Lifehacks for Your *2nd* Pregnancy
An essentials list.
How to make your life easier when all you want to do is nap.
Why hello, friends!
You may or may not know that I created an infamous spreadsheet called Shit You Actually Need for a Baby: Delivery & Beyond, which is a list of the basics required for delivering a small human and then taking care of yourself and said new person after the fact. It’s a comprehensive but minimal list that I made for me and my friends and it’s especially helpful if you have no idea what you’re doing with your first baby (raises hand).
I, for one, didn’t understand why there are so many components to a changing table, for example, or that the ruffles on a diaper serve a purpose, so I compiled a spreadsheet to break it all down. It’s meant as a general guide, not definitive or dogmatic, but rather a jumping off point in case you find yourself in uncharted waters.
That said, your second pregnancy is different from your first. This ain’t your first rodeo and you will likely be exhausted and overwhelmed. In addition to your job (and mad respect to the stay-at-home moms out there—that’s the toughest job of all), you have a toddler or slightly older kid dominating your life (sweet!), which makes your entire experience wayyy less precious than the first. Think more exhaustion/less time to do anything at all, let alone sit around and indulge in self-care.
So with that, I created a short list of the essentials that really helped me in my second pregnancy, and now dear reader, I’m sharing those with you.
The list:
I’ve mentioned this before and I’ll mention it again: Get yourself a robot vacuum immediately. Want a clean house but can’t push a vacuum because your pubic bone feels like it’s being ripped apart? Me, too! I have the Eufy BoostIQ RoboVac 11s and it’s great. Cheap! And yet still great. My sister Kelly has tried both the Roomba and the Eufy and she prefers the Eufy which is half the price of the fancy ass Roomba. Basically I’m saying if it’s good enough for Kelly Gregg, it’s good enough for me.
Create a prenatal capsule wardrobe. That means you create a streamlined set of outfits that ALL go together so you never really have to think about what to wear. You’ll look pulled together without even trying. My capsule wardrobe was built for fall/winter, which I feel is more challenging than spring/summer, but of course, the same principles apply. As a side note, I’ve decided a capsule wardrobe for when you have two small children is also smart. More on that later.
Magnesium powder from Pure Encapsulations. I tried lots of brands. This tastes gross but not nearly as gross as most of them which are so tart you can’t help but make a face. Magnesium will help you with any cramps you might get in your legs, but mainly it alleviates constipation which happens as a result of lowered progesterone.
Pro tip: Untuck your sheets from the bottom of your mattress if you get cramps in your calves. I know that sounds weird, but I realized that the pressure of the sheets pulling my feet into a point actually made me cramp. And actually Dr. Andrew Huberman has talked about this! Sheets putting pressure on your feet put you in a really unnatural position if you’re a back sleeper, which you most likely will be when you’re super preg. Also, as soon as you feel a cramp, flex your toes toward your face.
Naps. So this is a tough one because reality, but try to get at least a quick fifteen minute nap each day or as my friend Carla says, “take all the naps you can and give zero fucks.” I second that.
My pubic symphysis workout and quick stretch video. If you have any issues with your pubic bone, you’ll know it blows. I researched like crazy on the internet for a cure and couldn’t find what I was looking for so I created these two options to do as stand alone or in addition to your workout. And babes, they WORK. Also I’ve made them free because I think they’re really a public service so you don’t need to be a BBP member to do them. You’re welcome!
Shoes that slip on (again, see capsule wardrobe post).
Emily Oster’s substack called Parent Data. Do you know Emily? She wrote Expect Better (rec’d on my Shit You Need for a New Baby spreadsheet) and is a reliable expert who simply interprets large swaths of data. So much of the research we have in the pregnancy/baby department is flawed for a variety of reasons so it’s nice to have a conscientious person review what’s out there, note the strengths and weaknesses of the available data, and then give you options—not necessarily recommendations, which I appreciate. She merely reviews the data and puts the onus of choice on you.
Sweet almond oil. This is cheap and effective used right after a shower or bath, layered under body moisturizer. Your skin will stay super hydrated and soft.
Lactic acid-based skincare as a sub for retinol. Since you can't use retinol during pregnancy but you still need something to help with cell turnover, lactic acid is the best pregnancy-approved alternative. I tried a few and personally prefer the lactic acid night treatment from Biossance. It’s EWG approved and there’s no citrus in it to aggravate like Sunday Riley, plus it’s reasonably priced. (As always I DO NOT get a commission for recs, so there’s nothing in this for me.)
Blue Lotus Golden Masala Chai. If you can’t stand the smell and taste of coffee during pregnancy but like a morning ritual, I cannot recommend this highly enough. I didn’t have a good coffee substitute my first pregnancy and life just felt somehow more bleak without the promise of something hot and caffeinated when I woke up. This particular chai has 1/7th the amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee. Buy one of those little milk frother things, add a little honey, and you’re good to go. Please let the record reflect that I LOVE coffee and would never ever give it up of my own free will. This was a necessity brought on by nausea. That is all.
Sardines packed in olive oil rom Trader Joe’s are the least fishy and have none of those squiggly guts in them. I tried to eat sardines two to three times a week and these are the only ones I can stand right out of the can. (Sardines have the least amount of mercury in them!). Heart/brain health for your baby. High protein and filling for you. Watch out for the olive oil spilling all over your office (drain the can right when you open it!).
Sauerkraut. One of the highest vitamin C contents available and so good for your microbiome. If you’re in the business of preventing strep b in your vag, here’s a great place to start. (Also do your own research, but there is evidence that eating your healthy bacteria is better than taking a capsule of commercially available strains.) Here’s the breakfast I ate every morning for high protein/nutritional density: three pastured eggs, a big spoonful of sour cream, a big spoonful of sauerkraut, hot and sweet peppers from Trader Joes, plus organic salsa (also from Trader Joe’s), sautéed greens of some kind if you want extra credit. Filling, high protein (when you’re making a human, you NEED PROTEIN!), and delicious.
Ok this is getting nit-picky, but I didn’t want to ingest microplastics when I was pregnant (or ever really, but especially when pregnant) so I ditched the regular easy-glide dental floss and found this amazing product. It’s by Radius and it’s clove-flavored dental floss that seems like it’s made of some kind of soft string. I love it. I use it every single day. (Didn’t know you had to worry about dental floss? Yeah, it’s a bummer. Many commercial brands are chemical-filled and people ingest a disproportionately large amount of microplastics by using them. Here’s some research.)
Last but probably the most important thing on this list: EXERCISE. When I felt crappy/tired/or had a backache, a workout helped SO MUCH. Even 20 minutes made a difference. Exercise absolutely aids in your ability to deliver your baby and you’ll bounce back more easily if you keep your muscle density throughout your pregnancy. Also women who perform more intense exercise have lower rates of gestational diabetes. I cannot overstate the value and benefit of exercise. If you can’t spare the time for a full 45-60 minute workout, try short workouts or break up a whole workout over the course of a day or two. We’ve got BBP Mama, which I personally love (duh), but we’ve also got Groundwork and BBP Signature workouts which can be easily modified. Remember that if you didn’t jump before your pregnancy, you’ll want to hold off on jumping while you’re pregnant, so just skip that part and do the rest. We’re here for you if you have questions about this, so feel free to message me directly (meegan@backbodyproject.com).
All right, dolls, that concludes my pregnancy must-haves! I’d love to hear your recommendations, too, so if you’ve got a tip that’s too good not to share, send it my way!
Wishing you a swift and easy pregnancy!
Love,
Meegan