Pregnancy Must-Haves

I’m entering month 7 of my pregnancy, and I’m doing a lot of reflecting on everything. I’m not the type to sugarcoat things - I like to be honest and blunt (when appropriate, of course). I’ve been reflecting back on my pregnancy so far, and aside from a few bumps in the road, things have gone smoothly. As a first-time pregnant lady, there are SO many resources out there that you can get yourself lost in. Everyone gives me advice from their own experiences or the experiences of others. Opinions are thrown at me left and right… and it gets to be incredibly overwhelming.

I can tell you this: Pregnancy is not easy.

I have no roses-and-unicorns stories about pregnancy… except that I can’t wait to meet our daughter. Every ache, pain, stretch mark, mood swing, craving will be worth it once our girl makes her entrance into the world. The good Lord has blessed us with an almost-completely healthy pregnancy, and for this, I am incredibly thankful.

The other night, as I was waddling to bed, I was thinking about the things that have truly made some of the hardships of pregnancy that much easier. In case another first-time preggo stumbles on this blog, I wanted to share what I have found to be necessities to survive pregnancy.

1. An amazing support system. I couldn’t do this by myself (for obvious reasons, of course). My husband has been here to bring me crackers when I’m sick, run out to the store at 9 p.m. to get me Sprite that I just had to have, calmed my fears when I feel like I can’t do the whole motherhood thing, and tells me I’m beautiful even after I’ve had no sleep and want to strangle him. Our families and friends have been just as wonderful.

2. Water… and lots of it. I’m on doctor’s orders to drink at least 100 ounces of water a day, but even if you’re not on doctor’s orders, drink as much water as you can. Sure, you’ll be running to the restroom every 30 minutes, but it’s so important. Drink up, moms to be!

The Snoogle: Preggo and cat approved!

3. A Snoogle. I went back and forth on purchasing one of these, but I found a great deal on Amazon during my first trimester and took the plunge. OMG. Best. Investment. Ever. I don’t sleep all that great anymore (which is biology’s way of prepping one for parenthood, of course), but my Snoogle is my BFF. Our cats also approve of the Snoogle, as evident by the above photo.

4. Full-panel maternity pants. This is personal preference since I entered pregnancy as a plus-sized gal, but full-panel maternity pants are fabulous! I purchased a pair of demi-panel jeans in my first trimester, and they were OK. My issue? They were constantly sagging and falling down. The full-panel options stay put and they are so darn comfortable.

5. A sense of humor. You’re going to have to laugh at yourself and some of the things you will experience. I had a woman point out my swollen feet one day, and while that initially wasn’t pleasant, I can’t help but giggle about it! I have to crawl into bed on my husband’s side because of my fort of pillows that prevents me from getting into bed on MY side, and we both find this hilarious. You have to laugh because your mood swings will have you crying enough.

If you’re a mom or have ever been pregnant, what do you consider must-haves to get you through?