Pregnancy Wardrobe and Skin Tips

taking a pregnant pause from life as you know it

Lace details make everyone feel prettier!!

Pregnancy guidebooks should all have the subtitle ‘say goodbye to life as you know it.’ Just so we’re clear, that’s not a bad thing. I just had no idea how quickly my body would change (ahem, bloat) or how adverse my reaction to pants would be.

bloating, and breakouts, and mood-swings, oh my!

Did I mention the bloating? I hope I mentioned the bloating. Literally 10 days into that positive pregnancy test, I grew out of all of my pants. Blame in on their high-waistedness. Blame it on my new obsession with donuts. Blame it on the 2 liters of sparkling water I was now consuming on a daily basis. The only thing that distracted me from my bloated tummy was the rampant breakout situation happening all over my face. It was like I was 14 again- breakouts from forehead to chin for a good 10 weeks straight.

Let me tell you, nothing helps you cope with all of these physical changes like the wild ride your hormones take you on during that first trimester… please note that I’m definitely lying. Crying + bloated mess + teenage style breakouts. Let me just take this moment to give a shout out to my husband for being *as patient as can be. I mean, he’s human, and he definitely asked at one point when I was going to be out of this phase -I bet you can guess how well that went over- but for the most part, he just told me I was beautiful, or lied and said that he didn’t notice the 3 new zits on my cheek. #hesakeeper

learning to embrace the change

After I accepted that there would be a time where I looked less-pregnant-more-chubbers, I figured out what I needed to make the transition as comfortable as possible, and what would help me feel more confident as I learned to navigate a new body and all of its new phases. The first trimester was all about loose, comfy clothing that didn’t restrict my waistline, didn’t yet draw attention to the expansion of said waistline, and that still made me feel attractive.

First Trimester Must Haves- Concealing the bump

• Shift Dresses. Whether its summer and you’re pairing a shift with strappy sandals and a sunhat, or with non-control top tights and boots in the winter, shift dresses are the perfect silhouette for those early months of pregnancy. It’s not so flowy that you’re in a mumu, and it’s not so tight that you’re tugging at the midsection all day. Plus, you can find styles to wear to work or casually on the weekends.

• Wrap Dresses. Wrap dresses were my favorite First Tri option thanks to their flexibility. My stomach (and boobs) seemed to change size on a daily basis, and wrap dresses adjusted to exactly what I needed when I needed it. Plus, once your belly does start to show, the tied waist perfectly highlights your bump.

• Belly Bands. Belly Bandit bands kept me in regular pants and jeans well into my second trimester- no zipping or buttoning necessary. I also love the added support of a belly band when I’m working out or taking long walks.

• Oversized button-down shirts. Whether it’s in classic white cotton, or a printed silk, an easy fitting button-down is a great way to keep questions at bay until you’re ready to share your news. I liked to pair mine with leggings or a fitted midi dress with the shirt tied at the bottom.

• Jackets and Blazers. Layering any look with a jacket instantly makes feel more polished, creates a long lean line (when you’re feeling anything but), and conceals that your pants may or may not be held together with a hair tie.

Second Trimester Must Haves-embracing the bump

By the time you’re in your second tri, you’re most likely sharing the news with family and friends, and are showing to a point where it’s not exactly easy to hide. My vote? ROCK THE BUMP.

I have 2 basic outfit formulas that I follow almost everyday and I feel great in them.

Option 1: Fitted dress+Long open sweater+booties

I really enjoy wearing fitted dresses to highlight the bump, and pairing them with long dusters or sweaters because they elevate the entire look, and also keep my booty covered. Dusters are cardigans in a variety of colors and textures keep your outfits interesting and are great because you’ll wear them during and after pregnancy. I currently have the same fitted midi dress in 3 colors that I mix and match with different layering options to keep my outfits from becoming too boring.

Option 2: Fitted top+Blazer/Jacket+Full Panel Maternity Pants+Loafers or Slides

Again, the combo is very basic, but the possibilities are endless. I love the comfort of full panel pants as my belly keeps growing, and I’ve found that my favorite tops are working well into my second trimester when I go up a size. For example, the J Crew tissue turtleneck is my ALWAYS fall staple, and going up one size fro my normal is enough to cover my midsection, but not huge anywhere else.

Skincare for your face and belly- taking care head to toe

I’ve found that my skin is extremely sensitive to products I had used forever, but these items have been great, and have even helped keep breakouts at bay

• Bare Minerals Foundation

  • I used bare minerals in high school, and loved it, so when they launched a new blemish rescue line this year, I gave it a try to see if it was gentle enough to help my skin. Let me tell you, I LOVE IT. The breakouts have subsided, and my face sensitivity has improved greatly since I started using it.

• Clarins Tonic Oil and Stretch Mark Minimizing Lotion

  • After MUCH online and blog research, and after reading so many glowing reviews, this is the product combo that I selected to take care of my belly! I’ve used and loved Clarins skincare on my face for years, and after switching my foundation (and finding that my skincare routine was not impacting my face negatively) felt really confident adding their body products as well. I apply this oil morning and night, and layer the stretch mark cream over it in the mornings. So far, I have on new stretch marks, and when I got a massage a few weeks ago, my massage therapist commented on how hydrated my skin was! I plan to keep this routine up through my pregnancy and also into my postpartum recovery.

