[Disclosure: I participated in a Blog Blast Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Bella Gravida. I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.]

You'll only spend half a year or so in your maternity clothes (per pregnancy of course), and while being pregnant is a really great excuse to go on a grandiose shopping spree, it's just not in the budget for most of us. So, you buy the absolute bare minimum and reach out to friends for hand-me-downs. Those were your only options, until now... 

Did you know you can actually RENT maternity wear now? This is so freaking fabulous, I just can't even!!!

Bella Gravida, which means Beautifully Pregnant in Italian, is a brand spanking new clothing rental service (website launched TODAY, September 18!) with thousands of designer maternity and nursing outfits, a flat monthly fee (from $39 for 1 item/month to $119 for 7 items/month), free shipping, laundry service included, 6 categories (Classic, Modern Trendy, Romantic, Bohemian, Dramatic, and Southern Chic), no return deadlines, and unlimited exchanges.

I worked throughout my first pregnancy and always felt so frumpy in my hand-me-down office-friendly maternity clothes that didn't quite fit right or weren't my style 100%. This second time around, I was home and able to stick to very simple tank tops and t-shirts, but man oh man I wish this service had launched just a few months (or years) earlier so I could have used it. What an amazing way dress your bump in the latest trends and give your struggling self-esteem a boost! It would also come in handy for that random black-tie wedding you have to attend at 8 months preggo!

So, if you have a bun in the oven or are expecting to be expecting anytime soon, go check out Bella Gravida's website ASAP and let me know what you think! You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

The time is flying and so far everything is still looking A-OK!! Here's what we're dealing with:

Positioning: Baby A & B are both vertex i.e. head down.

Weights: Baby A is about 4 pounds 13 ounces, Baby B is about 4 pounds 9 ounces (she's had a growth spurt - now both are in the 30-35th percentile!), and I'm up 40 pounds, yikes!

Rings: Not experiencing swelling too bad but rings are off just in case.

Clothes: Growing out of my shirts one by one, most regular maternity shirts are simply not long enough to cover such an enormous belly!! I have 4 tank tops that are still plenty long, and a few more that are barely cutting it - I have to pull up the belly panel on my shorts so my skin isn't exposed.

Stretch Marks: Started arriving and multiplying around 30 weeks, all on the under belly so far. Ugh. Never got any with Kenzo who went to 40 weeks 2 days, but I'm stretching much more and much quicker this time.

Movement: TONS!!! Lots of kicking, stretching, and hiccuping. Occasionally uncomfortable, especially when they jab me in the ribs.

Sleep: Not fun. My Snoogle body pillow helps, but rolling over is a struggle, and I have to get up to pee about 3 times a night.

Signs of labor: None, other than frequent but irregular Braxton Hicks contractions, which are a bit uncomfortable but not too bad - just really tight with a lot of pressure, but not painful if I stay still.

Plans for labor: Hoping for an unmedicated vaginal delivery, but may beg for drugs, or may need a c-section in the end, it's totally up in the air!

Biggest challenge: Meeting the goal of 175 grams of protein a day. I'm so not even close to that. 

Biggest worry: What's going to happen with our toddler when I go into labor. The hospital won't allow him with us, and my parents probably won't be able to make it up here from North Carolina in time, so I've come up with a list of mommy sitters to call on. Just hoping it's not in the middle of the night!!

What's gotten old: The increasing discomfort, which from what I hear from other twin moms is really small in comparison to what it can be. But if I make it to 37+ weeks, I think there's no avoiding being completely miserable.

What's not gotten old: People's reactions when they realize we're having twins. It usually goes something like this: Shop Clerk "Any day now huh?", Me "Well, hopefully another month.", Shop Clerk "Do you know what you're having?", Me "2 girls", Shop Clerk (polite smile, then after a second their mouth drops open as it hits them) "TWINS!?!?!?!" hahaha so fun!

