Name: Amanda Goetz

Neighborhood: Upper West Side

Occupation: Director of Marketing, The Knot

Baby’s Sex: It’s a boy!

How would you describe your pregnant style? This is my third baby in the past 3.5 years (!!!), so I’ve been able to add to my pregnancy wardrobe with each new bump. I love maternity jeans (white, denim, black) with a cute top. I have learned over the years that form-fitting tops and dresses that hug the bump are more flattering because you can see that there is an actual end to my belly.

Have you had any challenges learning to dress your body during this pregnancy? This is my third pregnancy, and I got very big, very fast. In fact, I was showing as early as 6 weeks! I remember my doctor telling me not to tell people until I hit 12 weeks, but unfortunately I started getting a lot of weird looks way before then. Since I knew I would be looking pregnant for a lot longer than for my first two pregnancies, I found it more important than ever to figure out how to still feel cute in maternity clothes. Also, with my last two pregnancies, I was at my biggest during the heat of the summer. This time around, it has still been relatively cool during my last few weeks, and my maternity jeans are getting more snug by the day.

So far, what has surprised you most during your pregnancy? This pregnancy has been the hardest on my body and everything feels stronger and earlier this time around. I love to workout and feel strong throughout my pregnancy, but I am finding it harder to do a lot of the things I love given my size. I find that my back hurts a lot more this time around, and my braxton hicks contractions started at around 28 weeks and continue to get more intense each week. Oh, and the round ligament pains!

What are you most looking forward to sharing with your baby? I am so excited to watch how my older two daughters (3.5 and 1.5) will interact with him. I have loved raising two girls and honestly didn’t think I would ever have a boy but, now that he is on his way, I find myself really looking forward to learning about that special mother-son bond that my friends tell me about. Plus, this is most likely our last baby, so I am looking forward to just soaking up all the cuddles and living in the moment — no matter how chaotic or sleep-deprived or non-showered that moment is.

image 4202 Motherly

What’s your top 5 registry essentials? Since this is my third baby, I didn’t create a registry but definitely had a few items that needed to be added or refreshed. I picked out a few new boy clothes from baby Gap and H&M, new pacifiers, a new sound machine and an air purifier. Also, recovery is no joke, and I feel like no one really warns you about it. This time around I bought myself some new cute pajamas so I have something to make me feel a little better during those first few weeks.

Here are a few other things I can’t live without: