Pregnancy Must Haves

Until the past couple of weeks I haven't considered myself to be a very needy pregnant person. But I did have a few products that I absolutely loved having while pregnant.

1. Belly bands
These were my lifesaver! Throughout my whole pregnancy I only bought 3 pairs of maternity pants, and I ripped a hole in the butt of 2 of them. (once when I was at work!) They were not working out for me. And as my belly grew my last pair of maternity pants started to sag, and that was certainly not a pretty sight. So, I turned to belly bands. I can comfortably wear my jeans without the hassle of trying to button them and I don't have to worry about them sagging because the band has a silicon lining to help it stick to your pants and keep them up. Click the picture to find this band on Amazon (affiliate link).

 

2. Stretch mark cream

So I'll be totally honest when I say I don't believe there is ANY product out there that can prevent stretch marks completely. Your skin is literally stretching as baby grows. Nothing stops that from happening. I didn't notice my own stretch marks until later in my pregnancy, but that wasn't the reason I started using the cream. My belly itches ALL THE TIME. I am constantly messing with my shirt and trying to relieve the itch. I tried regular lotion, but it really didn't help a ton. Stretch mark cream actually helps fight the itch and gives me some semblance of relief. 

3. Body pillow 

We're a pretty frugal family and it literally hurt my wallet to think about spending a huge amount of money on a fancy pregnancy pillow. I'm sure they feel amazing, but I found a body pillow from Walmart provided the same support and comfort I needed in order to sleep through the night. This late into pregnancy I feel sore pretty much 24/7 so even my pillow isn't helping much at this point, but it was great throughout the rest of my pregnancy. 

4. Epsom salts

Epsom salt baths are the best thing ever. Of course, you have to be careful the bath water isn't too hot for baby, but otherwise they are a great source of relief. I'm a first grade teacher and constantly on the move, but taking a warm bath and at least soaking my feet at the end of the day is the best feeling in the world. 

I have been a pretty low maintenance preggo and really don't feel like I missed out on much by not having all the essentials you see all over Pinterest. The only thing I would go back and spend money on (and I will definitely buy for the next pregnancy) is some kind of back and belly support to help with sciatic nerve pain.