Prenatal + Postpartum Favorites

Since I’ve been through pregnancy and postpartum 3x, does that make me an expert? I think yes. To understand me, you have to understand my love for money (and how not to spend it, lol). I don’t like spending a ton of money (in general) on clothes and accessories because I use the heck out of stuff and then get bored. Instead of buying items with the expectation of them “lasting forever” I’d rather just use it until it’s ratty and then buy a new inexpensive item. Does that make sense? That rule is even better for pregnancy because by the time I get sick of something, I’ve grown out of it. So here are my absolute favorites prenatal, postpartum, and nursing items!

prenatal favorites

Activewear: I love bao bei activewear. They have both maternity wear, postnatal wear, and support bands. The material is amazing and the postpartum pants give you just the right amount of support. Check out their postpartum underwear too!

For general clothes and activewear, I don’t love clothes that are specifically maternity wear. I found them to be unflattering and loose in strange places for my pregnancy body. Soooo I usually ended up buying clothes just sized a bit bigger, I wouldn’t spend a ton of money and amazon was my best friend. I love these leggings for both prenatal and postpartum. There’s just enough give and coverage.

postpartum favorites

Postpartum Corset: I’ve tried 4 different kinds and this one is my favorite . I wear this day 2 after delivery (yes, while still in the hospital, I strap it on and start squishing my organs back into place). It runs true to size and feels exceptionally tight right after delivery, but as the uterus starts to shrink, it becomes a bit more comfortable. I personally cannot wear all day and/or while sleeping (it makes me queasy) but I have it on during the day as much as possible. Having said that, I am a true believer in these bad-boys and are totally worth the torture.

Postpartum Leggings: remember when I told you I don’t like spending a ton of money? Still holds true to my postpartum “style” … most of these pieces come from amazon and are dreamy. SO MANY of you have LOVED the high waisted pants. I also have some favorite nursing bras and sports bras along with a nursing sweatshirt. When breastfeeding - comfort and functionality is key. These pieces do the job and aren’t a HUGGGGE investment for something you’ll only need temporarily. High waisted comma pants: https://amzn.to/2Q1VlAA

breastfeeding favorites

Breast “Pumps”: With Jackson (my now 4 year old) I used the new (at the time) Medela breast pump. I’m sure any pumping mom can relate: I Hate. Pumping. Pumping gave me anxiety and took up my entire day. I didn’t use anything with Lochlan (my second son) I just fed on demand. And then one of my friends posted about this Milkies contraption and I was amazed. I bought it immediately, shared it on my Instagram, and then everyone, I mean EVERYONE, told me I needed to get this Haakaa. Holy smokes, what a game changer. While you nurse on one side, this thing-a-ma-bobby suctions the other side and draws out SO.MUCH.EXTRA.MILK.

Nursing Bras:

Mama + baby favorites

Diaper Bags: My first diaper bag was a very expensive Tory Burch crossbody diaper bag. And you know what I learned? I need a backpack. I love backpacks as much as I like my fanny packs because they are HANDS-FREE! With more than one child, you need a two strap situation. My two favorite bags are this Honest Co. one and this MB Krauss one. I love them both (but the MB Krauss one holds more). Right now, I use both of them because I often have Lochlan (2) and Rowan (4 months) in two separate places and it’s just easier to have both of them locked and loaded. Plus, one is black and one is cream so I grab a bag depending on what I’m wearing that day :)

Bottles: I love the Comotomo bottles for the 2 simple reasons. 1) They’re easy to clean. The wide neck makes it super easy to clean everything. 2) They have a totally different feel than other bottles on the market, they’re made of silicone instead of plastic or glass. The silicone lasts much longer than plastic has a squishy feel which I find my boys loved. If you’re getting Comotomo you should get these handles too which make them easier to hold on to.

I hope some of my favorites also become yours!

Kendra & the Boys