Wonderful , special and miraculous as pregnancy is, it is no secret that there are some discomforts and "side-effects" that come with it. Should you have been spared of common complains of pregnancy - count your lucky stars and then come back and count them again. Having experienced a few different variations with a few different pregnancies, here are some of my finds and solutions. I hope you find them helpful.
ONE : Keep your legs happy.
This is an absolute must for tired, swollen, restless and plain hurting legs , especially at the end of the pregnancy. "Legs" is something I use more then regular person would ( dancing and city walking you know) , and I am sure every city dwelling mom can relate just as much. It was not until THIS pregnancy that those "beautiful" spider veins decided to make an appearance. Ask any OB and they just shrug and tell you "it just comes with the pregnancy", and painful as it may be, there is not much solution that I have been offered. Through trial and error I found this Mustela lotion, and after a month of using I am loving it. Reviews have told the truth, and I am confirming it too.
TWO: Face.
I found that my skin has reacted differently with every pregnancy. While there are times when you definitely can see that beautiful "glow", there are also times when those crazy hormones ( that I DO love and appreciate) play some not such fun tricks with my skin. Getting older is not helping it either. This pregnancy I have tried L'Occitane as a solution for my skin ( on a recommendation from a friend) , and LOVE it. This, this and this products are my daily routine. Make your choice as to how heavy/light you want your moisture to be, and you can adjust your routine to your specific skin's needs as pregnancy progresses by simply mixing two products together without having to go and buy a new skin care regimen. Price-y as may be, I am only 1/2 way through the products, and the set has covered me through my entire pregnancy, so I say it is definitely worth the investment.
THREE & FIVE: Hair.
Every single pregnancy I get a lovely oily scalp for the entire first trimester. Many products as there are available, I found that the combination of Nexxus natural shampoo with a pinch of BAKING SODA works best for me, making my hair look shiny, healthy, while controling that hormone induced oil production. I use the "shampoo+soda" combo the entire first trimester ( and it really is a small pinch of soda, more is not better in this case), and as the body regulates and adjusts, I found that it's a beauty trick that's great to use to cleanse your hair from the product build up once every 10 days or so. Natural and gentle - just what my hair likes during pregnancy ( and after having a baby too!)
FOUR: Body.
The beautiful and changing pregnant body goes through a lot of demands to keep that little occupant ( or a few!) happy, so why not pamper a little? Personally, I love these two among many other products ( I change my pampering as my mood changes). The oil keeps the skin supple and has a great ( to my nose ) aroma that can be enhanced with any natural essential oils ( just make sure what you are using is safe for pregnancy), and the lotion really does offer a great relief , especially on those "feeling-extremely-tried" days.
ps: find morning sickness remedies here
