Pregnancy Tips

During my pregnancy I researched a lot of tips online and asked for advice from family. Here are a few I found to work the best:

Mints for Nausea
Chewing on a mint on my way to work would ease the feeling of my nausea. However don't over indulge, we do need to think of keeping healthy for the little one! 

Drink plenty of Water! 
I was advised that drinking lots of water helps with the elasticity of your skin. Now although this may not prevent stretch marks, it may reduce them and will keep your healthy glow as hormones during pregnancy can affect the skin. For example, during my pregnancy I went from skin type 2 to 1, then back again to 2 after giving birth. 

Drinking plenty of water will also help prevent you from being dehydrated. Being dehydrated whilst pregnant could lead to you feeling dizzy and nauseous. 

The Dreaded Stretch Marks...

Everyone dreads stretch marks!! Nothing will prevent them but in order to reduce them, I cannot stress enough - you must keep your skin hydrated so elasticity is well maintained. 

*Water Water Water* 

For skin care Bio Oil and Coco Butter worked the best. Now although they may not prevent stretch marks they could reduce the amount which appear on the skin.

My stretch marks weren't so deep, therefore, many of them faded pretty quickly. The red marks on fair skin will take a little longer to fade. 

Also, as your skin stretches rapidly, some women experience itchiness around their stomach. Don't scratch! Scratching it can cause scars which worsens the appearance of stretch marks. I didn't experience itchiness on my stomach but did with my breasts. Read the next tip to find out how I relieved this...

Get a Good Bra 
Breasts during pregnancy can also grow rapidly. Getting a good bra is so important - wireless was definitely more comfortable for this. I experienced extreme itchiness for about three nights and the only relief I managed to find was from putting plenty of talcum powder on them and fanning my chest with a piece of card. 

Talcum powder was advised by my mum and it worked!

Clothing for Winter Pregnancy 
My second and third trimester was all during the autumn/winter. Layers upon layers were not needed! My cousins advised me to wear a light jacket and they were right. As soon as I would walk towards the end of my road I'd be pretty
much very warm. I loved wearing soft materials and cotton. Leggings were a staple during the winter as I could not find the right jeans for my size. I also lived in my boots as my legs became very swollen. 

Few Finds I Loved
Topshop's maternity jeans were the best I could find (Leigh super soft jeans) 
ASOS was great for maternity dresses and basic tops 
H&M's knits and basics 
Knitted tights are a great alternative to leggings to wear with dresses
Adding a thin belt to a lose top accentuates the bump and makes a plain design appear dressier

Beauty During Pregnancy
Keep it natural. 
Pregnancy often makes some women's skin appear to glow. Some experience their skin to change type, so keeping it natural can help with these changes. Again keep skin hydrated with a moisturiser and focus on the eyes or lips instead. 

Hair During Pregnancy
My hair during pregnancy grew very thick. I felt that having it away from your face made you look neater in appearance. Also, it prevented skin from feeling irritated. (That must have been my hormones again!) 

Diet During Pregnancy
It is so important to keep healthy during pregnancy. Remember to listen to your body. Everyone used to tell me that if you are hungry, you must eat, as it means your baby wants food! And if you don't eat, baby doesn't eat. 

However don't over indulge, your meals don't have to be made so big that literally two people could have a course each from it. 

Replace sweet food for healthier alternatives such as
Fruits; mangoes, avocados, pineapple, melon, watermelon, plantain,  - all fruits tropical I love!
Veg; yam, okra, pumpkin, beans, spinach 
I often replaced chocolate with flapjacks 
Soup soup soup 

Heartburn
I experienced a lot of heartburn towards the end of my third trimester. Making a few changes to my diet helped reduce this:

Drink less juice and caffeine 
Cut down on fatty foods
Soup helped calm the sensation down for me 

Walk

Walking is one of the best ways to try and keep fit while pregnant as hardcore exercise isn't recommended. It's also a great way to keep active during the last trimester. 

SLEEP!

Last but definitely not least, get as much sleep as you can. You won't be getting much of it when your newborn arrives. I wish I was more prepared and warned that your newborn would wake up every two to three hours for a feed. Due to the sudden demand and childbirth you would have just gone through, you'll appreciate any sleep that you get!

So sleep, relax, eat well and pamper yourself. 

Hope this helps! Get back to me for more tips you found useful! :)