• Epsom Salt Baths with Body Oil

  • Pregnancy means no-no to saunas and hot yoga. These 2 practices were a huge part of my self-care routine pre-pregnancy, and I knew that I needed a replacement, or the next 9 months were going to be LOONNGGG. So now, every night, I take a 20-30 minute bath with 1C Epsom salts, 2-3 droppers of natural body oil (I use a combination scent of rosemary, eucalyptus, arnica), and a drop of all natural bubble bath. This really helps me to relax before bed, let go of the day, and also helps to exfoliate and moisturize my skin. I feel like my products absorb better after opening my pores in the tub!

bonus tip- pack away what you don’t need

Pregnancy is a great time to clear out your closet! Donate anything you don’t love. Keep anything you do love AND that still fits in your closet, and store anything that just doesn’t fit right now that you’ll want to get back to.

Storing everything out of the way that simply doesn’t fit makes getting ready so much easier in the morning. There’s no point in sifting through clothes that won’t be an option for 40+ weeks, so put them out of sight! Keep your closet and dressers clean, organized, and full of things that actually fit and make you feel great. Doing this was a HUGE morale boost for me. I had no idea how much time I would save by taking the ‘no’s’ out of the equation. PLUS, your clothes don’t accidentally end up in the laundry when you throw them on the floor in a pregnancy-hormone induced rage… oh wait, was that just me?

from me to you

Ok now for the exciting part. I’ve given you my quick list of must haves, ANDDDDD…. I’ve linked all of my top wardrobe and beauty must-have for you Here! It’s your one stop shop to find the products that helped me feel my best, and will hopefully help you feel your best, too!!

Let me know in the comments below: what items are your pregnancy must haves?

Happy shopping, and congrats momma!!

xo, Terra

Pregnancy Unfiltered- Surviving The First Trimester

This was me… and this was at 10:30 in the morning… on my second trip to the bathroom… I get to work at 8… soooo yeah. My pants are held together with a hair tie, and my shoes don’t even feel the same… and who says pregnancy isn’t sexy??

finding out

I was on a girls weekend with 12 of my favorite ladies. We made a pitstop for lunch, and no part of me wanted to drink. I told 2 of my friends on the trip, and they immediately said, “You’re totally pregnant.” Mind you, I wasn’t even late at this point. The thought became all consuming, so the next day, we drove to a gas station in the middle of nowhere to buy a test. I brought it back to the house, snuck away from the group, and confirmed in less than 60 seconds that yes, there was a baby on board. Let me tell you, those 48 hours were a blur of fun, excitement, and shock. Calling my husband from the swimming pool, laugh/crying as I interrupted his golf game to tell him we were having a baby, and sharing the moment with a few close friends was priceless.

With these beautiful babes, celebrating friendship and marriages, and offering to make any and all grocery and drink runs as one of 2 preggos on the trip.

sharing the news with our son

We waited until after our 8 week appointment to share the news with our son. We took him out to ice cream, and casually (wink, wink) worked siblings into the conversation after running into our friend with a newborn.

We said, ‘do you still want a brother or sister?’ Without missing a beat, he responded, ‘Actually, I really love being an only child. I love to travel and do fun things as a family, I love that it’s just the 3 of us.’ So we did what any parents would do- awkwardly stared at one another and burst out laughing. Then my hubby blurted out, ‘Well enjoy the next 6 months! That time is about to run out!’ So then we started asking if he’d noticed anything different about me, like the food aversions, or my falling asleep right when I got home from work, or how I’d stayed home sick a few days from work. His response made me wish we hadn’t ask any of those questions.

‘Well, mom does look kind of pregnant in that dress…’

To make the conversation THAT much better, my sister was there to witness the whole thing first hand, and silently laugh to herself.

When we got home from the world’s longest ice cream date, I asked if he wanted to see the ultrasound, and as soon as he saw the picture, his eyes lit up, and he asked, ‘Do you think I’ll be a good big brother?’ to which I responded, ‘Of course!’

expectation vs reality

Pregnancy Glow (adj): A term used to describe the dewy complexion of pregnant women. I will tell you, my glow is comprised of raging hormones, sweating every moment of the day, and the extra dew is that post-puke flush that we forgot about since college.

Action shot- documentation of my most strenuous workout in the month of July.

I’d love to tell you that I was a glowing, etherial goddess in my first trimester of pregnancy… hair blowing in the wind, dewy skin, grace and poise oozing from my being as I flowed though a prenatal yoga practice- but let’s get real- I was about as far from that as possible. I was a bloated, exhausted, emotional, moody-as-all-getout mess. I slept all the time, spent my work days shoving my face with crackers, and cried at literally everything. Oh, and those workouts? What workouts?! My workouts consisted of walking to the kitchen for ginger ale or saltines.

I literally took this picture to document that something non-beige was on my plate. Literally. The only reason. Also I ate 4 quesadillas when I was home sick on this day.

What surprised me the most, though, was the food aversions. I didn’t eat vegetables from weeks 6-17. Like. Didn’t eat a single vegetable. Let me tell you what I did eat- donuts. So many donuts. Mac and Cheese. ALL THE MAC AND CHEESE. I basically ate beige foods and pickles for 11 weeks straight. I know what you’re thinking… no wonder she was so bloated!!

Here’s the good news. It’s a phase. I promise. Everyone said that I’d start feeling better in the second trimester. I literally went to bed on the evening of week 13, day 6, PRAYING that I would miraculously turn the corner on the first morning of my second trimester. Shocker- that didn’t happen. For me, relief, and some sense of normalcy came at about week 17. I slowly started incorporating non-beige foods, and learned a few tricks to introduce them back into my diet without getting too overwhelmed.

5 things that helped me survive the first trimester

1. It’s less convenient, but this is the only time that I will suggest you buy your produce on the day you want to eat it. Pregnancy is funny, and what sounds good today may sounds terrible tomorrow. So listen to what you want now, and follow it! I can’t tell you how much money I wasted on produce that went bad early in my pregnancy. If you don’t want to eat it right now, don’t buy it.

2. Carry snacks with you EVERYWHERE

   • I carried blueberry Tone It Up bars, saltines, and ginger chews with me everywhere I went. I also kept a can of sparkling water with me at all times (and a 12 pack under my desk at work) The easiest way to keep nausea at bay is to keep something in your stomach.

3. A basic smoothie can help calm a queasy stomach while helping you hold down that prenatal vitamin. I drank this smoothie almost everyday in my first trimester.

   • 8oz unsweetened almond milk

   • 1/2 banana

   • 1 scoop Tone It Up Organic Vanilla Protein

   • 3 dates

   • heavy dash of cinnamon

   • 1/2c ice

     • I loved that it was plain enough for any day, but the cinnamon and date combo made me feel like I was drinking a cinnamon roll. Also, I felt good knowing it was plant based instead of dairy based… just in case it was one of those days where breakfast came back up. barf.

4. Puréed soups are a soothing way to get veggies in. Starting at about week 17,I loved carrot ginger soup to sooth my stomach. The recipe was very basic:

   • 1lb of carrots

   • 32oz bone broth,

   • 1/2 sweet onion

   • 2tbsp minced ginger

   • pinch of salt and pepper.

     1. Chop the carrots and onion, and sauté them in a little olive oil. Add the broth, and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Add ginger, salt, and pepper. Let cool, transfer to a blender, and blend until smooth.

     2. I loved that I could sip this soup on it’s own, or pour it over roasted veggies, quinoa, or brown rice if I wanted something with more substance. I’m sure that with a little less broth, this will become a baby food recipe in the future.

5. Embrace that this is a phase, and give yourself a break. Not only are you growing a human, you’re also growing a new organ to feed that new human! You are allowed to be freaking tired, and eat Mac and cheese for a few weeks…or months. BUT, keep testing the waters to see how those healthy options sound. And know that some days you may feel like that ethereal goddess, and some you may just feel like a beached whale. AND THAT’S OK.

keep reading if you want to hear the stuff that only pregnant people will understand

Fair warning to you, these are the WTF moments from my first trimester. If you don’t want to hear the gross (and funny) parts of pregnancy, you should stop now.

• My boobs hurt so freaking bad. I would literally yell "DON’T TOUCH ME” at my husband (super pleasant, I know). Shower water hitting them hurt. Breathing hurt. Gusts of wind hurt. Thinking about it now hurts.

• Feeling your uterus stretch. One day I felt a searing pain in my stomach and thought that an alien was ripping through my skin (which felt like a natural response). Turns out, it was just a growing pain from my stretching uterus. Fun fact, the most common time I felt it was either in an important meeting at work, or while I was sleeping.

• My digestion came to a complete standstill. Blame the donuts. Blame the hormones. And then once I finally could go, I got hemorrhoids. So that was great. Apparently those are planning to stick around during this entire pregnancy.

• Pregnancy brain BLOOOOWWSSSSSS. It’s real, and I cannot even tell you the number of times I stared blankly into space just trying to figure out what the eff I was supposed to be doing. At work, at home, walking to work and going to the wrong building, staring at my husband, knowing full well he said something, and that I had no idea what it was. Full on zombie brain. One day, I literally spent more than 2 hours wearing 2 different shoes. I walked to the bathroom multiple times without noticing.

• Uncontrollable sobbing. ANNNNDDD SCENE: We’re watching the season finale of Life Sentence (go watch it if you don’t already- it’s amazing) and the ending was sad- like, happy sad. My crazy hormones turned this normal, should-maybe-shed-a-few-tears moment into a sob fest that lasted a good 30 minutes after the show ended. Through my sobs, I demanded that my husband ‘hold me and turn on a funny episode of Friends.’ Then, I cry-laughed through the whole episode because PREGNANCY MAKES YOU CRAZY.

• Mystery gas. Its like your uterus moves and just lets it out at the worst times possible.

Tell me! How did you survive the first trimester? Share your must-have’s in the comments below!

xo, Terra