Good morning lovely, if you’re new here, I’m Lucy – your Maternity, Newborn and Family photographer based in York bringing you all the best pregnancy top tips and cutest photos to make you broodier than ever.

Pregnancy is hard – harder than people let on – for most people. Some of you might start to read this and think I’m loving life, nothing hurts, there’s no sickness and I couldn’t be happier and if that’s you, that’s amazing and I’m so happy that you get to have that! But if that isn’t you and you’re counting down the days until you can start to eat pineapple and dates, force your partner to have sex on the reg, eat curries for breakfast or, if you’re me, force your husband to go on a rage-induced 5 and a half hour hike curb-walking around York sniffing clary sage out of a pee pot from the hospital because your best friend text you to say her waters had broken first.. then just know it is okay to not love your pregnancy. There’s no doubt what’s going on in your body is truly unbelievable – you’re a real life superhero. But it is so hard – you can love your unborn baby without loving everything that comes along with growing them for nine months!

With that in mind, I did a little throw-out to all of you in my stories to find out what top tips you all had were for getting through that third trimester of sciatica, weird aches, increase in bodily fluids, rib kicks, headaches, food aversions and all the other fun things that some people get! You might have one of these, none of these or all of these (guilty) but hopefully somewhere in here is one or two weird and wonderful tips that might ease a bug or two – at least for a week until it stops working..

Yoga ball – I don’t think there’s many pregnant ladies out there who haven’t invested in one but if you’re one of them, get on it sharpish! Those last few weeks these are a godsend and was the thing most people DM’d in with.

The next top item was a pregnancy pillow – you can get these in all sorts of shapes and sizes and it’s all personal preference. I got the biggest one I could find (my husband hated it but it saved sooo much moaning, so he was all for it by the end) that was a giant U shape and the size of a fully grown adult – if anything it was better because it can’t roll away from you at 3AM. They’re so useful for getting yourself comfy in those last few months, help you get up and out of the bed for the 19th pee in a row and are even useful post-partum whilst your body is recovering and then a few months on for the baby to rest against. Would absolutely recommend.

Someone also suggested a wedge pillow – can’t speak from experience with this but go check it out too. If in doubt, buy the pillow.

Cereal bars on the bedside table – this one I wholly agree with but not just on the bedside table. I ALWAYS had breakfast bars and salty ritz crackers on me, in every bag, on every table, in the bathroom, everywhere. They help with sickness and nausea and can be an emergency leveler. I actually continued this until G was around 10 months post-partum because 3AM hunger (especially for those breastfeeding) is intense! Although by 10 months postpartum it wasn’t just a breakfast bar, my appetite was obviously back so I had a whole bag of different snacks that I’d craved at different times – crackers, biscuits, giant marshmallows, haribos, the works plus bottles of water because that thirst is next level.. Best thing I could have done.

If you are feeling nauseous then sea sickness bands for your wrist can sometimes work – I had days where they helped and days where I threw them across the living room at my husband but I REALLY enjoyed those days where it did help..!

Lush bath bombs – this one came up a couple of times because if you’re pregnant, you deserve your baths to be fancy AF. However (and this is a fab little tip to know as I wasn’t aware!), be aware that a lot of them have clary sage in so check the ingredients before you buy.

Neom Stress to Destress bath foam and candles – I’ve since had a look at these online and will be ordering some just for me!

An additional food one from my latest call out was potato waffles and since hearing it, I’m immediately going to buy some. My top tip from uni – you can toast them from frozen! Making them the ultimate savoury, salty, carby snack for maternal nausea and cravings (unless, like me, you can’t be around hot foot in which case, maybe wait until the baby is here to indulge in a midnight hot potato-y snack).

This one depends on your sickness levels as there was absolutely bugger all indulging for me (even on Christmas Day, I had pringles and other dry, salty, flavourless things for dinner before throwing them back up again anyway..). But indulging in what you want to eat and treating yourself every now and then! Much like the bath bombs, you deserve it.

Join a Mum-to-be class – I loved Susan Bradley’s (for Modern Mothers) pregnancy yoga and would wholly recommend her (and every other class that she does!). I met one of my closest friends during her hypnobirthing course and so many other lovely Mum-to-be’s at a time I needed them and to hear what they were all going through too. Pregnancy is hard for most people, don’t do it alone!

Invest in a water bottle that you like – I don’t mean a cheap £4.99, Morrisons own brand. I mean a good one. When you give birth, if you aren’t already, your mouth is going to turn in to the Sahara at times – especially if you’re breastfeeding or pumping. I’ve never known a thirst like it! Although it didn’t happen to a few of my friends quite as intensely, I had to glug a good litre of water every time I fed for that first month. Plus 3/4AM water hits better when it’s nice and cool still rather than fermented in the sweaty heat of your bedroom.

Book a bump to baby shoot! (I didn’t even add this one myself but obviously I wholeheartedly agree!). My whole aim of maternity shoots is to empower you and make you feel damned good in your body whilst you do the most incredible thing the human race can do. So get yourself booked in early to capture this time – no woman has ever regretted doing so!

Is there anything not on this list that you couldn’t do without?! Let me know! I’ll get it added on! Interested in having your own pregnancy photography done? Then get in touch here to find out more or follow me on my Instagram page here for more inspiration!

Best wishes,
Lucy x