Monday, November 4, 2013

my second trimester lifesavers

I am less than two weeks away from my third trimester. Holy crap.

My second trimester was, overall, much easier than my first. Though my morning sickness actually worsened in the first weeks of this trimester, getting on Zofran made all the difference. Regaining my energy level was amazing. Besides the normal and natural improvements that come along with the second trimester, ere are some things that made my life much more enjoyable:

1. Coconut Oil - My skin has always been dry, but it has crossed the line into super dry since I became pregnant. I was drinking a ton of water and religiously applying body lotion, but still feeling itchy and gross. An esthetician recommended that I try using coconut oil. This sounded gross and crazy to me, and I didn't bother to try it for weeks. Finally, out of desperation I decided to go for it, deciding I would just jump back in the shower if the oil was as terrible as I expected it to be. I bought an additional jar of TJ's extra virgin coconut oil (because bringing the jar of oil I cook with into the bathroom is gross). I applied small amounts of coconut oil all over my skin right after exiting the shower, while still dripping wet. And...it was amazing. My skin has been doing so much better. It's moisturizing without being overly greasy and I don't feel like I'm drowning in oil. Get the extra virgin, unrefined version to ensure there are no crazy additives like soy or weird chemicals.

2. Grapefruit Essential Oil - My feet have been swelling a lot throughout the second trimester, and sometimes hanging out with my feet up just doesn't help enough. Grapefruit essential oil was recommended to me by another lovely hippie in my life, and a Babycenter article I stumbled upon also recommended it as a remedy for swollen pregnant lady feet. I put a few drops into a bit of body lotion, and have The Husband rub it into my feet for a couple minutes. I really think it's been helping my feet deflate more quickly when I put them up, but worse case scenario, it smells amazing and I get a foot rub out of it. Just make sure to always combine a couple drops of essential oil with a carrier oil, like olive oil (or in my case, oily body lotion), since the undiluted essential oil can be too strong for your skin to handle; also, test out the essential oil + carrier oil on a small patch of skin before putting it all over your body. (PS. Here's a list of essential oils to avoid during pregnancy)

3. Ginger Echinacea Lemonade - For when I'm feeling a little rough, but not nauseous enough to necessitate a dose of Zofran. Echinacea should be safe during pregnancy (link is to a resource my doctor recommended) but obviously I'm not your medical expert so make your own decisions. The sugar and ginger combination seems to bring me back to normal.

4. ASOS Maternity Clothes - I'm cheap but like to try to look nice, yoga pants notwithstanding. I generally dislike spending a lot of money of a piece of clothing, and absolutely hate doing so for maternity clothes, since the time frame in which I will be wearing them is very limited. Old Navy maternity shirts and dresses are a little too casual / unfashionable for me personally, and while I love my jeans and other pants from Motherhood Maternity, the prices for their cuter tops are a little more than I want to pay. Enter ASOS maternity section. They have a ton of cute clothes and stuff is always on sale. I've grabbed a gorgeous long dress (under $55!) for a maternity photo shoot next month, as well as a couple shirts (under $15 each!) that help me feel less fat / grungy. The size differences made me die a little inside (pre-pregnancy, I was a US size 2, I wear UK size 8 in the ASOS maternity clothes), but my ego can handle it. I will definitely keep shopping there even when I am not pregnant.

5. The Husband - As always, The Husband is by far the biggest lifesaver for me. He is so kind and nurturing, and downright spoils me a lot of the time. He also tries to limit how much he makes fun of me when I eat a scary amount of cookies in one sitting. He can tell when I'm completely run down (even when I lie and try to hide it), and will step up and deal with things so I can rest. And all this is in addition to being hilarious, intelligent, kind, and a great partner. I'm so lucky.

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