Must-Haves for the Expecting Mama

Every woman’s pregnancy journey is a unique experience.

Some women crave the stereotypical menu of pickles and ice cream, and some women crave lemons (like me!). Some women experience back pain, and others have bursts of energy that enable them to have great workout sessions. Some women take up yoga, and some are put on bedrest. Some women have terrible morning sickness, and some women never even experience a moment of nausea. Whatever the experience, the end result is a bundle of joy.

I genuinely consider my pregnancy experience a positive one. I did have very bad back pain towards the final weeks, and I did suffer with heartburn. However, my morning sickness was quite minimal, and I was able to keep my energy levels decently high considering growing a human in my body.

Overall, I didn’t mind being pregnant. My labor and delivery are an entirely different story, but being pregnant allowed me to see how awesome the female body is and how much it is capable of doing. With all of that said, there were a few things I believed help make those 10 months easier. I made a small list and posted it below. Let me know what you think, and please let me know what worked for you during your pregnancy journey!

• Boppy Multi-use Total Body Pillow with Washable Slipcover 

This pillow was an absolute lifesaver after my belly started to grow. A good night’s rest is hard while pregnant because between insomnia, overheating, and a huge belly it is hard to get comfortable. This pillow had the perfect support for my growing belly and allowed me to sleep well during all the trimesters. It curves perfectly to your body to accommodate your head, belly, and legs all simultaneously. Further, the cover zips right off and was super easy to clean!

I would highly recommend this pillow for any expecting mamas who are looking for better sleep. I also found this pillow great for the weeks following labor. Now, I do warn everyone, my dog also loved this pillow so be sure to hide it during the day when you’re not using it!

• Nature’s Truth Essential Oils

I recently wrote a blog post about health and beauty products that I use daily. I started using essential oils as an alternative to medicines such as melatonin for a more natural remedy to things such as sleep issues. I wanted to avoid unnecessary medicines whenever possible. As I just mentioned, my sleep schedule while pregnant was insane. I found that this essential oil was great to help me relax before bed. I would put a few drops in a diffuser or rub some of the oil right under my nose.

I still use the essential oil to this day because I enjoyed it that much. It had become a part of my bedtime routine. Before becoming pregnant I was super skeptical about essential oils but they really do work for some things!

• Palmer’s Cocoa Butter 

I tried being proactive immediately to avoid severe stretch marks during pregnancy. Unfortunately, as my doctor explained, stretch marks are somehow hereditary and cannot really be prevented all together. However, if you’re prone to stretch marks you can help ease the scars.

My doctor recommended this lotion by Palmer’s and I absolutely loved it. It was kind of a heavier lotion, but smelled awesome and kept my skin super smooth. I enjoyed Palmer’s formula so much that I now even use their hand lotion.

• Maternity jeans 

This one probably seems obvious, but honestly it’s very hard not just giving up and wearing leggings all day. I wound up loving maternity jeans even more than leggings and I found them incredibly comfortable — and flattering.

My favorite jeans were these ones  from Isabel Maternity By Ingrid and Isabel at Target. They were only $30, super comfortable, and came in all different wash colors. I also loved how the belly band crossed in the back. It made shirts very flattering.

• Chimes Original Ginger Chews

As I mentioned earlier, I (thankfully!) did not have terrible morning sickness or nausea. However, Chimes Original Ginger Chews helped the few times I did. They are gluten free and vegan, and perfectly spiced just to cut the nausea. Honestly I would up enjoying them so much that I still eat them when I feel like something ginger-y! You can order them on Amazon, or even buy them at stores like Marshall’s.

• Pretty pajamas

Again, this one might seem like an obscure thing to have on the list but hear me out. Just like physical well-being, mental well-being is important during pregnancy. Let’s be honest: there are a lot of times during pregnancy when a woman just doesn’t feel pretty. Your body is changing, sometimes you’re nauseous, your feet are swollen… the list goes onnnnnnnnn.

For me, putting on pretty pajamas made me genuinely feel better. I didn’t feel gross going to bed. My favorite pajamas came from A Pea in the Pod, but I also loved Target’s maternity line.

This was a short list of my pregnancy necessities. I’d love to know what worked for other mothers, so please let me know!