This post gives you all of the pregnancy essentials that you actually need!
Congratulations on your pregnancy! Every mom experiences so many different symptoms and feelings of being pregnant. I am currently arriving at 20 weeks on my second pregnancy.
With my first pregnancy, it was hard to know what I truly needed or what was a waste. As I have gone through different experiences with each pregnancy, I have found that some tried, and true pregnancy essentials are needed for us pregnant women.
You will find these pregnancy essentials SO HELPFUL during your pregnancy. These are literally the most used items I have found helpful during my pregnancy and want to share with you!
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Pregnancy Essentials
Prenatal Vitamins
If you have not started taking prenatal vitamins since you have found out you’re pregnant, make sure you do it right away. Prenatal vitamins give your baby so many nutrients that doctors say our best for the baby and the mother. When you are pregnant, your baby is literally taking everything from you, including the vitamins that you need. Prenatal vitamins help with the cognitive functioning and development of your baby.
There are SO MANY prenatal vitamins on the market, and before I got pregnant, I was on a search for the best vitamins! I wanted to provide my baby with the most nutrients to grow as healthy as possible. You will love these raw vitamins that contain double the dosage in vitamins A through K, biotin, Magnesium, Calcium, and more!
I have stayed through these vitamins since my first pregnancy. I’m convinced that it has helped my daughter be as healthy and smart as she is.
Because they come in such a large pack, you can order 180 and have them auto shipped to your home every three months. There are so many things we moms have on our mind, auto-ship through Amazon will save you so much time. It has been my favorite tool for most used products that run out!!
Prenatal vitamins are great to take when you are trying to pregnant. They are also needed during your pregnancy and highly recommended throughout the time you breastfeed! Main addition to your pregnancy essentials for sure!
Pregnancy Plus App
Do you follow your baby’s growth patterns and changes every week? I obsessed over this with my first little one until I felt like I learned everything through the pregnancy plus app, which I still use for my second little on the way.
The pregnancy plus app is my favorite out of all the apps because you can see how many days and weeks you are. You can also save and record your favorite list of baby names for boys and girls. The app also allows you to make a list of things to do each month. I love this app because I am a total list maker and have everything planned months ahead. Yep, I plan almost everything before each baby comes, haha!
There is a schedule section on the app that allows you to make your appointment days and times, write in a diary, and track your weight! These functions help you to organize in one space without looking in multiple places during pregnancy. You can also learn about safe exercises for you and your baby each week and more!
I could go on and on about this app, but pregnancy plus is my absolute favorite because I feel like everything is so organized in the app and easy to manage during pregnancy!
Stretch Mark Lotion
Again, there are so many lotions out there for stretch marks. Hopefully, you have bought one already to help take care of your skin.
During my first pregnancy, a friend had shared that her belly was itchy during pregnancy and she would scratch the heck out of it. This is a big NO-NO if you want to do your best to keep your skin as stretch mark-free as possible!
I have used Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula with both pregnancies and have honestly had only a few stretch marks in very unnoticeable places.
It is not a genetic thing for my family because my mother had stretch marks when she was pregnant with me. It is about caring for your skin.
Sincerely, I believe that if you try your best to manage your weight, and you wear the lotion every single day, sometimes twice a day if you are extra itchy, and avoid scratching those itchy areas, you can have little to no stretch marks.
To avoid stretch marks, you will want to rub the very itchy areas. Also, wear this lotion every night on your stomach, back, around your inner thighs and breasts!
DHA
You are probably wondering what the heck is DHA, just like I did! It is a super huge essential for your baby’s development.
DHA is something that I had no idea was pregnancy essential until I was halfway pregnant with my first baby. The doctor asked if I had started taking DHA and recommended that I did!
Liquid DHA absorbs a lot more of the nutrients that your baby needs than when it is in pill form. It helps support your baby’s brain and eye development.
