Pregnancy Must Haves

So, it is no secret that I did not love pregnancy. I was super sick and exhausted from weeks 6-16 (which led me to some depression) and then, even after that, I dealt with pain and discomfort and I was just not a huge fan of “sharing” my body with another human. Yes, it was all worth it, but I am trying to basically block out being pregnant (LOL). That said, I figured I would document my pregnancy must haves and what maternity clothes I bought/needed to share with any expecting mamas (and to remind myself for any future pregnancies (again, LOL).

Pregnancy Must Haves:

Gummy Prenatal Vitamins: There was a point in my first trimester that I couldn’t even swallow a pill without gagging/throwing up. These tasted like candy and I was able to continue to get the vitamins I needed. I started taking these when we started trying to conceive so my body was ready. (I am still taking them postpartum!)
Tums Chewy Bites: I was constantly ordering these off of Amazon to deal with my terrible heartburn and indigestion. Again, these were like candy (not chalky like original tums) and easy to eat.
Heartburn Medication: Along with that, eventually my heartburn got so bad that my doctor prescribed Famotidine (which you can get over the counter as well). It saved my life, my heartburn got so bad. I took it twice a day starting at about 20 weeks.
Relaxing Bubble Bath: Take my advice and take all of the relaxing baths that you can!
Things that are easy/quick to make and eat. When you are sick, you need to eat but usually can’t muster the energy to prepare anything. I survived on cereal, bars, fruit, premade salads, microwaveable things. It was survival mode for me so I ate whatever I could stomach.
Chiropractor: I started seeing a chiropractor in the second trimester and it helped a TON with my sciatica and back pain! I recommend finding a chiropractor that specializes in prenatal care.

Maternity Clothes Must Haves:

Stretchy comfortable leggings: I bought two pairs of these SUPER affordable maternity leggings and liked them more than the expensive ones I bought. They didn’t have a lot of compression (they were just cotton-y material) but I LOVED them because they were nice and soft and comfortable. Plus, easy to get on (which becomes very important lol). I also wore these postpartum!
Comfortable bras: Wearing real bras was just not comfortable at all and I love bralette type bras so I bought a pack of these cotton sports bras that I lived in. Again, not a lot of compression and not for working out or anything but super comfy. (I also don’t have very big “girls”).
Maternity Pajama Pants: I bought two pairs of maternity PJ/Yoga pants that were the best for pregnancy and postpartum. They were a nice break from high wasted leggings but still super comfortable and affordable. I also had one pair of shorts maternity PJs which was nice in August when I started to get a little bump – but most of my pregnancy was in colder months.
ONE Pair of Maternity Jeans: Okay, this was my splurge but I only bought one pair (because I worked from home my entire pregnancy I didn’t leave the house much, but when I did, I wanted a pair of good jeans). I recommend getting a good pair because they will last and look/feel like “real” jeans. So, I went designer on these but it was my only clothing splurge (I didn’t buy a lot).
A few Basic Tanks/Tees: I didn’t want to buy a bunch of maternity clothes so I bought one black tank, one white tank and one white t-shirt from target that I used to layer under open front cardigans/sweaters/jackets and it worked out great! I bought them all at Target.
The other maternity clothes I purchased were: one pair of cropped workout leggings, one pair of long workout leggings, a dress for Christmas and a dress for maternity photos. I kept it really simple!

Bonus Tip: I stored all of my maternity clothes in a tote to save for next pregnancy so that I don’t have to rebuy anything!

Something I did not buy was a pregnancy pillow, not because I didn’t think it would be nice, but because what the heck would I do with it after? Also, I like switching sides and I think a huge pillow would’ve made that even harder. I just put a small regular pillow between my legs and either a blanket or pillow against my back for support and it worked out great!

If you are reading this and pregnant, it should be noted that I worked from home and there was a global pandemic during my pregnancy so I didn’t really leave the house, my “must haves” might have looked different if I did. But these are the things that got me through that I am sure will be true for any future pregnancies as well.