I’m just about through my second time at the human-growing rodeo. There are ups, there are downs and there are a few things – besides ice cream – that have made this go of it much more comfortably. (If you’re expecting to see a ginormous body pillow contraption listed, spoiler alert: I think my husband lit my Snoogle on fire before cutting the cord of our first kiddo. I’ve managed with a standard bed pillow fort this time around.)
If you’re newly preggo, consider treating yourself to:
Support tanks. Yes, those Blanqi tanks blowing up your Insta feed are worth the $$$. (Once in a blue moon, they run a 50 percent off sale – stock up. I also scored a used one on Poshmark.) They’re long enough to hang in there for nine months, and are awesome layers, work alone and became my go-to for working out because of the extra boost. Like a constant little hug for the ol’ belly.
Belly oil. Because mama’s got better stuff to do than sit and rub in lotion. I happily slathered on this Earth Mama Belly Oil nightly through two pregnancies. It’s super moisturizing (read: no itching!) without having to rub and rub and rub it in, and it’s not crazy-greasy considering it’s an oil. And bonus: no weird smell.
Preggo skin care products. My skin went off the rails this pregnancy, and I didn’t have the brain space to tinker with various routines. Instead, I went right for products designed for the knocked-up among us (Belli is my go-to) so I wouldn’t have to decipher the novel that is most ingredient lists and worry about safety while slathering on eye cream.
Undershorts. Chafing, you devil. These, like many facets of pregnancy, are not sexy – but they are awesome (especially for a summer, dress-filled pregnancy). Mamas rave about little shorties that are $40 apiece – like these by Belly Bandit) – but I went the random-Amazon-undies route to fit into my nonexistent maternity underwear budget. Remember, NOT SEXY, but these a totally acceptable, do-the-job, cheapo option.
Bluetooth headband. Since I’m on an unsexy spree, behold this giant animal-print stretchy headband…with built-in Bluetooth headphones! Great for insomnia, labor music and my Hypnobabies tracks, this is comfy when lying down and you don’t have to worry about cords. Also, I can pull the sucker right down over my eyes to black things out and look extra fabulous. And it’s cheap enough that I don’t have to worry for a second about keeping track of it at the hospital.
