Pregnancy Archives - The Urban Darling

My 25 Baby Must Haves As A Second Time Mom

By Esperanza on April 6, 2026

Newborn, newborn photography, newborn style, baby boy style, baby boy, newborn must haves, newborn essentials, newborn baby boy, new mom, first time mom, mom style, mommy and me style, neutral style, neutral nursery, nursery decor, nursery style, boho nursery, boho style, lifestyle blogger, The Urban Darling, second time mom.

Now that Sage is 2, my husband Andrew and I decided that we would start trying for another baby this year! Getting ready for a new baby can feel both exciting and overwhelming at the same time. With so many products out there, it’s hard to know what you actually need versus what just looks nice on a registry. After going through this season myself, I’ve narrowed it down to the essentials that truly made everyday life easier. In this post, I’m sharing my top 25 baby must-haves—the items I reached for constantly and would recommend to any new or expecting mom.

Celebrating 18 Months Of Breastfeeding My Baby

By Esperanza on August 5, 2025

Breastfeeding, baby weaning, breastfed baby, breastfeeding journey, breastfeeding mom, motherhood, motherhood journey, baby boy, first time mom, boy mom, new mom, mom style, mommy blogger, lifestyle blogger, The Urban Darling, toddler, baby.

My breastfeeding journey is sadly coming to an end, so to celebrate 18 months of breastfeeding my son, Sage Wylder, Andrew took these beautiful photos of us. When Sage was taken to the NICU after my c-section, I fought really hard to be able to breastfeed him because it meant so much to me. I totally would have kept going, but the toll it was taking on me physically was really starting to wear me down. It’s been an emotional roller coaster—mentally and physically. I wish they would warn you about the hormone crash that happens when you start weaning your baby off breastfeeding. It’s been brutal, not to mention how much I miss the connection between Sage and me during those precious moments. I’ll forever cherish that time, and I’m proud of myself for sticking with it as long as I did! Also, Sage looks huge in these photos, lol—I wish we’d taken them when he was littler, but it’s hard to make the time in these busy days. I’m so glad we made the effort!

My Life | Pregnancy

What I Packed In My Hospital Bag

By Esperanza on February 14, 2024

Pregnancy, maternity, first time mom, first pregnancy, hospital bag, hospital bag checklist, labor & delivery, pregnancy advice, boho nursery, boho chic style, neutral nursery, boy mom, baby boy, boy nursery, neutral desert nursery, nursery design, interior design, lifestyle blogger, The Urban Darling, Dagne Dover.

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!

My Life | Pregnancy

My Pregnancy Baby Bump Growth Updates

By Esperanza on January 24, 2024

Pregnancy, maternity, motherhood, pregnancy photography, maternity photography, maternity style, baby bump, bump updates, bump growth, belly bump, baby bump growth, pregnancy transformation, pregnancy progression, boho chic style, sustainable style, fashion blogger, lifestyle blogger, first time mom, first pregnancy, Storq, The Urban Darling.

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!

My Style | Pregnancy

15 Outfits I’ve Worn During My Third Trimester

By Esperanza on January 23, 2024

Pregnancy, maternity, third trimester, third trimester style, third trimester outfits, maternity style, maternity outfits, maternity looks, chic maternity style, casual chic maternity style, chic style, casual chic style, sustainable style, fashion blogger, lifestyle blogger, first time mom, first pregnancy, The Urban Darling.

I 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!

Beauty | Pregnancy

Pregnancy Safe Makeup, Skincare, & Haircare

By Esperanza on

Pregnancy, pregnancy safe products, pregnancy safe haircare, pregnancy safe skincare, pregnancy safe makeup, clean makeup, clean skincare, clean haircare, haircare, skincare, clean beauty, makeup, lifestyle blogger, maternity, maternity style, maternity tips, pregnancy tips, boho bathroom, boho style, Versed, Dermalogica, Honest Co, Burt's Bees, Kiehl's, Tower 28, Odele, The Urban Darling.

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.

My Life | Pregnancy

Third Trimester Update: Pregnancy Symptoms & Must Haves

By Esperanza on January 21, 2024

Maternity, maternity style, maternity photography, 3rd trimester pregnancy, pregnancy, 3rd trimester update, 3rd trimester recap, pregnancy symptoms, pregnancy must haves, boho chic style, boho nursery, neutral nursery, baby boy nursery, boho desert style, neutral boho nursery, lifestyle blogger, The Urban Darling.

I 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.

My Life | Pregnancy

My Full Term Boho Desert Maternity Shoot

By Esperanza on January 14, 2024

Maternity photography, maternity photo shoot, maternity style, maternity photos, desert maternity photo shoot, desert photo shoot, full term pregnancy. pregnancy, third trimester, desert, Superstition Mountain, Phoenix, desert vibes, boho vibes, boho maternity photo shoot, pregnancy pictures, lace dress, bohemian dress, fashion blogger, lifestyle blogger, The Urban Darling.

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.

My Life | Pregnancy

15 Must Haves During My Pregnancy

By Esperanza on January 3, 2024

Pregnancy, first pregnancy, pregnancy must haves, maternity style, maternity outfits, third trimester, third trimester outfit, must haves, boho chic style, boho bedroom, boho nursery, first time mom, neutral nursery, lifestyle blogger, The Urban Darling, neutral room, neutral bedding, pregnancy must haves, Phoenix, Phoenix blogger.

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 Style | Pregnancy

My 3rd Trimester Maternity Lingerie Photoshoot

By Esperanza on December 19, 2023

Boho, denim, lingerie, boho lingerie photo shoot, denim photo shoot, lingerie photo shoot, maternity lingerie photo shoot, maternity style, maternity photography, maternity photo shoot, third trimester, boho bedroom, boho chic style, bedroom decor, home decor, boho decor, boho nursery, neutral nursery, boho interiors, lifestyle photo shoot, fashion photo shoot, lifestyle blogger, fashion blogger, The Urban Darling, Phoenix, Phoenix blogger, desert style, desert vibes.

I 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!