Must Have Pregnancy Products You Don’t Want to Go Without!
Pregnancy is such an incredible time in a woman’s life. While it’s beautiful to know you’re growing a precious baby inside of you, it isn’t always rainbows and butterflies the entire 9 months. I’ve compiled a list of my favorite items to ensure your pregnancy goes as smoothly as possible and can be an enjoyable experience for you!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products I own and love, as well as those I highly recommend. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases when you click on the links at no additional cost to you.
Pregnancy Pillow
When I found out I was pregnant with our second child, I couldn’t get my pregnancy pillow out of the guest room closet fast enough! I was so excited to have an excuse to start sleeping with it again, and honestly I think my husband couldn’t wait to start stealing it also. I was working nightshift while pregnant with our first baby ( a true July 2020 covid baby), and I’d always find him curled up on my side of the bed with the pillow when I’d get home from work in the mornings. They’re seriously amazing, and as your belly gets larger and heavier they’ll help provide incredible support for both your belly and your back as well as your pelvis. There are a few different shapes and styles to choose from, so it’s really what works best for you.
If wanting a large C shape, I’d recommend the one I have by Pharmedoc. Because it wraps all the way around your body, you’ll find support for both head/neck, belly, back and pelvis. The U shape of this Momcozy pillow again provides full body comfort with a little more support in the back than other styles. If you’re wanting something a little smaller and more portable, the wedge style by Hiccapop is perfect.
Insulated Water Cup
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), you should consume 8 to 12 cups (64 to 96) ounces of water daily. Drinking water and proper hydration not only help to form the amniotic fluid around your baby, but it also helps nutrients circulate in your body, prevents constipation and hemorrhoids as well as supports your baby’s circulation.
I recommend getting yourself an insulated water bottle to help make chugging all this water a little more enjoyable. The Stanley cups are all the rage right now, and for good reason. If those are a little out of the price range you’re wanting to spend, I highly recommend the Iron Flask. I personally have one and absolutely loved how it kept my water icy cold throughout my entire 12 hour shift.
Supportive Nursing/Maternity Bra
Your belly isn’t the only thing growing during pregnancy. The girls will be bumping up a size or 2 as well. Set your cute, underwire bras aside during this time and aim for a maternity/nursing friendly bra to provide the correct amount of coverage and support while not placing any pressure on your breast tissue. The difference between maternity and nursing bras is that nursing bras have clasps that allow for easy nursing or pumping access. The investment of a supportive bra during pregnancy is well worth the money spent. With my first baby I took the cheaper route when it came to supporting the ladies, and it became my #1 must have investment when finding out I was pregnant with our second baby. Kindred Braverly is the brand I’ve been using with my second baby, and I’m blown away by the comfort, soft fabric and ease of nursing/pumping access. They offer everything from sleep bras, to hands free pumping bras (my absolute favorite), nursing bras and even t-shirt bras. Treat yourself!
Supportive Maternity Underwear
As your hips widen and you gain the necessary pregnancy weight, you may find your usual underwear isn’t fitting comfortably anymore. Many women love the comfort and support of maternity panties during their pregnancy such as these, made from a soft blended material of 95% cotton and 5% spandex.
Belly Band/Maternity Belt
As your bump continues to grow, you may find yourself experiencing common, but uncomfortable back pain. A maternity belt will provide your lower back and belly with much needed support allowing you to comfortably continue with daily activities, exercise, improve your posture and even provide support during postpartum while your stretched muscles and ligaments heal. Both of these maternity belts and belly bands have outstanding reviews!
Morning Sickness Remedies
Morning sickness, more like 24/7 when is this ever going to stop sickness. The 1st trimester, and even further along, is notorious for this super fun pregnancy symptom. I had it pretty rough with my first baby, and even lost a decent amount of weight in the first half of my pregnancy due to that. I’ll never forget laying in our bedroom upstairs (towels shoved under the crack of the door), throwing up into a trashcan while my husband was in the kitchen cooking homemade split pea soup. I was absolutely miserable and continued to throw up daily until 37 weeks while taking medication. With my second baby, I was on the same medication, but not nearly as sick.
I found a few things super helpful for me the second time around that I’d love to share. Lemon or lime popsicles helped tremendously for me! The tartness did a great job at easing my nausea. I also really loved Pink Stork nausea candies. A similar and widely popular candy are the Preggie Pops. The Pink Stork also makes a delicious morning sickness tea, which I loved drinking over ice. Many women have found Sea Band acupressure wristbands to be helpful in easing their nausea, too.
Belly Butter/Oil
Stretch marks are a sign of the incredible work your body has done to create and grow your baby. They’re caused by tiny tears in the layers of tissue that support your skin, and there’s no proven way to prevent or get rid of them, as genetics are a big playing factor. Moisturizing your skin while it’s stretched over a long period of time is thought to be helpful and beneficial in promoting skin elasticity. As your skin stretches, you may notice your belly becoming increasingly itchy and lotions and butters will help soothe this discomfort. If you’re wanting an oil, Bio Oil is a highly rated top item as its non-greasy, dermatologist recommended and non comedogenic. For a butter, many moms love this creamy 100% organic Glow Organics shea belly butter. You also can’t go wrong with the classic Palmers cocoa butter lotion.
Prenatal Vitamins
Keeping up with the increasing nutritional demands during pregnancy are difficult to do solely on diet alone, which is where prenatal vitamins come into play. They help support you and your babys health and development while filling in any gaps left open from your diet. A little personal tip: take your prenatal vitamin at night before you go to bed to decrease the risk of it upsetting your stomach. Below is a list of recommendations for the best prenatal vitamins available.
- Vegan Friendly Prenatal
- Prenatal Protein Powder
- Prenatal Gummies
- Chewable Prenatals
- Prenatal with DHA
- Prenatal Vitamin Subscription
Yoga Pants
If you haven’t hopped on board the yoga pant train, now is the time. Although pricey, I hands down recommend the Lululemon Align pant for your pregnancy. I wore the same size throughout pregnancy and postpartum as they softly expanded with my growing belly while still offering a gentle support. As I know the aligns may not be realistic for everyones budget, the Buttergene and POSHDIVAH rank high in wonderful reviews to still give you that buttery soft feel while having over the belly support.
Prenatal Yoga/Stretching
Prenatal yoga is full of amazing benefits for our bodies including improving your sleep, reduction in stress and anxiety, and decreasing lower back pain all while increasing the strength and flexibility of the muscles needed for birthing your baby. I highly encourage incorporating some prenatal yoga and stretching into your daily routine. With my second baby, I made a strong effort to end my day with a light stretch or yoga session on You Tube (my husband often would join along, too!) and it felt heavenly to release all of that tension and prep myself for bed both physically and mentally.
Journaling
Journaling is a therapeutic way to express your thoughts and emotions in a safe and healthy space. With both of my pregnancies, I had so much fun journaling in The Belly Book! It’s a 9 month book where you do weekly check ins to add a photo (we used a Polaroid camera), answer questions about your symptoms, what’s going on currently in the world as well as music you’re listening to and any other fun comments you may have each week. Every now and then I’ll grab my books and look through them to relive those special times in my life.
I hope you’ve found this page helpful in creating an enjoyable and smooth pregnancy for yourself. I’d love to hear in the comments below and must haves for your pregnancy, too!