Tag Archives: pregnancy

10 Ways to Budget for Maternity Leave

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How to budget for maternity leave so that you can afford to take some time off with your new baby.

When it comes to growing your family, there are a lot of things that go into the planning process! We’ve all heard the saying “having a baby changes everything.” It is so cliche, but I also don’t think that truer words have ever been spoken. Along with everything else in your home, having a baby will change your household finances. After the medical bill of pregnancy and birth, the first big expense of bringing a baby home could be taking some time off of work. There are several things that you can do to plan for the cost of taking maternity leave. Start saving up now with these 10 tips on how to budget for maternity leave.  read more

10 Weird Pregnancy Symptoms No One Tells You About

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10 Weird Pregnancy Symptoms that no one tells you about. Pregnancy causes all kinds of changes to our bodies, and affects each woman differently. Check out these 10 weird symptoms that some women experience.

When you see a pregnant woman in a TV show or movie, they always seem to have the same symptoms, don’t they? We see them throw up, feel exhausted, act crabby, and complain about swollen feet. It all seems pretty standard. The first thing that surprised me about my first pregnancy was that I never threw up! (well, until I was in labor anyway.) After that came a whole slew of weird symptoms that I figured out were caused by being pregnant. I learned that every woman handles pregnancy differently. Even more than that, every pregnancy is different. My second pregnancy was very different than my first even though they were just a couple of years apart. There is such a huge range of things that could happen because of being pregnant – some more surprising than others. Read on for 10 weird pregnancy symptoms no one tells you about. read more

6 Ways to Prepare for Breastfeeding During Pregnancy

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Being prepared to start your breastfeeding journey will help set you up for success. 6 ways to prepare for breastfeeding during pregnancy. #pregnant #newmom #breastfeeding

Did you all know that there is a whole week every year dedicated to celebrate breastfeeding? Yep, August 1-7 is World Breastfeeding Week! In honor of world breastfeeding week, I thought it would be beneficial to talk about something very important to expecting moms – how to prepare for breastfeeding during pregnancy. Breastfeeding is a topic that people around the world get together to celebrate. There has been plenty of evidence in recent years that supports the fact that breastmilk is the best and most natural way to feed a baby. Don’t be deceived if you are a new mom. Just because it’s natural, doesn’t mean that it’s easy. Breastfeeding is hard work, and for many moms, there is a learning curve in the beginning. Not every breastfeeding journey is long and “successful” (which is ok too!), but there are plenty of ways to set yourself up for success. Check out these 6 ways to prepare for  breastfeeding during pregnancy.  read more

New Baby Checklist and What to Include in Your Baby Registry

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There are so many items on the market for new parents! Check out this customizable new baby checklist to keep track of everything you need for baby. Baby checklist, new baby, printable baby checklist, what to buy for baby. #babyregistry #newbaby #pregnant #newmom

When I created a baby registry for my first son, I did a TON of research. I read every blog and pin that I could find, I looked through pregnancy magazines, I looked at registry examples, and I asked other parents for advice. Overall, I felt like I had a pretty good handle on what I wanted and needed for baby. Now I am getting ready for baby number two, and I have the chance to go through my new baby checklist all over again. My thoughts and opinions have changed a lot in the two years since I wrote this post – as all experienced parents tend to do. I thought this would be the perfect time to re-vamp this post a little bit so that I have it ready when friends come to ask for baby registry advice. Keep reading to learn how to create your own new baby checklist (I’ve included a template for you!), and see what you need to include in your baby registry. read more

Maternity Active Wear from Pink Blush

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Finding comfortable maternity active wear that fits can be a huge challenge. Pink Blush has a great line of maternity active wear for pregnant mamas. #pregnant #activewear #fitmom #fitpregnancy

