As I’m approaching the third trimester I’ve been looking back at how I moved through the last few months. It’s been a weird time, because after the 12 week scan I breathed a big sigh of relief and then life almost went back to normal for a bit. I was just very sober! Like ALL. THE. TIME. God, I miss wine. But one thing that pregnancy has taught me is that nothing is permanent. Some days I’ve felt great; like my old self again, having a laugh and up for a good ol’ Bump & Flow yoga class and socialising with friends. On other days I’ve struggled to get out of bed, to concentrate, to connect or to push aside frustrations with my changing body or fears about the future. So I’ve had to learn to adapt and just take each day as it comes. I’ve learned to be kinder to myself, to rest and to say no more.

ON BEING A STRONG WOMAN

I can be a little hard-headed sometimes about being a “strong woman” and so I’m always hesitant to admit weakness, to struggle with injury or to lean on tools to make things easier for myself. But my viking-woman approach to pregnancy was been cast aside very quickly, albeit with a huge amount of frustration at first. I have softened. Not because I no longer believe I’m the modern-day Lagertha, but because I realised I don’t need to be.

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My top 8, off-the-shelf, pregnancy essentials

1. A hot water bottle

A good hot water bottle makes the number one spot because I use it every. single. day! I injured my hip mid-way through my second trimester when I was trying to assemble some flatpack furniture and I’ve been using the heat to aid my healing. Heat is great for all aches and pains so you can use it on your lower back, or if you’re experiencing particularly bad growth pains - I like to press it against my hips and lower back to sooth me to sleep at night.

2. A massage ball

A massage ball, like this one, is another life-changing addition to your pregnancy self-care regime, especially if you’re struggling with aches and pains. I roll my hips and upper back (where I tend to store tension the most) across my massage ball every night and each morning. It makes such a difference! I also like to use it to massage the bottom of my feet if I’ve been standing a lot in the day and my feet are swollen and achey.

3. Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter

My understanding is that stretch marks are hereditary and there isn’t much you can do about them, but I still just love rubbing this luxurious Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter on my growing belly in the evenings. It’s a nice way to connect with my body, to appreciate it and it certainly helps with itchiness from dry, stretching skin. I haven’t gotten stretch marks. But I’m not ready to put this down to any kind of skin product just yet.

4. Collagen Peptides from Hunter & Gather

Joint support is so important after the age of thirty, when our body’s collagen production slows down, but I’ve found it invaluable during pregnancy. Relaxin loosens our joints, which makes them vulnerable to injury (read more about the effects of relaxin on joints here) so I’ve been taking my favourite collagen supplement from Hunter & Gather every morning with my coffee (half-caf) for the additional support. I just love them and I’ve really noticed how much more stable I feel, especially in my hips, when I’m on it.

**Use code KATHRINEMACLEOD for 10% off (be sure to purchase Bovine collagen - marine collagen is not suitable for pregnancy.)

5. FYBOGEL FOR DIGESTIVE SUPPORT

Talking about supplements, though substantially less natural but a vital addition to my happiness these past few months none-the-less, is Fybogel. During pregnancy the excess progesterone makes the bowels sluggish and so a little digestive support is not only good, but sometimes very necessary! I take one or two sachets a week with water. The taste is foul, but the relief is worth it. TMI? Maybe. But I couldn’t talk about “pregnancy essentials” without mentioning it!

6. A yoga bolster

I always tell students that you don’t NEED anything for yoga. You don’t even need clothes! But there are some things that will improve your experience of the practice, and when it comes to pregnancy essentials and prenatal yoga a yoga bolster is way up at the top of that list. I use mine for an elevated, supported savasana, I lie over it in child’s pose and I lay my upper back over it for a supported fish pose that feels a-mazing on my spine! We use the bolster a lot in my prenatal yoga classes and when students decide to make the investment they always tell me how glad they are that they did! I like this one, from Manduka, and you can get 15% off with my code “WILDKATYOGA”.

7. MATERNITY BRAS

I brought maternity bras very early on in my pregnancy and it was once of the best decisions I’ve made. I brought this pack of three from Amazon using a gift card and, together with my low-impact sports bras and yoga bras, my boobs have never been happier. If you haven’t yet treated your ladies to some soft, supportive maternity bras I’d urge you to do so right away!

8. MATERNITY CLOTHES

Honesty I held out as long as I could, but there’s only so long I can deal with wearing yoga pants day in and day out. Sometimes dressing well is all a girl needs to feel good about herself when she’s tired, bloated and self conscious. I despise the idea of buying maternity clothes brand new when I am only going to be wearing them for a few months, but with Covid running rampant and all the shops being closed down I couldn’t find anything second-hand, so I settled on getting some staples from H&M and ASOS. I have a dress, a pair of under-belly jeans and a pair of over-belly joggers. I’m looking forward to hitting the charity shops when they open again!

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OTHER MAMAS

A PREGNANCY PILLOW: When I ask women what made the biggest difference to their comfort during pregnancy so many of them tell me it was using a U-shaped pregnancy pillow, and whilst I can’t argue for or against it (I haven’t felt the need yet to get one yet) it seems to be at the top of everyone’s “must have list”. Maybe when I get a bit bigger and more uncomfortable I’ll cave and get one!

I’ve partnered with Kally Sleep, and you can get 20% off all pregnancy yoga pillows with the code KAT20.

A PREGNANCY BELT: Another recommendation that I’ve heard being uttered on many occasions, especially for women with hip pain and PGP, is a pregnancy belt. I have yet to try this myself but it gets rave reviews! The purpose is to add a little extra support for your belly making things a little easier on your hips and giving your belly extra support later on in pregnancy. This one from BabyGo seems to be the one that most women recommend and I’ve kept it earmarked for the third trimester.

I hope these are helpful, and if you’re a modern-day Lagertha, like I am, it may help you to know that no one is impressed by how little support you seek during pregnancy. In fact, what impresses me most is when women can see a way to better care for and serve themselves and their bodies and have the courage to be open to recieving support when they need it.

I would love to know what your go-to pregnancy essentials are, or were!

Kat xx