Pregnancy: Second Trimester Favorites

Considering that I only have about seven more weeks (!) to go in this pregnancy, this post is a little overdue. I had a hard time coming up with a lot of favorites for the second trimester (I'll have more to include in my Third Trimester Favorites post) but there are a few items I really wanted to share. For the record, I continued using and enjoying the items mentioned in my First Trimester Favorites post as well, so feel free to check that out for more recommendations!

The books Bebe Day by Day and Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman - These books fascinated me with their look at parenting in France. While I don't agree with or plan to use everything in the books, I will definitely be referring back to the chapters on sleep and food. Very practical and thought-provoking.

Earth Mama Angel Baby Oil - While I've read that whether or not you get stretch marks is really a matter of genetics and how quickly you put on weight, I figure it can't hurt to give the belly butters and oils a try. This one was my favorite through my second trimester. It soaks into the skin well, I like the light scent, and I love that it's all-natural.

The Body Shop Hand Cream - I like that these creams don't contain parabens like the one that I used most of the time before I got pregnant. They keep my hands moisturized without being overly greasy. I loved using the Pink Grapefruit and Mango scents during the day for an extra pick-me-up and the Wild Argan Oil at night because it's a little more subtle and soothing.

Body Pillows - If you're pregnant, you're probably going to need some kind of extra pillows to find comfortable ways to sleep. I did a lot of research on pregnancy pillows but I hated the idea of spending $80 on a pillow that I might not even like. My mom ended up buying me a couple of simple, inexpensive body pillows from Bed, Bath and Beyond. I sleep with one on either side of me. I like to tuck the front pillow under my belly and between my knees and then tuck the other one as tightly against my back as possible to help keep from rolling onto my back while I'm sleeping. (Note: I did end up needing to purchase allergy covers for the body pillows because my allergies acted up when I started sleeping with them - you can read my suggestions for coping with dust mite allergies and my recommendations for good allergy covers in this post: 5 Tips for Coping with Dust Mite Allergies Naturally.)

Maternity Clothes from Old Navy, Kohl's and Target- I needed a decent amount of maternity clothing to get me through work, casual stuff, and dressing up a few times a week. These are the three stores I purchased from. I especially loved Old Navy's sweaters, tops, and tights; my work pants and jeans came from Kohl's, along with a couple of tops; and I purchased a couple of cute dresses from Target.

Weeks to Months Calculator - While pregnancy books and apps go by weeks, most people want to know how many months along you are and it can be tricky to figure out. (At least I thought so.) This calculator comes in handy for translating how many weeks pregnant you are to months.

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So there you have it, my second trimester favorites! Do you have any favorite pregnancy products to recommend?