My Pregnancy Essentials

Hello world and happy Tuesday! As of yesterday, I'm 34 weeks along. I'm definitely feeling third trimester exhaustion, as well as aches and pains. It's kind of amazing how our bodies adapt to these rapid changes. I was just talking with my husband about everything hurting, and that it's no wonder since my body is holding an extra 30+ pounds and is off balance. Don't even get me started on the hormones!

At this point, I feel like I've had a pretty typical pregnancy- so I thought it could help other pregnant ladies (especially early on) to list some products and general tips on what I've found helpful. I'm going to try to do this based on when things started happening in my pregnancy.

First Trimester:

Prenatal Vitamins.

As soon as you find out you're pregnant, you need to start taking prenatal vitamins. If you aren't pregnant yet but are trying, start taking them now, too! I tried a few different kinds. I tried 2 different pill kinds, and the chewy ones. I ended up giving my chewy ones to Kayla because they left a bad taste in my mouth and did not help with my nausea, but she loved them. I ended up sticking with these ones from Nature Made (which they sell at Costco!):

Quick tip: if you have morning sickness, try taking your prenatal at night before bed.

Books.

I only bought What to Expect When You're Expecting, and it has been super helpful for this first time Mom. It's also fun to read how your baby is progressing. You could also start looking at baby books, some include parts to fill out while you're pregnant. I picked up this one by Amy Krouse.

Hard/sour candies.

Think Skittles and Sour Patch Kids. I tried these to help with my nausea. They helped a little bit, and were definitely tasty! Give them a go if you're experiencing nausea during the day. They also sell ginger candies, which might help, too.

Anti-nausea meds.

These ended up being a life saver for me! I know some Moms want to avoid any medication at all when pregnant, but at this point it was either take these meds or not eat. I'd rather my baby get food. I'd lost weight in my first 12 weeks, and I really didn't have too much to lose. These were my last resort, but were so so amazing. Ask your doctor if you think you might need medication to help with your nausea, though my doctor suggested them very early on. I took Ondansetron, which are little tablets that dissolve on your tongue.

Stretch Mark Lotion/Cream.

Now is a good time to start putting on lotion to help prevent stretch marks. I also had some pretty dry skin, and this helped with that too. I've used a mixture of Palmer's Cocoa Butter for Stretch Marks (found at Target) and The Body Shop's Coconut Butter (found at Ulta). From what I've heard, if you're going to get stretch marks, you're going to get them. The lotion does help, though. I'm very prone to stretch marks and I've gotten only a few so far. We will see how the rest of pregnancy pans out.

Second Trimester:
Maternity Clothes.
I found almost all of mine at Ross or Target. Ross actually had the best selection, and the best prices. I found myself wearing 3 different pairs of Maternity jeans a lot. They all had a full panel, which I found to be the most comfortable. The larger I've gotten, the less I've worn the jeans, though. As for shirts, go ahead a buy some actual maternity shirts. They are made to flatter your bump, and actually fit correctly. You can definitely get away with wearing normal shirts, but they aren't always long enough or hug your bump the right way.

As I've gotten farther along, I've been wearing a lot more skirts and dresses. Baby must be sitting lower, so anything with a band or tightness around the base of my belly is uncomfortable. Think maxi skirts and dresses!

Pillows.
Toward the end of my second trimester, I began getting extremely uncomfortable at night. I have to sleep semi-propped up because of heartburn, and then on my side. I use 2 small pillows on either side of me to prop under my belly to give support. I also prop the one on my other side under my back a little bit.

Tums.
I hate heartburn. It has just been getting worse the farther I go. I bought 2 of the big bottles from Costco, and it helps to always have some handy. It's hard to eat anything if you're feeling like all of your food from several hours ago is just sitting there. I also have tried the chewy tums, and really like them. These are awesome for keeping in your purse.

Heating pad.

Got some severe back pain? Try a heating pad. Works really well. You could also try a warm bath or massage from your hubby. :)

Nursing/Breast Pads.

Yep. A super lovely part of pregnancy. I think I started leaking before I even got to 20 weeks. I was thankful I had a few of these already, but I've almost gone through 2 boxes at this point. Might be a good idea to get some of these, just in case. 

Third Trimester:

Liners and Wet Wipes.

Speaking of pads. Keep some panty liners handy. You may notice more discharge than normal. Also, wet wipes make you feel a bit more fresh... tmi? 

Nightlights.

Maybe you should do this earlier on. But you're going to be making lots of pee trips in the night. Invest in a few night lights to get you from your bed to the bathroom without having to flip any switches.

Comfy shoes.

At this point, your feet will be hurting. Probably from extra weight. The bottoms of my feet kill me after standing for hardly any time at all. I picked up a pair of memory foam flip flops, and they are HEAVEN. I wish I would have gotten them sooner. Here is a similar pair.

And, I think that's it! Obviously pregnancy is different for everyone, and you may find that you don't need some of these things, or you may need more. 

I hope you all are doing very well! Thank you so much for your support, we really appreciate it. Talk to you all soon,

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