10 Must Have Items If You're Pregnant
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Up first – a full body pregnancy pillow. Total necessity. I am a stomach sleeper – but you can’t be a when you’re growing a human. So in order to sleep comfortably on my side, I had to have a pregnancy pillow. Now, there are bad pillows out there – I’ve made some ill Amazon purchases (thank goodness for free returns) but I did like this one that I got during my second pregnancy. I got one pretty much right away and used it the whole 9 months. If you don’t want an extra expense, you could just place an extra pillow between your knees but I personally loved that it wrapped around and gave my back support as well (your back will thank you during that third trimester).
I loooooooooved these. I have to wear shorts under skirts and dresses. My mother instilled it in me since I was itty bitty. I was determined to find some good shapewear so I could wear dresses this last pregnancy. Then I found the Belevation Maternity Shapewear, thank you Amazon. I was super skeptical at first, even after reading the amazing reviews. But they were super comfortable and gave my belly support without being too tight or too loose. I wish I would have found these with my first pregnancy!
Antacids
At some point in your pregnancy, you’ll probably deal with heartburn or acid reflux. I would mainly get it at night before bed or wake up from it so I kept a bottle of Tums on my nightstand. Make sure to grab a flavor you like – I accidentally grabbed the Tropical Fruit flavor one time (insert sick emoji) and I had to not breath every time I took them – I couldn’t handle the smell!
Prenatal Vitamins
These might be obvious but I figured I would list them anyways! I had really bad morning sickness from day one and lasted well into my pregnancy (and even came back in the third trimester), so I took gummy prenatals. Way easier to eat then try to swallow a pill – especially prenatals, they are usually big. Unless your doctor stated otherwise, definitely start taking a prenatal and if you plan to breastfeed, continue taking them until you stop!
Hydrating Lotion
Keeping the skin well hydrated during your pregnancy will help prevent stretch marks. Drink plenty of water and apply lotion to your belly (and hips). While it may not prevent them entirely, it will help! Exercise will also help because it improves circulation in your body (it can also help with swelling ankles). I used Mary Kay’s Shea Lotion during pregnancy which moisturizes for 24 hours – give me all the hydration – and it has Vitamin E which supports new skin cell growth. I also used the Shea Scrub about every other day and Shea Wash all throughout pregnancy #2 and I felt less itchy then my first. Exfoliating gets rid of dead skin cells promoting new skin cells and the Shea Wash is very moisturizing. So I highly suggest exfoliating and moisturizing your belly too!
Belly Band
This was SO helpful when I was pregnant with James (my first). I got this one from Amazon. As your belly gets bigger, it starts to put more pressure on your back and pelvic. So a belly band will support the belly and take weight off of the rest of your body which should give you some relief!
Exercise Ball
I almost forgot how much I loved this during my first pregnancy. Sitting hurt, standing hurt, walking hurt, everything hurt. I sat or laid down a lot during my first pregnancy – like did not leave the house unless I had to because I was in so much pain. But during the third trimester, I definitely got good use out of the exercise ball. If I couldn’t find a comfortable position (and when I was trying to induce labor), I would sit on this and just rock side to side, front to back, or do a gentle bounce. It helped ease a little bit of the pain!
PS: It did not help me start labor. He was extremely stubborn and did not want to come out! I was induced at 42 weeks.
Stretchy Pants
Give me stretchy everything! During my first pregnancy, I pretty much wore my regular clothes. I bought two pairs of maternity shorts and that’s it. I wore my regular tops, bras, dresses, etc. But lived in my husbands t-shirts and my old cheer shorts when I was at home. Now, my second pregnancy I practically bought a whole new wardrobe cause nothing fit! I have at least 8 maternity tees, two pairs of maternity jeans, two maternity dresses, and could only wore two pairs of shoes – these comfy slip-ons and flip flops. Target and Motherhood Maternity were my go to stores. But getcha some comfy clothes. The first trimester, you may deal with morning sickness. The second trimester, you’re starting to show. And by the third trimester, you’re achy, tired, swollen feet, big belly, you’re energy is running low, and you’ll definitely want those stretchy pants.
Snacks, snacks, and more snacks
That first trimester, you couldn’t even say “food” without me running to the bathroom. Ugh, I had the worst morning sickness with both boys! But even then, I kept snacks with me. My go-to food items were crackers and pretzels. Then as the pregnancy went on and I could finally eat again, I was always hungry so keep something in your purse or diaper bag or at your desk that you can munch on throughout the day. Easy things like granola bars, apples, or trail mix.
