To the pregnant momma thinking she'll put off buying maternity clothes: JUST DO IT NOW🧡
I wish this blog existed for me when I was early in my pregnancy. So here ya go - and you're welcome.
Nursing Bras
Size up if you’re comfortable enough doing that. If not, know you’ll likely have to size up later. You do not want a snug fit. Leave plenty of room for that milk to come in.
Once baby is here, you’ll want that extra space so you don’t end up with a clogged duct or a milk blister.
Both can be pretty inevitable, but it will at least be less likely or less frequent if you don’t have a snug-fit bra. You may want to get “out-and-about” type nursing bras that make you look and feel more secure and protected (this usually means a cup insert) as well as lounge nursing bras for around the house.
I love Senita Athletics Go With The Flow Nursing Bras for everyday wear. For lounging around, Kindred Bravely Lounge Bras are nice.
Leggings
I finally bought maternity leggings when I ended up having to unbutton my pants at work. Thank goodness they were high rise and my shirt covered it.
What I didn’t realize is I’d be wearing these for several months postpartum too!
It’s not like “oh, baby’s out, better go grab my pre-pregnancy pants”. Your body needs time and space to heal and transition. Just be comfy now instead of putting it off until you’re 7 months pregnant. You’ll feel more confident and more beautiful in clothes that fit your body well.
Shirts
I’m still wearing maternity shirts. They’re cute and comfy and look totally fine! It’s basically just some extra fabric in the tummy area to make room for the baby bump, so think of these as a long term investment in your wardrobe!
There’s no rulebook that says you can only wear maternity shirts when you’re pregnant.
PJs
Once baby is here you’ll be in pajamas a LOT (lounge clothes at least), AND regardless of whether you’re breastfeeding, you’ll likely be trying to get in as much skin-to-skin time as possible. I wish I could go back and tell my younger self to invest in some front-button pajama shirts. This goes back to feeling beautiful again.
Having your own clothes that you like, you feel comfortable in, are pretty to look at, and are functional for your new life as a mother is a nice stepping stone to feeling like yourself again.
Compression socks
Not sure if you’ll ever actually need these outside your last month of pregnancy, but they really do wonders for swollen ankles.
Honestly though who has time to grocery shop? Especially when you’re working full time, you have baby, you have limited free time during the week, you want to relax on the weekends, and just forget it if it’s raining or cold.
I get my groceries delivered.
I’m not talking curbside pickup. Yes, I’ll do that sometimes, but that still requires a stop at the store. (who👏has👏time👏for👏that👏)
Is it a little more expensive? Maybe. I feel like it’s worth the convenience. It shows up RIGHT on my doorstep.
I use Thrive Market for the bulk of things. I used Misfits Market for produce for a while, but I was disappointed in their quality - although the doorstep delivery does make it a convenient option in a bind. Hello Fresh sends you ingredients for specific recipes, and Daily Harvest is a similar idea with even less prep-- although I haven’t used either myself just yet.
I'll use local curbside pickup on occasion for anything leftover, like my coffee creamer. Target pickup is my favorite. I'll also do Aldi sometimes for very specific items.
Where I live it can be difficult to find more health conscious foods.
Organic choices aren’t abundant, and minimal ingredient foods are scarce. This is what I love about Thrive Market. SO many health conscious choices, and I do it all from my phone.
Misfits Market is supposed to be “discounted” organic produce. Honestly the price doesn’t feel like less than my local Kroger, but it’s probably less than Whole Foods. I never liked buying produce via grocery pickup because I never liked what was chosen for me. This still happens at times with Misfits Market, but like I said before- that doorstep convenience though. 👌
Now if you could just work in some time to wash the produce and have it ready to go in your fridge you’ll be golden.
Think about how much time and energy you just saved yourself by having your groceries delivered right to your door.
Now just go one more step and take 10, 20, 30 minutes to wash/prep the produce you just spent your hard earned money on so you and your child can actually enjoy it!
Once baby is 12+ months old, it does get easier to go into the store.
I still get groceries delivered, but best case scenario is I get to go into the store to pick out my own produce for the week -- preferably already washed and prepped.
The next best thing is to buy some produce that is already prepped and some that needs washing and chopping. This way I can buy myself a couple extra days to actually get that washing and chopping done.
The great thing about this is it's a fun outing for you and your toddler, you're teaching healthy lifestyle habits to your child, and you're not shopping for your whole list.
Welcomed, requested advice is one thing. Unsolicited advice is another.
Being a first time mom is hard enough. Your entire life has been flipped upside down, and the needs of your child now come before needs of your own. You’re getting to know what your baby likes and doesn’t like. You’re carving out a routine that works for you both.
