I'm going to attempt to start from the beginning a bit and go back to when I was pregnant (which feels like ages ago to be honest), and let you guys in on some of my favorite items used to survive those long months.
Morning Sickness: I was fortunate and did not have a terrible case of morning sickness throughout my entire pregnancy (it should be called all day sickness because that's really what it is!)... I found out I was pregnant in September and by the time Thanksgiving rolled around, I no longer had that queasy feeling every single day. When I did experience the sick feelings, I always had Tums with me and saltine crackers (they were seriously stashed everywhere - my nightstand, car, and even my desk at work), and ginger ale made a regular appearance as well.
Clothing: I tried to utilize as much of what I already owned and for as long as possibly could, but when the time came to buy maternity clothing, I kept it simple, basic, and budget friendly. I went to stores like Gap, Old Navy, Target, and H&M for different items. I refused to go out and spend hundreds of dollars on one pair of designer jeans - instead I went to H&M and their
MAMA skinny jeans were my jam. I bought four pairs during the black Friday sales and they lasted my entire pregnancy - they wore and washed really well and I'd highly recommend them! If you are a spring/summer expectant mama, Target's Liz Lange maternity line has great basics - I had their
V-neck T-shirts and
dresses on repeat the last few months! Gap has the best
maternity leggings and their
Pure Body tees are so comfortable! Old Navy is super affordable and they have great sweaters in the winter. Bonus with Gap and Old Navy is there are ALWAYS coupon codes to use!
Prenatal Vitamins: I actually had quite a time with prenatals. In the early stages of my pregnancy, any vitamin other than the Vitafusion prenatal gummies would make me sick to my stomach! I must've tried about ten different brands and then I saw these and took them religiously until my sixth month. Around my sixth month, they started to make me feel so neasous so I had to hunt for new ones once again. After that, the only ones I found that I could take without any side effects whatsoever where the grocery store brand (Shoprite for those of you on the East Coast).
Pillow: My saving grace throughout my entire pregnancy was my beloved Bump Nest pillow! This was the best money I spent and I can't rave enough about it! It helped with heartburn, tailbone pain, and just overall sleep in general. I love it so much that I actually still sleep with it at night! Worth EVERY penny!
Stretch Mark Prevention: I honestly didn't do anything crazy to prevent stretch marks. I know some soon-to-be moms pickle themselves in different lotions and potions and spend a mini fortune to prevent these marks, but I just wasn't one of those people. I used
Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Massage Lotion for Stretch Marks from Target and was very happy with the results. I applied it in the morning after I showered and at night right before bed and I didn't get any pesky marks. I started using this as soon as I found out I was pregnant and for a bit after the baby was born.
Books & Apps: I really found a lot of the pregnancy apps helpful. I downloaded several but my three favorites where
What to Expect, Glow - Nurture, and
Sprout Pregnancy. The
WTE app I liked better than the book itself. Each week they gave you a detailed description complete with a video on the developments of the week. They also have great forums where you can discuss just about everything with other moms/expectant moms (I still have this app on my phone).
Glow - Nurture was great to track how you were feeling and it also detailed each week. I use the regular
Glow app religiously and this app is like the next step you take when you find out you're pregnant.
Sprout Pregnancy was very interactive. It "showed" you your baby and described the developments each week and I really liked how it was displayed. As for books, I didn't buy very many because honestly, I didn't have a lot of time to sit and read too often (even though I would've loved to). I did purchase
The Girlfreinds' Guide to Pregnancy which was a funny and lighthearted take on the entire experience and the
Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy. The
Mayo Clinic book was a more informative and detailed book from the early stages of pregnancy to the early stages of motherhood.
Misc: When you are pregnant, you have to drink lots of water to stay hydrated. I would recommend purchasing a very large tumbler cup that you can refill throughout the day. I bought the 24 oz Starbucks cup and still use it daily (it's very important for nursing mothers to drink as much water as humanly possible). I would also recommend purchasing a purse sized planner (because honestly, the large ones are nice but impractical to carry with you every day) to document the numerous appointments you are going to need to keep track of.
This was a bit of a long one but I hope you find it helpful!
