Pregnancy: The ultimate survival guide

Pregnancy is wonderful, and maybe even magical. But it’s not usually the most comfortable time in a woman’s life. (Not for me, anyway!)

So today I’m looking back over my last 2 pregnancies, and looking forward to the second half of this one, in order to share my favorite pregnancy essentials: 14 things to make your pregnancy as comfortable as humanly possible.

I also recommend checking out the Pregnancy Essentials Amazon shopping list that I created, to see all of my favorites.

Ready? Let’s go!

Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you choose to click through and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

1. An awesome maternity wardrobe

This is a big one! You might think that you’re only going to be wearing these clothes for a few months, so why put too much thought into these clothes? However, when you are waking up 7, 8 or 9 months pregnant, you will want to feel as comfortable as you possibly can, and a good maternity wardrobe will help you feel your best.

That doesn’t mean that you need a ton of clothes, or that you have to buy anything that’s super expensive. It just means to take your time looking for a few good quality pieces that will make you look and feel your best.

When it comes to buying maternity clothes, there are a bunch of options for a bunch of different budgets. Below I’ve gathered a list of places where you can start your search, and I categorized them by approximate prices you’ll be looking at:

$$$

$$

$

Burlington
JCPenny
TJ Maxx, Marshalls, or Ross (no online shopping available)
Your own closet (Some of your own clothes and most of your accessories can still be worn throughout your pregnancy.)
Borrow from a friend who just had a baby (free!)
Facebook marketplace
Yardsales
Thrift stores
Consignment shops and consignment sales
Thread-up: Buy gently used maternity clothes online
Swap.com: Another site like Thread-up

(You can see more info about where to buy maternity clothes in the post that I wrote here.)

2. The comfiest shoes you can find

Preview	Product	Price
	Akk Womens Walking Tennis Shoes – Slip…		Buy on Amazon

This goes along with the maternity clothes, but it’s worth noting that your feet might take a beating throughout your pregnancy. I’m a teacher, so I am on my feet all day every day. If you spend a lot of your day standing and walking like I do, you might start to notice that your feet are swollen and sore at the end of each day.

I would highly recommend investing in some super comfy, highly supported shoes, if you don’t already own a pair. Just keep in mind that you may need a slightly larger size than usual if you do end up experiencing a lot of swelling.

3. A belly band

Preview	Product	Price
	BellaBand Women’s Maternity New…	$28.00	Buy on Amazon

OK, so there are 2 different ideas here. The purpose of bands like the BellaBand is to wear it around your tummy, pulled down over the waistband of your pants during your first trimester or so. Before you’re showing too much, you can continue to wear your regular jeans, but you can leave them unbuttoned/unzippered, and the zipper will be covered up by the band, which looks just like the bottom of a tank top. It’s handy.

Preview	Product	Price
	Maternity Belt, Elastic Pregnancy Belly…		Buy on Amazon

And then there are belly bands designed to give you some back support later in the pregnancy, like this one. It’s possible that you may end up not wanting or needing one of these, so I would recommend waiting to see how you feel when you get that far. Or you can ask your doctor what he or she recommends for you personally, based on how your pregnancy is going.

4. Belly balm / Stretch mark cream

Keep that bump hydrated! Your skin is likely to get dry and itchy as your belly grows, so it’s a great idea to invest in a lotion or cream that you absolutely love and can use all day every day.

Preview	Product	Price
	TriLASTIN Maternity Stretch Mark…	$42.00	Buy on Amazon

There are so many options out there, between oils, lotions, balms, creams, and “butters,” so I did a little research to create a list below of the reigning favorites. Your best bet, though, is always to ask a friend that you trust what worked best for them. I personally use this one and love it! Here are some other great choices:

Lotions and balms:

Preview	Product	Price
	Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter,…	$15.60	Buy on Amazon
	Mama Mio The Tummy Rub Butter, 4 Fl Oz		Buy on Amazon

Oils:

Preview	Product	Price
	Belli Pregnancy Stretch Mark Belly Oil:…	$28.50	Buy on Amazon
	Bio-Oil Skincare Body Oil, Vitamin E…	$27.95	Buy on Amazon

Natural:

Preview	Product	Price
	Mambino Organics Oh Baby! Belly Butter…	$24.95	Buy on Amazon
	Earth Mama Belly Butter, Maternity…	$21.85	Buy on Amazon

5. Morning sickness relief

Morning sickness is no fun. Be prepared with a few items on hand to try out for fast relief. I wrote an entire post on this topic- Check out my ultimate guide to surviving morning sickness here!

