So, we weren’t sure if we would do this post as we didn’t want to alienate the non-pregnant readers among you but then we were asked SO MANY time to do a post on our pregnancy essentials that we thought we’d jot it all down, and then even if you’re not pregnant you can come back to it when you are and it will always be useful.
As ever, Gemma is totally low maintenance and barely uses anything and Sam is basically basting herself in everything going (Ha! Nice visual for you there!) so here is what’s currently on our bedside table…
SUPPLEMENTS:
You should really be taking folic acid pre-pregnancy. Gemma was taking Pregnacare Conception from the get go (she has an unhealthy diet so every little helps) and we’ve both been taking Pregnacare Plus Omega 3. I originally bought a different pack, they have so many it’s confusing, and there were three HUGE pills to take a day. No-one has time for that, especially when you’re knackered/sicky so we find these the best as there’s only two and they aren’t too big. At £15 a pack, when you’ll be taking them throughout your pregnancy it’s worth mentioning that my midwife at UCH did say that nothing has been proven that these are the best ones, they just have a large ad spend which is why everyone automatically thinks of them for pregnancy supplements. She suggested going into Holland and Barrett to buy folic acid supplements would do just as good a job.
STRETCH MARK LOTIONS AND POTIONS:
Gemma, true to usual form is using nothing. Always the minimalist/ lazy one when it comes to products! I on the other hand am slathering everything on. Last pregnancy my tried and tested formula was to layer Elemis Frangipani Monoi Oilwith Palmers Cocoa Butter Stretch Mark Massage Lotion which worked for me. This time, as well as my usual routine I also discovered this dual-chamber formula from Unity which has been life changing. I’m far more tired this pregnancy (toddler to thank for that) so some evenings I can’t face the bump massaging routine that I used to have all the time in the world for. This Complete Stretch Mark Cream and Oil has an oil one chamber and a cream in the other so I get the best of both worlds in one pump. I’m on my second bottle. I also find spending a couple of minutes massaging the bump quite a bonding thing, as my days are so busy that I never really focus on whats going on inside me until its time for bed.
EASY CLEANSING:
We have said SO many times now how much we love these little pads but they really come into their own when pregnancy has totally wiped you out. This Works In Transit No Traces have totally revolutionised our cleansing regime, no joke. No beauty editor will ever tell you to use a face wipe (they just drag dirt around your face rather than actually remove it. No matter what you think you see on the wipe). These are different. A tub full of super-soft face pads soaked in gentle rosewater, just one will remove an entire face of make-up and leave skin feeling fresh, like you’ve had a mini facial. Great for the evenings when evening brushing your teeth feels like too much hassle.
ANTI-SICKNESS MAGIC PILLS:
You can be sailing along through life quite happily and then BAM! You fall pregnant and morning sickness hits. Gemma has suffered throughout both of her pregnancies and wasted weeks trying useless anti-sickness/nausea hacks before she came across these magic pills. Myrtle and Maude’s Peppermint Bon Bon’sare enriched with B6 for an added energy boost, come in a handy tin for slipping into your handbag and help to settle her stomach whenever she feels a wave of nausea come over her.
HAND CREAM:
Bizarelly, MumHands aren’t talked about enough. It wasn’t until I had Leo that I really understood what dry hands were. My hands were so itchy, sore and raw from all of the bottle washing/hand sanitising that I didn’t know what to do. This time I’ll be prepared and as they say, prevention is better than cure. Winter weather + air conditioning dries our skin out enough as it is, we’ll both be throwing newborns into the mix so I’m already upping the moisture levels by creaming up each night. My absolute fave hand cream is
Jo Malone London’s Geranium and Walnut and when you’re feeling crappy I find that a little luxury like this can help to perk you up before bed and stop you feeling like a giant, oiled up heffalump. I also find that if it’s by my bed then I can’t forget.
Hope this was helpful. Let us know if you’ve come across any pregnancy essentials that we can add to the mix.