Considering that my husband has had work glasses since a young age, I was happy to know that I needed to start taking DHA right away to help reduce the chances of my daughter’s eyes having poor vision.
Pregnancy Comfort Items
Maternity Clothes
At some point in your pregnancy, depending on what number you are on, everything starts to get uncomfortable and tight :/ This was the hardest part of pregnancy for me because I loved all of my cut clothes before the phase of telling people, “yes, I am pregnant.” Everything seemed so hard to feel cute in, no really!
Pink blush maternity has the cutest outfits for pregnant moms to add to their new wardrobe. You’ll want new pants that support your belly and shirts that grow with your belly.
Pregnancy Leggings + Pants
During pregnancy, you will face so many body changes! Because your body knows what to do the second time around, your body seems to stretch a lot quicker, and your belly grows a lot faster! Having tried a few different pregnancy leggings, so you want to look for leggings that avoid showing the line of separation on your belly, aren’t too loose around the waist, and make your skin feel like it’s more intact and together!
Blanqi maternity leggings are it! You will feel totally held together and they look so cute with any shirt you put in + come in all sorts of colors, which I LOVE.
I wear leggings every day that I possibly can when it’s cold and dress it up with cute tops 🙂
Maternity Shirts
Because you are carrying a little human inside you, you will want to shop for shirts that fit your belly. Maternity clothes can be very cute, and having maternity shorts will make you feel so much more comfortable throughout the process of waiting to deliver your little one!
Maternity Dresses for Summer
If you’re pregnant during the summer or live in a place like Arizona, where there’s a lot of dry heat, you’ll find that dresses are your best friend, haha!
During my first pregnancy, I was not able to spend a lot of money on clothes, but I did invest in a pack of three cute striped dresses and wore those while I worked and endured the heat during pregnancy.
Sometimes when you want to be comfortable, it can be hard to be trendy! BUT, these dresses come in all different sorts of colors, and you can pick your favorites and even get one or two packs for the summer!
New Pajamas
You will also have to plan for your belly to expand and need new pajamas! Comfy shorts or pants with an elastic waist will give your growing belly room at night.
Comfortable Shoes
After a long day of work, there is nothing you would rather put on than some super comfortable shoes to walk around your house, go outside, or even run some errands.
These shoes are so comfortable for your feet. You will feel like you are walking on cushions. Towards the end of pregnancy, and once the baby is born, your feet swell up as your body is producing and getting rid of fluids that you’ve had during pregnancy.
Thankfully, these shoes support swelling because they are not tight to your feet and are comfortable.
Belly Support
Once you’re carrying a baby really low, your belly will need hands to hold and support it so that you can walk. Don’t worry, there is belly support for pregnant mamas!
I didn’t use this with my first baby, but having a baby boy that feels so low has made this a part of pregnancy essentials because belly and back discomfort are NO JOKE!
… More Pregnancy Essentials
Water Bottle
If you are always on the go or currently working, you’ll want to take a large refillable water bottle! The best bottle to have is one with a handle for you to carry around as well as a straw. You will want a straw so that the water does not spill all over your face when you hold it up to drink out of it! Tip from experience, haha.
There are so many times in the past that I felt fatigued until I started carrying a refillable water bottle with me. I carried one at work and felt more energized even with low energy this pregnancy. You will want to fill it up with lots and lots of water!!
Having water with you at all times in a refillable water bottle it’s so good for your baby and will be refreshing for you throughout the day!!
Baby Doppler
The best thing that warms every mama heart is hearing their baby’s heartbeat. Rather than hearing your baby’s heartbeat only at the doctor, you can take it home to monitor their heartbeat.
It is just so comforting to your mama heart!
Belly Laugh Book
Ever feel super sad or down during your pregnancy? I know I have. Jenny McCarthy has won the best seller for the book belly laughs.
She shares all of the pregnancy details to bring joy to some of the hardest times throughout pregnancy. My mom shared this with me, and I loved to read it in my spare time for some laughs on the hard days.