The last thing you need is to be told you’re doing it wrong.
And guess what? Chances are, you’re not. Because you are the expert on your own child.
Sure, you can pivot if something isn’t working, and that’s your choice.
But.
There’s one phrase every mom is guaranteed to hear some variation of within the first year of her child’s life:
“I’ve had a child before, I know what I’m doing.”
Oh. My. Gosh. 😡
Just because they’ve raised a child before does not make them the expert on your child.
It also does not give them the right to disregard your wishes for your child.
Every child is different.
You are the expert on you own child.
There are MANY different ways to parent a child. Different ways to feed, entertain, teach, discipline, soothe, encourage, love, and support a child.
Just because the unsolicited-advice-giver’s child “turned out okay” doesn’t make it the only way to successfully raise a good human in a loving home.
We (new moms) have enough to worry about, and we don’t have time for “being judged by others” to make it on that list.
So if someone is telling you you’re doing it wrong, remember to take their unsolicited advice with a grain of salt. Or don’t even take it at all. 🤷♀️ A single method of parenting isn’t one size fits all.
And if you must respond, tell them something along the lines of:
“I respect your decision as a parent for doing it that way. I am choosing differently for my child.”
or
“How you raised your child was your choice. How I raise my child is my choice.”
And just leave it at that.
Remember, Momma. You DO know what you’re doing. You got this. 💖
Your body was not designed to become ill.
When we take care of our bodies, our bodies take care of us.
“Cold and Flu” is not a season.
High sugar intake is a season with buckets of Halloween candy, desserts on Thanksgiving, events surrounded by Christmas cookies, sweets at every holiday gathering, chocolates on Valentine’s Day & more desserts for Easter.
High stress is a season with family members who don’t get along, celebrations to coordinate among multiple households, perfect presents to find, money that shouldn’t be spent, food to prepare, shopping to do, places to be & schedules that are packed.
When we get busy, self care is the first thing to go. Morning lemon water, yoga stretches, regular sleep, nutritious breakfasts, veggies throughout the day, sufficient water intake.
70% of your immune system is in your gut. Nourishing your gut health is a top priority when it comes to maintaining a thriving immune system.
Probiotic before bed THEN 8oz lemon water right out of bed THEN protein for breakfast THEN morning coffee (organic, if you can). (This is my favorite probiotic and this is my favorite gut-loving coffee.)
Manage your stress with time carved out just for you. 10 minutes first thing in the morning before the day starts, 15 minutes before crawling into bed. However it works best in your schedule.
Quiet your mind. Read a chapter in a book for pleasure. Look up a video for some gentle yoga. Sit in stillness and pray or meditate. Go for a walk around the block. (This is my current favorite quick yoga video.)
Turn off your phone. Keep the screens off for a while. Don’t check your notifications first thing in the morning. Start your day slowly.
As tempting as it may be, limit sugary, processed foods as much as possible. These wreak havoc on your gut, which means they wreak havoc on your immune system.
Stay active during colder months. Make sure you’re getting at least 7 hours of sleep at night. Prioritize Vitamin D levels and water intake. (This is my favorite Vitamin D supplement and this is what I carry my water around in.)
And irony of ironies, worrying about getting sick makes you more susceptible to getting sick.
Did you know…
Your brain can’t tell the difference between what is true and what you imagine to be true.
It’s why we jump during scary movies.
It’s why we feel stressed just thinking about stressful situations.
It’s why vision boards help people reach their goals.
Have you ever woken up from an upsetting dream not quite realizing that it wasn’t reality? So then it takes you a few moments — or sometimes even a few days — to recover from the situation?
Yes, the situation that never actually happened.
I had a dream a few days ago that still pops up in the back of my mind! And when that happens, I have to remind myself all over again that it didn’t actually happen.
It got me thinking: if we can be so easily convinced fiction is reality, why do we limit ourselves so much? Why do we shortchange ourselves? Why are we not doing the impossible?
We’re the ones holding ourselves back.
Call it self sabotage or self preservation, but you truly have the power to change your reality through your thoughts and your mind.
What if we started speaking life over ourselves?
Instead of “I’ll never be healthy,” think “I’m learning to make better choices.” Or better yet, imagine yourself at optimal health! What does it look like? What does it feel like? Where are you? What are you wearing? Paint as detailed a picture as you can, and revisit that place often.
Replace “I’m a terrible cook” with “I look forward to practicing with new recipes.” Better yet, imagine what your dishes will look like, will taste like, will smell like. You can do this!!
Our brain is such a powerful tool, and we don’t even take full advantage of it.
Take back the power and start creating the reality you want.
