Pre- and Post-Egg Retrieval - What Worked for Us

I've been thinking about writing about the lifestyle/diet changes we made pre- and post-egg retrieval as well as pre- and post-transfer. There are some things I wish I had known about before we got started (like cutting out alcohol and caffeine several months beforehand), so I thought it might be helpful to share these with anybody who is getting ready for an egg retrieval!

Now that I have 2 egg retrievals under my belt, I thought I'd share what worked for us. I will preface this by saying that I am not a doctor, and that not everything I am sharing was specifically recommended by my doctor. A lot of what I ended up doing came recommended by other people going through IVF, research studies/articles, other fertility clinics, etc. I will try to link to resources where I can. Please don't feel like you have to do any of these things, or that you messed things up by not doing these things. My thought process is this: Since we are investing so much into this--financially, emotionally, physically--I want to do whatever I can (reasonably) do to improve things, whether that is egg/sperm quality, number of eggs retrieved, quality of embryos, implantation rate, etc. I figure, even if there isn't scientific proof behind things, if it's not going to hurt, why not give it a shot so that I don't regret things later? I'd rather know I tried my best than live with the "what if?" later on. 

Scroll down to the bottom for Conclusions, or a recap of what I discuss in this post.

Exercise: 3 Months and Prior
This is absolutely something you should talk to your doctor about. They will let you know if you're at a healthy BMI, and what you can do to help achieve one. Doctors generally recommend achieving a normal BMI, as "obesity has been found to alter mitochondrial function and increase oxidative stress, leading to reduced fertility and egg quality. It can also alter hormonal balance, disrupting ovulation." If you have some time before starting Stims--maybe you're saving up money, or waiting for a good time--this is a great time to start exercising and improving your overall health.

Exercise: During/After Stims
You should definitely consult your doctor about exercise during/after Stims, and during/after the 2WW. My nurse said I could continue my normal cardio/strength training during the early stages of injections (days 1-5), but by day 6, I would want to decrease intensity and focus on non-impact exercises (yoga, light elliptical, swimming, etc.). The main concern with strenuous exercise during Stims is that the medications will cause your ovaries to enlarge as the follicles start growing. According to the Southern California Reproductive Center, "You need to protect your ovaries during this sensitive time and avoid strenuous training. Your IVF cycle is not a time to push any limitations...Your body is already working extremely hard during your IVF cycle, so take the time to acknowledge yourself for that." One thing to think about after egg retrieval is the risks of ovarian torsion or ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), so following your doctor's orders and avoiding strenuous exercise are very important here.

Diet: 3 Months and Prior
Alcohol/Caffeine
I read an article that said that "given that egg and sperm maturation takes up to 3 months, it is ideal to stop/reduce alcohol consumption for at least three months before attempting pregnancy." I didn't know this prior to my first egg retrieval, so I had a minor freak out and wrote all about it here. I came to the conclusion that it wouldn't hurt to reduce/eliminate alcohol/caffeine in the 3 months prior to IVF (for both you and your partner), but that ultimately, it is not going to drastically compromise your chances. Knowing this information, we eliminated caffeine/alcohol from our diets 3 months before our 2nd egg retrieval, and I think it did make some improvements for us!

Vitamins/Supplements
My nurse did encourage me to take a prenatal vitamin before we started Stims. Memphis fertility specialist, Dr. Amelia Bailey, recommends that "a woman planning pregnancy should start taking a prenatal vitamin with DHA 6 months before conceiving." She (and other other specialists) also recommend Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), DHEA, DHA, folic acid (as needed), and Vitamin D (as needed). CoQ10 is helpful for overall sperm and egg health. Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency in women attempting to get pregnant has also become an increasing concern. (This article is really helpful if you're thinking of taking any of these mentioned vitamins/supplements.) I personally just took a prenatal vitamin, fish oil, and Vitamin D supplements before and during Stims.

According to Dalene Barton-Schuster, Certified Herbalist and Birth Doula, "The life cycle of sperm, from production to maturation for ejaculation, ranges from 42 to 76 days...to make a plan for increasing fertility and boosting sperm health, you should start at least 2-3 months prior to giving sperm for IVF." CoQ10 is said to improve men's sperm motility and count. There are also many articles claiming that selenium, Vitamin C, zinc, and other vitamins/supplements can help improve male reproductive health. Three months prior to our 2nd egg retrieval, David cut out caffeine/alcohol. He also took a multivitamin, 200mg of Ubiquinol (CoQ10), and the Daily Wellness Company's Fertility Blend for Men daily. The Fertility Blend for Men is something I stumbled upon a few weeks prior to our first egg retrieval. It has great reviews online, and contains many of the recommended supplements to boost male fertility, such as L-carnitine, Vitamins B/C/E, zinc, and selenium.