6. Meds

Of course, your doctor is the final authority on which medicines you should be using during pregnancy, but here are the four that I used most often:

Tylenol

Preview	Product	Price
	Tylenol Extra Strength Caplets with 500…	$16.47	Buy on Amazon

If you get sick while you’re pregnant, there aren’t a whole lot of options for what is safe to take. Tylenol is OK, so make sure you have some on hand.

Tums

No products found.

If you get to experience the joys of heartburn, you’ll want to keep some Tums handy. The peppermint flavored Chewy Delights are my favorite. I do, in fact, find them chewy and delightful.

Iron Supplements

Preview	Product	Price
	Vitron-C Iron Supplement, Once Daily,…	$13.19	Buy on Amazon

I had low iron in both of my first two pregnancies, so iron supplements were a must. (Don’t worry- your doctor will check your blood and let you know if you, too, get to be part of the low iron club!)

7. An electric heating pad

Preview	Product	Price
	GENIANI Large Electric Heating Pad for…	$39.97	Buy on Amazon

This is a game changer for me. Pregnancy just comes with a lot of aches and pains. My back tends to get especially sore. It feels great at the end of the day to curl up on the couch with this heating pad, and let it do its soothing work.

8. Comfy bra/underwear

Preview	Product	Price
	GIFTPOCKET Women’s Under the Bump…		Buy on Amazon

Depending on what kind of underwear you normally wear, you might find that you don’t need to go out and buy special maternity underwear. But if you start to feel uncomfortable, you can always try out this soft, under-the-belly option.

The same goes for your bras- you might not need to buy new ones, but if you find that yours are getting too tight, or making you feel uncomfortable, a lot of people will recommend switching to a nursing bra. You don’t actually need it until after the baby is born, but it’s a good opportunity to buy something soft, comfortable, and maybe a little bigger than normal. Plus, then you’ll already have it when you need it later.

9. Compression socks

Preview	Product	Price
	Maternity Compression Socks-Multi Fit…	$18.48	Buy on Amazon

Compression socks help reduce swelling in your ankles and feet, and can come in especially handy if you are traveling long distances in the car or by plane, and don’t have a chance to get up and move around a lot.

10. Prenatal yoga videos

I started doing a short yoga routine each night to ease lower back pain, and it helped a lot. There’s no need to spend money on a DVD- Youtube has a lot of great yoga videos available for free- these are my favorites.

11. A pregnancy pillow

Preview	Product	Price
	Pharmedoc Pregnancy Pillows, U-Shape…	$69.95	Buy on Amazon

There are a lot of pregnancy pillow options out there, in a huge variety of price ranges, so shop around a little bit. (This one got great reviews on Amazon and looks really comfy.)

Basically, you want to look for something that is long and flexible, so you can wrap the pillow under your belly and between your knees. This will give you extra support and make you more comfortable, easing the extra weight of your belly and supporting sore muscles.

12. A water bottle

Preview	Product	Price
	HYDRO CELL Stainless Steel Insulated…	$23.95	Buy on Amazon

Hydration is so important, so make sure you have a good water bottle that you can bring with you everywhere.

13. Prenatal vitamins

Preview	Product	Price
	ONE A DAY Women’s Prenatal 1…	$41.98	Buy on Amazon

Prenatal vitamins are a must. Start taking them as soon as you find out you’re pregnant (or even when you start trying to get pregnant) and keep taking them for as long as you’re nursing.

Definitely ask your doctor which kind he or she recommends. (My doctor said to stay away from the gummy version. Good to know.)

14. Lots of snacks

Your body is working overtime growing a baby. Feed it! Check out my list of 60+ easy pregnancy snack ideas here.

And 1 bonus item: A funny pregnancy movie!

Preview	Product	Price
	What To Expect When You’re Expecting	$8.97	Buy on Amazon

Need to kick back and laugh about this whole pregnancy thing a little bit? Watch a funny pregnancy movie. 😉 I recommend What to Expect When You’re Expecting from 2012.

That’s it!

Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments, and stay comfy, mama! You got this. 😉

Pregnancy: The ultimate survival guide

1. An awesome maternity wardrobe

$$$

$$

$

2. The comfiest shoes you can find

3. A belly band