Pregnancy Favorites

I was pretty lucky to have a relatively easy and uneventful pregnancy. That being said, even the easiest pregnancy still comes with it's aches and pains and difficulties. I wanted to put together a list of my pregnancy favorites, the things that really helped me make it through those nine (let's be honest it's ten) months.

Altoids Smalls Mints I never had really bad morning sickness, but I would get queasy at times especially around certain smells. These mints are perfect cause they aren't too big but they are strong enough to cover mask a smell. I would keep a container of them in my purse at all times.

Crane Humidifier About a month into my pregnancy I went out to Colorado to visit with family, after I got back my nose was so dry and I kept getting nose bleeds. We registered for this humidifier for Walt but I ended up using it a lot during my pregnancy.

Champion Fitness Ball This was a recommendation from our Birth Boot Camp class, more on that to come. They make all different sizes of fitness balls, I went with the 55 cm cause I'm pretty short (5'2"). I sat on this a lot toward the end of my pregnancy. It made me sit up straighter and apparently helps the baby get into position. The night I went into labor I had been sitting and bouncing on it for about 2 hours, so maybe it helped!

Trader Joe's Coconut Coconut Oil I've become a little obsessed with coconut oil--I use it on all different kinds of things. At the beginning of my pregnancy I was using cocoa butter to prevent stretch marks but I wasn't really a fan of the smell. I decided to start using coconut oil instead and I didn't end up with any stretch marks on my stomach. (Also a good thing to have around if you're breastfeeding cause it can help prevent and treat cracked and dry nipples)

Birth Boot Camp About 15 weeks into my pregnancy my midwife asked if we had thought about taking any kind of birth classes. It was something I had thought of but just hadn't researched much. This was her recommendation and I'm so thankful we decided to take it. It was a little bit of an investment but was very informative! I strongly recommend the in person classes, we had to watch one online cause we were both busy and missed the in person class and it just wasn't as engaging or helpful. This class definitely helped both Kyle and I know what to expect and learn different pain management techniques in order to have a natural birth.

Aveeno Calming Body Wash During my second trimester I started taking baths, it really helped at the end of the day when I was achy and every muscle in my body hurt. I poured a little bit of this body wash in the bath as it was filling and it made light bubbles and made the whole bathroom smell really nice. Plus it leaves your skin soft and not itchy like some bubble baths do-nothing is worse than getting out of the bath and feeling like you need to take a shower.

Earth Mama Angel Baby Third Trimester Tea I bought this pretty late into my third trimester. It is a Red Raspberry Leaf Tea which is supposed to help prepare your uterus for labor as well as prevent early and late term labor (not sure how it can do both haha). Make sure you check with your doctor before you drink it. By this point in time I was super warm all the time so the idea of drinking warm tea sounded miserable. Instead I would brew it and then pour it over ice. It doesn't taste like raspberries, but has a nice early/floral taste to it. I have no idea if it worked but I do know that Walt was born the day before his due date and my labor was only 11 hours, so maybe it did help!

Other favorites that can't be bought:

Going for walks--I went to the gym a few times a week until about 30ish weeks. Then I started taking Buddy for a walk almost every day instead. I really think the walks helped my body prepare for labor and move Walt into the right position. There were days that I just wanted to lay on the couch but I went anyways, and then laid on the couch...

Rest--Which leads into this point. Rest! I had such a hard time with this, I wanted to be up and moving and getting things done. But my body was tired and I would get grumpy and sore if I pushed myself too hard. Learn how to take naps now, it will be helpful once your baby gets here and you sleep in 2 hour increments.

Avoid comparison and give yourself grace--I loved following other pregnant moms on instagram and reading their blogs. Too often, especially in the early stages of pregnancy, I found myself comparing every little detail. They look like they haven't gained as much weight as I have or she's still going to the gym everyday, how come I'm not. I had to realize that every pregnancy is different and I needed to listen to my body instead of focusing on others. I also had to put my scale away because it was causing me unnecessary stress. In all fairness, I would sneak it out about once a week and weigh myself just to make sure nothing crazy was going on but no more daily weigh-ins for me. Trust your body, give yourself grace, and avoid comparisons.


What things did you love during your pregnancy?


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