Here's a helpful article on pre-conception vitamins written by Sarah Yang for the Bump. Here is an article on nutritional guidelines for your fertility treatment published on the Southern California Reproductive Center's blog.

Diet: During/After Stims
My nurse told me that during Stims, "the recommendation for caffeine intake is less than 600 mg" per day and that restricting "all caffeine intake is preferred." She also said that "no alcohol intake is preferred/recommended." I checked and she said that it would be okay to drink caffeine-free Diet Coke and decaf coffee. I had eliminated diet sodas and artificial sugar from my diet once I became pregnant, so it was easy for me to continue avoiding it during my 2nd egg retrieval, though I've added in the occasional Diet Coke or Splenda now that I'm done breastfeeding. (We don't plan to do our next embryo transfer for awhile.)

I think that eating healthy is something that is great to do now for yourself and for your future baby! There are a lot of diet changes you need to make when you become pregnant, so it doesn't hurt to start getting used to those changes now.

Acupuncture
I had never given much thought to holistic medicine (except for chiropractic) prior to IVF, but my fertility clinic actually has an acupuncture facility right in their building, so it was something I looked into. Some studies have shown that "when used in conduction with Western fertility treatments, acupuncture increases conception rates by 26%." Others say that "acupuncture is not harmful and most of those so treated swear by it. For the nay-sayers, what can be said with certainty is that at the very least acupuncture has a 'feel good' aspect to it and in most, evokes a psychological benefit that should not be discounted." My thoughts are that it's not going to hurt anything, so why not give it a shot? I didn't do acupuncture prior to my first egg retrieval, but I did do it for about a month prior to my 2nd one, and I think it did make some improvements for us the second time around.

Conclusions
My main suggestions for Before Stims (preferably 3 months or prior):

• Exercise and get to a healthy BMI
• Eat healthy--limit/eliminate caffeine/alcohol, fake sugars, trans fats, processed foods, etc.
• Take prenatal/multivitamins, CoQ10, and other recommended vitamins/supplements
• Acupuncture (talk to your acupuncturist, but you can start 3 months prior, or even 3-4 weeks prior to Stims)

My main suggestions for During/After Stims:

• Limited non-strenuous exercise (as discussed with your doctor!)
• Continue to eat healthy--eliminate caffeine/alcohol, fake sugars, trans fats, processed foods, etc.
• Continue taking prenatal/multivitamins, and other recommended vitamins/supplements as needed (and recommended by your doctor)
• Acupuncture (talk to your acupuncturist about what they recommend for during Stims and leading up to the embryo transfer...)

Our Birth Story - Part 2

Everything that happened immediately after the birth is a bit of a blur. One of the side effects of magnesium is extreme drowsiness. I remember holding baby skin to skin, David cutting the cord, breastfeeding, and then at one point, both myself and the baby getting extremely cold. I remember them taking her away from me when this happened.

A few hours later, the nurses came in and said they wanted to try to help me move down to the postpartum floor, but I was so sick that I was unable to get out of bed. Every time I sat up or tried to get out of bed, I would get so lightheaded and almost pass out. At one point I just started throwing up, so they let me stay in bed a little longer until I was feeling a little better. Eventually, they got me down to the postpartum room, which I must say, was a lot less glamorous than the labor and delivery room. The second nurse I had wanted to put me back on high blood pressure medicine, which I remembered my labor & delivery nurse taking me off of. When I questioned her about it, she mentioned another doctor's name (not my doctor) so I immediately got concerned. I called the Labor & Delivery department and they spoke to my doctor who spoke to the nurse and got things straightened out. I was worried we got off on the wrong foot, but that nurse turned out to be the nicest one.

The next few hours were torture because I was unable to get out of bed to go see the baby, and they were unable to bring her to me. They were concerned about her weight/size and at the time, I was adamant about not wanting them to introduce a pacifier, nipple, or formula. I wanted to exclusively breastfeed, which is pretty difficult to do when you can't physically be with your baby. They kept me on the magnesium for 24 hours after the delivery, so for the next 24 hours, I laid in bed with a catheter (which they inserted while I was awake), trying to keep food down. A nurse and then an assistant came every hour to check my vitals, blood pressure, uterus, etc. Someone from phlebotomy also regularly came to take my blood. In the wee hours of the morning, a girl from phlebotomy came and missed my vein twice and I just lost it and broke down in tears. I was worried about feeding the baby, and I was only making tiny amounts of colostrum, which David painstakingly helped collect into a small syringe which he would then take down to the NICU. Both her nurse and doctor came up to see me in my room to assure me she was doing ok and they were taking good care of her, which meant so much to me.

