Milestones over 9 years ago by Liz Adams

60 Days

60-days-to-goI want to start this post by saying thank you so much for your comments about what you’re loving and what you’d like to see more of on Sequins & Stripes! There was an overwhelming request for more lifestyle posts and the good news is that there will definitely be a big shift towards lifestyle once our baby arrives. Fashion will always be the focus and I’m still going to maintain my weekly outfit posts once I transition to a mom but I’m definitely going to include more snapshots of our life at home, recipes, favorite products, etc. A lot of you asked for photos of our nursery and I’m embarrassed {and also a little terrified!} to say that we have absolutely nothing in our nursery. Things will be arriving in the next few weeks and once they do I’ll be sure to share photos of what we have planned so stay tuned!

Yesterday marked 60 days until our due date and although I have absolutely no knowledge of what to expect once the baby arrives, I can definitely share what has helped me get through the hard parts of being pregnant. Like I’ve said before, my pregnancy has been pretty easy and it wasn’t until recently that I started to feel some of the effects of being 7 months pregnant. I’m starting to really prep for the arrival of our little one, learn what I can, and listen to my body. I definitely can’t do everything I want to do and that’s ok. Here are a few things making life a little easier in my third trimester…pregnancy must haves in third trimester1. Prenatal vitamins. These don’t necessarily make anything easier on me per se but it’s comforting to know I’m doing something good for our baby. I’ve taken one of each of these pills almost every day of my pregnancy {the DHA pill is because my prenatal vitamin contains no DHA}. I take these at night because they tend to be a little lighter on my tummy.

2. DoTerra Petal Diffuser and Essential Oils. I have always been a really consistent sleeper which is sadly is no longer the case these days. I used to fall asleep once my head hit the pillow and now it takes at least 30 minutes to get comfortable. I’m constantly making a conscious effort to roll from one side to the other, my legs are restless, and the baby loves to move around when I’m ready to rest. In the early days of my pregnancy our wedding photographer, Bethany, recommended essential oils to help fall asleep and this has been a game changer in the last few weeks. This DoTerra diffuser is timed and releases the most subtle mist – it’s a spa and silent noise machine in one. So relaxing. I can even tell Dave is enjoying it considering he has been snoring like an elephant the past few nights. 🙂

3. Almond Oil. My skin has been SO DRY and I’ve also been avoiding stretch marks at all costs. I’ve been using this almond oil twice a day – mornings and before I go to bed. I use this on my entire body but concentrate on my lower stomach, hips, and chest to prevent any stretch marks. I’ve also used this Belly Balm on just my stomach and chest on days I need some extra moisture. *Make sure to layer with a tank before getting dressed because both products will soak your clothes if you don’t let them dry!

4. Back & Belly Body Pillow. I don’t use this pillow all the time but on days when I’m on my feet for too long or my back is bothering me it offers a huge amount of support when I’m finally able to lay down.

5. Hanky Panky Low Rise Boyshorts. Pregnant bellies vary from woman to woman but my lower belly is super super tight with a really harsh incline making it uncomfortable to wear anything but loose dresses or soft fabrics. Even underwear was uncomfortable once I started growing at a faster rate. I’ve always been a fan of Hanky Panky but these boyshorts are super comfortable and low enough to expand with your growing belly! I’ve also been wearing my low rise thongs but from what I’ve heard, boyshorts are going to be my best friend postpartum.

6. Ovia Pregnancy App. I have a few apps on my phone but this one is by far my favorite. It provides up to date info on your baby’s growth, offers a calendar for your entire pregnancy, makes it easy to track appointments, has really informative updates for every week of your pregnancy, has a food safety lookup feature {I’ve used this a thousand times throughout my pregnancy}, medication safety lookup, and symptoms lookup for everything under the sun, and allows you to track your activity, sleep, weight gain, nutrition, and blood pressure. It’s literally everything you need in one!

7. Pregnancy books. I’m just starting to read up on our baby’s arrival and the three books I’m currently reading are Bringing Up Bebe, On Becoming Baby Wise {all about getting your baby on a sleep schedule}, and The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. Have any of you read these? My mom sleep trained with me and she claims she can still see a difference in my sleeping schedule compared to my siblings to this day. I plan on breastfeeding and have heard amazing recommendations about La Leche League. Any other suggestions??

8. Nike Roshe Running Shoes. Walking has been my means of transportation these days and Nike Roshe shoes are both comfortable and stylish. I’ve been wearing them with all of my dresses and love getting outside while also getting some sort of exercise. They are also light enough to throw in my bag if I need to switch it up for a meeting! I’ll usually stop and do 5 sets of 10 squats/lunges on each leg throughout my stroll for some quick toning.

Ok momma’s, what else would you recommend for the last 60 days?!

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  1. Love your outfit above! An oil diffuser has been life-changing for me too! It’s never a bad thing to create a spa-like atmosphere in your bedroom!

    Can’t wait to see how the blog continues to evolve when the baby arrives!

