Thought I'd chase away the waiting-for-baby-to-arrive temptation with a little bit of Five Favorites link up action this afternoon! In case y'all were interested, how about five of the things that have been a huge help to me this pregnancy??
Here we go:
{1}
I'm so so tired of drinking this stuff but it is a game changer when it comes to the awful leg cramps and restless legs that plague some of us when pregnant. It's also helpful for sleeping. I add the teaspoon or two to half a glass of water and try to chug it quickly. The one container has lasted me all pregnancy (I didn't seem to need it as much in the second trimester) so definitely worth it.
{2}
For the same reason as the Natural Calm, the magnesium of the epsom salts makes a huge difference for leg cramps and helping me sleep. At least four or five nights a week I've been taking a bath which may at first glance sound super relaxing and awesome but I'm actually looking forward to post birth when a bath can be something more relaxing and not something I feel like I have to do. This also helps a huge amount with back soreness and staying hydrated (hey, your skin can absorb water, too…). (P.S. Don't spend a lot...I get mine super fancy at the dollar store.)
{3}
Just like with last pregnancy, I'm taking a super high dose of B-12 in the morning and it makes a huge difference in the morning dizziness/lightheadedness/low blood pressure that plagued me in other pregnancies and at points made me non-functional for an hour or two every morning. I love that my midwife helped me figure that out while I was pregnant with Luke and such a simple solution has made such a huge difference. Last time I used the liquid sublingual Solgar brand and this time I'm just using the Trader Joe's brand with similar results.
{4}
My skin this pregnancy has been the worst it's ever been. Really. Worse than middle school, high school, PMS…bad. Bad enough that I was beginning to get embarrassed leaving the house. I tried so many things - apple cider vinegar, natural cleansers, dead sea mud cleansers, even out of desperation some harsher acne cleansers and spot treatment and nothing worked. Finally I tried…honey. Just honey. It sounds ridiculous but even after the first time using it, there was a HUGE difference and I haven't had a horrible breakout or blotchy episode since. I was first using some local raw honey that I use for the boys' sandwiches every day and when that ran out, just used the stuff from Trader Joe's and some local creamed honey all with equal results. I just rub it right in to a damp face and rinse off…sounds sticky but really, it's not once your face is already wet. Hoping the results continue after this babe is born!
{5}
(So I'm not the best back-of-head selfie taker…but you can see a little bit.)
Just like my skin, my hair doesn't do the fabulous pregnancy things that other women's skin and hair seems to do when pregnant. It definitely doesn't grow thicker or faster and just looks blah and tired. My friend Janelle introduced me to this hair method and I'm hooked. The basic premise is that wavy or curly hair is almost always under moisturized and that's the reason it gets frizzy or for us wavy girls we feel we need to blow it flat daily. With this method (or at least my version of the method since I never actually read the book), you never ever brush or comb your hair…only finger comb. You "co-wash" meaning you wash with conditioner that is sulfate, silicone, and paraben free. Then you use a curl cream or gel and only a t-shirt to blot (or plop!) your hair dry (no towel-drying!). That's a HUGE summary of the whole method but even that little bit I'm doing has made a big difference. It's not stunningly gorgeous, but my wavy curl returned and I feel like I look more like myself. I'm hoping that once I'm not pregnant, the results may be even better. We shall see…at the very least it means that I don't need to use a hair dryer and barely have to style it so that's kind of handy during life with a newborn anyway.
So that's that. Any wonderful things that were helpful to you when pregnant?
P.S. I really really appreciate all your prayers and love and thinking-of-you messages as we await this little one! Your intentions are on my list and in my heart. Here's hoping we can meet our new arrival soon!
{Linking up with Rachel at Efficient Momma…go check out some others' Five Favorites!}
I'm intrigued by this curly hair method–my hair has some wave and body but also all kinds of frizz!
ReplyDeleteWould you recommend honey while nursing? I've been told to avoid it, but I do miss it!
ReplyDeleteYou mean for eating? I've never heard anything about that and honestly, wouldn't think twice about it! It sounds like maybe someone got the whole 'no eating it under one' rule mixed up with mom eating it?
DeleteDoctor said he didn't recommend it while nursing because there is still a slim chance it could harm the baby.
DeleteAlso as for hair, I'll put a tiny bit of coconut oil in my damp hair and it brings out some waves.
Doctor said he didn't recommend it while nursing because there is still a slim chance it could harm the baby.
DeleteAlso as for hair, I'll put a tiny bit of coconut oil in my damp hair and it brings out some waves.
I might have to try this curly hair method. Mine just looks awful all the time lol. And I've use honey has a moisturizing face mask and it's been awesome! Thanks for linking up :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm intrigued by this curly girl hair method. My hair is wavy/frizzy and I'm so desperate to get rid of the frizz, especially with summer coming
ReplyDeleteYes to the magnesium for leg cramps & yes to the baths. I felt like the only way I could get my body to relax was by taking a bath. Now, no longer pregnant I can't find the time to take a bath anymore! I'll have to remember b-12 for my next pregnancy because I always get so tired in the morning as well. My hair is dead straight and super long... I don't think the curly hair method would work for me :(
ReplyDeleteMary! Just making sure you're not in labor yet!! With the curly hair method...do you ever wash your hair with shampoo? If not, how does your hair not become a greasy mess? After a workout, and your hair is drenched in sweat, do you just condition it?
ReplyDeleteColleen...what I've read is that there are cleaning agents in conditioner - just not as much as in shampoo. So if you are just using conditioner to wash, your hair is getting clean. I run 4-5 a week and just use conditioner to wash my hair. I have been using shampoo once a week, but not more than that.
DeleteHaha, well, my solution is to just never work out ;) So you're still washing it but either with conditioner or now they're actually selling "co-wash" in the shampoo aisle so I guess it's catching on. (I found some at Walgreen's.) The idea is that we mistake bubbles for clean when really lather is just the sulfates stripping our hair and then we have to replace everything we strip out with conditioner. You're still washing but using the water and fingers more and not stripping out the natural oils. According to this method, wavy or curly hair needs more moisture anyway so this works. But maybe someone with naturally straight hair, it could end up being greasy. But no, mine hasn't gotten greasy yet. It feels different…softer and more moisturized…but not greasy. I was kind of surprised by that, too. Though, to be fair, I haven't yet put it through a work out test! But thanks for thinking I could be one of those nine month pregnant ladies who still work out ;)
ReplyDeleteI just discovered co-washing this past month and am loving it and what it does to my hair! I hadn't heard of the other stuff - no combing or towel drying....but just using conditioner only has made a big difference for me.
ReplyDeleteTrying out this plopping thing. I have attempted the no brushing/combing, but my hair, unless it has dried attractively from previous washes, will just frizz out at the top even worse. So it only works for me if I've first had a decent comb drying.
ReplyDelete