Pregnancy Must Haves

Oh insomnia, how I love thee... no, wait, no I don't. I loathe thee. I cannot figure out why I can't sleep lately. I'm woken up by random things like the baby kicking, pelvic pain, the dog dreaming, and even Craig yelling "why are you coming after me?" (but in a Jersey Shore-style) in his sleep. Some nights I don't even sleep at all. I'm often woken up just because I'm sweating. Pregnancy sounds fun, yeah??

Well, on top of everything that's going on in my brain, I came across a blog post on People.com that got me thinking. Marla Sokoloff wrote an interesting piece on her pregnancy must-haves. As I looked through her list, I kept thinking "does she think we're all independently wealthy people?" Nearly everything she had on her list is expensive. So, I decided to create my own "must have" list for my friends that are currently expecting! Since this is me we're talking about, you can expect my choices to be somewhat inexpensive.

Clothing
Any good mama-to-be should know to be versatile but there are a few things you're going to need!

I could not have survived my pregnancy without the three empire-waist dresses I bought. When I bought them, I got them on a whim and told Craig "I'm going to wear these all the time!!" We were short on cash and I wound up spending about $100 on two bags of clothes (not just the dresses). While he rolled his eyes at me, I've worn every piece of clothing I bought that day at least 100 times by now. The dresses are my go-to tunics now and I still get compliments when I wear them. They are fantastic for before/during/after pregnancy! 

Make sure you get maternity jeans with a stretch to it! As you expand, you want jeans to expand with you and you're going to need shirts that cover!! Don't forget about sweaters! You WILL get cold at some point, so invest in a few longer cardigans that can easily be taken off when you get hot, again.

Shoes. All you really need are shoes... that will expand with your feet. I preferred wearing boots all winter but I learned a valuable lesson - don't invest a lot of money in new and expensive shoes. They won't last you long. Your feet may go up a size, so look for bargains on shoes that you won't mind tossing once your feet return to a normal-ish size.

It's always nice to have a fancy dress or two - you never know when someone will be getting married or you have a party to go to. My recommendation: buy 1 floor length dress and 1 shorter dress.

Just like your t-shirts, tunics become great for every day wear, so invest in longer tunics that will eventually get shorter as your belly grows. They go well with just about everything - jeans, leggings, skirts...etc.

Source: polyvore.com via Hillary on Pinterest

There are also other things you need...
I'm not kidding when I say stretch marks itch. Get Shea butter!  Palmer's Shea butter works really well at relieving dry stretched skin but use a bit of aloe to cool the skin off a bit!

Another thing you'll need: a durable water bottle. I prefer metal, some people prefer glass or plastic. Just make sure it's BIG! You need to stay hydrated and it's easier to throw a water bottle in your purse than it is to go to Starbucks.

Books will keep you entertained but you don't need to buy every pregnancy book on the market. My favorites: Taboo Secrets of Pregnancy: A Guide to Life with a Belly and Expect This! - they're not scary pregnancy books and they're actually rather funny.

I love makeup... and my skin changed a lot with pregnancy. Invest in a few staples: cheek/lip stain, tinted moisturizer, SPF, lip balm, and a cream eyeshadow. These are as versatile as it gets and you don't want your makeup sliding off during the day. Take it from someone who lives in the Middle East!!


The last thing you can't and shouldn't live without: healthy snacks! Keep fruit, oatmeal bars, string cheese, and nuts handy! Keep them in your purse, bag, desk...etc. You're going to get hungry at random times - may as well stave off the hunger. Plus, eating little by little helps keep "angry lady" at bay as well as nausea. Trust me when I tell you that at the drop of a hat your blood sugar will drop - so keep food on you at all times - make it a habit!

Source: polyvore.com via Hillary on Pinterest

 

 

Ok, it's your time to chime in ... what were YOUR pregnancy must haves?