10 Must Have Items for Your Pregnancy
Regardless of if you’re the type of person who loves to plan or frequently flies by the seat of your pants, pregnancy brings about a whole slew of changes that need to be accounted for. You’ll work with your doctor to create a birth plan, decorate a new room, read an overloading amount of informational books, and even start receiving advice from strangers on the street.
It’s a stressful time as you prepare for your bundle of joy, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be fun. Everyone progresses through pregnancy differently, but one thing remains consistent– there are certain things we can’t live without. If you’re new to the game, don’t worry. We’ve put together our all time top 10 must have items for your pregnancy. Enjoy!
1. A Good Prenatal Regime
One of the most important must have items for your pregnancy is a good prenatal regime. If you’re trying to get pregnant, start taking prenatal vitamins as soon as possible. They will help fuel your body with pregnancy-approved vitamins and minerals and create a smoother transition after conception.
If you’re already pregnant, find a good prenatal vitamin that works for you. Certain types or brands of vitamins cause different reactions in everyone and for those of you with sensitive stomachs, this means nausea. Switch the size, type, or brand and find something that is easier to stomach. Talk with your doctor about all of your available options.
2. Comfortable Clothes
Maternity clothes are a pregnant woman’s best friends. The available options have increased exponentially over the years. It’s easy to find fashionable maternity outfits without having to leave any zippers un-zipped.
Get yourself a pair of pregnancy jeans that you love or spend a day creating your own. Either way, maternity jeans will give you an option to leave the house while being comfortable, but without having to resort to old sweatpants.
With that being said, you also need to get a pair of the most comfortable sweat pants you could imagine. Make sure they’re large enough to stretch as you grow with enough room to move around comfortably.
3. A Pregnancy Pillow
If you’ve ever crossed paths with a pregnant woman, you’ve heard all about how her pregnancy pillow has changed her life. That’s probably because it did. Pregnancy pillows, or body pillows, are life saving and will help you get through a full night’s sleep without waking up in discomfort.
This is more important as you move through your pregnancy, since the bigger your belly grows, the harder it is to find a comfortable sleeping position. While you could just use a conglomerate of regular pillows lying around, it’s much easier and comfortable to simply purchase a pregnancy pillow.
The Boppy Pregnancy Pillow is one of the most popular brands and is rated highly across in all categories.
4. Belly Bands
As your belly begins to grow with your new bundle of joy, your back will suffer. The added weight paired with your baby “dropping” farther into the birth canal to prepare for labor will cause vaginal pressure along with aches and pains in your lower body.
Belly bands help redistribute this changing weight and give your body some much needed rest. They work by holding up your belly to relieve pressure on your lower backside and uterine wall. Grab a few at the start of your pregnancy or wait to shop around once your belly gets bigger.
5. Stretch Mark Oil or Lotion
Another side effect of a growing baby-bump is stretch marks. We all have them and they’re nothing to be ashamed of—in fact, now we view them as the marks of a warrior! However, if you want to combat excessive marks and tight skin, make sure you stock up on a high-quality stretch mark oil or lotion.
Rubbing this on your belly morning and night, right from the beginning of pregnancy, will help your skin to stretch and accommodate your growing baby. Your goal isn’t to eliminate stretch marks; it’s to avoid any discomfort that will accompany tight, stretching skin. This comes in the form of uncomfortable itchiness and is not pleasant. Find a safe, high-quality oil or lotion to use daily.
6. Pregnancy-Safe Medicines
Your body is a temple and during pregnancy, whatever you consume, your baby consumes. This means it’s increasingly important to make sure that if you need to take any medications, they are 100% safe for pregnancy. Talk to your doctor in detail about anything you’re currently taking or plan to take in the future.
Some of our favorite pregnancy-approved medications are Sea-Bands. These help to overcome morning sickness and general nausea that accompanies your first trimester.
Tums are another medicine to have in your toolbox. They help combat uncomfortable acid reflux, but sometimes the gassy side effects make it hard to take regularly. If you find yourself suffering from this, try taking Gas X along with your Tums.
You should also talk to your doctor for personal recommendations on how get your heartburn and acid reflux under control. He or she may recommend sticking to a more alkaline-based diet to reduce the amount of acid your body produces from food.
7. Great Shoes
It’s well known that during pregnancy, your feet swell up, grow a size, and hurt to walk on. While not an ideal situation, it’s reality. That’s why it’s essential to get yourself a great pair of comfortable shoes to accommodate pregnancy feet. Some women’s feet shrink back after pregnancy, others don’t. So just look at this as an investment that will keep giving you returns long after you need them.
To get the most out of your new shoes, find a pair that has good support for your arches and ankles, will expand a little, are comfortable for you, and that aren’t completely hideous to look at.2 Don’t throw out your comfy house slippers or flip-flops, just add a pair of shoes that you wouldn’t mind showing off at work or at date-night.
8. The Right Bra
As your feet grow, so will your breasts. They change when you’re pregnant, no matter how much you tell them to stop. Breasts change differently depending on the woman, so shop based on your own body not on the advice from others.
Find a bra that is first and foremost, supportive and comfortable. A quote we love comes from Urban Mommies where they say, “A good bra should feel like a warm hug.” That’s exactly how it should be. Find something that does it’s job, but still gives you the comfort you need. While it doesn’t have to be a maternity bra per-se, there are some great options out there if you’re willing to look.
9. Some Information
We wanted to preface this one with “some” because we know how information overload creates anxiety and stress. Get a few books and read through them so you know what to expect, but avoid spending hours on the Internet researching rare-diseases and things that could go wrong. This will only stress you out.
Focus on creating a healthy environment for your baby both physically and mentally instead. If you come across any serious information, don’t hesitate to reach out to your doctor and get the peace of mind you need.
10. Snacks
Finally, with pregnancy come cravings– lots of them. Stock up with your favorite snacks and things to satisfy your cravings. Remember, as long as you eat well and focus on nutrition instead of hunger, a few snacks here and there aren’t going to do you any harm.
Conclusion
Every woman goes through pregnancy in their own unique way, but we all have one thing in common: the things we can’t live without. In our daily lives our favorite items differ vastly from person to person but during pregnancy, they’re pretty consistent. If you don’t have any of the items on this list, do yourself a favor and stock up. You’ll be glad you did and wish you acted sooner. Additionally, one of the most essential post-delivery items all new mothers need to have is an efficient and easy to use breast pump. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, new mothers are eligible to receive an electric breast pump covered by their insurance provider. Head on over to Byram Healthcare today and browse our wide selection of breast pumps.
During your pregnancy, if you had any maternity must haves that weren’t on this list, visit our Facebook page today and share them with other expecting mothers! We love hearing our reader’s personal experiences and feedback.