A few hours after they took me off the magnesium, I was finally well enough to be wheeled down to the NICU to see the baby. Oh my gosh, I fell in love! It was difficult to see her hooked up to so many tubes and monitors. She was hooked up to a Bili Blanket due to jaundice, and they had the cutest little eye mask on her. When David and first seen her like that, he returned to my room and told me she was getting the "blue light special." The nurses even drew some eyelashes on her eye mask, and so I always joked that she was tanning in a tanning bed.

After her weight fell to 3 lb. 11 oz., they decided to put in a nasogastric (NG) tube to help feed her and were also giving her IV nutrition. I tried to breastfeed, and she seemed to be latching, although she kept falling asleep at the breast. One night when David and I were collecting my colostrum, we noticed that it kept flowing! He suggested I try pumping again (when previously I had not pumped out anything), so I gave it a shot, and to my surprise, collected a decent amount of milk! From that moment on, I was able to pump more and more. I was discharged from the hospital on Monday, 6.26.17. Thankfully, the NICU had a family room available for David and I to stay in, which was right off the nursery, so we moved right in. Luckily, the dogs were still boarding at the vet's kennel.

After making some progress and gaining weight, they decided to try a day without the NG tube and strictly breastfeeding. This was the most exhausting day. The nurses called me almost every hour (sometimes two) to come feed her when she awoke. Unfortunately, the next day, she had lost all the weight she'd gained which meant she was not transferring milk. The nurses and lactation consultants kept assuring me that she would get better at breastfeeding as she got older/bigger, and not to get discouraged, but I was so upset and felt like I had been starving my baby. The doctors made me feel much better though, so we talked about a few alternatives such as bottle feeding, formula, and a _____. One evening, the nurse helped me take a pre-feed and post-feed weight to see if the baby was transferring milk. Unfortunately, the scale was inaccurate and she actually weighed less the second time. Next, we decided to try the ____. The lactation consultant tried a pre- and post-feed weight again, but she remained the same. I finally relented to giving her a bottle. The nurse and doctor helped me come up with a compromise: I would breastfeed her for ten minutes, and then give her a bottle of breastmilk. David and the nurses had talked to me and made me realize that yes, it would have been nice to strictly breastfeed as planned...but things didn't go as planned. She came 5 weeks early, and with that, some of my plans had to change. I realized that this didn't mean I couldn't still breastfeed her later. The goal was to get her to a healthy weight, so that she could go home and we could learn to breastfeed as she got older/bigger. The next few days, she started gaining weight and doing a lot better. The nurses removed her IV (which kept coming out), and she was even taken off the Bili Blanket (though she was later put back on). After nine days, the doctor felt she was ready to go home! It was perfect timing. The last night she was there, my mom had flown in, and it was the first night that the family room was unavailable. We were able to take my mom home and I got a good night's rest in my own bed. The next day, the nurses told me the baby had passed all her tests (hearing, car seat etc.) and we were finally able to take her home in a car bed (since she was still too small for her carseat). 

The past 6.5 weeks have been exhausting, but amazing. My mom was able to stay with us for a little over 4 weeks (7.1.17-8.2.17), and she was a lifesaver. She cooked for us everyday, took care of the baby so we could rest, watched the baby so we could go out on a couple dates, and helped me re-organize the house (including multiple closets and cabinets). I was a mess when she finally had to go home. I didn't realize how exhausting caring for a newborn can be. The baby has not been wanting to sleep in her crib or pack and play and instead prefers to sleep in our arms or the rock and play, which is not ideal for long-term sleep. We finally got this co-sleeper bassinet which has helped a little. She still grunts and groans a lot during her sleep, but the good thing about it is that if she cries, we can reach over and soothe her with a pacifier, or pick her up to feed her without getting out of bed. 

