make pregnancy fun again!

a guide to (gasp!) enjoying pregnancy, by trimester

Going into my first pregnancy in 2021, I had many fears and reservations about how much I would enjoy the viscerally consuming task of growing a full human from scratch inside my body. Much to my surprise… I kinda loved it??????

I took great care to pad my pregnancy with the trappings and luxuries that would make me feel more prepared and in-control throughout the experience, and now–in my third pregnancy–I have honed my craft and come to deeply love and cherish this time. Below, my tips and specifics on doing the same for yourself.

First Trimester

• Give yourself a break!!!! Indulge!!!! Nap sometimes! Eat whatever sounds appealing to you while you combat exhaustion and some level of nausea! Postmates was my best friend.

The audacity of this Postmates order being how I found out I am pregnant

• Start a v luxurious body care regimen, so that when you’re really in belly-growth-mode, you’re already in the habit. I have been able to completely avoid stretch marks thus far with this obscenely obnoxious body care routine. You don’t need to go this crazy here, but start something. Bonus: once you start, you will never ever again go back to getting out of the shower and skipping body lotion.

  • My pregnancy body care Hall of Fame Line-Up:

    • This ultra-rich body balm that literally contains zero water (the holy grail of belly balms in my opinion!)

    • This Korean scrub duo: an exfoliating treatment and firming body serum duo for a shiny, taught, and firm bump à la Midge:

      

      a Midge-maxxing body care routine

    • This lightweight lotion for when I need to quickly get dressed or cannot bear to risk getting oil on whatever I plan to wear

    • This belly oil for super-charged, skincare-level-actives for the body and this one for quick absorption (I love to reapply a quick layer of this every morning on top of whatever I already have on)

• Start a preventative hair-growth routine to minimize post-partum shedding. Not necessarily “making pregnancy fun again” here, but making future you proud.

  • This collagen is an amazing place to start for safely stimulating hair growth during pregnancy, and very anecdotally, it what I credit for making my babies' umbilical cords so “thick and juicy” (gross, I’m sorry). I mix into my coffee with a hand frother (plus a dash of cinnamon and a little pour of maple syrup).

  • This insanely clean hair growth treatment oil has been the biggest game changer for many people I know. You will see new sprouts after just one bottle.

• Adjust your facial skincare routine. If you are nervous about saying goodbye to retinol, botox, BHAs, I highly suggest an acne-prone routine of:

  • This 8% Mandelic Acid that transformed my hormonal skin a few years back (I use this religiously, pregnant or not).

  

  • This Azelaic Acid blend for treating and preventing dark spots while refining pores.

  • Face taping–along with a silk pillowcase and protective eye mask–helps to stave off the fine lines until you can get botox again.

Second Trimester

• Pure bliss. Your energy returns, nausea (hopefully) subsides, and you can keep your eyes open past 8:30 pm again. Enjoy your more normal life (and fewer food sensitivities again!). This is when I really consciously focus on my macro intake, clean eating, and keeping my blood sugar balanced with smaller meals, scattered throughout the day.

• Keep up your workout routine (obviously consult a doctor for your specific needs!). Walking as much as possible and lifting heavy weights has really transformed the way I feel through the end of pregnancy (no more back pain!).

• Frequent spray tans (…weekly) become my saving grace, especially towards the end of second trimester. Funny enough, my spray tan of choice is a hilariously-outdated VersaSpa spray tan booth from Total Tan in West Hollywood. Somehow it fades more evenly than any other spray tan I get (I have a theory it is because how little product is applied vs. more custom spray tans?!).

• TAKE PICTURES. I truly look back at the few photos I took in my first pregnancy with an appreciation softness for my body I do not have during normal times. I truly regret not taking more photos.

G7x cameras are as good as the hype would have you believing.

Third Trimester

• Depuff, drain, repeat. As you progressively retain more water, ensure you stay moving and mobile. If you live in LA, text me for an admittedly gatekept, but life-changing lymphatic massage.

  • Compression socks will be your best friend–I wear these during the work day, on any flights, and after more strenuous activity.

  • I have every depuffing device on the market, but what I reach for consistently is this ice roller or these frozen toner pods

• Relish–but don’t mourn–your independence. Go work at a coffee shop, grab lunch somewhere fun by yourself, run frivolous errands, and try the Tiktok viral sandwich place. Not that you won’t be able to do these things ever again (you will!), but they are much easier right now. You will regain bits of your independence, and other bits of it you will happily give up.