You don't want to annoy your Facebook friends and family with hourly updates about your pregnancy, and you likely have a bazillion and one questions that you would feel more comfortable asking peers a bit more anonymously. So what's a mama-to-be to do? I have one word for you: PREGGIE!!

Preggie is a free private mobile network, available on the App Store and Google Play, that allows you to set parameters and share as much or as little as you want. You can post comments or photos, click "like", comment on a thread, "follow" to subscribe to someone's updates, and send another user a private message. 

It feels a lot like Facebook, only it's a much smaller niche with live moderators to keep the app drama-free. They have a zero tolerance on bullying and social media shaming, and have installed security measures to eliminate fake accounts at registration. Of course you're never totally "safe" when out there online, so use with caution, but I love that they've taken such an active role in protecting their members and making it feel like a safe zone, especially when moms are sharing things such as photos of their bumps and babies!

Users can narrow their feed to include or not include pregnant moms, new moms, and moms planning to get pregnant. And you can also specify geographically how near or far from your location you want to see others' posts from. There is a search function as well, allowing you to search for users by location, or to search posts for a keyword or phrase.

Just like with Facebook or Instagram, you'll receive notifications when anyone likes or comments on your post or sends you a private message, and you can allow or deny push notifications.

You're encouraged to input as much info about yourself as possible, including your name, location, age, other children's ages, and due date - so they can send you the fun baby progress updates we've all become so obsessed with. Preggie's updates are short and sweet and a little bit humorous, which is my kind of update!

I find Preggie to be a really helpful app, especially for moms-to-be who haven't yet found a group of mommy friends or local mommy group online. If you feel comfortable, maybe you even decide to meet up with some of the local Preggie moms in real life and become best buds and your kids end up getting married one day!! (Just please, you can never be too careful - never give out your address to a stranger and only meet in a public place at a decent hour!!) And even if you already have a local group, sometimes it's nice to be a bit more anonymous and ask the really embarrassing questions or share the TMI details that you just have to share. Plus, It's international, so chances are if you're up in the middle of the night with insomnia or feeding your little one, you can pop on and find someone to chat with or answer a burning question! 

And let me tell you about breastfeeding during the first couple of months - you are up around the clock and feedings can last upwards of 45 minutes a session! There's only so much blissfully staring into your little ones eyes you can do. Scrolling through and interacting on Preggie will really come in handy to help you keep your sanity!!

So why not check Preggie out - did I mention it's FREE!?? I do love free stuff... I'll see you on Preggie!

Sponsored Post Disclosure: Opinions are my own and not swayed by compensation of any kind. This post was sponsored by Preggie, but I limit such posts to companies that meet my moral standards and I feel I can really stand behind (hey, I'm not a sell out!).

I'm big on capturing the regular growth of my children, starting when they're in the womb! For my first pregnancy, we did weekly belly shots and turned them into a video montage:

For my twin pregnancy, I'm working on a fun stop motion video with my toddler (check back in a few months for that one!!). And to document my son's growth since birth, I put together a small collage of photos once a month for the first year and a half, and then moved to every 6 months. 

There are those belly or onesie stickers with the weeks or months on them, but I dunno, I just never got into those. I did, however, come across something recently that really got my attention as being unique, great looking, and quite practical... BB Blocks!! They come in wooden sets of three blocks, with two smaller number cubes (with possible number combinations of 1 through 32) and one larger time cube that includes weeks, months, years, and grades. You just set them up to the right combo, place them next to your munchkin, and take your photos!

They have three different choices for color schemes: cotton candy (a bit more feminine with turquoise, purple, and pink), woodlands (a more neutral color scheme with brown, blue, and green), and bold (with green, red, and blue). I decided to go with bold since it seemed the most gender neutral and I would be able to use it for our son, our girls, and even my pregnancy!

They're great quality and I found them quite fun props to work with! My son had an especially grand time playing with them - stacking them, throwing them... haha!

