Pregnancy product reviews

Week 14 has come and gone and I'm 3 days into week 15.  I think on Thursday I started to show- at least to me, Reg, and my mother.  However, in a yoga class today, the instructor was giving me a direction which started with- "when you start showing..."  I wanted to say- I am showing! Of course, when the girl on the mat next to you is due in 2 weeks, "showing" is relative.  The girl on the mat to my other side is due 1 week before me and we looked pretty similar in the abdomen, which is to say, more chubby than pregnant. ah well!  It's definitely rounder and not jiggly, but to the outside world, I've had one to many bags of candy corn!

start of week 15, in my work clothes

This post is about products I've grown to love during this pregnancy, including a review of the prenatal yoga classes I've taken in Pittsburgh.

Skin care
facewash

My skin is notoriously sensitive.  Typically I wash my body and face with Cetaphil, or occasionally indulge in a scented body wash that usually backfires and leaves me itching.  I wash my face now exclusively with cetaphil, my hair with sulfate-free products.  My skin has been beyond itchy with this pregnancy, and not free from a few pesky breakouts.  Nothing horrible, but I still wanted to treat them.  Being unable to use a product with salicylic acid or hydrogen peroxide, I went searching for a natural acne product.  In the past Ive used desert essence tea tree oil, which I found to smell medicinal with less than therapeutic effects.  Reg located Nelson's pure and clear at whole foods before our Jeopardy LA trip, and I have to say- it is as effective as the salicylic acid treatments if not more so.  It does eventually dry my skin out, but the dryness happens so slowly, I can tell its coming and discontinue it.  Typically, it reduces a blemish enough that I stop using it before my skin dries out.  And no medicinal or faux natural smell.  It’s been great.

SkinCeuticals phyto-corrective gel is also absolutely amazing for treating redness. It was recommended to me at my favorite spa for facials, Nusta Spa in DC, and I've loved it since.  It's worth the price tag and a little bit goes a long way.

body wash

In the body wash department, I also started using Burt’s Bees shea butter body milk.  It smells great, doesn’t suds (typically very drying for me), and has helped reduce the itchies.  The cetaphil works fine, but sometimes a girl wants a little indulgence!  The bottle is small and a bit expensive, but for anyone with super dry sensitive skin, I'd recommend only washing the necessary bits with soap on a daily basis anyway, so the bottle actually lasts a long time.

Makeup

This product isn't pregnancy related, I've been wearing it for years, but I can't say enough about Laura Mercier's oil free tinted moisturizer- a little bit goes a long way. I wear porcelain and it isn't chalky or ghost-like.  Plus- a tube lasts me nearly a year!  Perfect light coverage, stays on all day, and doesn't make me break out- woohoo!

Vaseline

I understand why petroleum is “bad.”  However, let me tell you why, when you are pregnant, it is amazing: Nipples.  Sorry if that’s too much for some to read, but come on, nipples are involved in pregnancy.  They change shape and size, along with the rest of the breast.  This change is not always comfortable.  In my experience, it is not comfortable at all.  Slathering on a thick layer of Vaseline or Aquaphor on the nipples before drying off after the shower does wonders for increased sensitivity, dryness, and of course, itching.  I think runners prepare their nipples for distance races in the same way to prevent chaffing and bleeding.  I’ve only ever run to get out of the rain or to catch a departing flight, so I don’t have first hand knowledge of this.

Also, Vaseline is way better than any eye make-up remover product or lip balm.  So, I guess I fully support the petroleum industry.  Sorry. 

Clothing

Bella Band

If you have known a pregnant person, you know of the bella band/belly band.  Its basically a super soft tube top that you wear around the waist of your unbuttoned pants to keep them up when you can no longer comfortably button them, but aren’t ready for maternity wear.  Most of my jeans are low enough rise, so they were buttoning fine til this past week.  But my high-waist, or natural-rise pants (and I have some KILLER high waisted 60s style black pants that are breaking my heart due to my inability to wear them now) are just a bit too snug, or cause a great gut effect- you know, flesh hanging over the waistband? Gross.  My mom bought this Bella Band for me at Target to have on hand just in case.  Just in case happened the one evening during week 10. I put on a fave pair of high-waisted wide legged jeans, and- uh-oh, a weee bit too tight in the waist. So, I busted out the bella band (instead of crying) and loved it! I pulled it up to my bra line so it basically felt just like a camisole or tank underneath my shirt.  I was able to zip the jeans all the way, but the button I left undone, covered by the bella band.  How great! I now have one in white and black and wear it every day.  I prefer this over just a rubber band through the button hole- it smooths the waistband of the pants for a nicer look, I think.



Yoga
Pittsburgh is home to two yoga studios which offer prenatal yoga classes.  I have attended classes at both studios and will give my opinion here.

Yoga Matrika
 Yoga Matrika is a fairly new studio located in squirrel hill, about 10 minutes from our house.  Classes are donation only so you can decide what you want to pay (I put $10 in the basket).  The class I took was on a Thurs night, it started on time and went about 10 minutes late.  There were only two of us in the class.
Pros: pay by donation, small class size means individual attention, a physical, aerobic yoga class (we did about 10 sun salutations, half back bends and some balancing poses as well as a grueling boat pose to round it out), great convenient class times which fit with my schedule well
Cons: it seemed more like toned down yoga than specifically for pregnant women's needs, the instructor is young, and has never been pregnant, donation only means that there are no pass-deals.  So, it's up to the consumer to decide, "well, Ive attended 10, I'm only paying $8 this week" etc.

Schoolhouse Yoga: strip district location
Also close to my house, about a 15 minute ride.  The location is great- right next to right by nature grocery store.  I took the Sunday late morning class (11-12:15)
Pros: beautiful studio, 4 other women in the class representing all stages of pregnancy which was a great environment to practice yoga, lots of attention on pregnancy-specific poses (like 30 deep squats, deep butterfly stretches, working kegels into a few of the squat poses, focus on lamaze breathing, etc), the ability to drop-in for $15, but the price drops significantly as class passes are purchased- if you buy 12 classes, it comes to only $8/class.
Cons: the instructor was 20minutes late due to traffic, drop-ins are more expensive than Matrika, class times are often during the day, or midday on weekends, making them less convenient.

In general, I will likely continue to attend both classes because of time convenience, but I think I preferred Schoolhouse.  I think from a prenatal standpoint, I will get more out of that class.  Conclusion from both classes? I need to loosen up my hips or delivery will be less than fun- yoi!