Pregnancy Must Haves
Any friend of mine who gets engaged promptly receives a omg-yay! package from me with a copy of “A Practical Wedding”. That book was great in centering my planning on our relationship and marriage versus shiny things and who should have to sit next to cousin Ken*.
*Cousin Ken’s name has been changed to protect the innocent yet annoying.
Now any friend who gets pregnant promptly receives a omg-yay! package plus “Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn”. Our doula loaned us this book and its eased our fears and informed/empowered us more so than the other books we bought.
Beyond that book, here are a few other must-haves (for me) that I’d recommend:
Clothes
- The BumpStart Motherhood Maternity line
- Old Navy maternity jeans/shorts
- Fitted stretch maternity dresses
- Croc flats
Nothing knocks your confidence while you’re expanding like a HGTV show house than clothes that don’t fit. The BumpStart line at Motherhood Maternity sells sets of plain t-shirts and leggings great for lounging and weekends.
I prefer full panel coverage and Old Navy bottoms continue to stretch over this ever-growing belly of mine better than other brands I’ve tried. It’s sad to admit both that my feet aren’t the size they one were and that I’m enjoying Croc flats as an alternative, but both are true.
Food/Vitamins
- Potato soup
- Apples
- Air popped popcorn
- Luna bars & BelVita bars
- Gummy prenatal chews (no iron) & Bellybar Prenatal Chews
All nausea/food aversions are different. I lived off potato soup, apples, popcorn, Luna bars and occasionally salmon and kale chips. Survival mode is real. BelVita bars became a middle of the night staple when I realized I needed to eat overnight between meals.
I heard iron in prenatal pills can contribute to feeling queasy. I started off taking prenatal gummies with no iron and switched over to Bellybar Chews after my first trimester and had no issues. Looking back I’d do the same thing again.
Tech
- Glow Nurture App
- The Birthful Podcast
- Google Spreadsheets
Out of the bazillion pregnancy apps and podcasts I tried I liked Glow Nurture and The Birthful Podcast the best. Glow Nurture tells you baby’s size plus provides updates on what’s going on with you and baby each week. Though I struggle with the host’s voice, The Birthful Podcast goes into depth with experts on interesting topics where as so many other pregnancy podcasts felt vague and basic.
Similar to wedding planning I used Google Spreadsheets to organize what we needed to do, research, plan and purchase each month before baby’s due date. This was a lifesaver in keeping Ben and I aligned and saved me lots of crap-should-I-be-researching-daycares-or-baby-proofing-the-house-this-weekend!? headaches.
Workout
- Stretch bands
- Yoga blocks
- Exercise ball
- Walking
I ran, biked and yoga’ed until all got to a point where they were more painful than helpful. After that I’ve been lifting light free weights and going on long and slow frequent walks. I’ve found a couple workout videos online geared toward pregnancy that I’ve enjoyed and the stretches at Spinning Babies are great too.
Comfort
- Lemon
- Big Bubba
- Dolphin massager
- Warm showers
I drank lots of lemon water in first trimester to help with feeling nauseous—and not going to lie, in a very desperate moment I sat on the couch sniffing a bottle of lemon essential oil.
The thirst I’ve experienced in third trimester is insane. I recently upgraded my large water bottle for an extra large probably half-gal bottle I call the “Big Bubba”. A large bottle is a must to prevent getting up for refills all the time, as is a straw so you can sip laying down.
A little plastic dolphin massager my brother gave to me has become my new best friend. Ben will use this on my back almost nightly and it goes a long way in helping ease my pain and in getting me to sleep.
*Cousin Ken’s name has been changed to protect the innocent yet annoying.
Now any friend who gets pregnant promptly receives a omg-yay! package plus “Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn”. Our doula loaned us this book and its eased our fears and informed/empowered us more so than the other books we bought.
Beyond that book, here are a few other must-haves (for me) that I’d recommend:
Clothes
- The BumpStart Motherhood Maternity line
- Old Navy maternity jeans/shorts
- Fitted stretch maternity dresses
- Croc flats
Nothing knocks your confidence while you’re expanding like a HGTV show house than clothes that don’t fit. The BumpStart line at Motherhood Maternity sells sets of plain t-shirts and leggings great for lounging and weekends.
I prefer full panel coverage and Old Navy bottoms continue to stretch over this ever-growing belly of mine better than other brands I’ve tried. It’s sad to admit both that my feet aren’t the size they one were and that I’m enjoying Croc flats as an alternative, but both are true.
Food/Vitamins
- Potato soup
- Apples
- Air popped popcorn
- Luna bars & BelVita bars
- Gummy prenatal chews (no iron) & Bellybar Prenatal Chews
All nausea/food aversions are different. I lived off potato soup, apples, popcorn, Luna bars and occasionally salmon and kale chips. Survival mode is real. BelVita bars became a middle of the night staple when I realized I needed to eat overnight between meals.
I heard iron in prenatal pills can contribute to feeling queasy. I started off taking prenatal gummies with no iron and switched over to Bellybar Chews after my first trimester and had no issues. Looking back I’d do the same thing again.
Tech
- Glow Nurture App
- The Birthful Podcast
- Google Spreadsheets
Out of the bazillion pregnancy apps and podcasts I tried I liked Glow Nurture and The Birthful Podcast the best. Glow Nurture tells you baby’s size plus provides updates on what’s going on with you and baby each week. Though I struggle with the host’s voice, The Birthful Podcast goes into depth with experts on interesting topics where as so many other pregnancy podcasts felt vague and basic.
Similar to wedding planning I used Google Spreadsheets to organize what we needed to do, research, plan and purchase each month before baby’s due date. This was a lifesaver in keeping Ben and I aligned and saved me lots of crap-should-I-be-researching-daycares-or-baby-proofing-the-house-this-weekend!? headaches.
Workout
- Stretch bands
- Yoga blocks
- Exercise ball
- Walking
I ran, biked and yoga’ed until all got to a point where they were more painful than helpful. After that I’ve been lifting light free weights and going on long and slow frequent walks. I’ve found a couple workout videos online geared toward pregnancy that I’ve enjoyed and the stretches at Spinning Babies are great too.
Comfort
- Lemon
- Big Bubba
- Dolphin massager
- Warm showers
I drank lots of lemon water in first trimester to help with feeling nauseous—and not going to lie, in a very desperate moment I sat on the couch sniffing a bottle of lemon essential oil.
The thirst I’ve experienced in third trimester is insane. I recently upgraded my large water bottle for an extra large probably half-gal bottle I call the “Big Bubba”. A large bottle is a must to prevent getting up for refills all the time, as is a straw so you can sip laying down.
A little plastic dolphin massager my brother gave to me has become my new best friend. Ben will use this on my back almost nightly and it goes a long way in helping ease my pain and in getting me to sleep.