Last week, David's parents and our sister-in-law came to meet the baby. Our sister-in-law is a photographer back in NC where we used to live, and I was so excited to fly her out here to take photos of the baby and the nursery. David took his family to Sedona and to the Grand Canyon, and we got to spend a few nights together eating dinner and just catching up. This is my first full week home alone with the baby. Yesterday, I took her out to run some errands including stopping to get my tires fixed, and going to the grocery store and Target. Everything with a baby takes extra time, and I feel like I'm always late to every appointment. I'm a slave to the breast pump, and I'm running on only a couple hours of sleep, but I could not be more in love with this tiny human being. She is amazing. :)

Our Birth Story - Part 1

On June 23, 2017, at 10:10am, I went in for a routine NST at my OB's office. I had had a couple of high blood pressure readings and some higher-than-normal creatinine levels in my blood work, so the doctor had put me on bed rest and had me coming in twice weekly for NSTs. I also had low fluid, so I was drinking water like crazy (nearly a gallon per day) and it seemed to be working. At this appointment, my blood pressure measured extremely high and there was protein in my urine, so the doctor sent me to Labor & Delivery for blood work and monitoring.

As I drove across the street, the thought occurred to me that I could be induced that day and that baby would be here 5 weeks early...but at the same time, I thought that maybe my blood pressure would come down and they'd just send me home. I called David and told him what was going on. He, of course, wanted to come to the hospital to be with me, but I told him not to worry about it yet, because I still had the hope that I'd be sent home. While in triage, they monitored my blood pressure, which was not coming down, and ran some blood work. Finally, around 2:43pm, the results from the blood work came in, and the nurse informed me that the doctor wanted to admit and induce me! The doctor came to see me and informed me that I had reached the severe preeclampsia stage and that she would induce me that night. She would come back in the morning, as she didn't expect me to go into labor until then.

Looking back on it now, I was extremely calm given the circumstances. I told David not to come yet, because even with inducing, it could take 1-3 days before I'd go into active labor. Instead, I gave him a list of things to do at home including washing baby clothes, packing my hospital bag, and bringing the dogs to the kennel. I was moved into one of the labor and delivery rooms, and I got settled in. My good friend, Amy, came to visit and brought me a phone charger and some treats. I was so glad she was there, because they put me on IV Magnesium Sulfate which was awful. I immediately got really hot and uncomfortable. Then they started inducing me around 5:20pm using prostaglandin gel. Around this time, David arrived at the hospital, so I felt a lot better. At 5:27pm, the baby was at -2 and I was 1 cm dilated, 60% effaced. They applied a total of 3 gels every 2 hours (7:30pm, 9:30pm). At 7:49pm baby was -3, I was 1-1.5cm dilated 60-70% effaced. To be completely honest, much of that night is a blur to me, but I remember that I started feeling period-like cramping after a couple gels, and then full on contractions in the middle of the night. At around 1:00am, I felt dampness and asked a nurse to check if my water had broke, and it had--on its own! At 2:56am, baby was -2, and I was 3.5 cm dilated, 75% effaced. They gave me Pitocin at 3am.

While this was going on, David was sleeping. I didn't want to wake him up because I felt I had time and could power through some of the less painful contractions until full on labor started. At 6:03am, the contractions were approximately 4 minutes apart and becoming more and more painful. I had the urge to push/bear down whenever the contractions came, even though I knew I should avoid doing so, so as not to inflame the cervix. When the contractions would come, they would get progressively more and more painful and peak, and then diminish, just like a bell curve. At the peaks, I felt myself clutching the bed rail as hard as I could. (I now know that the baby was a lot lower than we thought, and I was progressing much quicker than we all thought, so the pressure I felt down there was really baby's head pressing on my cervix.) At this point, David was awake and texting my doula for me, because I could no longer do it myself. At 7:19am the nurse checked me again and said "She is definitely a 6." At this point, I was in so much pain and ready for the epidural. (Up to this point, I had been refusing it because I wanted to go as long as I could without it so as to avoid a c-section.) The on-call anesthesiologist was at home and needed to get to the hospital, and then administer the epidural, which would take 45 minutes to begin working! I was so happy to see him when he came in at 8:02am. (-2, 6 cm, 80%) I don't remember much, except that he was extremely tall and that not long after he administered the epidural, I felt so much better. I was finally able to take a nap. The plan was for the doula to come around 10:30-11:00am, when it would be closer to pushing time...but at 9:09am, the nurses told me I was fully dilated (10 cm) and would start pushing soon! At 9:40am the doctor came and I began pushing, and baby was born at 9:59am and 31 seconds!

