My Top 10 Pregnancy Must Haves!

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!

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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!
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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!