Pregnancy is a beautiful time for a mama – a new life is growing inside of you! However, if you’re reading this, you probably know that it can also be very uncomfortable and overwhelming at times. 

There were quite a few items that I decided to buy during my recent pregnancy that made a world of difference and were definitely worth every dollar. In this post, I’m going to share with you those items, some pros/cons and tips, along with a few other items I didn’t use but know are helpful for some mamas.

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Clothing

Maternity clothing can be something that you might be hesitant to buy, especially early on before you’re really showing but your regular clothes are just a bit too tight. Cost is another factor that may be keeping you from purchasing items that you’ll only wear for a few months. But believe me, having even just a few items of clothing that are cute and comfortable can make a big difference.

Word of caution – don’t feel that you need to replace your entire wardrobe when you start looking at maternity clothes (even if you may want to). You can space out your purchases throughout your pregnancy as well.

Pros – Comfortable, often stylish, grows with your belly, doesn’t necessarily stand out as “maternity clothes”

Cons – Size variations between brands, can be costly

Tip – If you’re torn between two sizes, get the bigger size. Something that fits just right during your second trimester may not fit in your third trimester.

Shirts

Pros – There are lots of cute options available, the ruched sides allow it stretch with your growing belly

Cons – Again, not the cheapest to wear for only a few months

Tip – Pick up a few plain colors that’ll match with lots of different bottoms

Dresses

Pros – Comfortable yet stylish, accommodates your growing belly, longer lengths keep the dress from being too short as your belly grows (which can happen with non-maternity dresses)

Cons – Many maternity dresses are very similar in style

Tip – Choose dresses that will also be handy for nursing after you have the baby

Labor Gown

Pros – Comfortable gown to wear in the hospital after having the baby, designed to allow for nursing, skin-to-skin, and physical exams during your recovery

Cons – Requires two hands to snap it back together after nursing

Tip – Although it’s designed to replace a standard hospital gown for labor and delivery, I recommend that you wait to use it until after you’ve had the baby so it doesn’t get soiled during the birth of your child

Belly Band

Pros – Provides support as your ligaments stretch and cause round ligament pain, supports your back, can be used for many months of your pregnancy

Cons – Can sometimes be difficult to get it to fit just right, not the most stylish thing to wear (but still totally worth it), somewhat bulky (but not as much as some other bands)

Tip – Start using it as soon as you start having round ligament pain – don’t feel that you need to wait until your belly gets really big. It was especially helpful for me when I had to be on my feet a lot, when exercising, or going on walks.

Nursing bras

Pros – Comfortable for your growing bust, includes additional hooks to expand band, afforable

Cons – Removable pads always need to be adjusted after wash, for nursing – I didn’t like how wide the shoulder strap was behind the flap that comes down

Tip – When in doubt, order the larger size. If it fits just right during your pregnancy, it may be too tight while you’re nursing.

Safety

As my pregnancy progressed, these items helped me to either feel safer or have more peace of mind. Before my pregnancy, I wouldn’t have thought of these items as must-haves for pregnant mamas but they certainly were worth it!

Seat belt Adjuster

Pros – Keeps your seat belt off of your belly, helps you to feel more comfortable as your belly grows, can be easily moved to another car or seat if necessary

Cons – Requires that you get down to reach below the seat of the car in order to install (difficult as a pregnant mama), can become loose if not properly installed, may be difficult to install if you have certain types of seats or seat covers

Tip – Purchase at least 2 for each of your cars (one for the driver’s seat and the passenger’s seat). I purchased only 1 at first for the passenger’s seat as my husband often drives. However, I wound up ordering a second one for the driver’s seat so it was able to use it when I drove without having to reinstall it.

Shower Stool

Pros – Allows you to safely wash your feet and shave even as your belly grows and your balance worsens, lightweight and easy to assemble

Cons – It was a bit too wide for my standard size tub and wouldn’t sit completely level, cumbersome to store somewhere else when other family members used the shower

Tip – I bought my shower chair as soon as I realized I was having trouble balancing on one foot while in the tub. Although it can be cumbersome, it was definitely worth having to avoid falling in the tub.

Shower Head Holder

Pros – Allows you to change the location of your moveable shower head so you can make better use of your shower chair, suction mechanism makes it easy to install and relocate as needed without damaging the walls

Cons – Needs to be readjusted and tightened occasionally so the suction won’t loosen and fall off the wall

Tip – Also useful to lower the shower head for bathing your children

Health

Being pregnant means not only caring for your own health but also that of your unborn child. Here are a few items to help you take better care of your body.

