33 weeks. I cannot believe we are here already. This pregnancy (or at least the second half of it) has flown by. The first 17 weeks were rough, the following weeks were great, the past couple of weeks have been alright. I am definitely feeling some of that discomfort that comes with being huge and not being able to breathe. I miss being flexible and being able to get up without feeling like I am carrying a huge watermelon. My back is definitely starting to ache and the nights are becoming a little harder. But I am still feeling great. I’ll take the discomfort over the nausea any day! We have 7 weeks to go (give or take) and seriously, that is just crazy!! In less than 2 months I will be finally seeing the face of my son. I don’t really know how to process that.

Throughout this pregnancy I’ve realized that everyone has a bit of a formula of what works and doesn’t work for them so I figured I would share some of the things that have made my pregnancy a little easier.

1. Papaya enzymes – these became my best friends towards the end of my sickness. They helped my stomach digest, especially after heavy meals. I haven’t gotten bad heartburn so far, but every time I feel it coming I eat a couple of these and it is gone. I keep them in my purse and by my bedside at all times. I wish I had known about them earlier in my pregnancy. You can find these at Whole Foods or a drugstore.
2. My Snoogle body pillow – We cuddle together every night and I am so grateful I chose to buy it earlier in my pregnancy. I couldn’t travel with it when I went to Florida for 5 weeks and my hips were aching a lot. My hips haven’t ached at night since I got back to cuddling with this (not-so) little guy since I got back to California. Be warned, it will take over your bed but it is so worth it. If you buy it, make sure it has the knit jersey cover. The white cover is rough and very uncomfortable. It has an inner seam that kept rubbing against my skin, so I finally had to order the softer cover. Also, I had bought a Bumpnest pillow and though it was a lot softer, I feel like it wasn’t sturdy enough to keep me comfortable at night. I really wanted to like it, but the snoogle and I were a better match.
3. Spoiled Mama butter and gloss oil – I am going to be honest – this stuff is expensive, but I am prone to stretch marks and I have been determined to do anything in my power to keep them at bay if at all possible. Some people believe there is nothing you can do to prevent them, but I have also read a lot about the importance of hydration (both inside (drinking lots of water) and outside (good moisturizers)) to help your skin from getting them. I am choosing to believe the latter and so far, I have loved this product. It is all natural and it isn’t messy (like the almond oil I was using at the beginning). Some people have commented that they don’t like the smell of it, but I actually don’t mind it, and I tend to be very picky with my smells.
4. Essential oils – Yes, I am one of those. I totally love essential oils. I carry them with me everywhere I go and I am so grateful for them. When I was feeling really sick, I would set a bowl with water a few drops of peppermint oil at night. While it didn’t take the sickness away, I do think it helped me sleep at night. I also would inhale lemon oil to help a bit during the day. Recently, I have started applying some peppermint and lavender oil to my achy muscles and I love how it feels. If you only get 2 oils, lavender and peppermint are my go tos and my personal favorite company is Young Living. Also, this diffuser is my favorite and it runs 24/7 in our bedroom. If you have any question about essential oils, I’m happy to help!
5. Calm (powered magnesium) – even if you’re not pregnant, I highly recommend taking this on a regular basis before bed. Matt and I try to drink it every night. It helps us sleep better, and better yet, it has kept any leg cramps at bay. It is all natural and pretty relaxing.
6. Athleta yoga pants – I tried to stay away from maternity clothes for as long as possible, but once the belly started to grow, I couldn’t stand my most comfortable non-pregnancy pants. The first purchase I made was my maternity yoga pants and oh my goodness, it was such a good call! I loved them so much I ordered them in both colors. I am not crazy about wearing regular yoga pants for no reason, but these pants I will wear constantly. I prefer the black over the grey, but both are great.

Do you have any pregnancy favorites? I would love to hear about them!

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