Mom's To Be Listen Up....
I wish that someone handed me a list like this when I was expecting but they didn't. I had to figure out for myself what were some "must have" items for my pregnancy. All of us are different and what floats my boat won't float yours, but these items listed below helped me a lot. I would highly recommend adding some of them to your shopping cart if your gearing up for pregnancy or in the midst of it.
Peppermint Tea - Everyone kept telling me to drink ginger tea when I was sick in the beginning, but I just couldn't stomach the ginger no matter how hard I tried. I went for peppermint tea instead. I would drink it first thing in the morning and also in the evenings. My morning sickness was actually more like an all the time sickness for the first 14 weeks. This came in handy when nothing else would work for me. Keep in mind once the baby gets here I will be staying away from peppermint because it dries out your milk supply so don't plan to drink it while breastfeeding.
Hard Candy - This was my saving grace during the first trimester. I literally ate an entire tin in one day sometimes when the nausea was bad. I loved these ones because they were organic but also because of the sour taste they had. For some reason it really settled my stomach. You can order them from Amazon but to be honest I got mine at Cracker Barrel. They started to know me I was coming in to buy it so often. HA HA. But for real, I ate a lot of tins of this stuff. My favorite flavor was the raspberry and myer lemon. Lots of flavor options to pick from though.
I have really enjoyed using Beachbody On Demand as an option during the pregnancy because lets be honest some days I just don't feel like certain workouts. I have been doing a lot of the yoga from the yoga studio, especially in the second and third trimester. During my first trimester I did 21 day fix and also Country Heat. They were perfect for that time in the pregnancy. There are also a few maternity workouts you can do based on the trimester you are in. It's been nice to have options so that I can have a "fit" and healthy pregnancy. I used the meal plans and portion control containers from the programs the entire pregnancy. Working hard to eat clean and stay on track this time around.
This one was a struggle for me. I went back and forth about having one. I wanted one, but I was worried I wouldn't be able to find the heartbeat and then FREAK out. Having a miscarriage prior to this pregnancy made me super uneasy and nervous about heartbeats. I had a few in my Amazon cart but then one day a friend dropped hers off to borrow. I was almost afraid to turn the thing on but it ended up being a huge piece of mind for all of the first and some of the second trimester. I would listen to her daily. I haven't used it in awhile now because I feel her move so often, but it was a great piece of mind. Some will tell you not to get it but I say go for it momma. If it makes you feel better, get one.
Okay this one I debated and debated. Around the second trimester I started to struggle with my sleep. I knew I needed a body pillow but was overwhelmed by which one to pick. There were so many to pick from. Popular choice lead me to the SNOOGLE. Let's just say my husband hates it and I am obsessed. It's massive but has helped me get a better nights sleep for a few months now. I hope you have a big bed though because it's going to take up most of it.
Frozen Dark Cherries - Okay I literally eat these every single day. We cannot keep them in stock at our house. Each night before bed I eat a bowl of frozen dark cherries. At first it was a craving but now has turned into a habit. I feel okay eating them though because of the fiber that they contain and also because cherries can actually help you with sleep. At this stage in the game I could use all the help I can get so cherries it is! Try them! Be sure to get the pitted ones. I buy mine at Wegmans in the freezer section.
I know, I know stretch marks are genetic you are either going to get them or your not. I have heard it all but guys I still wanted to do my own prevention JUST IN CASE. I didn't really get very many when I had my son but carrying a girl is a totally different ball game. It's game on with the creams for me. I used the honest belly balm the first trimester and some of the second but around December I switched to the Basq brand. I like it best. I am using the cream and the oil twice a day. Ask me in May if it was worth the effort and money. That's to be determined. I love the smell of it though. I hated the smell of the honest stuff. Yuck!
Okay I don't know what it is, but being pregnant gives me heartburn. I never have it unless there is a bun in the oven. When I have it - look out. It's like I ate fire. I had it during both pregnancies really bad. My cure is this heartburn tea. I literally can't live without it. I order mine off of Amazon because it's hit or miss in stores and I can't risk running out of it. If you have ANY heartburn or are worried that you will, snag a box of this stuff. It's gold.
I am ready to learn how to baby wear this time around. I didn't for my first, but think I am going to have to the second time around here. So far I have purchased the solly baby wrap and am planning to get a few ring slings for the newborn phases. I have been having horrible muscle burns near the top of my belly each day the bigger I get. That lead me to learn that you can actually use the wraps as a belly wrap to ease of the of weight and pressure. More to come on that as I am new to it but stay tuned. Regardless get yourself some kind of support brace or band. After about 20 weeks it starts to get really heavy to carry around each day.
You will hear mixed opinions on this. Some people brag about how they made it 10 months wearing all of their normal clothes and never bought maternity. I say ummm good for you, but no thanks. I already feel uncomfortable enough, the last thing I want to be doing it trying to squeeze into all of my regular clothes. I have always been a size zero so any belly or "growth" grew me right out of my clothes. Plus I was proud of the bump excited to shop at the maternity stores. Am I sick of "ruched" shirts and stripes? Of course but it's temporary. My advice is to BUY it ALL if you can. The underwear, the pajamas, the bras, the dresses, the leggings, jeans, tops you name it. If you can swing it get it. I feel so much better in it and honestly will still be in it for a few months after having the baby. I had a lot from my first pregnancy but the seasons were off so I had to do some shopping again this time around. Comfort and confidence is key here. I promise you will get lots of use out of it and when you are done with it you can pass it along to a friend or sell it. I shopped a lot at Motherhood Maternity, Target has some stuff and I also really loved ASOS maternity and PINK BLUSH Maternity if you want to "glam it up."
Wishing you all the best for your pregnancy! Comment below if you have any great brands or products that I should try that has helped you during pregnancy.
Disclaimer - nobody paid me to feature these brands on there. I am just spreading the love and sharing what has worked for me so the opinion isn't biased if you were wondering.
Stay tuned for a post in a few short months about what I will be taking in my hospital bag for baby number two. I will also be doing a post about what newborn items I couldn't live without this time around. It's crazy how things change in a few short years. So much new stuff since I did this last time. It's been fun to do some shopping!
