These are a few of my favorite things...

I can’t say that phrase without singing the song... Anyway, in talking to some wonderful friends of mine about baby stuff, they gave me the idea to do a post about the things that have helped me get through my pregnancy. I think it’s a great idea, and would have loved something like that. There are SO many books and products out there, and it’s too hard to know which ones are helpful. So this is my blog of favorite things (Disclaimer: I am not making any promises about how these things will work for you and am not paid by any of these companies- these are just the things that I found that I personally loved)

Books

There are about a bazillion pregnancy books out there. You could spend all day at the bookstore reading them and still not have a clue as to which ones to buy. These are my favorites:

1. Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy by Mayo Clinic: This book includes weekly updates on how things are progressing with the baby and the mom, both physically and mentally. At the end of every month is a list of symptoms and whether you should call a doctor immediately or wait till your next appointment if you are experiencing these symptoms. Since this is my first pregnancy, I had no idea what to expect or what to do (FYI- your body does some CRAZY things) and this was nice to know what was usually normal. There is some good information about labor, delivery and postpartum that is informative without being hysterical and scary. This book also includes decision guides on things such as drugs during labor, breastfeeding, and circumcision that have both the pros and cons of each to help you make your decision. It does not make you feel like you will be a bad mother if you decide not to breastfeed, for example- it just lists the pros and cons of both breast and bottle so you can decide what works best for you. This was my favorite “technical” book.

2. Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy by Vicki Iovine- This book tells you all the crazy stuff that the technical books leave out, including what happens to the daddy. This book really was like having your girlfriends around to tell you about their experiences. It even includes a list of what is helpful to take to the hospital and what is a waste of valuable space in the hospital bag AND how to deal with all the exciting new experiences you will have after the baby is born, like exploding diapers and sex after delivery.

3. Belly Laughs and Baby Laughs by Jenny McCarthy- This book will not win any literary awards. That being said, kudos to Jenny McCarthy for telling it like it is. These books are really easy to read and areHILARIOUS! She took all the nitty-gritty details of life while pregnant and the first year of motherhood and was brutally honest and funny about it, making it seem less scary (including the exploding diaper issue). These are must reads for any first time pregnant person, in my opinion.

Clothes

I went into maternity pants by the time I started the 2nd trimester. My waist was totally gone by then and my regular pants wouldn’t button. I tried using a rubber band to hold them together without being fastened, but that was still uncomfortable. You can continue living in denial that you need stretchy pants, but moving into stretchy pants was the biggest relief. There are some cute pants and jeans out there, and it’s not as bad as it may seem. Of course, you could go to the more expensive stores like A Pea in the Pod or Mimi Maternity and get some absolutely adorable clothes like what the stars wear. You also have Motherhood Maternity (where I got most of my pants), and you can also find some interesting (nicest way to put it) clothes. They are the least expensive of the three, and if you look around you can find some really cute stuff in between the crazy prints. Don’t be scared- I haven’t encountered a rude sales person in any of these places. They are really nice and will try to answer any questions you have. The best part is that almost all of them I’ve encountered are moms who have been through the whole maternity thing and can tell you what worked for them. Just go online and find the store nearest you and don’t be afraid to ask for help. In my experience, they have been fabulous.

The most essential item you must get (in my opinion)= the SECRET FIT BELLY style of any of the pants they carry at these three stores!!! I have Secret Fit Belly pants for work and jeans, and it is like wearing stretchy pants all the times. A lot of the pants I’ve tried at other stores have belly panels that look soft, but there is a strange hard layer that is constricting and uncomfortable. I lost my tolerance for tight clothing almost immediately, so I just couldn’t take these. Secret Fit Belly is stretchy and holds the pants up so they don't fall off, the material is light enought to not work like an extra layer of clothes (thereby making you even hotter, and not in a good way), and actually helps smooth out the belly for those cute, belly-accentuating shirts you might want to wear. I got all my Secret Fit Belly pants at Motherhood Maternity. They have some simple jeans for as cheap as $16-$20. I paid about $30 for mine and I think they are really cute. I can’t begin to tell you how excited I was when someone I know who lives in New York City and is a bit of a fashionista didn’t think they were maternity pants. She was commenting that it was great that I didn’t have to wear maternity pants yet and was shocked when I explained that I actually WAS wearing maternity pants!

Another place I shopped a lot was Old Navy. Find an Old Navy that carries maternity clothes and you will find very inexpensive maternity shirts that are styled very similar to what non-pregnant women are wearing that particular season. Most of my shirts, my bathing suit, and my stretchy maternity yoga shorts are all from Old Navy. It was one of my favorites and let me have more variety of clothes without breaking the bank. They have a ton of stuff on their website, too. The only down side- they don’t have the Secret Fit Belly pants.

Nausea

If you are pregnant, you may know by now that morning sickness can strike any time of the day for however long it wants to. I was very fortunate to not have the morning sickness that causes you to lose everything you eat. I was just sick to my stomach constantly for about the first 3.5-4 months. Lemon water and citrus fruit saved my life (my stomach, at least). Not the sugary water that you buy already flavored with lemon- real lemon with water (whether you buy an actual lemon or lemon juice). I also ate oranges and tangerines throughout the day every day. It was my big first trimester craving and helped me feel better.

Sleeping

You will get progressively more uncomfortable and have a harder time sleeping as the pregnancy progresses. I started with my pillow under my head, then added a pillow between my knees, then another pillow under my head to help with heartburn, then added one behind my back (to keep me from rolling onto my back), then another under my belly to support the growing bump… My husband couldn’t even see me when he lay down because of all the pillows I had on the bed! So he bought me a Snoogle. There are other brands and shapes that I haven’t tried and can’t attest to, but I like my Snoogle. It is C shaped, wraps under your head, behind your back, between your knees and under your belly. It has drastically reduced the number of pillows on our bed. You can also fold it into different shapes (I fold it & use it for lower back support when watching tv). The only thing I have added now is a pillow under my feet to try to help with swelling (at this point, everything is swollen, from my face to my hands to my feet).

This is enough for one post, but as I think of other things that I ended up loving during my pregnancy I will share.

Oh, and I promise to get some new pics up this weekend!