1. Bio-Oil: I applied this every night to my belly, breasts, and thighs in hopes to ward off any stretch marks. I'm not sure if I have Bio-Oil to thank or just plain luck, but I'm pretty stretch mark free. I also found this product to be super moisturizing for my legs during the winter months. This product is pricey, but luckily Costco sold it for a fraction of the cost of drug stores. In the mornings, I applied regular ol' cocoa butter lotion.
2. Pregnancy Day by Day (Canadian Edition): I bought a few pregnancy books at the beginning of my pregnancy, but this one was hands down Jim and my's favourite one. There is a page to read each day highlighting changes in utero and things to expect during your pregnancy, along with tips and advice. It was a great resource, and it was fun to see the day to day changes in your fetus.
3. Dr. Teal's Lavender Epsom Salts: I am not a bath person, but in my third trimester, I was so sore by bedtime that I often needed a hot bath to soothe my aches and pains before bed. I'm a huge fan of lavender scented anything and found this product to be very relaxing.
4. Thyme Maternity Leggings: I lived in these leggings for the last half of my pregnancy, in fact, I had a few pairs just so I always had a clean pair to wear. I have no other brand to compare them too, but these ones stayed up on my belly and paired great with dresses and tunics. I even wore them for several weeks postpartum!
5. Vitamin Code Raw Prenatal Vitamins: My stomach is really sensitive to iron supplements and the first type of prenatal vitamins I tried did not agree with me. It was so bad that I was actually worried that I wouldn't be able to take prenatal vitamins. Then one day my friend Traci gave me a few bottles of the Vitamin Code ones and it was like night and day in comparison! I tolerated them with no problems my entire pregnancy. I cannot recommend them enough.
6. Massage Therapy & Chiropractic Care: When my SI joint pain got so bad and I was willing to do anything to find some relief, everyone told me to go see a Chiropractor. I had never been to a Chiropractor before, but my friend Lisa recommended one that she had been to during her pregnancy. I started to go for treatments as well as regular prenatal massages at the same clinic. If you happen to live in the Edmonton area, I highly recommend Dr. Sarah Wu and Haylee, RMT at Momentum Chiropractic Clinic. They both helped me work through the pain and discomfort I was experiencing and often fit me in last minute.
7. Starbucks Cold Cup Tumbler: I'm not always the best water drinker, but I knew I had to up my intake during pregnancy. I don't know why, but water tastes so much better when drank through a straw. This was (and still is), my go-to water "bottle".
8. Long Tank Tops: I'm pretty sure I wore a long tank top everyday. They covered my butt and ever expanding cleavage and just seemed to make tops look more smooth. A huge pregnancy wardrobe staple in my opinion. I wore a few of my regular, extra long tanks throughout my pregnancy, but I also really like the maternity tank tops from Old Navy with the ruching on the sides for when I just wanted to wear a tank top solo.
I'd love to hear what's on your list of pregnancy must haves!
What couldn't you have survived without?
