Pregnancy Survival Kit

For years every month passed and I yearned for that positive pregnancy test. Finally, the day came that it was. I was thrilled but also completely shocked. I had always wanted to be a Mommy – little did I know how something you are so thrilled to be can also be so NOT fun.

For all the Mommy’s out there or Mommy’s to be….while it’s 100% worth it and I’d do it a thousand more times if it would keep giving me a perfect little one, pregnancy sucks….and anyone who says it doesn’t is lying or REALLY lucky.

So – here’s a list of things that made my life easier during those months when your body is doing it’s miracle job of creating another life.

 

Early in pregnancy…

Preggy Pop Drops – For some reason the way God made us, we are the sickest when we can’t let anyone know why. These preggy pop drops were a life saver for me. I was sick from week 7 to about week 15, then again it came back sometime around week 23 for a few days. These things work! My sickness came mostly in the evening and mostly in the car….in Atlanta that makes for a REALLY long commute home in the evening. I kept a baggy of these in my car at all times. I think it’s part the oils in them, but also just that sour taste that takes the edge off enough to make it through.

Cheerios – For many of the same reasons as the Preggy Pop Drops, I kept a baggy of Cheerios in my car. I’ve heard from several mommy’s that Cheerios were a saving grace for them as well. Some prefer plain – honey nut were my jam. There is just something about them that help keep the nausea at bay.

Zip Lock Baggies – I kept a couple empty gallon sized Zip Lock baggies in my middle console of my car. Again – the nausea while driving is the reason. Luckily I never had to use them, but if I threw up in my car – I knew I wouldn’t be able to stop because of the vicious cycle that is puking – so I had these as a just in case – so I could seal them up and finish my drive home if need be.

Ginger Candies – these were my first ‘go to’ for nausea. They are amazing for tummy problems in normal life. After about a week of eating them though I couldn’t stand the flavor of ginger and switched to the Preggy Pop Drops. That being said, I swear by them for anything tummy before, during and after pregnancy. The apple flavor is my favorite.

Belly Band – If you’re like me, you don’t want to have to purchase a ton of maternity clothes. And there’s an awkward phase between regular clothes and maternity clothes. Having a good belly band was great so that I didn’t have to buy a maternity suit when I only needed it a couple times. I just stuck one of these on my pants and found a blazer that had a little stretch in it from the back of my closet, and I was on my way. Make sure you get one that has a rubbery edge so that it holds up your pants better. I went with black because it looks more like a tank top than having the big nude band that is pretty obvious looking if it shows – white and grey or other colors work too!

Cocoa Butter – I honestly don’t know if these work or not – I mean who knows how bad your stretch marks ‘could have’ been if you didn’t use it – but I definitely slathered this stuff on daily. The smell was shocking at first (I mean who knew it would smell like chocolate haha) but it was pleasant. The butter felt so good on my skin. I would recommend rubbing it on your belly, hips, anywhere you could get stretch marks from before you start to show all the way to the end. You never know when the ‘stretching’ of your skin will occur. I used the Palmers kind – and the pump bottle was so much nicer than the tub – I just think its gross getting under your nails when you dig into that tub. You’ll use it all! So a two pack won’t go to waste.

Lemonade – There is just something about the sweet and tangy citrus of the lemonade that made the nausea go away. I was addicted to lemonade the entire pregnancy. ChickfilA was definitely the fan favorite but any of it will do!

 

Mid to late pregnancy…

Maternity / Nursing bra – Let me tell you – I didn’t want to give these up after my nugget was born. They were SO comfortable! And once she came I was super glad I had them. They are sports bra-like with easy access panels for nursing – but during pregnancy it was so nice to have that comfort factor so I recommend getting them once you start showing.

Full Panel maternity pants – once you have to admit that your pants aren’t as comfortable just go all in! The full panel are the best. SO COMFORTABLE! I hear of so many people proud they could wear their pants the whole time – well I COULD but once I tried these babies on I knew why I shouldn’t – it’s all about being comfortable! I had a couple pairs of jeans, some black legging style, and yoga pants and I was all set. I got some at Target, Old Navy, Walmart and even Amazon.