Sharing "The Story Behind of Baby Nelson"

I struggled so much with whether or not I wanted to publicly share our IVF journey (with friends, family and coworkers). David was always for it. He wanted people to know that this baby was nothing short of a miracle. I finally came around and realized he was right, and we decided to share our "IVF story" today on social media, as it's the start of National Infertility Awareness Week. I posted a Note to my FB account and so far have been overwhelmed with the support and positive responses. Here's what it says:

Dear Friends and Family, 

By now you have probably heard the wonderful news that David and I are expecting our little Nelson Nugget at the end of July. What you may not know, however, is the incredible journey we embarked on to get to this place. When David and I decided we were ready to add to our family in September of 2015, we soon discovered that it would not be so easy. To make a long story short, we learned that the only way we could conceive would be through in vitro fertilization (IVF). After meeting with our doctor in December, we prayed long and hard over this decision and did much research before deciding we wanted to continue on this journey. So for the past year, whenever anyone has asked me when we're having kids, I've just smiled...even though deep down inside I would be crying. 

As soon as I was finished teaching my spring 2016 semester, I flew to Maryland to start the IVF process. And let me tell you...it was not easy. I do not like needles, and IVF requires a lot of needles! I had my blood drawn every other day to the point that both my arms were black and blue. I had invasive ultrasounds done every other day. I learned to give myself subcutaneous injections--2 to 3 per day--and later my mom and David learned to give me nightly intramuscular injections. (In total, I have had ~108 injections.) All the while, we dealt with the emotional roller coaster that comes with IVF. There are so many hurdles you must get over before moving on to the next step, and if one fails, you have to start over. Our first transfer in July was unsuccessful; the embryo did not implant. I was devastated. I couldn't get out of bed. I didn't think I could go back to work in the fall. Yet somehow, by the grace of God, I picked myself up again. In November, I flew back to Maryland and transferred our last frozen embryo. This little miracle embryo implanted, and we are 26 weeks,1 day pregnant today. 

The reason I am sharing this is because I do not want people to think that this was an easy, planned, journey for us...because it wasn't. At the same time, we were blessed to find out about our need for IVF from the very beginning, and I am very thankful for that. I know several people who have experienced (and are experiencing) the hardships of infertility...and have experienced this for too long. My heart truly goes out to them as I can only share in some of the pain they feel. 

While I know most of you are happy for us, I know that some of you may also have some questions...and I am happy to try to answer them if you want to private message me. Please note that this is a very sensitive topic for us, so if for some reason, you are against our choice of doing IVF, please refrain from contacting me, as I do not wish to get into an argument or debate about one of the happiest moments in our lives. However, I will share that we did not have to worry about multiples, as our doctor practices elective single embryo transfer (eSET), so we only transferred 1 embryo at a time. And in our case, we are not worrying about extra, frozen embryos. We had 2 embryos and we transferred both of them. The first one did not implant, and the second one did. 

David and I just wanted to be honest and transparent about our journey. We got the good news the day before Thanksgiving and we were elated...but even then, we were not "out of the woods." I still had multiple blood tests and ultrasounds before my doctor would release me into the care of my OB/GYN. At 5 weeks, 6 days gestation, we had a scare and I ended up in the ER. I was diagnosed with a subchorionic hematoma (SCH) and was put on bed rest. The SCH was a scary diagnosis because it is linked to an elevated risk of miscarriage or pre-term labor. (As of the 3/10/17 anatomy scan, the SCH is no longer showing up on he U/S.) Beyond the medical side of things, there are also the the financial burdens associated with this. Unfortunately, our insurance does not cover fertility treatments, so we are paying for everything out of pocket. Some have asked if they could donate to our IVF fund, and the answer is yes, we would be so very grateful. We have an IVF GoFundMe account set up here if you are interested. 

Thank you for taking the time to listen to our story. We hope this doesn't change how any of you feel about us, but we wanted our story to be heard. This week (April 23-29) is actually National Infertility Awareness Week, which felt like the perfect time to share our story with you. Did you know that 1 in 8 couples struggle to build a family? "The CDC tells us that this is 15% of couples in America. Infertility does not discriminate based on race, religion, sexuality or economic status. You never know how badly you want something until you are told that it may not be possible." For more information, please visit https://infertilityawareness.org/about-niaw. 

