Prenatal yoga is a wonderful way to stay in shape, keep stress down, and prepare for childbirth. Lets be real…pregnancy is the most amazing experience in the world and kind of a pain all at once. To keep me on my toes – my pregnancy with my son was completely different than with my daughter. But I truly loved being pregnant with both my children 
Feeling that little life kick inside me, the hiccups tickling my insides, the way my baby grew each week. On the flip-side, there were times when I was overtired, had lower back pain, headaches, swollen feat, cravings, and nausea.
Yoga helped me cope with the normal aches and pains of pregnancy. You are not alone – those of us who have carried a child know that it can be challenging at times – to say the least! Yoga also helped me learn breathing techniques and various positions for childbirth that I didn’t know existed. As your hips shift, you should consider how stretching may help you stay limber and more centered.
There are many options to help you practice yoga throughout your pregnancy:
- Yoga DVDs
- Yoga on YouTube
- Yoga OnDemand
- Yoga Studios
- Private Yoga Lessons
If you’re new to yoga, start slow. I never did yoga before I was pregnant. I always preferred faster paced workouts like Pilates, Kickboxing, and circuit training. I decided to use a yoga DVD to get started – and I really enjoyed it! I was still working full time during both pregnancies, so going to a yoga studio was not very convenient with my home and work schedule. That made the yoga DVDs a favorite for me. Not to mention – I could do yoga in my living room in sweats and crazy messy hair – without feeling judged 
There are some fantastic yoga DVDs online that are affordable and easy to follow. Look into each option and find the right one for you. The bonus – moms love to write reviews! I read a ton of reviews before investing in a yoga DVD – and it was based on reading the reviews and experiences of other moms! BIG help!
Enjoy the process, take a little time to stretch and breath deep each day, and remember that a healthy mommy is important too
Namaste lovelies!
xoxo
Dressing your body post baby can be frustrating but also fun. It all comes down to finding things that flatter your new figure.
I am definitely not 100% back to normal. My boobs are still huge (and they expand as I get closer to pumping or nursing). My butt has some extra cushion and my tummy isn’t as tight as it once was.
No matter…enter the Little Black Dress (LBD). Every woman needs a couple of LBDs that look and feel great for work, weddings, cocktails, date night etc.
My husband and I just got back from a friend’s wedding. It was our first trip away from baby (I cried the entire way to the airport), and I wasn’t sure what to bring to this formal event. Weddings are a wonderful place to see people you care about and take photos…but after having a baby all I wanted was to look and feel good.
This photo was taken on my way out the door to the wedding. I chose a black strapless dress with a shrug and a flower belt. I felt great in this outfit – which is the whole point when you need to dress up after having a baby. You want – and NEED – to feel good when you are going out on the town. I personally tried on 10 different dresses before settling on this.
A couple reasons I chose this outfit:
- Black is slimming!!!
- The high low hem makes my legs look longer and slimmer
- The cinched elastic waist works well with a belt making me look smaller
- There is no zipper which makes for maximum comfort
- The bustline is high and has elastic so my ever growing milk machines (boobs) fit all night long
- The slight pattern is flattering and simple
- The black sweater/shrug makes for slimmer arms and comfort for dinner, dancing and photos
Some of the reasons listed above are tips that should help you pick out a LBD. Again, black is slimming and works well for almost any event from date night to the office. Be careful with zippers because they can get uncomfortable as you fill up with milk. Elastic is great at the waist and bust. Use a belt to make your waist look smaller! It’s a great trick and really works well.
My biggest tip for finding the right LBD is COMFORT! Don’t pick something that you’ll fidget in. If you feel good, you’ll look good. If you fidget and feel uncomfortable, it’ll show.
Halters are another great way to dress your post baby bod. They help support your bust, create a nice silhouette, and I personally think they are pretty comfortable. Depending on the halter, you should be able to sport a strapless bra or a bra with a neck strap to help keep “the girls” under control.
If you’re looking for more of an everyday way to dress your bod while you lose the baby weight (which is a process – so don’t stress out) – tunics are a big win! Personally, I used my maternity jeans and black pants for the first couple months while my body started to lose weight. Black pants are slimming, and jeans are comfy.
Tunics are a big win because there are so many options out there (casual, comfy, dressy, fun) and they aren’t clingy which helps to keep from feeling self conscious. Some tunics are best with jeans or black pants – but others are long enough to wear with leggings or tights so it’s almost like a dress. Personally – I like options and to get the most bang for my buck…so if I can use different colored pants or leggings/tights with the same top for different looks – it’s a BIG win!
Having some flowy tops on hand in a couple of styles will help you feel more confident as you settle into mommy hood and allow your body to recover. I’ve included these photos to help you style yourself post baby.
Lastly – SPANX! I can’t tell you how much I love I have for my SPANX pants and leggings. OMG! I have them in a black pencil pant, in a jeggings style pant, and faux leather leggings. They are all fantastic and I use them all the time. I even have some workout pants from SPANX that have a skirt up top to hide my bum, pull in the tummy, and make me feel good enough to run errands or get my sweat on! Woot!
Comfort is key – but don’t forget – you can still look good
I hope this helps! More later lovelies! xo
Having a new baby is a big miracle in a tiny package that changes your life forever. Many think marriage is the biggest change of your life. I disagree. I loved my wedding and am so happy to have gotten married to the love of my life – BUT we were still ourselves when we tied the knot. A baby morphs you into parents – which is a whole new ballgame. I think it is the biggest change a couple can go through. It is special, can be stressful, but overall fills you with more love than you ever thought possible. Many parents choose to document this incredible event with a newborn photo shoot.
I’m a huge fan of professional photos as well as random photos/videos using my smartphone Life is short and I want to remember every little thing!
If you choose to go the route of a professional photo shoot when your little bundle arrives, you should plan ahead a bit. Some tips for success include:
- Research photographers to find the right one for you.
- Schedule the photo shoot for 7-10 days after your due date.
- Order/purchase props (examples below):
- Newborn hats
- Little toys (tiny football, little stuffed bear, etc.)
- Headbands
- Crown (blue, pink or neutral)
- Baby sports gear (we’re SF Giants fans so we went that route)
- Prepare outfits for you and your partner
- White shirts
- Black shirts
- Favorite hobby or sports gear
- TIP 1: Keep it simple with mostly black and white shirts/outfits so the focal point is the baby.
- TIP 2: If baby is born close to a holiday – bring holiday outfits to include in the photo shoot. For example, bunny ears for Easter, an elf or Santa hat, etc.
- Gather sample newborn photos to help give your photographer some direction. You know what you like, and doing a google search ahead of time will help you gather ideas/samples, help you to prepare, and it will help your photographer to know what you are looking for.
- Feed your newborn right before your photo shoot to keep them full, happy, and sleepy. Sleepy newborns are the easiest to work with and make for beautiful photos!
Truthfully – the best advice I can give you is to have fun! Take the photo shoot in stride.
As you will learn with newborns (and kids in general) – things may not go as planned. Baby may need to nurse part way through the photo shoot. There will most definitely be some kind of diaper accident – and at least one adult will end up being pooped on! lol! Relax and take it all in. Newborns are so sweet, snuggly, and amazing. They grow way too fast – which is the whole point of the photo shoot. Enjoy the moment! You may even get some silly, sweet and unexpected photos!