During my pregnancy, I have found myself turning to a few things repeatedly. Some, daily. I thought I'd share a few of my favorites with you.
1. What To Expect When You're Expecting- This book has been my bible throughout my pregnancy! From day one, it allows you to follow your baby's progression and growth as well as make more sense out of what you and your own body are going through. One of my favorite things to do each week is to read about our little guy and his growth. I often read ahead to see what we're in store for!
2. Babycenter.com- What a great website! There are discussion boards where you can read/comment/share with other pregnant women and moms. My favorite board is the monthly birth board (mine is October, obviously) but there is one for every birth month. It's great because you can talk with women who are going through the same phase of their pregnancy that you are. Lots of support and advice are offered. Also, sometimes the admins of the site will post freebies! (I recently got a free 8x8 photo book from shutterfly.com!)
3. Body Pillow- Oh my goodness, my beloved body pillow!....ok so, I have a LOVE LOVE LOVE/hate relationship with it. Let me be clear, I would absolutely say that a body pillow is a necessity during pregnancy, and the sooner you get one, the better. You're husband/significant other might begin feeling a little neglected because instead of cuddling with them, you will definitely be cuddling the pillow. It's great for belly support and I love that it helps take the pressure off of my hips and keeps my knees from hurting. Now for the downfall...if you're making frequent trips to the bathroom during the night, it can be a real pain. I keep my pillow on the outside of the bed so, every time I have to get up at night, I have to move it completely out of the way and when I get back, re-situate it. My husband once recommended just rolling over it. I tried it and....hahaha!...not happening. So, while sometimes frustrating, absolutely necessary and wonderful for the most part.
4.Preggie Pop Drops- During my first trimester, while I never actually got sick, I was almost constantly nauseous. Bitter/sour edibles are known to help with this problem. These awesome little hard candies are both sweet and sour...and tasty! My favorites were the orange and raspberry.
5. Donettes Chocolate Frosted Donuts-These obviously won't be for everyone, but they are one of the things I crave constantly. I always keep a bag around so when I'm craving chocolate, or just a sweet treat, I'll grab a couple! It's always good to keep something like this around. Something small and sweet, just don't eat them all at once!
6.Palmer's Cocoa Butter for Stretch Marks- I've been using this lotion on my belly, hips, boobs, and butt since the beginning of my pregnancy and so far, no stretch marks! (knock on wood!) I use it every night before bed and I use the Palmer's vitamin E oil every day after my shower. The smell isn't my favorite, but it keeps my belly from itching and keeps my skin moisturized!
7. Loose pajama pants- I'm pretty much living in pj's these days (unless of course I'm leaving the house) My favorite pj's to lounge around in are my thin VS pants. Unfortunately, I believe they're on their last leg (they've got a hole...which I'm pretty devastated about, to be quite honest) but, they are a couple of years old which probably adds to the ridiculously comfy factor. They are great for lounging around in and VS pj's are usually pretty cute so maybe you'll feel at least a little cute while you're posting up on the couch for the day and feeling otherwise....blegh.
8. To-go cup/tumbler- During pregnancy, we're supposed to be guzzling more water than we ever have before, and that means constantly having water on hand. Tumblers are a great alternative to toting around a water bottle. Not only does it save money, but some of them are insulated and keep your water cold for a long while. I use a Brita water pitcher to purify water from the tap and keep it cold in the fridge, and when we're about to hit the road, I'll fill up my tumbler, and i'm good to go! When you run out of water, find a water fountain and fill it up again!
I hope you find this list helpful. Comment and let me know what your must have's are!
