12 Of The Most Helpful Pregnancy Must Haves

Wondering what are the most important pregnancy must haves? Here are the top 12 things you should consider during your pregnancy.

There are so many products out there that can be helpful for pregnancy. From the first trimester to third trimester, your body goes through so many changes that things like pregnancy pillows, belly oil and maternity clothes make life so much more enjoyable.

But what are the pregnancy must haves? This post breaks down the tried and true things that you should invest in during pregnancy. #12 is one of my favorites!

This post is all about pregnancy must haves.

Pregnancy Must Haves

1. Prenatal vitamins

Prenatal vitamins are a must during pregnancy! The key nutrients they provide are folic acid, calcium and iron.

Folic Acid: Helps your baby’s brain and spinal cord grow correctly and prevents the risk of serious birth defects like spina bifida.

Calcium: This is a vital nutrient in prenatal vitamins to protect your bones throughout pregnancy. Your baby takes calcium from your bones and teeth as he grows and develops so it is important to protect your bone density.

Iron: This helps your blood deliver oxygen to your baby and prevents premature birth or your baby being born too small.

2. Pregnancy app

This is one of my favorite pregnancy must haves. If there is one thing I did every single day during pregnancy, it was checking my favorite pregnancy app. There are so many pregnancy stages that you go through in nine months. Plus, I was extremely interested in knowing about all of the baby development happening too.

Pregnancy apps break down your pregnancy week by week, help you identify symptoms of pregnancy that you might be experiencing and provide you tons of support during pregnancy.

Most pregnancy apps include:

An overview of how big your baby is and updates on the week of pregnancy you’re in
A planner with suggested appointments to make, upcoming tests and screenings, and a weekly to do list
Countdown to baby’s arrival / update with how far along you are in pregnancy
Daily tips and articles to read
How far along in the pregnancy you are

3. Maternity clothes

Your body grows and changes so rapidly during pregnancy so it’s never too early to start buying maternity clothes.

If this is your first pregnancy, you should be able to get away with your normal shirts well into the second trimester of pregnancy but pants are a different story.

You shouldn’t expect a bump for a little while but bloating can happen out of nowhere in the first trimester of pregnancy. Maternity pants are extremely helpful and no one will even know you’re wearing them! It’s a win win.

4. Belly oil

Many pregnant women use a belly oil to moisturize your skin and help with dryness. As your bump grows, your skin will stretch and get thinner and thinner. This can become uncomfortable especially if it is dry.

It is still up for debate if it helps with stretch marks or not. Some people swear by it while others think stretch marks are genetic.

Either way, a belly oil can make the second and third trimester of pregnancy much more enjoyable.

This is my favorite product I swear by.

5. Pregnancy pillow

Sleep can be so hard for many pregnant women. So if you’re experiencing it, you’re not alone.

Not only are there physical changes but your hormones are changing, there is a lot of new excitement and anxiety and so many other discomforts throughout pregnancy.

It is time to get a pregnancy pillow if you are struggling to sleep because of hip pain or you cannot get comfortable. Sleep is an essential part of prenatal care so it is important to do what you can to improve your quality of sleep.

Unlike regular pillows, pregnancy pillows are specifically designed to provide extra support in the places most commonly affected by your growing belly (and baby).

Pregnancy pillows can:

Help you adjust positions more easily
Keep your neck, back and hips aligned while you sleep
Help with hip pain by keeping your legs parallel to each other
Improve your circulation
Help aid common pregnancy symptoms such as heartburn, nasal congestion and leg cramps
Prevent you from accidentally rolling onto your back while sleeping

In many cases, a pregnancy pillow can dramatically help with pregnancy symptoms and make sleeping much more comfortable and enjoyable.

6. Ginger tea

It is extremely common to experience mild nausea, mostly in the form of morning sickness, during the first trimester. It is also normal for pregnant women to experience nausea randomly during the day or even consistently at night though.

You can expect morning sickness to start as early as six weeks and will start to ease by twelve or fourteen weeks when you are into the second trimester. But trust me, I know it can feel neverending when you are in the middle of it.

Ginger tea is one of a few things that can help with nausea. It is known to help in digestion, soothe upset stomachs and provide some relief for morning sickness.

My friends love this brand of ginger tea.

7. Reusable water bottle

It is so important for you to stay hydrated during pregnancy (and even when you are not). You will actually need MORE water when pregnant so you can form the amniotic fluid, produce extra blood, build new tissue, carry nutrients, keep your digestion flowing and eliminate wastes and toxins.

Drinking enough water is easy to do but also easy not to do…

One thing I have always found to help me is having a reusable water bottle with me at all times.

I also like to set small goals throughout the day. For example: 16oz before any caffeine, a full water bottle during the morning, etc. This really helps keep me on track during the day.

It is recommended to drink at least half your water weight in oz (75oz for 150lbs) but I always aim for a gallon every day. Just make sure you stop drinking an hour or so before you go to bed. Otherwise, you may be up twice as many times during the night and no one wishes for that.

8. Pregnancy journal

A pregnancy journal is a fun way to document your entire pregnancy. You can include details about how you feel at different stages of pregnancy, include updated pictures as your bump grows and write down memories that you want to remember forever.

Plus, it’s so fun to look back on your pregnancy journal once you have your baby.

There are a lot of different designs out there so I recommend checking out a few before purchasing one!

9. Nursing pads

if you are a first time mom you might be surprised to learn that you will start to leak in the third trimester of pregnancy. For this reason, nursing pads are one of the pregnancy must haves!

I recommend buying reusable and washable nursing pads so that you use them over and over again without having to spend more money.

10. Prenatal workout routine

Exercise is sooo beneficial to you and baby! If you were already an active person, then keep it up! If you weren’t as active pre-pregnancy then now is the time to start some light activity such as walking.

The key here is to perform moderate activity and listen to your body. Now is not the time to take up running or another strenuous routine and if something doesn’t feel good then you should absolutely stop and either modify or skip it entirely.

There are tons of prenatal workout out there but this is my favorite program!

Please talk to your doctor about your current routine and see what he/she feels is appropriate now that you are pregnant and as you progress through pregnancy.

11. Prenatal massage

A prenatal massage is an amazing way to relieve the aches and pains that come with pregnancy. It can help with back and neck pain, improve circulation, reduce muscle tension and headaches, and reduce stress. All of which can lead to better sleep.

It differs from a regular massage based on the techniques used. For example, prenatal massages do not include deep tissue massaging or strong pressure on the legs due to circulatory changes that put pregnant women at risk for blood clots in the lower legs.

You will most likely lay on your side during a prenatal massage. Laying on your stomach is uncomfortable as you progress through pregnancy and laying on your back is not good either.

12. Babymoon

A babymoon is a fun way to celebrate one last vacation with your spouse before your baby comes. It usually occurs during the second trimester of pregnancy (assuming no pregnancy complications). At this time, you will likely have a visible bump but you are still feeling pretty good. Plus, your doctor will not want you traveling past a certain number of weeks in the third trimester.

A baby moon is whatever you make it! It could be a weekend away, a trip to the beach or doing something you and your husband love to do.

My husband and I went to Clearwater Beach, Florida for our babymoon and we had a blast! We spent time on the beach, read, enjoyed trying new restaurants and spending quality time together away from the stresses of work at home.

This post was all about pregnancy must haves.