Pregnancy must-haves and faves

As I am coming to the end of my pregnancy with only a few weeks left (yay!), I figured I would share some of my pregnancy must haves and favorites for you mama-to-bes out there. 

1. Pregnancy Apps: I loaded my phone up with lots of pregnancy apps and have loved reading my baby's progress through all of them. I guess when you download and set them up, you also get registered to get emails which I have found to be super insightful. 

2. Baby Bargains book: This book is a must! They update it every year (so make sure to get the most current version) and rate and review all baby products and brands on the market. We referenced this book for almost every items we bought and registered for. 

3. Prenatal vitamins: I took Nature Made prenatal vitamins and started even before I got pregnant. Make sure your prenatal vitamin has DHA, which helps to promote brain health for baby. 

4. Leggings: If you've read my blog before, I have expressed my love for maternity leggings quite a few times. I bought two pairs of these early on in pregnancy and just fell in love with how comfy they are. Since then, I bought a few more since I wear them so frequently. They are great for lounging around the house and out and about. 

5. Tumbler: Drinking a lot of water during pregnancy is crucial. We have several 24-ounce tumblers in our house which I load up every morning with water and take to work. They are great to just keep refilling throughout the day. Now, in my third trimester, I feel like I can't get enough water so I always have my tumbler around. I love them because they keep my water cold and don't sweat. Also love the tumblers with straws - I feel like I drink more when I have a straw. 

6. Prenatal massage: You have to get at least one prenatal massage or more during pregnancy. These are the best especially once your back and legs start aching as you gain more weight. Know that prenatal massages are a little different - you're on your back hugging a pillow and you flip halfway through to the other side. I feel like it takes a little while to relax at the start of the massage because you're face is exposed and the baby usually moves for the first part but once you relax, they are amazing! 

7. Body pillow: Having a body pillow to sleep with the last half of pregnancy is totally essential. I bought the regular straight body pillow but next pregnancy I am totally getting one of the larger curved pillows. The only downfall with these pillows is they take up a lot of room in the bed. Sorry hubby! 

8. Palmer's body butter: I used Palmer's body butter to apply to my belly, back, butt, legs, etc. as a hope to avoid stretch marks. A lot of friends I spoke with also swore by Palmer's during pregnancy. You get to smell like a chocolate bar. ;-)

9. Flats: Invest in some comfy flats if you don't have any already. Around month six, your feet start to swell and hurt from the extra weight. While I still wore heels, I eventually made the switch to flats full time because a) they are comfy b) your balance is off when you've got a round tummy, so for the safety of you and baby, wear some comfy flats. 

10. iPad or tablet: I have lived on my iPad. I use it constantly to update our baby registry, look up products, read articles, get ideas, etc. 

11. Supportive husband or partner: I don't have enough words to express how wonderful my husband has been during my pregnancy. He's my best friend and my rock. I know I'm being totally cheesy, but I just love him so much more everyday and his support has been endless and solid through all of the ups and downs, mood swings, etc.  I hope you have someone to help support you and make you feel beautiful during this special time in your life. 

So there it is, that's my personal list of must-haves for pregnancy. I should also say it's important to have a great doctor that makes you feel comfortable. I started with a different doctor at the beginning of my pregnancy and quickly switched to a practice that I just love. Trust your instincts and talk to your friends with kids to see how their experience was with their doctor so you know what to expect and what you are looking for. 

Maternity Clothes

I got away with not buying a lot of maternity clothes because I wear a lot of dresses, so my wrap dresses and some stretchy dresses have lasted me through these bigger months. I did purchase some new dresses that were not maternity but again a wrap dress or stretchy so I could wear it now and after pregnancy - or I bought a few dresses in the next size up. Maternity jeans and pants are a must so I stocked up on a few and I bought a handful or so of maternity tops. Here are the sites/stores I used to snag my maternity clothes. Happy shopping!

1. Loft: Ann Taylor Loft is one of my favorite stores and it was a major plus that they have a maternity line. I bought my jeans from them - just ordered my regular, prebaby size in maternity. I also got a couple tops from them but also bought some regular sized tops in a size up. 
2. Gap: I bought most of my maternity clothes from Gap including my work pants and several cute tops. They run sales frequently so wait for a sale and stock up. 
3. Old Navy: They have affordable maternity clothes and also run sales frequently.  
4. Zulily: I had a bit of an obsession with Zulily. They have daily deals on kids and maternity items. A word of caution, they do not allow returns on any items so make sure you love what you are going to purchase. I bought a few things that I was totally disappointment in once it arrived because it was cheap material or see through but you're stuck with it. However, I did also get a few cute things from them and they have great baby items and deals. Just know what you are buying before you click all the way through to purchase. Sometimes they have well-known brands at great deals. One more word of advice, it usually takes a little while to receive the item you ordered. 
5. Destination Maternity (Motherhood/Pea in a Pod): I shopped both online and in stores at Destination Maternity and/or Motherhood/Pea in a Pod. They tend to be a little bit more expensive so look for deals or splurge when you have a nice event or you see something you absolutely love. 
6. Target: Target also has a maternity line with some cute items. I didn't actually buy anything from them, but look every time I'm in the store and check out their site occasionally.