(Disclaimer: This blog post should not be used for medical advice. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your healthcare provider.)

Large Water Bottle

Pros – Helps you to keep track of how much water you’ve had in a day, having water near you all day will help you stay more hydrated, easy to clean

Cons – May not fit nicely in a dishwasher due to its size (although it is dishwasher safe)

Tip – Because this bottle holds about 4 cups of water, I know that as long as I drink two full bottles I’ve reached my goal of at least 8 cups a day.

Prenatal Vitamins

Pros – Recommended to start taking before you become pregnant and even while you’re nursing for proper fetal development, one a day

Postnatal Vitamins may be recommended after you’ve had your baby.

Cons – They are quite large which can be hard to some people to swallow, some moms have difficulty with nausea when taking vitamins

Tip – Because you’ll be needing these every day for many months, an easy way to save money on your vitamins is to set up a subscribe and save schedule on Amazon. This also means you won’t have to worry about running out.

Poise pads

Pro – A discreet way to keep you dry

Con – If you buy the wrong size, you’re stuck with quite a bit due to the quantity in each bag

Tip – When in doubt, buy one size larger rather than smaller. Amazon’s subscribe and save makes it easy to make sure you never run out.

Gum

Pros – Helpful to keep your nausea at bay, not as bad on your teeth since it’s sugar-free, easy to always have on hand

Con – You might have to try a few flavors before you find one that works best for you

Tip – Order a variety pack so you can try out more than one flavor.

Pro – A helpful way to drink more water throughout the day in addition to the advertised health benefits

Cons – Cost (especially if you’re drinking more than a cup of each a day), you may not like the taste (especially if you’re not a tea drinker)

Tip – I would purchase it from a store near you first to give it a try before ordering a larger amount on Amazon.

Stretch Marks Lotion

Pro – Moisturizes skin to help prevent stretch marks

Con – You may not like that you can still feel the lotion on your skin even the next day

Tip – Start using lotion in your nightly routine before stretch marks occur.

Comfort and Misc

Donut Cushion

Pros – Relieves pressure when you sit, easy to inflate, keeps its shape

Cons – Needing to move it if you move from chair to chair, you may find it embarrassing to use, the extra inch or two that it adds may take some getting used to

Tip – This was especially helpful in relieving my sciatica pain. Don’t allow embarrassment keep you from being comfortable!

Snoogle

Pros – Can be adjusted to help you sleep in different positions, removable cover is machine washable

Cons – Cost, mine lost its firmness overtime, cover is not the easiest to remove and put back on, not as comfortable as my belly grew, takes up quite a bit of space on the bed

Tip – This was a big help in training my body to sleep on my left side which is the most beneficial sleep position.

Boppy Side Sleeper

Pros – Cheaper and not as large as a Snoogle or other similar pregnancy pillows, removable cover is machine washable, helped me to still sleep on my side without feeling as restraining as the Snoogle

Cons – Takes some getting used to, does still take up space on the bed

Tip – Towards the end of my pregnancy, it was less comfortable around my belly but I was still able to use it by placing it more around my hips and under my belly.

Pool

Pros – Lifesaver in the hot summer afternoons, takes pressure off your muscles and joints (especially in your third trimester), a good way to stretch and exercise

Cons – Cost (obviously this was a major splurge item for my family), upkeep

Tip – Each afternoon this summer, my three-year-old and I would hop in the pool. He’d have fun burning off some energy before nap, and I got some relief from the weight of my third trimester belly.

SwimWays Spring Float

Pros – Very comfortable, easy to inflate, folds down to store in a compact carrier

Cons – Having to share it with my husband and son

Tip – Mine broke within a few months, although, I believe this was due to neglect, not the quality of the product. If you do purchase this, be sure to store it properly and not leave it in the sun between uses.

Tripod

Pros – Folds down for compact storage, bluetooth remote works with iOS and Android phones, affordable

Con – Advertised as a selfie stick tripod combo but I found it to be a bit too wide to fit in one hand when using it as a selfie stick

Tip – I had my husband take weekly pictures of me to document my growing belly. I wish I had bought this tripod earlier as it would have helped to make those photos more uniform. We also used it to get nice pictures of our family with our newborn without someone needing to hold the camera.

Other products to consider

These last three items are products that I didn’t personally use but have heard that they were helpful for other mamas.

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Pregnancy is a wonderful and exciting time! I hope this list has provided you with some ideas of products that can help you enjoy your pregnancy even more. I pray that you’ll have a safe and healthy pregnancy and baby!