    Alyssa | Glitter and Grey

  2. Loved the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding! I feel like everyone talks about their labor and delivery, but no one told me that the early days of breastfeeding can be quite challenging (and for me, was painful at the beginning). I’m now 6.5 weeks post partum and loving nursing! The book was super helpful and informative and I’ve also been telling my friends to ask to talk to the hospital’s lactation consultant as soon as you can, even if you THINK you are doing it right! I talked to the ones in the hospital twice and the one at my pediatricians office twice after we went home. They were beyond helpful. I’d also recommend the Happiest Baby on the Block 🙂 Good luck!

  3. The BabyWise book is gold in my opinion – both of my kids slept through the night very early because we kept them on a schedule. It also helped so much with planning visits to family, daily outings, etc. I found in general that they were happier babies because they had a regular, predictable routine and a good amount of sleep. I’ve recommended it to so many friends & everyone who follows it agrees! 🙂

  4. I’ve loved following your pregnancy, I’m about a month behind you! You have great maternity style and have been a source of inspiration for my own maternity styel! I’m looking forward to following your motherhood journey as well.

  5. I read Bringing up Bebe – and loved it. Especially the bits with the sleep training (the pause) which I did and it worked. My little boy sleeps through the night and has done for a good few months now (he’s only just turned 1). I also loved using my birthing ball to sit and bounce on, especially when all the aches and pains start coming in the last few weeks! The last few months are such an exciting time though, just try and enjoy and rest as much as you can!

  6. Happiest Baby on the Block DVD is really helpful. I’d really recommend babywearing, so helpful to calm a baby who is used to being to close to you all the time. Also agree with talking to a lactation consultant/going to a class – it’s not as intuitive as it might seem. Brand new babies can’t really be on a schedule, they need to eat so often! Good news is that they can sleep almost anywhere at first.

  7. I am 63 days til delivery of baby girl number 3 and this little lady has given me heartburn like you wouldn’t believe…so tums/antacids are my friend! Drinking lots of H2O to prevent leg cramping at night and comfy clothes! If I didn’t have to work I would be living in sweatpants and my husbands t-shirts!

  8. Congratulations on your upcoming arrival! I just gave birth to my little boy 4 weeks ago. The time has flown by! I loved Bringing Up Bebe and I also read Breastfeeding Made Simple which has been really helpful. I also recommend getting the Milestone Baby Cards to commemorate your little one’s special moments. Most importantly enjoy your time before baby. Have date nights with your husband, have some girls’ nights, and just relax and pamper yourself! <3

  9. 60 days to go, so exciting! I had my first baby 4 months ago and agree with everything on your list (I wish I would have thought about essential oils during my pregnancy!). I had heartburn that one Tums a day would generally cure. As far as books, I loved Bringing up Bebe and also read Babywise. We referred to Babywise several times in the weeks following his birth. At first I wasn’t sold on a schedule as it feels so strange to wake up a baby you may have worked so hard to get to sleep (and a lot of people still subscribe to the “never wake a sleeping baby” guide). Around 4-6 weeks, we started applying more of the Babywise concepts and I saw a great improvement in our sleep schedules. It was so beneficial to have both baby and me on a schedule. At 4 months old, our little one has consistently been sleeping from 8-9pm to 6-7am with a “dream feed” at 11pm. I highly recommend Babywise! I didn’t read a breastfeeding book, but really wish I would have. It was extremely painful for me at the beginning, including getting a breast infection. Good luck on your last couple of months!

  10. I love the Ovia Pregnancy app!! It gives a lot of great info and everything is so easily trackable. The best one I’ve used as well. I’ll have to try that diffuser because I’m the same as you – always able to fall asleep as soon as I hit the pillow but the last week or so I’ve been a little restless. Have you read Baby Bargains yet? It’s an amazing book with reviews and recommendations on baby gear, from cribs to breastfeeding essentials to car seats, strollers, clothes and more. I haven’t been able to put it down. They also have one call Baby 411 for after the baby is born. I’ll be 20 weeks tomorrow and have enjoyed reading about your pregnancy and recommendations! 🙂

  11. Hi, Liz.

    Not sure if you’ve ever heard of it, but there is a book Mom’s on Call – http://momsoncall.com/ – that is seriously the best. I didn’t read Baby Wise, but from what I’ve heard a lot of people prefer Mom’s on Call. It covers everything from health, feeding, recommended schedules but most importantly (at least for me) is sleep training! My 6 month old was sleeping through the night at 9 weeks and I 100% credit following the book. It also worked wonders for all of my friends. Definitely give it a try!

    Good luck!

    * Stacie

  12. Kellymom.com was a great breastfeeding reference for me that I found via a new moms group, and I second seeing a lactation consultant in the hospital, and going to the breastfeeding group that your local hospital has. The Happiest Baby on the Block was a godsend too, as well as Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child for sleeping (we sleep trained at 6 months, and he sleeps like a dream for months now).

  13. Lizard I used 12 hours sleep by 12 weeks (on Amazon) with max. I combined it with some concepts of baby wise (eat, play sleep). He sleeps LIKE A ROCK from 7p-7a.m. Quick read and it works!! good luck my dear and savor your sleep now!