I Feel Pretty: Preparations Before Baby

I probably don't need to tell you that having twins has completely rocked my world. Life changed for me the moment those two little girls made their way into the world. What I noticed most of all is the way it changed my beauty routine. While this sounds silly and perhaps a bit shallow, but I'm telling you ladies, if you don't already have kids, there are a few things I have to share with you that you might consider taking care of before they enter the world, because it will just make life just a little easier.


1. Hair--before I had the girls I went to get a haircut. I wanted cute layers, and for my stylist to take some length off, but still leave it somewhat long-ish. If you are breastfeeding like I am this was a complete waste of time. When you're figuring out breastfeeding, you are looking down at your baby(ies), both because he/she/they are new and beautiful and wonderful, and because you want to get the latch correct to avoid all kinds of unpleasantness. As you look down, your hair inevitably follows, falling in your face and on top of the baby(ies). This will eventually exasperate you, and you end up throwing it in a ponytail.

On a walk yesterday with a friend, I was speaking of this, and she said that she's actually asked her stylist to cut her hair above chest level for the purpose of breastfeeding. Isn't my friend smart?! That is an excellent suggestion. I would add that you'll want to make sure that it's still long enough to pull back, and DO go for some cute layers, so that you when you go out on your first postpartum date, you can wear your hair down for a change, and love how it looks!

2. Nails--I got a pedicure with a friend a couple of weeks before I delivered. Now, I know that my OB and all the nurses in the delivery room were not looking at my toes, but I had to look at them then and for the weeks after I delivered (I just finally got my first postpartum pedicure last weekend). I'm glad I got this done, because for the weeks following my delivery, when I was so tired I scarcely remembered deodorant on a daily basis, my toes were pretty, and I liked knowing that at least one part of my body was well groomed and pretty.

3. Make-up--my "beauty" routine was not all that complicated, but before I gave birth I very intentionally came up with a make-up routine that was low-maintenance, and speedy. I wanted to be able to make myself look nice in under five minutes. I'm very glad that I took the time to think this out. It may sound silly, but when you have two babies that require your attention, you learn to do everything fast. My routine, in case you're interested, is concealer and bronzer, which both are SPF 20, mascara, and occasionally eyeliner. Slap on some lip gloss and I can run out the door without looking like I just rolled out of bed. Sometimes I do this even if I'm not running out the door, because I like to feel pretty and put together, even if the only ones around to see it are some of the only people required to love me no matter what I look like, my husband and my daughters.

4. Skin care--I learned very quickly this spring that the sun can get you even when you don't realize it. Get a lotion with sunblock in it. That way if you decide to go for a walk to get your baby to take a nap, you won't end up with a terrible farmer tan that you'll spend the rest of the summer trying to get rid of.
5. Grooming "down there"--I highly recommend a Brazilian wax, or some other form of grooming, before delivery. It gets everything out of the way while you're healing. Enough said.
6. Eye wear--if you wear contacts, make sure that your glasses are the correct prescription. Trust me, the lack of sleep that you are about to experience will make it impossible for you to get those contacts in your eyes sometimes. You'll want to have your glasses handy, and it's probably a good idea for you to be able to see out of them.
7. Foot wear--if you are inclined to wear heels, I strongly recommend that you find some cute flats. You don't want to teeter around on heels while holding your baby, and it will make your feet hurt. I made this mistake on the day the girls got baptized. My feet hurt, because I spent most of the church service standing, and it was raining, so I wasn't nearly as sure-footed as I would have liked to have been while carrying a baby. I also recommend getting a great pair of running/walking shoes, so that you can take your little one for walks in the stroller. This will spur on your postpartum weight loss, and lull your baby to sleep--an excellent combination!
8. Jewelry--I found that dangling earrings follow the same path as my hair does when I'm breastfeeding, so I usually skip them and go for the smaller, non-dangle-y ones. I discovered that they do make a necklace that is designed for a baby to play with while nursing. I don't have one, but I think they are an excellent invention--I'm just not sure how it would go over with the girls since I feed them both at the same time.
These are just a few things to think about if you are not yet a mom. If you have other suggestions, I'd love to hear them! Please feel free to comment. You don't have to have an account to do so.