I thought I would share what I packed in my hospital bag with all the other new moms out there! My momma friend sent me her checklist and I watched some YouTube mom’s videos as well to perfect my hospital bag checklist. Even though I ended up having a C-section, I still used almost everything on this list, except for half the things in my Frida Mom Labor & Delivery Postpartum kit unfortunately. I hope you momma’s find this checklist helpful in those last few weeks while you are getting ready to head to the hospital to deliver your baby!
Category: Pregnancy
Something I really wanted to do during my pregnancy was to capture my baby bump growth each month with a photo, that way I would be able to see/look back on my full pregnancy transformation. It definitely wasn’t easy to do some months, especially as I grew more and more exhausted but I’m so glad I made it happen. The transformation of pregnancy is truly incredible, beautiful, and empowering. I know I will cherish these photos for years to come and maybe baby boy will love seeing them someday too!
15 Outfits I’ve Worn During My Third Trimester
By Esperanza on January 23, 2024I would say the third trimester is the most challenging trimester to dress for because during the first and second trimester I could wear a lot of the clothes I was wearing pre-pregnancy but by the third trimester there was no way I was fitting into some of those pieces. I thrifted some maternity pants which really opened up a lot of options for me! Linen pants with stretchy waist bands and stretchy dresses became my goes to as well. I thought I would share some of the outfits I wore during my third trimester with links to similar and exact pieces in this blog post!
I have been using clean beauty products for years, but when I became pregnant I wanted to be extra careful about what I was putting on my skin, hair, etc. because it directly affects baby! I immediately went through all of my products and with the help of this website called 15 Minute Beauty, verified what I could continue to use and what would have to be put away until after pregnancy. I also used it to make sure any new products were pregnancy safe before adding them to my beauty routine. I thought I would round up my favorites for any new mommas out there looking for recommendations on beauty products that are clean and safe to use during pregnancy.
Third Trimester Update: Pregnancy Symptoms & Must Haves
By Esperanza on January 21, 2024I am writing this blog post the day before baby boy’s due date (January 22nd), which is so crazy to say! Although he must be quite happy and cozy in there because I hadn’t started dilating at all yet at my appointment last week. We’ll see what happens this week! This pregnancy has felt so long, especially because of everything I have been dealing with in my life. My partner of 10 years was really struggling with mental health issues when we had to part ways over halfway through my pregnancy. Four months later, he is finally getting the help he needs which I am so thankful for and gives me a lot of peace of mind going into the birth of our son.
Full term with my baby boy in the desert! These last few months have seemed so long but now we are only a week away from his due date. It’s been a long and tough journey emotionally for those who have been following along with my story, but it feels incredible that I will finally be meeting him so soon. All my life I have wanted to be a mommy while also being petrified of being pregnant and going through labor. Now that I’ve experienced pregnancy, I know what an incredible miracle it is to be the perfect home for my baby and how amazing that feels. That’s not to say it doesn’t come with its challenges of course but every inconvenience has been worth it. I haven’t felt too scared about labor which has been surprising, although I know the day it happens will be tough. I’ve been doing my best to research and prepare myself for it but I know the joy of getting to hold my baby in my arms will wash the rest away.
As I am writing this blog post, I am actually at full term (37 weeks) which is so crazy! This pregnancy has felt so long, but also very fast at times as well. I wanted to share some of the products that really got me through my pregnancy for all the other first time mommas out there who are curious about what they will need. These are my top 15 pregnancy must haves although I left a lot of things of this list that I only used for a little while or in a certain trimester, etc. Check out my first trimester recap and my second trimester recap for more tips and check back for my third trimester recap as well!
My 3rd Trimester Maternity Lingerie Photoshoot
By Esperanza on December 19, 2023I wanted to do a maternity lingerie style photo shoot inspired by one that I did last year while I was still living in Pittsburgh! I’ve linked that blog post here if you guys want to check that out but I wore the same lingerie set and Levi jeans. I did the same thing with a swimsuit photo shoot I did in Malibu a few months before my pregnancy began here and one at 6 months pregnant here wearing the same swimsuit in La Jolla. I thought it was a fun way of looking back at how much my body has changed during pregnancy and honoring my body both before and after!
I decided to put together a little guide with my top 15 baby registry must haves for all the new mommas out there like me! I watched SO many YouTube videos and read several blog posts researching what other moms out there said were there must haves as well as items to leave off because I really wanted to make sure I had everything I really needed on my registry. Of course this list/these items will vary from mom to mom and their preferences and not every single item I am including is essential. This is just supposed to be a helpful starting place!
The holidays have been a little hard for me this year needless to say, after having spent them with a partner for the past 10 years and now spending them very pregnant and single. As hard as they have been this year, I know the holidays will be very joyful when I get to spend them with my baby boy in the years to come. I have been so exhausted lately but I still trekked out to a local nursery here in the Phoenix area to shoot some pictures on my tripod to remember the Christmas I was 8 months pregnant with him and I’m so glad I did! Even though my camera charger blew out when I plugged it in to try to sneak in a few more photos. Tis the season lol.