PREGNANCY MUST HAVES | The First Half

When I first found out I was pregnant and even before I knew, I always enjoyed reading the "must have" lists for pregnancy. The number one thing this pregnancy has taught me is that there is no real list of things that work for everyone. I want to share with you the things that helped me through the first half of my pregnancy.




1 | Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter
I'm nearly twenty-two weeks into pregnancy and have no stretch marks. I know I have a ways to go, but I've used this belly butter twice a day religiously since about eight weeks. I know that seems early, but I was so bloated at the beginning, I thought I needed it. Not only is it supposed to help prevent stretch marks, it feels great!

2 | YETI Rambler
I don't know what I did before I had a YETI. These are the best cups to have. I fill mine up each day to take with me to work and the ice is still in it at the end of the day. I still love Tervis, but YETI takes the cake when it comes to keeper cold drinks cold all day.

3 | Leachco Snoogle Mini Compact Side Sleeper
Before I was pregnant, I laughed about these pillows, but I quickly realized how awesome they are. I am a stomach sleeper, so this pillow has been great to keep me on my side. I can hardly sleep without it.

4 | Hardee's Biscuit 'N' Gravy
Everybody has their "thing" that they can eat during pregnancy. For about the first fourteen weeks, about all I could eat were carbs, many of them in the variety of biscuits from Hardee's. The Biscuit 'N' Gravy gave me the carbs I craved and a bit of protein.

5 | Hot/Cold Therapeutic Bead Pearl Gel Eye Masks
When I'm nauseous, I don't want to be the least bit warm. I spent more time with cold washcloths and cold eye masks on my face than I'd like to admit. I have the pictures to prove it, though I'm not brave enough to put them on this public forum!

6 | Subway Meatball Sub
Starting at about 16 weeks, all I've wanted to eat are meatball subs. I don't even eat subs in normal life. There's just something about biting into this sub that makes me feel all better. I thought this food would disappear as quickly as it started, but it seems to be hanging in there for the long haul.

7 | J.Crew Factory Boardwalk Pull On Shorts
These shorts are awesome. I love any and every thing J.Crew as it is, but to be able to wear regular shorts throughout the summer was great. I sized up by one size and up to this point (almost 22 weeks), they fit. I can tell they're getting snugger, but with fall weather around the corner, they've done their job.

8 | Tracy Negoshian Dresses
I'm a dress and pencil-skirt lover when it comes to everyday work wear. The pencil skirts went out the window by about six weeks, but I'm still able to fit in most of my dresses, especially my Tracy Negoshian dresses. The material is flattering on every size.

9 | What to Expect When You're Expecting
I've enjoyed reading what's going on each week. Knowing what was happening with our little baby made the sick moments somewhat easier.

10 | Bringing Up Bebe
This is hands-down my favorite book relating to pregnancy/child rearing. I'll do a full recap on books I'm reading during pregnancy when I'm closer to the end, but this is a must read. For any of your expectant mamas out there who are worried about sleep when your baby comes, read this. It is really encouraging and taught me many things. Whether or not I'll be able to put them into practice, I won't know for a few months, but regardless, this book is great.

There you have it - ten things that helped me survive the first half of pregnancy. You may have noticed that many of the staples like Saltines, ginger drops, peppermint, and ginger ale are missing from my list. While they help many people and were suggested to me countless times (and tried), they didn't do one thing at all for the sickness I experienced. In fact, I'd say with the exception of Saltines, they made it worse. Unfortunately (or fortunately, however you want to look at it), I had to resort to medication. It wasn't my goal to do so, but it was what was (and still is) best for the baby and me.

Labels: