10 Ways to Treat Yourself When Pregnant

Let's be honest, being pregnant is not always fun. There are times when you truly feel like sh!t, there will be days when it takes you an hour to get dressed and then sometimes you will feel great. But it's important to do things for yourself and it certainly doesn't hurt to continue doing some of these things after you have kids. I know for me personally that if I don't take care of myself and do something for me every once in awhile, I will turn into a basket case b-i-t-c-h. :) So, here are 10 ways to treat yourself when you are pregnant:

1. Do something you enjoy that you don't get to do very often. This can mean different things for different people obviously but if there is an activity or outing that you usually don't take part in, maybe due to cost or location, just do it.

2. Get a prenatal massage. I get monthly massages and have for several years (it's really the only "me" money I use every month) and I wasn't going to stop just because I was pregnant. Find a masseuse you like or hear good things about, make sure they can do prenatal massage (that is key!) and get a massage or two.

 

3. Take a bath. Yup, that's right. Fill your tub with warm water (not too hot of course), light the candles, dim the lights, put some aromatherapy oils in your bath water and grab a book or magazine. I did this a lot during the first and second trimester. If you're nervous about using aromatherapy oils, just do a little research online to find out which ones are safe during pregnancy and which to stay away from. 

4. Block out a chunk of time on a day off and partake in one of your favorite hobbies. Many times in our busy lives we don't get to spend as much time on things that make us happy. Literally schedule a morning, half day or full day to do a hobby or work on a project that brings satisfaction.

5. Aside from the prenatal massage, spend some time at a spa. Get a facial, pedicure, wrap, whatever suits you. Just make sure they know you are pregnant ahead of time so they can prepare the right products for you. You will realize later how glad you are that you got that facial or pedicure. Or hit up your favorite little nail shop for a cheaper pedicure alternative. 

6. Treat yourself with a couple new pairs of cute underwear. Yes, they may be in a larger size than you normally wear but that doesn't mean you have to get something basic or ugly. Cute underwear can help you feel cute even on the worst of days.

7. Do things you don't normally do for your hygiene. This probably sounds like a weird one but let me give you some examples. You are going to pee a lot and you are going to have extra stuff going on "down there" (I hate the word discharge), so might as well up the ante and buy some of those flushable wipes (look for the non-scented ones) to help keep things so fresh and so clean, clean down there. Or consider getting the bikini line waxed or getting a Brazilian if you like to keep that tidy as well, especially when your size makes shaving a gymnastics act in the third trimester.  

8. Find some other pregnant girlfriends and hit up your favorite brunch spot or grab a happy hour snack somewhere (minus the alcohol). It feels great to chat with others who are experiencing similar things and/or vent about what set you off this time. 

9. Go for a walk in one of your favorite parks or neighborhoods. I always feel so refreshed when I am out and active. Take your pooch along if you have one or grab a girlfriend or just your iPod and cruise, soaking in the fresh air. If a walk isn't your thing, go for a drive somewhere with scenery you enjoy, with your favorite tunes jamming in the background.

10. Have fun with accessories! Paint your nails fun colors, buy some fun new earrings, get some sweet scarves or cute flats to wear; whatever your "thing" is with accessorizing, have fun with it and pamper yourself with the small and easy ways to look cute.

Pregnancy Style

Being nearly 7 months pregnant with my first child, I've had an interesting time navigating through maternity clothes. Starting right off the bat at 9 weeks, I was so bloated and I figured why be miserable? I went and purchased some maternity work pants and jeans. That was a good decision, one I highly recommend! I've had trouble fitting into maternity tops as they are still all too big for me. I settled on buying regular clothes at my favorite clothing stores in a size or two larger than I'd normally wear and it seems regular stores still carry much cuter stuff than the maternity stores. I swapped my normal high heels for lower heels or flats and thankfully flats are fairly in right now. I figured I'd share some of my favorite outfits right now as I know it can be super hard to feel cute or stylish when pregnant.

I love this look with a colored or gray dress/tunic style top, dark leggings, dark boots and dark jacket. The nice thing about this outfit is you can wear it during any trimester and when you feel fat before your bump protrudes as it hides the fat feeling pretty well (I say fat feeling because I definitely felt like I looked fat from eating too many donuts not from a bun in the oven). The jacket could easily be swapped for a sweater and the boots for flats for warmer weather.

Okay, so I know this isn't a pregnant picture but what I love about this outfit is that the brightly colored skinny's allow for a more neutral top and I've been definitely taking advantage of that neutral top. From a basic black top with black boots, flats or heels or a white top and neutral or animal print flats. I find I wear a lot of dark colors on top to minimize the knockers that have grown tremendously during pregnancy and the color on the bottom adds a nice pop!

I love this look as well: skinny jeans, tank, flats and jacket. I'm big on using colors in accessories so I'd probably add some fun color or print with the flats, scarf or purse. Lastly, here is my list of what I think every pregnant woman should have in her closet:

- Basic black and white tank top (1 of each is probably sufficient and doesn't necessarily have to be maternity so long as they are stretchy and long enough)

- Maternity leggings (2-3 is probably enough and standard colors such as black, gray, etc. plus maybe some fun prints or colors)

- Comfortable pair of flats and get a size with room to grow

- Sweaters or jackets (light or thick depending on the season and you'll definitely want a good selection of these)

There are many ways to style the bump and I just listed a few suggestions of what I've found work for me. Have fun with colors and if you're shy with color, accessorize with it. With those basics, you can easily swap them out and trade outfits to keep it fresh without spending a lot of money on maternity clothes.