Love, 
Dorothy & David 

Post Note: We are overwhelmed with the positive responses we have received. To be honest, I never knew if I wanted to share this story with anyone. It’s something I’ve gone back and forth with for months. Part of me worried that we would be judged for the particular route we chose to expand our family, whether for moral, religious, or other reasons. Part of me just didn’t want the whole world to know after we’d kept this secret for so long. David is the one that encouraged me to share our story, and I’m glad he gave me that push. We’ve gotten to see Baby Nelson since she was just a small cluster of cells and it’s hard to believe that that tiny little miracle embryo is now kicking me as I write this. (She kicks even more when I eat pizza.) Thank you so much for your kind words and support. It truly means a lot. :)

Maternity Style

I have been wearing my normal clothes for the majority of my pregnancy, but with my waistband starting to feel a little snug, I've started embracing showing off "the bump," and have found a few great maternity wardrobe pieces that I wanted to share on the blog today. A few weekends ago, David and I had to make the long drive to Ikea to return some stuff, so we stopped at a Motherhood Maternity Outlet Store where I found so many amazing pieces.

We live in a small little town and the closest maternity clothing store is 2.5 hours away...so I've also found many of my favorite pieces online or at Target. My friend and coworker introduced me to Pink Blush, which I've quickly fallen in love with. What I love about them is that many of their pieces can be worn before, during, and after pregnancy-and their models show what it looks like either way. Below are 10 of my favorite maternity wardrobe pieces:

Here are 10 of my absolute favorite pieces!

1. Ivory Floral Striped Colorblock Maternity Top from Pink Blush - I actually got the Fuschia top (#2) first, but loved it so much that I had to get the floral one as well. I love the raglan sleeve, and this top can definitely be worn pregnant or not. I love wearing it with black leggings or skinny jeans.
2. Fuscia Striped Colorblock Maternity Top from Pink Blush - You can see what it looks like on a non-pregnant model vs. a pregnant model (#1). I don't usually wear bright colors (like hot pink) but something about the raglan sleeve makes it so fun. 
3. Keyhole Side Ruched Maternity Tee Striped from Motherhood Maternity - This top is so comfortable and flattering that I got it in black/white and black/blue. The back has a fun little keyhole, and the elbow-sleeve makes it perfect for spring or summer.
4. Jessica Simpson Back Interest Maternity T-shirt from Motherhood Maternity - I haven't found a maternity T-shirt I've liked until I tried on this one. Jessica Simpson makes some really cute maternity clothes for Motherhood Maternity . This T-shirt has a really fun back detail and is super soft. I can't wait to wear it this summer. I got it in black and light blue.
5. Heavy-Knit Shift Dress from Old Navy - This isn't actually a maternity dress, but it's one of my favorites and I have it in 3 different colors! The material is thick and forgiving, and I wore this dress so much during the first trimester. People never even realized I was pregnant! In the fall and winter, I wore it with tights and boots and in the spring I've worn it bare-legged with flats.
6. Liz Lange Maternity Over the Belly Distressed Jeggings from Target - I had given up on maternity jeans until I discovered these. Everything I tried on was too big in the waist until I realized that even though my bump was still small, an "over-the-belly" style worked better for me than "under-the-belly" or "side-panel" options. The latter two are always too big/loose for me in the waist/belly area, but the "over-the-belly" option works because you can wear it folded over (when your bump is still small) or pulled up (when your bump is bigger and needs the support). I love the distressing detail on these jeans!
7. Liz Lange Maternity Under the Belly Ponte Pant from Target - "Under-the-belly" can also work too. I found these ponte pants on clearance and couldn't pass them up. They feel like leggings, but are ponte pants, so they're much thicker and are suitable to wear for work.
8. BeMaternity by Ingrid & Isabel Seamless Belly Black Legging from Target - I've been mainly wearing my normal favorite leggings, but the high waistband has gotten a little tight, so I searched for a pair of comparable maternity leggings and found these. These are great because you can also fold the waistband over or pull it up. 
9. Side Ruched Maternity Dress from Motherhood Maternity - When I was at Motherhood Maternity, the sales lady insisted I try on this dress even though I wasn't looking for dresses. I tried it on in two patterns and instantly fell in love. The ruching is great because it grows with your bump, but I anticipate being able to wear this when I'm not pregnant too. I wore this striped pattern with a denim jacket yesterday and our admin. asst. kept telling me how cute I was.
10. Royal Damask Bottom Maternity Maxi Dress from Pink Blush - I love this dress! I got it just before we left for our Babymoon and luckily my seamstress was able to hem it for me before we left that weekend. This can be worn pregnant or not, and it's just so eye-catching! I get compliments every time I wear it.