Belly Support Band – Towards the end I’ve got to be honest – that belly was heavy! It doesn’t matter how big or small you are before you add a human – at some point your body just hurts. Having a supportive belly band that just helps support some of it will help your back tremendously. I was always paranoid that you could tell I was wearing it, but honestly in most of the maternity clothes (and regular clothes that were loose enough to fit around my girth) you couldn’t tell one bit. I often wore it on top of maternity pants and just hidden under my top. This is the one I had.

Bath Salts – I’m not a bath person – but when you are carrying around another human and your body starts to ache just from standing up, break out the bath salts. I had some like this and threw a good amount of those and some bubble bath into a tub once a week or so after a certain point. It helped ease the aches and pains a little bit and also forced me to relax for about 20 minutes which my body needed.

Compression Socks – Once that water weight starts to build up – and it will – this was a life saver. They were hard to put on towards the end but nothing that couldn’t be done. And well worth the effort because the days I didn’t wear them my legs and feet just ached. I bought a couple pair from a local ‘uniform shop’ that sold scrubs and medical uniforms – but here are some that are similar. They even come in fun colors and patterns. There are stockings and thicker sock versions – but I recommend getting them to come up to just below your knee so that it doesn’t bruise and leave an impression mid calf.

Ball Chair – This isn’t a necessity – but it was oh so nice to have. One of my coworkers had one of these in her office and lent it to me towards the end and it was definitely more comfortable!! All that sitting can take a toll. Sitting on this with my feet propped up (in my case on an upside down empty mail bin) at my desk was the best solution. Just be careful not to topple off! Being off balance all the time is one of the ‘perks’ of pregnancy. 🙂

 

In addition to the items above – there are a few things that one can only WISH they could purchase. Unfortunately these are not for sale – but they are MUST HAVES to make your pregnancy a little easier…

Patience – If you are not a patient person, I think pregnancy is one way to teach you patience. Everything in pregnancy forces you to slow down a little bit. From sitting in more waiting rooms to physically moving slower, this is definitely a lesson in patience. Take a deep breath and know that it is preparing you for a lifetime of using that skill with your kiddos.

A Sense of Humor – Let’s just say things happen during pregnancy… to you, around you, and by you that you will need a sense of humor for. When in doubt – laugh it off. This too shall pass and on the other side of it you will have a big old dose of oxytocin that will make you forget the worst of it. So take a moment to laugh, even if it is at yourself, and you’ll be a happier person.

Thick Skin – I’ll be honest – most people are AMAZING when you are pregnant. More people open doors, help you carry things, and share hopeful stories with you of how wonderful being a parent can be. That being said – even the best people say things sometimes that they didn’t mean to say. It’s like you are a magnet and their horror stories or rude comments are made of metal and just fly out of their mouths without even realizing it. Some people instantly regret it and you can see it all over their face. Others don’t even realize what their words mean. Some tell you of a horrible birth story or something that builds your already high level of anxiety. Others simply say things like ‘wow, you’re huge!’ without thinking for one second about how much that can hurt an already emotionally fragile person. You have to have thick skin….and the sense of humor I mentioned above, to make it through. Just remember, most people don’t mean it the way your hormone-filled ego takes it.

 

Being on the other side of it – I will tell you what they say is true. It WILL pass, and you WILL forget it, and for some reason you will sign up to do it all again as fast as you can. So from that positive pregnancy test until (I imagine) their 18th Birthday – this is the ride of your life. There are ups and downs but you can’t take yourself or anyone else too seriously. Laugh it off when you can, and cry in the shower when you can’t. There’s something about that water that makes the crying not so bad. 😉

Let me know what else I missed – what else did you find were absolute necessities to make it through those 40-ish weeks?