When you are pregnant, finding the energy and motivation to workout can be a challenge to say the least! It doesn’t help that as your belly grows, it gets harder and harder to find comfortable clothes that fit. Maternity active wear seems to be the hardest to come by. Yes, you can just wear regular clothes or a big t-shirt, but that can be cumbersome for some types of exercise. Not to mention, for many pregnant women, it can be a challenge to keep your self-esteem up at the gym to begin with. Having comfortable and functional maternity active wear can really help you to feel better about getting to the gym. Check out the maternity active wear selection from Pink Blush for some great options meant just for your pregnant body. read more

thredUP Review – Maternity Edition

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Need some new staples for your maternity wardrobe, but don't want to spend a fortune? Shop #secondhandfirst with thredUP! #sponsored #thredup #maternity #pregnant #maternityoutfit

When it comes to baby and maternity clothes, I hate spending money on things that I am only going to use for such a short time! Maternity clothes especially can be really expensive. With both of my pregnancies, I have been fortunate enough to have friends pass on some of their old clothes. Hand-me-downs have seriously been great, and their clothes are always still in great condition. During my first pregnancy, I ended up doing one big shopping trip from an online consignment shop to get the rest of the staples that I needed. Unfortunately, my second baby is going to be born in the exact opposite time of year. I have one September baby and am expecting our next little one to arrive in April. Guess those prized maternity jean shorts won’t come in too handy for this winter pregnancy. Now it’s time for another shopping spree from thredUP! Check out this post to read my thredUP maternity review and see some of my favorite new pieces for fall and the upcoming holiday season. read more

8 Moves to Work Your Abs During Pregnancy

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Keeping your core strong during pregnancy will help with back pain, waddling, child birth, and recovering after baby is born. Check out these 8 moves to work your abs during pregnancy. #fitpregnancy #pregnancy #pregnant #fitmom #prenatalexercise

Having a happy, healthy pregnancy is every expecting mama’s number one goal, right? Well, I would hope so at least. Many of us are focused on staying in shape through pregnancy with the end goal of getting back into shape quickly after baby is born. The truth is that keeping up your health and fitness during pregnancy will help your pregnancy itself to go more smoothly! Keeping your core strengthened and engaged will prevent (or at least help) back pain, lessen the pregnancy waddle, improve your balance, and help when the time comes to deliver baby. The trouble is that your abs are now shaped differently and need to be worked in different ways. Everyone’s comfort level and exercise style is different, but here are a few suggestions. Keep reading for 8 moves to work your abs during pregnancy. read more

Using Essential Oils During Pregnancy (Guest Post!)

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When used correctly, essential oils can be great for relieving pregnancy symptoms...but how do you know what is safe? Check out this post for more info. #pregnancy #newmom #essentialoils

There are so many great benefits to using essential oils. Research is getting more and more accessible, and the use of oils is becoming more common – including among pregnant women. During pregnancy, many women are more cautious than normal about what we put into our bodies. Essential oils can be a great alternative to chemicals and medicines that should be avoided while pregnant. As with anything else, it is important that you do your research before introducing new things to your body. With proper research and caution, it is possible to safely use essential oils to help relieve some of the most common pregnancy symptoms. Keep reading for some great advice from Ruth – a mom of 4, RN, and wellness advocate with doTerra – about how to safely use essential oils during pregnancy. read more

5 Books Every Pregnant Woman Needs to Read

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5 Books that every woman needs to read during pregnancy. Pregnancy books, books about pregnancy, books for expecting mom.

Pregnancy is an exiting, overwhelming, and downright emotional time! There are so many questions that most women have, and it really helps to do your research. In the age of the mommy internet, there are nearly infinite resources out there to teach us about what to expect when pregnant. In fact, there are so many resources that it can be hard to know where to start. You can go down the rabbit hole of Pinterest and Google, but sometimes the simplest place to start is just with a good book. There are a lot of great books about pregnancy out there. To get started, here is a list of 5 books that every pregnant woman needs to read. read more

Pregnancy Fitness Timeline

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 When I got pregnant, I was a 24-year-old fitness junky. I was spending at least 4-7 hours per week doing Pilates, yoga, kickboxing, the rowing machine, ballet class, and whatever other activities kept me moving. Like most new moms, I wondered how my fitness routine would change while I was pregnant and how much I would be able to handle after baby was born. read more