Pregnancy Survival Guide

• Prenatal Body Pillow 
  Hands-down the MOST necessary thing during pregnancy. This version is very much new and improved. Mine didn’t have the take apart feature & the under belly piece – that’s a game changer!! I couldn’t sleep without it. It’s so nice to have the under-belly support & cushion between the knees to keep the hip muscles from pulling.
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  I also really loved this Boppy Wedge Pillow. It was great to put anywhere. Behind your back when sitting at a chair, between your legs, or under your belly when sleeping. I had two of them because I always wanted one for my stomach & legs. I also used it once baby was born for tummy time & and incline when she had a cold.
  

Tea Time

• A lot of women experience crazy bloating and digestive issues during their first trimester. To help soothe your stomach, I have heard that drinking Peppermint Tea (caffeine free) helps. If you are experiencing nausea, anything peppermint was very useful to me.
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•  I’ve heard many recommend drinking raspberry leaf tea during your third trimester everyday to help prepare your body for labor and delivery. It’s great for uterine health and helps prevent post-delivery hemorrhaging.
  

  

  

  

• Stay Ball

  A exercise ball is wonderful to have because it strengthens your legs, back, and core muscles — which can be super helpful when delivery time comes.  A birth ball is good for exercising the deep, supportive muscles in the lower back and surrounding spine so you’ll have better posture and be less prone to backache. I particularly want the Stay Ball next pregnancy because it won’t roll off when you set it down. That’s the last thing you need to have happen when you’re pregnant trying to sit on it or when you’re holding your infant. What’s also great is that you can use it after when you have your baby. You can bounce on it to sooth your crying baby and save your joints at the same time. We used the ball so many times a day to help Millie settle down. Millie always wanted us to stand and keep her moving – if we even tried to sit for just a moment, she knew it and would wake up. The ball was the only trick that worked and it seriously did EVERY time! You can bounce or rock back and forth on it.
  

Documenting Growth & Development

CineMama is a really great app that helps you track your baby bump growth. You take pictures periodically & It will make it into a time-lapse belly growth video.

• Holo – The Inflatable Maternity Pillow Raft with a Hole for Tummy Resting Made Easy During Pregnancy.  Expectant moms often have difficulty getting comfortable for a nap or a good night’s sleep. With the Holo Raft, mamas-to-be can rest on their stomachs — either in a pool or on top of a mattress — without harming their babies. Need I say more?
  
  

  

  

  

   

• Peppermint Everything

  A lot of women experience crazy bloating and digestive issues during their first trimester. To help soothe your stomach, I have heard that drinking Peppermint Tea (caffeine free) helps. If you are experiencing nausea, anything peppermint was very useful to me. Carrying Peppermint Beadlets in your purse or even the essential oil can be such a relief.

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•  Sea bands If you’ve never heard of these before, you’re in for a treat! Sea Bands are a type of acupressure treatment that can help relieve nausea and vomiting naturally. Worn like a sweat band, they go around the wrists and contain small plastic studs that stimulate the Nel-Kuan pressure point. I know it sounds kinda crazy, but it actually works! In my experience, they worked well by themselves, but I achieved the best results when I used them in conjunction with my other methods of morning sickness relief. You can read more about them here!
  

Hard candy One of the biggest triggers for nausea in pregnancy is the excess saliva being produced and constantly running down your throat. I talked to my doctor about this and he recommended sucking on some sort of hard candy. Jolly Ranchers were what did it for me- specifically the watermelon ones. I had to experiment with a couple of the flavors.

• Quease Ease –  Motion Sickness Instant Relief
  
• Saltines
  Saltines seem to be a big-time favorite among many pregnant women and I’m definitely one of them! I’ve never experienced anything in my life like pregnancy nausea and, during the first months of my pregnancy. I basically had to  eat immediately in the morning or I would throw up. Saltines became my bedside best friend! They’re bland enough to always sound appealing and the sprinkle of salt on the top satisfies my constant craving for anything salty. Another easy-on-the-tummy favorite: Oyster crackers.

