Let me start by saying this: my journey into motherhood started with a surprise. My husband and I weren’t exactly trying, but when we found out I was pregnant, we were delightfully shocked — nervous, excited, and very much in the “okay… let’s do this” mindset.
We were living in Savannah, GA at the time. I had a 9–5 desk job at a logistics company, and after the initial “what even is happening” settled, we kept the news mostly to ourselves — just immediate parents and that’s it. It felt sacred in a way. Quiet and just ours.

Just a quick note: some of the links below are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you buy something through them — no pressure, and no extra cost to you. I only ever link things I’ve actually used and found helpful.

The First Trimester: Goodbye Vices, Hello Nausea

I found out I was pregnant at 6 weeks, and almost immediately — boom, morning sickness. It didn’t last long, thankfully, but it definitely made those first few weeks feel very real. I also had to let go of two big parts of my daily routine: nicotine vaping and weed. Quitting cold turkey wasn’t easy (especially when paired with nausea), but it was a non-negotiable for me.
I’ve also been living with epilepsy (a story I’ll share another day), but luckily it wasn’t a complication. I stayed on my meds and felt grateful every day that my body was cooperating with this huge shift.

Oh — and caffeine? That breakup was rough. I’ve been drinking Café Bustelo espresso-style since I was 16, so trying to replace that with chai or green tea was a joke. I hated it all. But somehow, I made it through.

But then I found a specific tea that actually helped — it supported a healthy pregnancy and was gentle enough to sip all day without making me feel deprived. It became part of my daily ritual and honestly helped me feel a little more grounded.
Along with that, I also started taking a few supportive vitamins alongside my prenatals. At that point, I was just doing what felt intuitively right — nourishing my body, staying hydrated, and trying to stay balanced emotionally too. To keep track of it all, I bought the cutest little pill organizer — because if I’m going to be responsible, I want it to at least match my vibe.
It may sound small, but having everything laid out and easy to grab kept me from forgetting doses (especially on sleepy mornings when I was already dragging myself out of bed).

Second Trimester: Embracing Comfort and Self-Care

Once I started showing (hello, second trimester), things started to click. I got really into taking care of myself — physically, emotionally, and even aesthetically.
As a brown-skinned olive girl, I expected to get stretch marks on my belly (I already had some on my hips from puberty). So I went into full skin-care mode. My holy grail routine looked something like this:

-Baths a few times a week to stay relaxed and melt away tension with the help of Epsom Salt.

-Weekly Exfoliation – Body Scrub

-Slathering on Vitamin E oil right after the bath while my skin was still a little damp — and anytime it felt dry or tight.

-Learning as We Went (and Laughing a Lot)

We also did what most people probably (hopefully???) do — we got the books.

–What to Expect When You’re Expecting

–The Pregnancy Guide For Men


Reading those helped, but what really made us feel more prepared was picking out the hospital I wanted to give birth at ahead of time, and signing up for their free prenatal classes. Highly recommend this if your local hospital offers them — ours covered everything from labor stages to pain management, breastfeeding basics, and newborn care.
They even had one of those strap-on pregnancy bellies for the dads to try on. My husband volunteered (hero), and yes, it was hilarious. We all laughed in the classroom while he waddled around holding his fake bump. It was a light moment in a sea of unknowns, and we left those classes genuinely feeling more confident as a unit.

Game-Changers for Everyday Comfort

There were a few things that truly made pregnancy more bearable — especially once the belly started growing and comfort became the name of the game:

-New underwear I tossed my thongs and invested in stretchy, soft, grandma-coded underwear that didn’t dig, pinch, or roll. It was revolutionary.

-Tight clothes and pants? We don’t know her. I lived in flowy dresses that let me breathe and didn’t pressure my belly. It wasn’t about “maternity fashion” — it was about sanity.

-Fuzzy socks for the win I suddenly hated having bare feet, so I became a full-time fuzzy sock collector. Cozy feet = cozy life.

–The pregnancy pillow– Easily one of the best investments I made. One of those oddly shaped, full-body support pillows that could be twisted into all kinds of configurations — under my belly, between my legs, hugging my back, you name it.
Honestly? She saved me from a total BF (White Chicks reference, if you know you know).

Honorable mention: my lion Squishmallow — yes, I had one specific plush I slept with every night (and still do). He was the perfect squishy headrest, hug buddy, and emotional support lion all in one. Sometimes, comfort doesn’t have to be complicated.
I’ll add a link here for him, but disclaimer: mine is 12 inches and they sadly don’t sell that size anymore. I’ll link the 8″ and 14″ versions so you can pick your own squishy sidekick. 🦁
14” Squishy
8”Squishy

Final Thoughts

Looking back, the products were helpful — but what really made a difference was giving myself permission to lean into comfort. To not worry about looking cute or doing pregnancy “right,” but instead to do what made me feel good in my body.
Every pregnancy is different, but if you’re just starting yours and looking for what might actually help — I hope something in here speaks to you. Or at the very least, reminds you that you’re allowed to be soft with yourself right now.
Motherhood begins before the baby arrives. And so does learning how to take care of yourself in the process.