Pregnancy isn't all glowing skin and healthy hair. Ask any mom or mom-to-be -- there's a fair amount of stretch marks, nausea and cellulite involved. Think of it as the dark side, the stuff People and US magazines don't dish about. Luckily, there are a bevy of products to bring you back into the light.
Multi-tasking moms will love BabyBear Mama Belly Oil, $22 at BabyBearShop.com. The organic oil blend of lavender, chamomile and red mandarin can be used four ways. Rub it on your belly to prevent stretch marks, pour it in your tub for a relaxing bath, arm your partner with it for a foot massage or use it to bond with baby during an infant massage. Extra bonus: The oil is 99 percent organic and 100 percent natural.
Mommies-to-be who are Sex and the City fans will like the Mama Mio Emergency Repair Kit, $130 at mamamio.com. Snarky marketing copy and pretty packaging are top draws in this kit combining Tummy Toner (to improve the appearance of over-stretched skin) and Shrink to Fit serum cream (to reduce the appearance of cellulite and increase firmness). Active ingredients include papaya enzymes and hyaluronic acid in Tummy Toner and Adiposlim, Adipoless and caffeine in Shrink to Fit Cream.
Moms having a tough time with their tummies can check out Mommy's Bliss Trimester Pack, $29.97 at blissbymom.com. The pack combines 60 Morning Sickness Magic capsules, said to ease nausea; 80 chewable berry-flavored Pregnancy Heartburn Comfort tablets; and 60 Omega-3 Fish Oil soft gels, said to promote maternal and fetal health. Morning sickness and heartburn tend to be individual problems with individual solutions (some women swear by Tums while others stick to Saltines), but active ingredients like ginger, vitamin B-6, calcium, magnesium and potassium make a convincing argument for the Mommy's Bliss products.