You can purchase a set of BB Blocks, or any of their other products which include onesie stickers and nursery pillows with an age charm you swap out each month, on their website. Don't forget to enter code "USJAPANFAM" for 10% off of your order! 

And... if you're feeling lucky, in honor of my son's half birthday today, you can enter to win one set of your choice of color scheme of BB Blocks right here on my blog!! US residents ages 18 and over only please. The giveaway will end July 9 at 11:59PM EST. Just enter in the Gleam box below!!

Disclaimer: Although I did receive this product free of charge, all thoughts and opinions are my own and completely unbiased.

Lilly Gold
Lilly Gold has two really cool options for getting your car seats around. The 2 in 1 Zoomer (pictured left) is a cart for your car seat that has latches compatible with your car seat's latches, so it fits securely onto the cart, and has a wheel base and handle that allows you to push it just like a stroller! They also have a car seat, the 5-in-1 Sit 'n' Stroll that actually turns into a stroller. Both of these seem ideal for families that use taxis or car share (ZipCar, etc), and for vacations where you'll be traveling by air, bus, train, taxi, etc. No more lugging those strollers around - push them easily, with your kids riding safely in them!! Available on Lilly Gold's website and Amazon.

Buggy Balance
Does your stroller flip over backward when you try to hang anything from the handles? Or every time your child hops out of the seat? Buggy Balance has created little weights (3 pounds each) that will keep your stroller from flipping over! These seem great for daily use on tipsy umbrella strollers (frankly, many non-umbrella strollers could use them, too!), and if you have a day of lugging the stroller up and down the subway stairs, simply leave the weights at home! Available on Amazon.

i-Angel Hipseat Carrier
I was kinda blown away by how versitle and practical this carrier is. You can see all the different ways to use it in the image to the left - wear your baby on the front, back, or hip; rest your baby on the hipseat or strap them into the full carrier! It's amazing! It also promises to disperse the weight through your hips rather than your back and shoulders, which sounds mighty comfy! Available on i-Angel's website and Amazon.

Babyhome's Side Light
Not only is this a great looking and functional toddler bed rail, but what makes it really stand out is its built in LED night light!! The light automaticaly shuts off after 30 minutes (when child is fast asleep), and the rail includes see through mesh and removable/washable fabric. Available on Albee Baby and Amazon.

Love To Dream
This swaddle really caught my eye as it swaddles baby in a really unique position, actually baby's most natural position - arms up! The Stage 1 Swaddle Up (0-4 months, pictured far left) has baby fully inclosed but still able to self-sooth, while Stage 2 Swaddle (4-8 months, pictured near left) includes removable sleeves. Made of 93% cotton and 7% elastane, they also include a travel slot (for use in stroller or car seat). Also, a genius twin zipper allows for diaper changes while arms remain swaddled! Available on Regal + Lager's website and Amazon.

BabySmile Portable Nasal Aspirator
I've tried a few nasal aspirators and they all have their pros and cons, but this is the first one I've tried that 1) gets the job done easily and quickly, 2) is not powered by your mouth, 3) is quiet, 4) is portable, 5) is reasonably priced. So, yeah, it's pretty great! (My full review is coming soon - stay tuned!!). Available on Amazon.

Eco Nuts
Looking for an organic laundry detergent? You can't get more green than Eco Nuts! When agitated in water, these berries produce a naturally occuring surfactant called saponin, which gently cleanses laundry! Place 4-5 of the Soap Berries in a bag and reuse them up to 10 times. They also have a liquid version (better for HE machines) and a variety of other products. Available on Eco Nuts' website and Amazon.

So, what do you think. Amazing right? What products are you most impressed with?? Share in a comment below!!

For many women, becoming pregnant suddenly triggers an acute awareness and concern for what they are putting in and on their bodies. From the obvious such as alcohol and caffeine, to each and every chemical, dye, GMO, and fragrance! I've talked about the dangers of phthalantes, parabens, dioxins, phosphates, and BPA before, but in a nut shell, exposure to high levels of these types of things can effect hormone levels, lead to birth defects, damage the immune system, cause cancer, lead to developmental and reproductive issues, and more. And it's not as difficult to achieve those high levels of exposure as you'd think since many of these accumulate over time in your body and are present everywhere in our daily lives - from your water bottle to shampoo to that anti-stretch mark cream you've been rubbing on your growing belly. Yep.

But before you get overwhelmed, know that there are simple changes you can make here and there to reduce your exposure and risk, such as choosing your food and skin care products wisely. And I'm here to introduce you to an awesome brand of skin care that will help you do just that!!

Nine Naturals skin care products for pregnancy and beyond are 100% plant based with no sulfates, phthalates, parabens, DEA, petrochemicals, synthetic ingredients, or artificial preservatives. All ingredients are screened for safety during pregnancy and breastfeeding and are formulated specifically for both natural purity and high performance (because what's the point if it's all-natural but doesn't do what it's supposed to do!?). They also practice ingredient transparence, by listing ALL ingredients on each bottle and describing what exactly each of those ingredients is in the ingredient glossary on their website.

From shampoo and conditioner to belly butter, body wash, moisturizer, deodorant, lip balm, and sunscreen, Nine Naturals has seriously got every type of skin care product under the sun! Many have an unscented version, as well as yummy scents such as Citrus + Mint, Mandarin + Ginger, and Vanilla + Geranium - YUM! 

I recently had the opportunity to test out two of their unscented products: the Natural Belly Oil and the Moisturizing Body Cream.

I found the moisturizing body cream to be nice and thick without being difficult to rub in. It's made from a "whipped trio of cold-pressed cupuacu, shea, and mango butters" and whipped is a really good way to describe it. For me, it looked and felt similar to a cream cheese frosting, ha! It has a very mild earthy scent and left my hands and skin a bit oily until absorbed fully, so I would recommend applying right after a shower and waiting a few minutes before throwing on your clothes.

Even though "unscented", the scent of the belly oil was quite bit strong (very "earthy") and I can't say I'm a fan. That said, the smell does go away after rubbing it in, and with an oil you really feel like you are super charging your skin to stay soft and supple and hopefully avoiding the dreaded pregnancy-related stretch marks! Also, the bottle has an easy to use mess-free pump, which is nice. But personally, I think I'll go with the Vanilla + Geranium belly butter next time! I'm a sucker for a yummy scent, especially when it's naturally derived!!

You can purchase Nine Naturals products from their website (receive a 10% off coupon when subscribing to their newsletter), on Amazon, and they're even about to be carried at Motherhood Maternity!

When in doubt about a product you have at home or are considering purchasing, simply check it out on the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Database (they have a handy app that can scan bar codes as well) - it'll give you an overall safety score and rank the product for safety in 3 categories: risk for canncer, developmental/reprotoxicity, and allergy.

Let me start off by saying I hate the term "gender reveal". Frankly, gender is something a child or adult feels and associates with. This is becoming more and more apparent and accepted, thanks to the LGBT community and even pop culture (hello, who didn't watch or hear about the Bruce Jenner interview!?). What we are in fact revealing is their biological sex - penis or vagina. There, I said it! But I guess somewhere down the line, someone decided using the word "sex" for a baby would be inappropriate and so we're stuck with the term "gender reveal," and SEO would suggest I better go ahead and use it, so... onward with our story!!

With our first child, we did not find out his sex beforehand. It was my husband's job at delivery to figure it out and make the announcement (which he totally forgot to do in the moment, so I was the first to realize when they put the baby on my chest and my hand cupped his nether regions!!). But this time around, we want to know. We HAVE to know!!! Do we need to buy some more boy clothes? Do we need to keep my son's stuff and buy girl stuff as well, or can we get rid of his stuff and stock up on frilly pink goodness?? Of course I was desperately hoping for at least 1 girl, because, hello, 3 boys??? Yikes...

