Pregnancy Update: Essentials to See You Through All Three Trimesters

Now I'm in the final weeks with no.3 (how did that happen?) and having been pregnant for much of the last four years, I feel as though I've got the essentials for each stage sussed. I had intended to write a series for each trimester but soon realised I was repeating myself and that, if I was reading, I'd want a quick checklist so have whittled it down to the true essentials based on my experience. So, here goes...

My Pregnancy Essentials

1. Dealing with nausea - my 'morning' sickness has ranged from mild nausea to extreme sickness for much of the pregnancy (think 7+ times a day every day and you're about there). While I was commuting I kept a bag of dry crackers in my bag which kept me going long enough for my train to pull in to Waterloo! When we went on holiday this summer I took Myrtle + Maude's mints and, although I didn't have any extreme bouts they certainly helped; I'm keeping them in the car for any more wobbles. I'm a big tea fan, or at least mint and green so I kept a bag of fresh mint in the fridge at work and a pot of jasmine pearls in my desk draw. This time around, I've also been loving Myrtle + Maude's which is such a gorgeous blend and ever so refreshing. There's something incredibly settling about all three and they take the edge off my nausea.

2. Head aches - I have always suffered with head aches (if I don't take something they get worse rather than petering out) so this was a tough one. I kept Kool 'n' Soothe's forehead strips at home and work and always ensured I had my 4head stick in my bag. The hubs bought me a decent water bottle and reminded me to get some fresh air whenever I was struggling. If all of those failed, I followed NHS advice on pain relief after talking to my midwife.

3. Pelvic girdle pain (or PGP) - I suffered from this in both my previous pregnancies so it was no surprise that I've got it again third time around. Anything medical is, obviously, beyond my remit but I benefitted from a support belt and a pregnancy pillow. The belt is something you'd need to talk to your midwife  about (I was measured for mine by my midwife) but lots of my friends invested in pillows. I've tried two but am currently using SnuggleUp's U-shaped pillow. It's incredibly soft and yet really holds it's shape so is very supportive. I wasn't really sure what use pregnancy pillows were before I tried one, but the relief they give my joints (especially my hips) ensures a much better night's sleep and fewer aches in the morning.

4. Maternity clothes - I've written a cheat's guide to maternity fashion here; if you don't want to spend a great deal on maternity clothes, this post is for you, but I do think you need to be comfortable lounging at home and I, along with lots of my friends, are quick to pop on pyjamas early in the evening so some comfortable ones are a huge bonus (the ones I'm wearing here are from ASOS maternity and are gorgeous).
5. Skincare - your skin goes through a lot when you're pregnant and it always amazes me how it bounces back, but I still think it's worth taking extra care. I'm a devotee of Clarins for many reasons not least because their products have never let me down (I've used them with each pregnancy), but they're very natural in their ingredients so avoiding the dreaded heavy scents that made my tummy queasy (I had an issue with strong smells when I was pregnant with my first, in particular) and they really do last so are a good investment. I've tried lots of their products and their website is worth a browse, but my all-time favourite is their treatment oil. It's divine. It does take a while to sink in so I tend to apply it at night and pop an old t-shirt but it helps me sleep and with insomnia kicking in during the second trimester I was pretty grateful. If oils aren't your thing, Clarins stretch mark minimiser is really great and sinks in fast.

I know each pregnancy is different, there are certainly other side effects(?) of all three of my pregnancies that I haven't gone into here, but these five are pretty common among my friends too. I really hope that this quick rundown is of some help and, as always, if there are other things you relied on to deal with whatever pregnancy threw at you, please share them!

Disclaimer: I was sent samples by Myrtle + Maude, SnuggleUp and Clarins to review but I promise that they wouldn't have appeared in this post if I didn't genuinely rate them highly.