chocolatey scented cream which again is super light and sinks in extremely well to my bump and all of the other 'bumpy' areas where I really don't want any stretch marks. I'm really not a fan of overly thick creams / concoctions and have never been the best at moisturising my body on the daily, but these two are so light-weight and are something I just haven't been able to live without so far in my pregnancy. And they are doing wonders so far as like I said, only 7 weeks to go & I've not yet found one new one!
Pillow Spray
Bubba rolls and kicks around a LOT and especially when I'm trying to get to sleep. I know her patterns now are probably to try and prepare me for those late sleepless nights when she's here but for now, I'd really like to get as much sleep as I can. My This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray which is an actual dream when you just can't settle. The soft scents of lavender and camomile help me drift off slowly and give me the deep sleep I need before waking up in the middle of the night for that dreaded toilet break. It's painfully obvious how much I have been relying on this spray for a beautiful night's sleep since becoming pregnant as without this bad boy I have been having the worst nights ever. I cannot recommend this spray enough and even if the hefty £18 price tag is still putting you off, if you're really struggling with your sleep, I'd definitely take the plunge for the purchase.
Pregnancy Vitamins
After I hit that 12 week mark there was no urgent need for me to take folic acid anymore and so I branched out a little and picked myself up some multi-vitamins from Asda as they were only around £3 for 60 tablets. I originally tried some Pregnacare but with the price of them and the fact that they made me feel even more sick than I already was feeling, I decided to swap for a cheaper alternative. I obviously can't see much difference with taking them, but I know they've got to be doing some good for baba and that's good enough for me! I've also been taking two of the Wiley's Finest Wild Alaskan Fish Oil tablets each night to make sure that my little girl has been getting the essential Omega-3 that she needs for her brain development. I don't eat fish as I really don't like it and so don't get a lot of Omega-3 in my diet easily so these have been perfect for me to make sure I'm getting a daily dose!
Chaffing Cream
Having grown thighs the size of tree trunks these past few months and with the weather in the UK being unbelievably hot and sticky I have had some major chaffing issues. Now, I never had a thigh gap before being pregnant, but I was lucky that my thighs had a good relationship going on with each other and I never really suffered with chaffing - my God is that a different story now! After wearing leggings on some of the hottest days of the year to try and avoid the rub (and the almighty discomfort that comes along with it) I sought advice from my midwife who suggested a nice layer of Sudocrem and Talc Powder - let me tell you now ladies, this is genius. My thighs have never felt to smooth and slid past each other so well in my whole life! The only downside is the messy scenario it takes to get to that stage... applying Sudocrem and Talc is not the easiest thing! For the last week or so though I've been using Lanacane Gel and it's definitely been helping. Almost silicon-y in texture this gel sits on the thighs creating some kind of barrier which gets rid of all discomfort when my thighs do their dance, I do have to reapply this through the day, but it's totally worth it!
Have you found any pregnancy essentials that have helped you get through your pregnancy?
BekyLou, Beauty, Fashion, Fitness and Lifestyle Blog based in the South West and London.
(*this post may contain items gifted to me for PR purposes*)
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