A True Pregnancy Pamper Night

My idea of pampering has completely changed from the pre-pregnancy days: let's just make that clear from the get go. Long gone are the days when a relaxing night of pampering consisted of painting my toenails, glasses of wine and head-to-toe moisturising. Nowadays - i.e. 38 weeks pregnant - pampering is a lot more of a simple affair, and there a few very necessary adaptations that have been made. I'm no beauty blogger - I don't own the newest of face creams and smelly bits and bobs, pre-pregnancy Boots own brand bubble bath suited me fine, and this far in to a pregnancy I am no different. My idea of pampering is definitely not limited to a beauty regime, in fact, it doesn't involve much of it at all, here's my less than luxurious pregnancy pamper tips.

- Embrace Take-Away and Bad TV

I don't want to get ready to go out, I don't want to be surrounded by people, I don't want to have to wait on my food and let's face it, chances are I'll be 'sleepy-time' tired by the time dessert even rolls around. Pregnancy is the perfect excuse to order take-away and sit in, no one can judge you for it. I'm all for making sure baby gets the proper nutrition, but at the same time, I need my good ole' Nandos once in a while (/multiple times a week). I've also used this time to throw myself back into bad reality TV - X Factor, Ex On the Beach, The Great British Bake Off - you name it I watch it now.. what else am I going to do with my Saturday night?

- Ice Lollies and Balls Are Not Just For the Beach

If there is one 'snacky' food that has gotten me through pregnancy, it would 100% be ice-lollies. I can't even explain how much of a god-send they've been, perfect for settling heart burn, reducing sickness (for me at least), or allowing me to get my sugar-fix when I feel like I can't fit anymore in. Ice-lollies on demand are a perfect addition to any pamper night nowadays, who even needs chocolate? Also, the birthing ball will always warrant a mention. When I'm inevitably uncomfortable after filling myself to what feels like bursting point with take-away, sometimes bouncing on a birthing ball is required to take the pressure off of my spine a bit. What an extravagant pamper tool, eh?

- Fake It Till You Make It

Out of all the things that I thought I'd love to use during pregnancy - I didn't think one of them would be Fake Tan. If I could give one tip to any pregnant gal that's feeling less than amazing about herself, it would be to try some fake tan. I honestly can't get over how ridiculous that sounds, but the difference I felt when I put it on for the first time in a few months was immense. I used to fake tan weekly prior to falling pregnant, and I never quite realised what difference it actually made to how I felt. When your pregnant, for me at least, I'm heavier, less toned, my skin is duller, and I just don't feel 'nice': a little bit of fake tan can go a long way in making me feel a lot more comfortable in my skin. Crazy...

- Invest In The Good Stuff

By invest in the good stuff, I don't mean go out and spend a fortune on fancy creams and lotions - I know I certainly wouldn't. I would recommend though spending a little bit extra and getting creams that are specific to what your body needs during pregnancy. I've been using the Secret Saviours Stretch Mark Day and Night cream to ward off those unwanted scars, and I'd wholly recommend them to anyone. Not only do they smell absolutely amazing, but they feel luxurious, as though I'm having a treat post bath. I say invest, there not exactly over expensive - you get what you pay for and they are definitely worth the money you spend on them. I'll be putting up a full review at some point in the next few weeks, but for now they remain firmly on my pamper session checklist.

- Nail Down Your Bath Set-Up

The time I spend in the bath is second only to the time I spend in my bed... wild, I know. But it is the sad reality of my life right now. I'm large and uncomfortable and the bath manages to take that a way, at least a little. I've now found the perfect bath-time set-up: candles, laptop; normally with Youtube playing (shout out to the Vlogtober youtubers I'll be following incessantly), and more bubbles than water. Whilst I can probably point out at least 4 safety hazards in this picture alone, my bath time regime is worth the risk.

It's definitely not an excessive list anymore - long gone are the days when I could be bothered to make any sort of effort in terms of 'pampering' myself. Nowadays, it's a strict take-away, bad TV, good ole' bath and some very nice smelly stretch mark cream. If you've been pregnant, what would you recommend? Have I missed anything key?