This pregnancy I’m really wanting to document the belly A LOT.  I don’t know if this will be my last so I’m soaking it all up as much as possible and I love these photos Paige captured.  As much as I want to meet this baby girl, I’m just so wanting to soak it all in as hard as these pregnancy days have been.  But right now, I’m feeling my best and right in the middle of the good part, so soaking it ALLLL in.  

I wanted to share with you some pregnancy MUST haves that I feel have helped me survive the hard times, gave me a boost in confidence and helped me soak up the moments of pregnancy.   So here we go, they’re all quite random so just kinda bare with me ha.

1. PEPPERMINT GUM.  Holy does this make the world of difference. Ya know that nasty taste you have in your mouth, well, that makes me totally feel sick all the time if I don’t pop some gum in and have it in at all times.   It’s like a gross metal taste, and sometimes mine tastes like beans…. haha all because I can’t stand the thought beans this pregnancy, with Oaks it was all the avocado.  So weird how your food aversions change so much.  I’m going to get super specific, the Trident spearmint gum is my favorite.  Everything else gets dull fast and too much to handle.  This is a tiny piece and lasts for hours.  Costco sells this one in bulk, or you can buy on amazon with that link.
2. ZIPFIZZ.  I’m one who still drinks caffeine during pregnancy. My doctor said it’s fine as long as you aren’t having more than 200mg a day, which is a lot.  I don’t even drink that much when I’m not pregnant.  I’ll have 1/2 the container or sometimes all of it, but for some reason the carbonation just feels so good going down when you’re pregnant, and I’m normally not a fan of carbonated drinks.  Plus this has tons of vitamins in it.  It gives you the best boost of energy in a good way, no weird jitters.  I had to quit my daily intake of coffee unfortunately since it’s so acidic and I’ve had such a hard time with heartburn so far.  But ever since quitting it I don’t get it that often.
3. BLANQI.  If you don’t own these and you’re pregnant, stop what you’re doing right now and order a pair.  I’m not kidding, they’re LIFE CHANGING.  I wear my EVERY DAY pants… literally everyday haha.  I have a small and medium and I rotate through both.  They both fit, but the medium is a lot more comfy these days since I’ve gained some lbs.  I highly recommend them and wear them from the beginning.  Forget trying to squeeze into your jeans, skip that and throw these on.  You’ll be so happy you did.  As far as their activewear i LOVE THESE PANTS.  
4. WORK OUT CLOTHES.  I’ve been getting tons of questions on work out clothes.  Here is what I think about that.  The only maternity I have for working out is those blanqi pants.  Everything else I just size up, but Alo Yoga High Waisted, Lulu Lemon high waisted and Gym Shark Vital leggings are the ones to get since they have a band around the belly thats a stretchy material, so more room for your belly to grow, but also room for it to go back down when you no longer have a belly.  See what I mean?  So you can invest in some of those and be able to wear them during and after.  I go up a size when ordering them for sure.   You might not be able to squeeze into them the last month of pregnancy, but just put on your one pair of maternity leggings for the last month to get you buy, instead of going balls to the wall on buying maternity.  UNLESS you plan on being pregnant for 3+ years in a row, then maternity isn’t worth buying more than a couple things here and there.
5. SPRAY TANS.  I like this when I’m not pregnant so I don’t know how this is so different, but really having a tan just makes you feel better.  Especially when you’re feeling large and in charge.  Here is the products I use at home on this SPRAY TANNING TIPS post I did a while back, or I’ll go to my local salon at Amara in orem, or Mark Anthony in Springville and get an airbrush done by someone else.
6. MANDELIC SERUM.  This serum is specifically made for hormonal acne and it’s the only thing thats safe to use AND gets your zits under control.  I started using it a couple months ago and have only had 3 zits since.  SECRET POTION TO HORMONAL ACNE.  That post tells you more in depth!
7. TUMMY BUTTER.  This tummy butter I used with Oaks and didn’t get one stretch mark, except for on one of my boobs.  Now, that doesn’t mean this is going to keep you from getting stretch marks, I believe that stretch marks have a lot to do with genetics.  My mom only has a few that you can barely see and she had 4 kids.  But with that said, I think that it’s also super important to take care of your stretching skin and help to take preventative measures.  Keeping a healthy diet is important to in preventing stretch marks and getting exercise.  Anyways, those play a role.  I use this cream on my belly, boobs and thighs every night before I go to bed and I’ll use it from the moment I find out I’m pregnant until 1 month PP, just to help the skin after pregnancy because your stomach just all the sudden stretches back down.  I know this jar can get pricey, but it’s worth it!  If that isn’t in your budget, use this Rose Hip Oil along with some nourishing body lotion.
8. JOURNALING.  I recently started journaling when I feel like I need to.  Whenever I can feel a sense of discomfort in my mood due to crazy hormones, I just get out of piece of paper, write down a bunch of things I’m feeling, and most times none of it makes sense and then sometimes I’ll throw it away or keep it.  But man, does it feel good.  I highly recommend it! Or you can legit get a journal and write down your thoughts everyday and save it.

BODYSUIT