I cannot believe I'm 28 weeks into this pregnancy, and now into the third and final trimester. This pregnancy is going by so fast! Back in July, I created a list of essentials I couldn't have lived without during the first trimester. So I thought I'd create a similar list for the second trimester - things have definitely changed in these last few weeks!

Longline Vest Tops - These have been my wardrobe staple over the last few months for a number of reasons. Firstly, they are long enough to stretch over my ever growing bump as well as my bum (perfect as leggings have been my bottoms of choice too!). They're also easy and cheap to pick up in stores such as Primark, and fingers crossed they'll last throughout the last few weeks of this pregnancy too!

Deep Freeze Pain Relief Patches - I have been suffering from back pain from quite early on in this pregnancy, so these have been perfect. They're drug free and oh so easy to just pop on, making them great for pregnancy aches and pains.

Theraline Nursing and Maternity Pillow - Thankfully sleep hasn't been too bad at the moment, but maybe that's because of this bad boy. I was kindly sent the Original Theraline Nursing Pillow to try and it's been perfect for helping me comfortable at night. The filling means it can be moulded into whatever shape you desire while still being stable. It's really lightweight too, so I don't feel as if it's a burden to have in bed with Jack and I.

Maternity / Nursing Bras - I've actually been in nursing / maternity bras from very early on, but most people find they don't need to until the second trimester (especially as your breasts grow and change so much in those first fews weeks). I cannot believe I stuck with underwire bras in my first pregnancy - maternity bras are life!

Bubble Baths - As I've got bigger, and everything has been busy growing and stretching during the second trimester, an evening bubble bath has been just what I've needed! Adding a cheeky Lush bath bomb or bubble bar of course makes it 100x better too.

Love Your Bump Bando - Although I did have to buy quite a bit of maternity wear this time around, I did manage to stay in lots of my pre-pregnancy clothing with the help of my Bando. Made of seamless, stretchy material, the Bando is fab for covering the gap between your bottoms and your tops as well as giving bump a bit of support too! I was kindly sent the white version, but it comes in black too.

I'm so excited to experience these last few weeks of pregnancy, especially as this is most likely going to be my last! I'll of course write up my third trimester essentials when the time comes though.

What were / are your second trimester essentials?

I received some of these products in exchange for my review. All opinions are honest and my own

Easing Back Pain in Pregnancy with the Help of Deep Freeze

I am now 25 weeks pregnant with our third little bump, another beautiful girly who we are so excited to meet when January comes around! The third (and thankfully final) trimester is so close now, and I have to admit things are quickly becoming tougher. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love being pregnant! The kicks, hearing the heartbeat and preparing all of those teeny tiny newborn clothes. But pregnancy for me also comes with some not so enjoyable symptoms.

The biggest one that I've suffered through all three of my pregnancies now, is back ache. It starts off as a dull ache in the background, but quickly becomes something that really affects my day. I'm now suffering terribly, and with a preschooler and a whirlwind toddler to look after throughout the day, it's tough!

Apparently I'm not alone though, and a staggering 98% of expectant mothers will suffer from muscular back pain at some stage during their pregnancy*. This is usually down to a number of factors such as additional weigh, body changes and I know I've personally suffered more since having an epidural during my first labour.

There aren't many things you can take during pregnancy to ease aches and pains, but thankfully Deep Freeze have your back (excuse the pun!), when it comes to muscular back pain. Applying their Pain Relief Cold Gel or one of their Pain Relief Cold Patches, can provide fast-acting cooling relief to the affected area of the back. What's better is their both drug-free, so you don't have to worry about any harm coming to you or baby.

I've found the Pain Relief Patches so handy to use recently, especially as I can pop one one and quickly continue with whatever it is I'm doing. The relief is instant and there's no mess, which is ideal when you have other little ones around. They last for up to 3 hours as well - although I found they did need replacing sooner when the pain is particularly bad.

I'm hoping with the help of these products, and by trying to relax as much as possible over these last few weeks of pregnancy, I can keep my back ache at least to a minimum. And thankfully these products are perfect for breastfeeding afterwards too, so I'll definitely be keeping them close by!

*Research carried out on behalf of Deep Freeze in March 2013

I am a member of the Mumsnet Bloggers Panel, a group of parent bloggers who have volunteered to review products, services, events and brands for Mumsnet. I have not paid for the product or to attend an event. I have editorial control and retain full editorial integrity. [I have received a voucher as a token of thanks for this post

18 Week Pregnancy Update | Baby #2

Hello 18 weeks baby boy! You're now the size of a sweet potato and have grown to around 5.6 inches, weighing 6.7 ounces! You are now kicking, flexing, reaching and maybe even sucking your thumb (although I kinda hope not that one, I don't want you to be a thumb sucker like I was haha).

This week has been a rough one if I'm honest; pregnancy the second time around is definitely a whole lot harder! I'm still waiting for the 'glow' to arrive. Although I've been blessed with red, dry skin and dull awful hair instead... lucky me!

Sleeping has been pretty rough too. I'm finding it so hard to get comfortable and even when I do I'm tossing and turning constantly. I really need to get myself a pregnancy pillow but just keep forgetting to do it.

My back has been bloody awful this week too, as have my hips. If I stand for too long at work they really begin to ache and I have to sit down. I managed to make it until 30ish week last time before I had to sit down more, so this is definitely unexpected. On Thursday I carried Indiana way too much and too far and my back is paying me back for it now. On Friday just sitting up or moving left me in SO much pain. I'm off to town today to invest in a bump support band to see if that helps at all.