• Tums
  I did not know how horrible heart burn was until I was pregnant. Tums saved me! I just found that they have these peppermint kind – perfect to help keep you from being queasy and get them down.
  
• Colace
  Not many people want to talk about constipation, but it is one of the realities of pregnancy — you can thank the iron in your prenatal vitamins for that! One quick mention of it to my doctor and he quickly put me on a Colace regimen. It worked wonders!
• Crane Humidifier

  I actually wanted Crane Humidifier for my baby, but it can be great for you if you get getting frequent nosebleeds at the end of your pregnancy.  It also helped me when I had dry mouth or a dry nose. The cool mist helps keep nosebleeds to a minimum, and after your baby is born, they can use it.

• Sprout Pregnancy
  
• BabyCenter App — “What to Expect” for the modern mama. I tried out quite a few pregnancy apps at the beginning, and the BabyCenter one is my favorite. It’s simple, no-frills, but has new info to read every day if you want to! It has info about your baby’s development and what is happening to your body as well. 
  
  

• Foam Roller – Along with a growing body, comes a sore body! You can get them without the massage knots as well. I have really loved this thing! It really helps me to stretch out my back and it feels great on my sore legs! There are also pins that you can look up to see different moves for different areas of your body.
• Thera Cane
  
  • I cannot rave enough about the Thera Cane. I have been using it for years for my neck pain caused by a car accident. Ever person I show this to, tries to take it home with them. YOU NEED THIS!
  • Cane shaped massager for easing aches and pains.
  • Eliminate painful knots in your muscles on your own.

Remember – not all units are equal so make sure you don’t buy a crappy cheap one. Won’t be worth it.

• Shiatsu Neck and Shoulder Massager with Heat
  My grandpa got my family one of these for Christmas & it was literally had someone using it 24/7.  I can’t even explain how amazing it is. You control the pressure with your hands through the straps so you can do as hard or soft as you wish. I can’t wait to use it next pregnancy – my nack, back, & SI joints needed it big time!
  Obviously don’t use it on your stomach like pictured below when your pregnant.
  

Nursing Bras
We all know how important a good bra is especially once we find out we are expecting! If your anything like me, you don’t want those babies to even move! I highly suggest stocking up on some sports bras that double as nursing bras!  I’ve also heard that keeping you chest restricted will help limit any stretch marks while they are growing.

• I wasted too much money on cheap nursing bras. It is better to invest in 2 high quality bras than to do what I did and have horrible cheap ones that helped me get mastitis 4 times.
• Make sure to get some without underwire. I know it sucks not having underwire but that is one of the causes of mastitis and mastitis sucks even worse! I had both and would just wear the under wire option for special occasions.

Coconut Oil

• Oil pulling has many benefits read that by oil pulling in the morning for at least 10 minutes, it helped subdue  nausea and headaches {during the first trimester}.
• I also read that before and during pregnancy, oil pulling helps skin/acne.
• Lastly, I read that coconut oil was a great moisturizer for your growing belly!
  Although it is kind of messy, I didn’t use it too often. But now that I feel my skin is stretching more and more, I think it helps keep the skin moisturized much longer than your average lotion!

• What to expect before your expecting – I found the “pre pregnancy” book to be very informational.
• What to expect when your expecting – There is a lot of great information for new parents! And don’t forget the What to Expect When You’re Expecting Movie – It’s so hilarious – Plus it’s only $5 right now. Click the covers below to get the deal.

• What to Expect the First Year – Because being pregnant isn’t even the craziest part about being a parent.

• The Sh!t No One Tells You: A Guide to Surviving Your Baby’s First Year – I’ve heard great things about this book. Why aren’t more real info about what being pregnant, delivery, and having a newborn talked about? Wish I knew more before.

Dad’s are going to need some guidance too!

• Jaycob & I read Baby Owner’s Manual – It’s hilarious!