I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, this pregnancy is almost over!!!!  I’m excited, and terrified, and excited.  It sure doesn’t seem like I’ve been pregnant for 9 months, I’ve learned so much a long the way.

As I’ve been reflecting back through this pregnancy this week I’ve thought a lot about some of the products that I’ve found that have made pregnant life easier which prompted me to share my 10 Pregnancy Must Haves with you.  You see once you pee on that stick your life and your body start to change pretty damn quick.  I feel like these 10 products helped make those changes a little more manageable.   So if you’re pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant, take note.  I’m just trying to make your life a little easier.  🙂

Bandeu Bras

I did not expect my boobs to get so big so fast.  Not only that, they hurt for the first 10 weeks or so.  By week 8 of pregnancy I had gone up 1 cup size and it seems like it was a short 4 weeks later and I was up a second cup size.  Awesome.  With all this growth and tenderness I no longer wanted to sleep without a bra.  At first I chose to sleep in a sports bra, but then I quickly transitioned to Bandeau bras.  I didn’t need a lot of support when sleeping, but I needed something and these did the trick for me.  I found some at my local Dry Goods store that worked great, but really any Bandeau with just a little bit of support would work great.

bra

Special note: This is a very interesting time in pregnancy.

Your boobs know your pregnant, they are bigger and extra perky, but your stomach hasn’t figured it out yet.

Hello porn star mode! I loved it.

Only downside? You’re exhausted and nauseous not to mention bitchy so the last thing you want to do is go flaunt your new porn star body.

Damn.

Lululemon Racerback Tanks

For those of you who know me, you know that I’m kind of obsessed with Lululemon.

Its a sickness.

I can’t wait for the Tuesday morning new product emails and I don’t think I’ve ever walked into a store and left without spending a small fortune.  Sickness I tell you.

Pre-pregnancy I was obsessed with the No-Limits tank, but during my early pregnancy I couldn’t wear them anymore, they just didn’t give me enough support in the chest region.  So off to Lululemon I went and I was introduced to the racerback tank.  It has no built in bra so you can pair it with whatever supportive sports bra you like (I recommend the Energy Bra) and then length is long enough that as your belly grows you can continue to wear it.

I’m 38 weeks pregnant now and still able to wear the same size I wore at 8 weeks pregnant (note I’ve gained about 25 pounds).  I love the material of these tanks, I don’t feel like they have stretched out a bit.  I’m all about things that I can wear now and wear later and these definitely fit the bill!

racerback tank

Sidenote: I’ve been lucky to be able to workout my entire pregnancy, but I’ve also been smart about it.  Its been really important to me to stay active but listen to my body and not push it too much.  Very early on I discovered the website CrossfitMom.com and has been a tremendous resource for workout options, scaling, and advice.  Highly recommend
Spoiled Mama Body Butter

I, like every pregnant person that has ever existed was worried about stretch marks.

I wanted to avoid them if at all possible.

I’ve learned though that the biggest determining factor of whether you are going to get them or not is genetics.

There is no magic lotion or potion as much as we all wish there was.  That being said, as your belly grows your skin stretches and it starts to get itchy.  You definitely don’t want to be scratching it because that isn’t going to help your cause.

I found this body butter very early on and used it almost daily on my belly and my boobs.  It’s organic which I like and though it isn’t cheap it lasts.  Again, I think genetics is going to be a determining factor in whether or not you get stretch marks, that being said, at 9 months pregnant, I don’t have a one so I’m going to keep using this stuff.  🙂

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Note: The 4 oz size lasted me about 6 months and then I had to reorder.  I’d recommend just starting with the larger size, it will probably last you your entire pregnancy.

 

Essential Oils

Some people find the whole essential oil craze a bit too woo woo for them.

I get it, I really do.  I don’t think they cure everything, but certain oils have helped me quite a bit while I’ve been pregnant so I have to add them to the list.

The 2 oils I’m in love with are Peppermint & Gentle Baby essential oils.

The peppermint I kept in my purse during the 1st trimester and anytime I was feeling nauseous I just put a drop of it on the roof of my mouth and it made a huge difference.  The Gentle Baby I’ve combined with my body butter and rubbed on my belly each morning.  If you only can go with one, choose the Peppermint oil.  Its one of the most versatile oils out there and if you have the slightest bit of morning sickness it could be a lifesaver.

Peppermint OilGentle Baby Oil

Note: Post pregnancy, Gentle baby is awesome to use on the BABY!  I didn’t use any essential oils on her right away but once she was a few months old I started rubbing this on her chest, back, and feet post bath and before bed.  It smells soooo awesome.

Lifefactory Water Bottles

Being pregnant makes you thirsty! Who knew.

Since you’re supposed to limit your coffee, soda, and all caffeine in general consumption you will find yourself drinking a lot of water.  Plus staying hydrated is super important for you and the baby.