Running Shoes
A good pair of tennis shoes or running shoes is pretty comfortable on your feet until they start to sweet at about 8 months. Having baby number two, I’ve always done a lot of walking, so running shoes have supported me through times when I’m at work and have to do lots of walking!
Supportive Bra
If you haven’t noticed it already your breast usually increase after a few months of being pregnant.
Whether or not you plan on nursing your little one who arrives, a supportive bra will not only help you to nurse but provide you with the most support as you go through the changes of pregnancy.
During my second pregnancy, I still breastfeed Kyla and find that spending more money on one bra is better than purchasing bras that may not last as long.
If you do plan on nursing, once the baby arrives, not only have you prepared yourself for breast changes during pregnancy, but you will be ready to nurse with these bras that support nursing too.
Resistance Bands
These resistant leg bands cannot only help prepare to strengthen your legs for a natural birth but support the smallest amount of fitness you can do during pregnancy.
Every pregnancy, I promise myself that even if I don’t have enough time to work out, I can at least do some leg and arm exercises that will help fight cellulite.
With these resistance bands, you can do squats, leg raises, and butterflies with your legs. Second, you can also put the band on your arm and work out your arms during pregnancy and keep it simple!
Chapstick
You will want to prepare for your lips to crack or dry out, and carry chapstick with you at all times!
Tylenol
Medicine is something that I try not to take a lot of during pregnancy, but you will find that Tylenol is what you can use, and carrying it with you during times of major headaches will make you feel so much better!
Face Roller
Pregnancy brings on all sorts of puffiness and swelling. Something I never used with my first but loved with my second is a cold roller to reduce puffiness, control redness in my skin, and minimize the pores.
Using chemicals on your skin during pregnancy is not always safe because it can get into your bloodstream. If you are like me and like to get facial peels, the cold roller helps you take care of skin needs without chemicals for the time being! One of the hidden pregnancy essentials that I use everyday!
Under Eye Brightener
If you didn’t know this already, sometimes you can feel growth pains and feel exhausted the next morning. Diffusing puffy eyes and wearing Tula’s rose glow brightener to brighten your eyes will enhance the glow you already have so that you look less tired!
Dr Teals Foaming Bath
Coming into the third trimester, I have had the hardest time falling asleep at night. Using Dr Teals foaming bath with lavender is an instant soother! When you take a bath, you can feel the pressure rise out of your lower back. I have used this every night around 7 p.m. from 28 weeks and on, and sleep so well through hip pain at night. It will also help you feel more relaxed at bed time!
Journal
Pregnancy has its ups and downs for sure. There were certain moments I wanted to have written down, and one night I wrote every hard and raw emotion of pregnancy. Looking back, it has made me realize just how much a mother can endure.
Having a physical journal will help you keep some of those raw memories for yourself or your littles. I hope to keep it for as long as my babies have children of their own.
Money Saved for Food Cravings
Every pregnancy will be different, but putting money aside in advance and budgeting your food aversions and cravings will be a great thing for you to prepare!
Make sure you plan that you will most likely want to eat out a lot because of exhaustion, and sometimes nothing sounds good at all, but you will still want to eat out.
When you feel too tired to cook, you will have planned in your budget to eat out for the nights that you just do not feel like cooking.
I have felt extremely nauseous so nauseous up until week 18 during my second pregnancy. There are so many times we have eaten out because I am exhausted or craving something random.
Snacks for the Road
How often do you pack a lunch or keep enough snacks nearby for those moments of instant hunger? I have spent many days failing to pack a lunch and have learned just how much I need lots of water nearby and snacks, haha! Find your current cravings or things you can tolerate and pack some granola, fruits, chips, and finger foods you can eat for when you are hungry! 🙂
Apart of the pregnancy essentials list for anywhere you go!!
I hope you love these pregnancy essentials and must haves as much as I do!!
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