I must admit October 10th has certainly sneaked up on me. {Insert clever comment about how fast time is going here.} Our little pumpkin will be here before we know it.
That being said, who knows what life will be like in a month so I decided to share my top ten pregnancy must-haves in October’s “10 things” post. I’m not claiming these are the secrets to an easy pregnancy (women have been having babies for several years now and no two pregnancies are alike) but these items have certainly done wonders for me over the past few months and I’d like to give them a round of applause. Perhaps they will work for you or someone you know (now or someday).
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I didn’t suffer from morning sickness. <– So many moms just groaned and rolled their eyes at me. I know. I am one of the select few who make it without morning, or rather so I’m told, all day sickness. Sure I had a few queasy moments, especially when I was in a moving vehicle, but those moments were easily remedied by a Preggie Pop Drop. They are sour candies, that don’t actually taste all that bad, and miraculously ease the quease. (I’m starting to sound like an infomercial…) The green apple were my least favorite, but always seemed to work the best. You can also buy them with vitamin B6, but those can’t be shipped overseas. I’m sure they work just as well if not better!
2. Seabands
I carry a lot of stuff in my purse and with me at all times are these puppies. Seabands worked wonders for me in the first trimester when I was in a moving vehicle (car, train, boat). This didn’t happen to me very often, actually, since I never had anyone to drive me around. But in the few days before the deployment and the few instances that I was in a taxi or with a friend, these were a lifesaver. I still use them today when I’m in the car with Alex. He drives like he flies his single-seat aircraft – with no consideration to anyone else in the car. I turn green thinking about it. If you’re prone to any kind of motion sickness, pregnancy related or not, these work. I’ve never had nor do I ever plan to try acupuncture, but they use the same principle. The bracelets apply pressure to just the right spot on each wrist and somehow, it allows the world to catch back up with you.
3. Tracy Anderson: The Pregnancy Project
I’ve been doing hour long workouts 4 days a week throughout my entire pregnancy so far and I have no real intentions of stopping, unless the doctor says so. This included running until I was 6 months pregnant and then I switched to walking. I don’t think I could run even if I tried right now. Can you imagine a penguin running? Yeah, that’s probably how I’d look. To keep my butt in gear I found Tracy’s workout to be just what I needed. There are 9 discs with a workout for each month of pregnancy. I can’t speak for month one, two, or nine (yet) but all of the others have been fantastic. I love that I can still get a great workout when I’m pregnant without having to push myself too far, though I do miss pushing myself for that extra mile. I took a week off from exercise when we were in Portugal and I had never been so achy. I truly believe that my workout regimen has saved me the usual pregnancy aches and pains, and maybe even saved me from several other symptoms (morning sickness, heartburn, swollen ankles, and so on). Even at this point in the pregnancy with my undeniable belly, I rarely get a back ache and if I do, it’s because I slept on it wrong. I wrote a post about exercise and pregnancy back in July, you can read it here.
**As always, be sure to check with your doctor first!!**
4. L’Occitane Almond Supple Skin Oil
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While it is pricey ($40) this stuff is amazing. I’ve been putting it on my growing belly morning and night from the very beginning, even though I wasn’t even close to showing a baby bump. The subtle scent is heavenly. The oil is quickly absorbed by the skin, so you know it’s working, and it is just what an itchy belly needs. I also love it for my hands. I realize that stretch marks are actually based on genetics and your skins ability to stretch, but I haven’t spotted any yet. I keep looking though, because I feel like I should have one or two just so I can be like the tiger who earned her stripes. My body is changing quickly and I like what’s happening. On the other hand, when I have a baby I don’t really need stretch marks to prove it. I’ll have, well, a baby to prove it.
5. Loft maternity jeans
6. Leachco Snoogle
This goofy looking noodle pillow is my savior. Even if you’re not pregnant, check the Snoogle out. It’s the comfiest thing in the world.
7. My Pregnancy journal
This book was a gift from my sister-in-law and I’ve had a lot of fun writing in it and recording moments throughout my pregnancy. Though I sent him weekly updates on how I was feeling and what he was (or wasn’t) missing out on, Alex and I spent some time going through it when he got home. I think he really enjoyed that since he wasn’t here for most of it. It has great prompted questions, blank pages for journaling, a pocket for cards and momentos, and places to put pictures of everything from ultrasounds to the nursery before and after to photos from the baby shower to the first official family photo. This will be a very special keepsake for us someday!
8. The Baby Name Wizard
9. Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads
A friend and fellow pilot (whose first son was born this past July) gave this book to Alex during the deployment. I didn’t think he’d read “dad books” but I think he may have actually read this one. I don’t know for sure, just from the way he talks about late night feedings and changing diapers, I honestly think he did. I highly suggest it for any dad-to-be.
10. Bringing Up Bébé
I bought a lot of books when I found out I was pregnant. I wanted to know everything that was happening to my body and to baby. Everyone I talked to swore by different books and I bought many of them. Instead of making me feel more prepared, I just became more and more overwhelmed with the idea of being a parent.
With so much studying and worrying to do, being pregnant began to increasingly feel like a full-time job. The “is it safe?” lists in the books I bought scared the bujeezus out of me. As did Dr. Google. How was I supposed to remember all of this?! Am I really supposed to ask the waitor if the cheese on my salad is pasteurized? My German doctor only told me three things I couldn’t do: smoke, drink alcohol, and change cat litter. He congratulated me on my pregnancy and told me to enjoy it. This calmed my nerves immensely. Every single book told me to follow my doctor’s orders and those were easy orders. I shelved all my books and have ignored them ever since. When my friend told me about Bringing Up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman, a book about French parenting, my curiosity was piqued. This one sounded different than the others and definitely sounded like something more our style.
The same friend gifted it to me for my shower and I devoured it. The writing is approachable and even funny. This is not a “how-to” manual, but rather a series of observations about how Parisians approach parenting, supplemented with research. (As soon as he finishes his grad classes this week, Alex is going to read it so we can discuss. Isn’t that cute? It’s like Oprah’s book club.) We’ll see how things go with our babe, but this book may have changed my life. I feel suddenly ready and equipped to face many of the daily challenges parenting will throw at me. Maybe one of these days I’ll write a post solely on this book but for now, I highly encourage parents and parent-to-be to read this book.
PROST!
This post was not sponsored, it’s merely my own opinions. Most items were purchased on Amazon. Yes, Amazon owns me.
Mamas, what were some of your must-have items during pregnancy?
Other 10 things posts:
September: why this September is super
August: binge-watch worthy TV shows
July: (10 things) I love about summer
miggiepdx says
Thought you might enjoy reading this: http://girlofcardigan.com/ten-true-things-about-the-first-year-of-parenthood/