Later in pregnancy dehydration can cause early labor and early in pregnancy you might feel so crappy that water is one of the few things you can keep down.  I became obsessed with these water bottles pre-pregnancy and I found myself constantly having one by my side after I found out I was pregnant.  I like the fact that they are glass, seems cleaner to me and less potential for toxins, plus the glass keeps water colder than plastic.  The sleeve that they put on the bottles helps keep them from breaking if you drop them which is very nice because pregnant people are generally clumsy people.  I drop mine all the time and it hasn’t broke yet.

1102w-lifefactory-bottles-lUpdate: They now have a version with a straw cap.  So much better.

Protein Bars

You need a lot of protein when you’re pregnant.

Like 80-100 grams a day, its one of the vital building blocks to making a baby.

Here’s the thing though, some women detest meat when pregnant and that can make it more difficult to get the adequate amount of protein that’s needed to build that baby.

For me, I was sick all the time the first 14 weeks and my midwife was on me to eat more protein because my body was actually breaking itself down to nourish the baby.

Not good.

So what’s a nauseous picky girl to do?

Eat a protein bar!

There are plenty you can buy from the store, but its hard to find good ones that are pretty natural and aren’t filled with sugar and/or artificial ingredients.  My solution was to make my own and it worked great.  Each bar contains 10 grams of protein (4″x3″ rectangle roughly) and when paired with an egg or a piece of string cheese you could boost the protein intake to 17 grams which is a pretty darn good snack.  Plus these are way cheaper to make then buy.

Click here for my recipe.

Snoogle

Oh my gosh I am so embarrassed to admit this one.  I am the snarky little bitch that used to walk by this pillow in Bed Bath and Beyond and laugh at the ridiculousness of it.  I said I would never use one of those and I just know that my pre-pregnancy self is judging the shit out of me right now.

Here’s the thing though, week 27ish rolled around and my back started to hurt really bad.  My growing belly was wearing out my back muscles and even as I lay in bed at night they’d have to be on alert holding that belly in place.

It wasn’t until I bought the stupid snoodle that they could finally relax.  This ridiculous pillow supports your back and also goes in between your knees making it the total package.  It definitely makes spooning with the husband more of a challenge, but you eventually get to a point where you just want a good nights sleep so bad that you don’t even care anymore.

Sorry babe.

snoogle

 

Rice Heating Pad

My pregnancy has honestly been pretty easy.  Don’t misunderstand me, I don’t want to do it again anytime soon, but compared to some of my friends I feel like I’ve been lucky.  That being said, I’ve had a lot of aches and pains along the way.  Nothing that I couldn’t deal with, but aches and pains none the less.  At the end of a long day it was nice to be able to throw this heating pad on my neck, or my back and just relax.  For an even cheaper option go buy extra long tube socks and a big box of rice and make your own.  It really is that simple.

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Update:

I get SO MANY questions after people read this post, which I LOVE so keep them coming.

In order to help you all here are a few bonus products that were total must haves for me.

Prenatal Vitamins

Dude… You have to take pre-natals.

Your baby can get all kind of weird diseases like spina biffida and a pre-natal can help reduce baby’s risk for that.

I’m a big believer in getting your nutrients from food, but lets be honest, when you’re pregnant you might not be able to stomach certain things in the beginning that you could ALWAYS handle before.  So dot your I’s, cross your t’s and take a prenatal.

I recommend Garden of Life Prenatal.

Prenatal Vitamin

There are no gross additives to this prenatal, no binders, and no fillers.  It’s uncooked and unmessed with.

Most of the prenatals that you get at Target or Walgreens are complete dog shit that your body can’t even absorb.  Since this is something you are going to be putting in your body every day throughout your pregnancy and while you are nursing spend a little more and get the good stuff.

Read all about the product here.

Omega 3 Supplement

Omega 3

I might be crazy, but I swear my kid is so smart because I took 2500 mg of high quality omega 3’s during my pregnancy.

DHA (an omega 3 fatty acid) is a major building block of the brain and it is critical for brain development. 

This isn’t just me, some crazy blogger saying this, there are countless studies showing the benefits of DHA on the brain development of fetus’s and infants.  Omega 3’s (fish oil) also reduce inflamation in the body and they are good for your heart.  I take 2500 mg daily whether I’m pregnant or not.

Here’s the deal though, the best source of omega 3’s are from fish.  Fish can be exposed to a lot of toxins, like mercury so it’s super important that you buy a HIGH QUALITY fish oil.  It’s honestly better to have no fish oil at all then to have a low quality product.

The key when buying fish oil is to purchase something that is ultra refined and has its purity tested by a 3rd party.

I like this brand and this brand.

For tons more FAQ’s about Omega 3’s read this.

What were your go life saving pregnancy products?

Tell me in the comments!