Pregnancy Must Haves (and Postpartum too!)

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Congratulations on your pregnancy! It is the most beautiful, surreal, unique journey you will ever be on. It will also be a season of body changes, discomfort, pain, and high emotions, so being as comfortable as possible is important!

As a mama of twins, my pregnancy was not a walk in the park. I was working full-time at a job that was 85% standing/walking, and 15% sitting. I was in desperate need of comfort! I got to a point in my pregnancy where I didn’t shop in person as much/anymore…enter Amazon!! Most of my items I got within two days, thank you Amazon Prime!

If you have had a chance to read some of my other blog posts, such as Newborn Essentials, I try to be conscientious about what I buy. I was a little hesitant to buy a bunch of maternity items, because early on in my pregnancy, (I mean really early on) I didn’t want to buy a whole new wardrobe of maternity clothes. One, because of the cost, and two, I felt I could wear my clothes for a good chunk of my pregnancy. So at the time, I definitely didn’t know I was pregnant with twins. And I certainly didn’t know how BIG I would grow. By month three, I was definitely showing and could not zip or button my pants and I couldn’t fit into many of my shirts anymore. However, I will say, many of my dresses were flowy so that I could fit into many of them even up to the third trimester.

All that to say, I quickly learned that investing in myself during pregnancy is important for my and my babies’ comfort. So don’t feel guilty buying maternity items!

MATERNITY WARDROBE STAPLES

I wore shirt extenders in the first trimester to cover my pants when I couldn’t button them. I liked that they were fitted, so I felt my belly had some support. These maternity shorts are super comfortable, and one thing I love about maternity bottoms is the pull-on style, no zipper or buttons and it goes over the belly. I don’t think I ever want to go back to pants with zippers or buttons ever again! Haha. I love maternity dresses like this one because you can wear it after pregnancy, so you keep getting ROI from it. During pregnancy, it is nice to just slip into one piece of clothing, and not worry about so many layers, especially in the summer. Also, I love that dresses are not a hassle-some maternity knee-length skirts I would wear would rise up when I walked, and I was constantly adjusting my clothes. In my last trimester, all I wore was dresses because I was so tired and in pain, dresses were the most comfortable to wear to work.

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DAY TO DAY SUPPORT

Once your belly grows, your back will need more support as your center of gravity has shifted. Belly bands can help “lift” your belly ever so slightly to help with the weight you are carrying. I so needed this support towards the end of my second trimester and throughout my third trimester.I bought compression socks early in my pregnancy, but I didn’t start needing them until the end of my pregnancy when my feet started to swell. I considered buying the socks that cover your calves, but being pregnant in the summer months, it was not necessary.

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HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Please consult your doctor before taking any vitamins/supplements etc.

I love Olly gummy vitamins! OLLY Essential Prenatal gummies make it easy to take your daily prenatal vitamins. I brought these into my OB appointment to make sure my doctor approved of them, and she said they have what I need vitamin-wise. They taste good and are easy on the tummy! I had morning sickness every day in my first trimester and a few days in my second and third trimesters. I definitely would not want to swallow prenatal vitamin pills when I am already feeling sick. It was like eating candy, so I never skipped a day. If taking capsules is no big deal to you, Olly also offers their prenatals in softgel form too.

To help with my morning sickness, I would take Vitamin B6 throughout the day. These are chewable (they are made for kids) and I got my OB’s approval to take them throughout the day. Preggie Pop Drops, Pink Stork, and Tummypops were also helpful when I felt queasy.

Hydration is ULTRA important, especially when you are pregnant! Some refreshing drinks to add to your daily water intake are watermelon water, pineapple juice, and sports drinks. I have never been more thirsty than when I was pregnant! Although it is frustrating how much you have to pee, your body needs lots of water when it is forming a baby inside you!

Heartburn…that was the worst! Plaguing me the most at night. My OBGYN Dr. said I could take Tums or Pepcid to help with the heartburn. Times, when I had heartburn at work and didn’t have access to either Tums or Pepcid, a colleague of mine, said to try chewing mint gum, and it helped!

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A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP

Pregnancy Pillow This pillow made it way more comfortable to sleep, where I could hug it like a koala bear. It is recommended that pregnant women sleep on their sides (left is best) so that blood flow is not obstructed to the uterus and fetus. According to the Sleep Foundation, “As pregnancy progresses, back sleeping causes the weight of the uterus to place pressure on a main artery called the aorta and an important vein called the vena cava. This compression can make it harder for the heart to pump blood to the pregnant person and the fetus.” Once you start to get larger, you won’t have a choice, as it is uncomfortable to sleep in any other position but on your side.

Maternity pajamas These pajamas are soft and lightweight, perfect for a good night’s sleep. The waistband is adjustable, so it grows with you! These pajamas served me well all through my pregnancy and postpartum too! I like that the top has openings for breastfeeding. This maternity nightgown is also very comfortable and flowy. The top part of the gown also has openings for breastfeeding, making feedings through the night convenient.

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POSTPARTUM ESSENTIALS

After my c-section, I used a peri bottle to help clean down there. The warm water was soothing to clean myself and it didn’t disturb my incision.

These postpartum leggings from Ingrid and Isabel are extremely comfortable! I had a C-section, and these offer perfect support and do not put pressure on my scar area.

During the postpartum period, I was bleeding for the first two months, and then after that, I had discharge. Panty liners help keep me feeling fresh and can control the smell down there.

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OTHER

I started my pregnancy journal two months after our twins were born. The first two months are pretty hectic, so at the end of two months I felt like I was in a good head space so I wanted to write about my pregnancy. Journaling is so cathartic, and it was really special writing about my 9-month journey. I also liked that I had a place to put all of my sonograms in! Since I was pregnant with twins (it was considered a high-risk pregnancy) each doctor’s appointment we got sonogram pictures of our sweeties. I bought this adorable sonogram picture frame for the babies’ room to see a snapshot of each trimester.

I am not an avid swimmer but I have never wanted to swim more than when I was pregnant. For my birthday I wanted to go swimming, just so I could feel weightless. I liked that this maternity swimsuit covered my belly and my boobs. I just don’t like exposing my body in public, especially not when I am pregnant! This swimsuit is very flattering and comfortable to wear when swimming.

I hope this article was helpful to you! Please subscribe to my email list to keep up to date with my latest posts!