10 Pregnancy Must-Haves

9/26/2019

10 Pregnancy Must-Haves

I figured now that I only have 5 weeks to go until baby boy's due date, it was time for some pregnancy posts! Better late than never, right!? There's so many fun things I want to share, like what foods cured my major cravings in the beginning while still keeping me healthy, some non-toxic registry items that are a must, and how I changed up my skincare routine to be baby-safe, but I'm thinking we can start with this very random collection of 10 things that were total necessities for me throughout pregnancy! 

1. Comfy leggings that you can live in!

You'd think that your normal yoga pants will stretch to fit you throughout your pregnancy... nope! I quickly outgrew my favorite Lululemon Wunder Under leggings and needed something that was less restrictive, and fast! Enter these leggings that feel like you're not wearing anything. I bought the Align Leggings in one size up from my usual size and also got the Align Joggers (in 2 sizes up because I wanted them to be loose and relaxed) - both feel like butter and like you're not wearing anything - ideal! Lulu is pricey of course, but honestly, you'll live in these so they're a worthwhile investment!
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2. Compression Socks

Oh man, the foot swelling is REAL! I'm all about the compression socks for travel or just to put on after a day where I've been on my feet a lot and the cankles are looking puffy. Here are some that are actually cute! And if you're more of an ankle sock type of girl rather than knee-high, here's another option I really liked!
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3. Electrolytes

Speaking of cankles, I was complaining about mine to a friend, and she told me I had to try these magical electrolytes that would help the swelling go down. I was skeptical about the price - $46 for 30 vials of electrolytes? But I was also desperate. So I got them, and they were pretty magical and well worth the $1.50 per vial! Not only did they help my swelling dramatically, they were a game changer for the constant dehydration that I had been feeling! 
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4. Bra Strap Expanders

That's right, bra expanders. At 35 weeks, I've already bought 2 new sets of bras, and you know bras aren't cheap or fun to shop for! As my bras once again started getting really tight and uncomfortable around the ribcage, I was so annoyed at the thought of buying more bras. That's when I decided to see if there was another option, because I really didn't need a bigger cup size, I just needed to be able to stretch the band a couple inches. I found these bra strap expanders that do exactly that! $6 for 6 expanders (and rib-cage comfort!) is seriously a no-brainer! (Note, the expanders weren't the exact same size of my bra straps, but you can still clip them onto the clasps and it really doesn't matter if the expander is a little bigger than the bra strap!)
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5. Heartburn Tea

I'm a huge fan of all the Earth Mama pregnancy teas. They have Heartburn tea, Morning Wellness Tea, Peaceful Mama tea, Third Trimester tea, etc... lots of options, all on Amazon! My biggest pregnancy complaint was having heartburn (I know, I got pretty lucky when it came to some of those nasty symptoms!), so I drank a ton of their heartburn tea, but I'm sure the others are great too!
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6. Belly Butter

Self explanatory! Take the time to lather up that beautiful growing belly! I loved this belly butter! My skin has been super dry, so I switch off between the belly butter and a lavender chamomile oil that feels very soothing on the stretching skin! 
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7. An effective pregnancy-safe mask

Let me tell ya, my skin doesn't like being pregnant. My skin issues actually started pre-pregnancy as we were going through fertility treatments, and the hormonal acne came out of nowhere and really just wanted to stick around. It was stubborn!! So I splurged on this mask, used it once or twice a week, and saw a big difference every time I used it! It's a charcoal mask that helped with breakouts and really helped smoothing any texture issues! It lasts a long time... I've had it for just about a year and am finally about to reach the bottom of the jar. It will tell you to mix 1 tbsp of the powder with water, but you can use 2 tsp instead and really make it last!
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8. A powerful serum

So many things are off-limits while pregnant, and as I said, my skin hasn't loved being pregnant, so I needed to find something that was safe but still powerful. I've been using this Overnight Resurfacing Peel from Beautycounter every other night, which has also helped with breakouts and bumpiness. It has 2% salicylic acid, which is the allowed amount for pregnancy, plus natural forms of glycolic and lactic acid to brighten skin. Just ordered my second bottle of it after using every last drop of the first one!
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9. A good pair of maternity jeans & cute dresses

I'm much more of a dress girl than a jeans girl, but having both is definitely necessary! You need good staples so that you at least have a couple cute options when you do decide to change out of those Lulu Align Leggings! Of all the maternity jeans I tried, my favorite ones are by Paige. I absolutely hated buying anything maternity at full price, so I'd search Nordstrom Rack online for Paige Maternity jeans from time to time, and if I saw my size, I'd snag a pair before they were gone! Note: they're only available online, unless you somehow find a pair in-store that someone returned. For dresses, I loved Asos Maternity - it's really affordable and shipping / returns are quick and easy! I wore this one to my couple's shower and felt great in it!
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10. A realistic book about prenatal nutrition

While I can't say I read a ton of pregnancy books, this one has been on my nightstand from the start and I pick and choose which chapter to read based on what's going on that week. I've found Lily Nichol's advice to be so helpful and realistic and very in line with my own nutrition philosophy. I didn't really follow a super healthy plan my first couple months, as I was honestly just trying to find ways to not live solely on bread and cheese, but it's been very helpful since those days. Plus, when it came to things like my gestational diabetes test, I was so happy to have this book for tons of tips to prepare for it! 

There you have it! My top 10 random necessities! I guess I should also include a good prenatal vitamin on there - that's a must, but it can be different for everyone. If you're just looking for a good basic one, I love Ritual's Essential Prenatal. I used it for a while and then switched to a different one to get more B Vitamins as my levels were low. You can always start with Ritual, and then talk to your doctor and see if you need to adjust anything!

You might be surprised not to see a pregnancy pillow on that list, too - I tried the Snoogle but didn't love it! I've been sleeping perfectly fine with my regular pillow and an extra one between my legs. Anything else I missed!? Hope this is helpful for any expecting mamas!