My Pregnancy Favorites— From Books to Clothes & Everything in Between
I’m officially 39 weeks + 1 day & it is crunch time. I’ve been pretty silent on the blog, because being in quarantine has felt like one long Groundhog Day situation. But since we are so close to meeting this little girl, I thought I’d share a few of the resources that have been helpful over the last 9 months. Today I’m sharing my pregnancy favorites— books, clothes, apps, our birthing class & everything in between.
Books
It took me a while to get on the book train because I was obsessed with message boards & Facebook Due Date groups, but when I finally realized I needed to be a bit more prepared these are the ones I turned to. You can find them all linked in my Pregnancy, Baby & Postpartum list here in my Amazon storefront.
• Made for This The Catholic Mom's Guide to Birth by Mary Haseltine
• Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin
• Sweet Sleep by La Leche League
• Making More Milk: The Breastfeeding Guide to Increasing Your Milk Production, Second by Lisa Marasco
• The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by La Leche League
Our Birth Class
We decided to go with Dr. Betsey Caldwells' virtual birth course, The Push Lab. It came highly recommended by a friend & offered a lot of info for a great price point. Steve and I went through it together, and we finished feeling confident and much more knowledgable than at the start. Betsey's expertise as a pelvic floor physio makes it all the more amazing, and I appreciate how comprehensive and accessible the course and Dr. Betsey are. She also generously offered me a code to share with you if you decide it's the right fit! You can use code 'katie' for $20 off the course. Check out all the info and what's included via her site here.
Maternity Clothes
I didn’t purchase many maternity items because I wanted to make my regular clothes last as long as possible, but here are a few things I’ve worn over & over again throughout pregnancy and loved. Some are maternity and some are not, just so you're aware.
- Skirt from ASOS here’s some similar
- Support shorts & tank from Blanqi
- These leggings and these leggings
- Long tanks from ASOS
- These bras
- The shops I’ve had the most luck with are: H&M, Target, Hatch, ASOS, Kindred Bravely, Amazon, Blanqi, Lululemon, Aerie & American Eagle, Free People (lots of flowy dresses!), and Urban Outfitters. I’ve heard great things about PinkBlush & Seraphine Maternity but did not purchase anything through them so I cannot confirm.
Baby Things
I have a ton of shops I’ve fallen in love with in the last few months, but here are a few of the places we’ve purchased or been given gifts from that I’m so excited to use.
- All the cutie sunsuits and clothing from Spearmint Love
- Nordstrom baby clothes & stroller accessories
- Charlie Crane rocker
- Our high chair and bouncer from Stokke
- Our mini crib & bookshelf from Babyletto
- everything I have to stop myself from buying on Maisonette
- Sweet sleepers & organic basics from Makemake Organics
- Onesies, swaddles, storage bins, and our mobile from Pehr
- Our nursery chair from Pottery Barn
- Sakura Bloom, Solly Baby, Wildbird, and Ergobaby carriers
- Tubby Todd bath goodies
Prenatals & Supplements
I didn't do any weird supplements in pregnancy, but I did take these prenatals, and this iron supplement after my iron Rx made me throw up. So fun. This supplement works a lot better for me, but make sure you talk to your doc before you do anything because hello I am an internet stranger and not a medical professional.
I also heard that dates help with your cervix and red raspberry leaf tea helps with toning your uterus (???) so I bought both of those. There are conflicting reports on whether or not RRL tea is safe all pregnancy, but I started both the tea & date smoothies at 37 weeks just to be cautious. Again, consult your bff — a medical professional.
The photo I share below is my fave way to make sure I get the dates in without having to physically eat 6 or 7 a day. I’ve also made it without cashews & with peanut butter & it’s just as good. Apologies for my quarantine nails.
Apps
I haven’t used a ton of apps because I started with the What to Expect app and it ended up just giving me major anxiety with all the message boards, so I deleted it. It was not good for me mentally, spiritually or emotionally to read about loss, complications, and fears after being pregnant following two miscarriages. So I basically stuck to two: Ovia for logging info & baby updates, and Babylist for our registry. I’ve also downloaded the Baby Tracker app to help track feedings postpartum & the Contractions app to get ready for whenever this girl gets in gear.
Spiritual Resources
It’s been very difficult to feel spiritually connected during this quarantine since neither Steve or I have been to Mass since March. I was previously going to daily Mass for Lent so it’s been quite the shift. But I’m so thankful for the live-streamed Masses & the few things I’ve been doing to continue to foster my prayer life throughout this time. Here’s what’s been most helpful for me:
- Having the Every Sacred Sunday Mass companion for reading and journaling during Mass
- Using my Blessed is She Planner
to keep track of appointments, write down prayer intentions, be aware of feast days, and try to keep a daily rhythm - Reading Searching For and Maintaining Peace
- Livestreaming adoration
- My praise and worship Spotify playlist
And that’s it for all my pregnancy faves! I would love to know if you had favorite things that made you feel prepared, stuff you wish you would’ve known, or any other thoughts to add so this can be a resource and reference for others. Leave a comment below or find me over on Instagram.
Can’t wait to come back and share the announcement of our little babe so soon. Stay tuned!
xo.