Because I'm having twins, even though they're di-di (2 separate sacks and placentas), I'm automatically "high risk" and have recently started having sonograms every two weeks. I thought we could determine sexes at our 16 week scan and even walked into the room telling the technician I didn't want to know and would she please write it on a piece of paper and seal it up so I could find out together with my husband later. Well, of course she couldn't see any of the babies' bits or bobs, so I was stuck waiting two more tortuous weeks!

This time, I walked into the 18 week scan without an ounce of will power. I was glued to the screen and told her I am dying to know what these babies are!! After a while, she finally announced Baby A is a girl, and showed me the "3 dots" that proved so, not to mention lack of a penis. Baby B was a bit harder to figure out but finally she got the same proof and was confident to announce that we were in fact having TWO GIRLS!!!

I had just written an article for Mommy Nearest on fun ways to do a gender reveal, so I just went with the one that was cheapest and easiest - the balloon unveiling! I didn't spill the beans to my hubby, so was able to capture his true reaction in the video, which is priceless!! Here ya go!!

One interesting piece of information having two babies of the same sex does not tell us is whether or not they are identical (from one egg) or fraternal (from two eggs). If they were boy/girl we would know they are fraternal. But two girls... we'll have to wait and see what they look like when they're born! If they look identical, we can do a genetic test (swab of the cheek) to find out. From what I've read, it seems the chances of them being identical is about 30%. Not sure which I'd prefer, not that I have a choice in the matter HA!

And now we're on to the real fun... PICKING OUT NAMES!!! We want the name to be pronounced the same in English and Japanese, so "R", "L", and "TH" are off limits. We also want all 5 of us to have different initials, so no names starting with "H", "R", or "K"! And... GO!

Sure, you can create a baby registry on Amazon or Babies R Us or Buy Buy Baby... you may even get a consultant to walk through the store with you and suggest items. But let me tell you a little secret. They don't know YOU. They don't know you're style and that you wouldn't be caught dead pushing around THAT stroller or putting THAT onesie on your baby. They'll tell you the latest and greatest products, the ones selling best that year, but they won't take your personal style into account.

That's where the newest baby registry on the market comes in and kicks butt. Gugu Guru, a FREE online baby registry, has new members take a style quiz to find out what combination of styles they are (#AlwaysGlam, #ChicAndOnTheGo, #ConsideredCasual, #ComfortIsKing) before recommending items in a wide variety of categories.

Once they calculate your particular mom style, you'll go through page after page of categories with top recommendations and alternative recommendations. You can click to add any product to your registry, and you can click through to Amazon to read reviews and see different color options which you can add instead. Want an item they didn't list for you? You can add that as well!! 

You can also go through your registry and click each item as "Must Have" or "Nice to Have," which is a feature I'm especially digging. You can then share your published baby registry with friends and family via a link or post directly to Facebook or Twitter.

What's more? Gugu Guru is currently hosting a weekly baby carrier giveaway on their blog. They're giving away a baby carrier associated with one of their four main Mom Styles four weeks in a row!! Check it out here!

Gugu Guru was generous enough to contribute a $50 Amazon Gift Card to my $500+ value Best for Your Bump Giveaway, running through April 28. Enter to win the jackpot here!!

While pregnant, we're supposed to majorly increase our consumption of liquids as well as vitamins. Since there's nothing I love more than killing two birds with one delicious stone, let me tell you about a wonderful company called Bundle Organics!!

Bundle Organics prenatal juices are pasteurized and packed full of organic fruits & veggies, and essential vitamins. We're talking 200 mcg of folic acid, 100 mg of calcium, 60 IU of Vitamin D, 4.5 mg of iron, and 500 mg of Omega-3 per 16oz bottle!!

