While sometimes the days or weeks seem long, I also can't believe I'm more than halfway through my pregnancy at this point & halfway to meeting our baby! I've been so so so lucky to have a relatively easy pregnancy; I had no sickness & have had very few cravings/symptoms during the second trimester so far. Below are a few of my must haves thus far...

Water Bottle - Confession: I have never been one of those people that drinks enough water, but now that I'm pregnant, it's extra important to be drinking extra water. I've gotten a few tumblers and reusable water bottles to keep with me throughout the day and make drinking water easier.

Pregnancy Apps - I have 4, yep 4, app that I check daily for updates/articles about my body & baby. I like each one specifically because they allow me to do different things. I have Ovia which allows me to track various symptoms, feelings, etc. Baby Center where I take/store my weekly bump photos. What to Expect which has daily tips and The Bump which allows me to track my doctor appts. 

Pregnancy Journal - Especially since this is my first pregnancy, it's been interesting/fun to track all of my symptoms and emotions month to month. When I found out I was pregnant, I ordered a pregnancy journal on Amazon and have been writing down my monthly updates in the journal. It will be fun to go back and read about my journey one day and remember this time.

Prenatal Vitamins - To be honest, I chose these prenatals bc I only had to take 2 pills and because they deliver to my door haha. Some prenatals require that you take additional supplements to make sure you are getting all the nutrients needed to keep yourself & baby healthy but the Ritual vitamins have 12 essentials for during pregnancy. They also smell like lemon and have a no nausea capsule to make taking them everyday extra easy. (They also just released a post-natal vitamin that I plan to switch to after I give birth).

 Belly Oil - I've heard stretch marks are heredity but an itchy belly when your skin is stretching bc baby is growing is not. I've been applying this belly oil since July and love it!! It keeps my belly and skin feeling so soft and hydrated. It's pricy but you get a large bottle; this one bottle has lasted me since I started using it & is still about a quarter full. Bonus - no stretch marks, yet ;) 

Belly Band - One of the symptoms I HAVE had over the months, is back pain and round ligament pains (growing pains). These don't happen everyday but when they do, they can be pretty uncomfortable. I got a belly band to help with both and it works wonders to support my back and belly when I'm having aches & pains. 

OPTIONAL: Pregnancy Pillow - I got a pregnancy pillow early on in my pregnancy since I heard it was a must have but it actually is a little claustrophobic for me to sleep with since it's so large. Nowadays, Jody actually uses it to sleep and loves it and I just sleep with an extra pillow in between my legs hah

As I continue to grow, I'm sure there will be some other items that I end up needing but for now, these have been my must haves!

XO
Michelle Paige