Counting down the days until our little man arrives, I can’t
help to reflect on the past 9 months. It’s hard to believe that very soon I
will be a new mommy, and our lives will be forever changed. With that being
said, there are a few things that I could not have lived without over the past
few months. Please know there are many emotional things I could have listed,
like a loving spouse… great friends… moms who will answer questions without
that judgmental response: “How do you not know this!”. But for those you who just
found out you have a bun in the oven, grab a pen and paper cause this list of things, may come in handy…
My Top 10 Pregnancy Must Haves!
- Snoggle pillow – This bad boy is
essential! I cannot stress how much easier sleep will be if you have one; it
supports you in all the right places and prevents parts of you body from going
numb in the middle of the night and gives you comfort as you get back to sleep…
after your third trip to the bathroom.
- Planner or Organization System –
It seems like moments after people say congratulations, your calendar becomes
flooded with appointments, baby showers, classes… My baby brain can’t think of
the rest. Plus you need a place to centralize your baby-related lists… ahhh
lists. Who to invite, what to register for, who to send thank you cards to,
what you need to do at work and finally… what to pack in the hospital bag. I
was blessed to have teacher friends who introduced me to the amazing ErinCondren Planner last year. I honestly don’t think I would be ready for this
child without it. However, as long as you have a system you can stick to, you
should be good to go.
- Largest Water Bottle With a Straw You
Can Find – I am not kidding. H2O is your new best friend, and having a straw
makes it easier to suck down the ounces you need to keep from feeling nauseas,
breaking out, getting Braxton hicks contractions and just feeling blah. Plus
the straw will come in handy once baby is here, since you will have your hands
full… literally!
- The Belly Band – This accessory is
great. It can help cover the rubber-banded pants early in your pregnancy and
hold them up towards the end. I got two of them, because I liked having color
options. I will say the cheaper ones work, but having that little silicone
strip from the Ingrid and Isabel does wonders.
- Belli Oil – Now at 37 weeks, I
have tried it all… cocoa butter, organic creams, you name it! But this stuff has
a scent and consistency that are both calming and soothing. It honestly feels
like a mini massage when you apply it. Hard to describe, but worth every penny.
I found some on Amazon that was a good savings from what Ulta was charging.
- Tennis Ball – The further along
you get, the more aches and pains you will feel, particularly when sitting for
a long period of time or driving. Now its not uncommon for me to take my yellow
tennis ball and place it behind my middle back while driving, to make my back
stop hurting. This can be done against a wall, down your leg… really wherever
it hurts. Because unfortunately your husband will not always be there to rub
your back.
- Baby Center App – Use the “What to
Expect When you are Expecting” book as door stop. Watch the movie instead. In
this Prego’s opinion, this book is full of way to much information and it’s, well…
scary! The Baby center app gives you little nuggets of information in an easy
to digestible form, like “eat a pregnancy super food” or “get your car seat
installed.” Complete with happy little boxes you can check off, as the day gets
closer. Plus on the days of the weeks you progress, it will prompt you with a
little “Your Baby” recap, complete with what size they are and what’s
developing.
- Pregnancy Spanx – You will want to
wear dresses. They are flattering, you can stretch out non-maternity ones and
they are comfortable. But everyone needs a little smoothing out and support
sometimes.
- Supportive Bras – In between my
first and second trimester, I experienced a lot of upper back pain. Funny thing
was, my bras were now two sizes too small! When I learned this, I was in such
shock, I left my beautiful red leather jacket Travis got me a few years ago in
the Victoria Secret dressing room. After upgrading my over-the-shoulder bolder
holders, the back pain magically disappeared.
- Chiropractor – While I know I said
I would leave “people” off this list, you really need a chiropractor during
pregnancy. Your body is about to go through major changes. Your back, hips,
chest…pretty much everything will need to be adjusted from time to time. Plus, some
chiro’s even have massage therapist on staff… can you say bonus! The amazing
staff at All Star Chiropractic have saved me countless times, and I don’t know
what I would do without them.
Like I said, there are many emotional things I could list
here. I have been extremely lucky to have a sweet, supportive and loving
husband who has been by my side for nine months. I have amazing friends, about
of dozen of who are on the same journey. Not to mention my faith, which has
kept everything in perspective. While I am still eating spicy food, hoping that
will lessen the time between today and the moment I get to meet our little man…
I know God has a plan for his due date.
Wishing you all a beautiful 9 month journey!