They come in three yummy flavors: Kale - Apple - Lemon - Ginger, Orange - Carrot - Strawberry Ginger, and Dark Berry - Veggies. I knew I would love the berry one, and boy oh boy do I!!! But as someone who absolutely despises ginger, I had some reservations about the other two flavors. So, I gave them the good ol' blindfolded taste test with the help of a friend and was quite surprised by the results!!

I actually couldn't guess which flavor any of them were. I mean, they all have such a great blend of fruits and veggies that no one taste stands out as overpowering the others. I didn't catch a hint of ginger, which was a relief! I liked all three, but my favorite was actually the orange one, with the purple one next and the green one third. But they were all delish and not overly sweet as some juices can be! 

If you're out and about, they're quite convenient to drink straight from the bottle. If home, on ice is great and this summer I think they'll make amazing smoothies or slushies blended with ice!!!

You can purchase Bundle Organics on their website or Amazon, and you can win a 3-pack in my $500 value Best for Your Bump Giveaway going on right now!!!

ENTER TO WIN HERE!!

Disclaimer: Although I did receive these products free of charge, all thoughts and opinions are my own and completely unbiased.

These days, the market is full of competing products that are very very similar. It's not often you see one pop up that is so incredibly unique and cool that it just kinda blows your mind. Well, I'm about to introduce you to one of those today!

I bring you, the Holo - an inflatable air mattress that allows pregnant women to lie safely and comfortably on their stomachs! Genius, right???

I'm not to the uncomfortable stage in this pregnancy yet, but I remember quite well how impossible sleeping became towards the end last time. You aren't allowed to lie on your back or your belly, so are limited to your two sides, which ache terribly. Not to mention rolling over from one side to the other is quite an effort!! So, the Holo offers pregnant women the ability to relax and even sleep on their bellies again - hoorah!

They say necessity is the mother of invention, and I say mothers often make the best inventions. True to that, the idea for the Holo came to Emma Benson five years ago when she as 28 weeks pregnant with her first child. She began working on prototypes and test marketing three years later, after the arrival of her second child, and after several improvements the Holo hit the market in 2009.

My belly is still quite small, but knowing how big and uncomfortable I'm going to get carrying these twins, I couldn't wait to test the Holo out!

I was most concerned that it might be lying down on my breasts. But, nope! What's really fabulous about the Holo is that it has 2 compartments that can be blown up separately (I used an air mattress electric pump and it took under 5 minutes, I don't recommend trying to blow it up by mouth). The section above the hole can be left deflated, allowing you to use your own pillows (which I prefer, so that my face isn't right up against the PVC; I also recommend airing it out for a minimum of a few days before using it, you know, off-gassing and all of that). Using this method, you can also have your breasts kind of in the space between the Holo and your pillows (see below). You will need 2-3 pillows though, to get you up to the height of the holo.

Alternatively, you can blow up both chambers (see below) and even that wasn't uncomfortable for my ta-tas (they kind of fit perfectly into a crease), though you may have an issue if yours are especially sensitive or if your milk has already come in. This would of course be the way to use it if you're going to be floating around in a pool or lake - summer is coming!!

The diameter of the belly hole is about 10" across and 8" deep, and it did pull my belly down into it a bit creating an arch in my back if I didn't engage my back muscles a wee bit. I haven't had the chance to use this for an extended period yet, and will definitely come back in to update my review after doing that as well as later in the pregnancy to see if my twin belly will actually fit in the hole!

Getting on and off of it also takes some getting used to, but that pretty much goes for any movement whatsoever during pregnancy, am I right!?? Anyway, all in all a really awesome product!! Besides sleeping and relaxing, it's also great for floating around if you have a pool or lake house, or if you have an amazing partner who gives you massages!!

You can purchase a Holo on their website, available in pink, blue, and mint. The Holo, including shipping, costs 49.99 pounds (about US $75)... but you can enter to win one in my $500 value jackpot Best for Your Bump Giveaway!!

ENTER TO WIN HERE!!

Disclaimer: Although I did receive this product free of charge, all thoughts and opinions are my own and completely unbiased.