29 Useful Essentials That'll Actually Help Make Your Pregnancy Better
Top recs for moms, from moms.
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We asked the BuzzFeed Community for the products that helped them most through their pregnancy. Here are some of their favorites!
1. A copy of Expecting Better, which lays out the research in an easy-to-understand way so you can actually make educated decisions about everything from taking morning sickness medicine to drinking coffee to eating fish and more — and find some true peace of mind.
2. A belly-support band that'll help your back pain while making it easier to keep wearing your favorite pre-pregnancy pants (at least for a little while) — and that goes up to a plus-size 26.
Belly support band! I'm currently starting my 3rd trimester with my first and I have days where I am on my feet all day. After talking to my doctor about the lower abdomen and back pain she recommended I get one. I am a plus size mom, so I'm always nervous when it comes to things that say "adjustable" and "one size" but they do a plus size band that's actually affordable. I was skeptical because it doesn't look like it would do much but I've had it 3 weeks now and it makes sure a difference! Hands down the best investment I've made so far this pregnancy!
A belly band! You can wear your favorite pants further into the pregnancy because it’s a giant elastic band that holds your pants up without them needing to be buttoned.
Get it on Amazon for $15.50+ (two colors).
3. Motion sickness wristbands — they'll press on a pressure point and help you finally get some relief from the nausea.
Sea sickness bands. I was so sick and nauseous I couldn’t even drive to work without having to pullover to be sick. I wore them religiously after I got them and could actually drive myself places.
Motion sickness wrist bands. They press on a pressure point and it really helped with the morning sickness.
Just know that YMMV with all of these morning sickness recommendations; everybody's different! Get a pack of two wristbands on Amazon for $6.75.
4. The classic Preggie Pop candies, made with a blend of essential oils that might make morning sickness a thing of the past.
Preggy pop drops! I had morning sickness all nine months of my pregnancy, those things where the only thing that would keep it at bay.
Get a pack of 42 drops on Amazon for $11.47.
5. Or good old Jolly Ranchers or Sour Patch Kids, which *don't* have any essential oils but still might make all the difference.
Jolly Ranchers were amazing!! I got a big bag and they helped sooooo much with feeling nauseous!! Plus I could carry them around and no one would be any wiser while we were still keeping it a secret.
Sour patch kids! Or sour straws. Really any sour candy did the trick. They always recommend preggo pops but regular sour candy is cheaper. And tastes so much better!
Get a 5-pound bag of Jolly Ranches for $11.99 and a 3.5-pound bag of Sour Patch Kids for $8, both on Amazon.
6. OR, something made with real ginger, like these hard candies, some ginger beer, or straight-up candied ginger.
Ginger People Gin Gins hard candies and ginger beer for nausea. —lindsaydiamondc
Candied ginger for the nausea — it's much cheaper then Preggie Pops and it works. I would just break off a piece and suck on it, and then my nausea would be relieved for that wave before the spew. Gin-gins, which I have found on Amazon and at Trader Joes, work well too, but again, the price. Cheap and works is good.
Get three bags of the Gin-Gin hard candy for $8.40, eight 16.9-oz (read: big) bottles of ginger beer for $19.28, and a one-pound bag of organic crystallized ginger for $12.99, all on Amazon.
7. Some soothing peppermint essential oil — it might just ease everything from nausea to headaches to swelling.
Peppermint oil. I would rub just a little on my temples to help with nausea and headaches. Put a few drops mixed with water in a spray bottle to spray your feet and ankles to keep swelling down and keep you cool during the summer months.
Get a four-ounce bottle (the larger size) on Amazon for $13.84.
8. A pack of bra extenders so you can make your bra fit no matter what size your boobs feel like being at the moment.
They cost no more than a few bucks and save you from having to constantly buy new bras for your ever-changing boobs. —shinysaruh
Get a set of three (one white, one tan, one black) on Amazon for $5.99, available in two-hook, three-hook, or four-hook sizes. Or get a pack of 20 two- and three-hook extenders in a variety of colors for $7.39, also on Amazon.
9. A flexible wire-free bra comfy enough to wear through every trimester and beyond, because its fabric easily stretches four different ways.
They fit throughout all pregnancy fluctuations and you can sleep and breastfeed in them. —Erin Romanov, Facebook
Get it from Target for $9.99 (sizes M-XXL, four colors) or from Hanes, $8+ each or 3 for $30 (sizes S-3XL in11 colors, availability of sizes/colors varies). They are on Amazon, but with limited color/size selection, for $8.50+.
10. Or a different but still stretchy and cozy nursing bra that'll be comfy now and completely unhook for easy breastfeeding after your baby's born.
Medela nursing bras from Target!! Soft enough to sleep in and sturdy enough to wear during the day at home. My daughter is 5 months old and I still wear mine to bed and while hanging out at home.
Get it from Target for $23.99 (sizes S-XL, three colors).
11. The Snoogle, a c-shaped pregnancy pillow to make sure you stay sleeping on your side through every step of your pregnancy — and maybe even afterward.
A Snoogle! Still sleeping with it postpartum.
The snoogle body pillow. I've had two babies and I started using the pillow as soon as I found out I was pregnant (both times: I was too sensitive to sleep on my tummy even early on in my first trimester). It provides great support no matter what position you sleep in but it made this tummy sleeper genuinely comfortable enough to sleep on my side. It also provides great support while nursing. Definitely worth the price!
Get it on Amazon for $59.99+ (three colors).
12. Or the u-shaped Queen Rose pillow that'll support your tummy *and* back *and* hips night after night (and is so comfortable, everyone else will want to borrow it).
13. A multipurpose memory-fam wedge pillow with a soft side and a firm side for maximum adjustable comfort whether you're sleeping or just watching TV.
The hiccapop pregnancy wedge has been aaaaaamazing. I’m a side sleeper and although I like my pregnancy pillow the wedge can go under my stomach and helps support it. It’s small and doesn’t take up space. It also takes a lot of pressure of my back. Best $20 I’ve spent!
It saved my back and hips and helped me get comfy while sleeping.
The pregnancy wedge pillow was amazing! I was using about four pillows until I bought that.
Get it on Amazon for $17.92+ (two colors).
14. An essential oil roll-on that might just be the migraine holy grail you never knew existed...until now.
Migrastil migraine stick from Amazon. Had the WORST migraines for the first and second trimester and this is the only thing that gave me any relief. It’s an essential oils mix of peppermint, spearmint, and lavender, so it also helps with the nausea a bit. —noellel479e10a61
Get it on Amazon for $10.99. (Again, YMMV.)
15. A zero-gravity recliner chair to physically support every single part of your body with basically NO pressure, so you can actually relax for the first time in months.
As a teacher, I was on my feet every day, so by the time I got home, my back was killing me. I could never find a comfortable position in any of our furniture. I just couldn’t get the right angle to relieve the pressure on my lower back. Then one night, my husband came home from work with a zero gravity camping chair and OH. MY. GOD. It was heaven! I put a little pillow in the small of my back and felt as light as a feather.
Get one on Amazon for $40.73+ (six colors available).
16. A moisturizing oil that you can mix with regular body lotion to help potentially prevent stretch marks, and generally just feel all fresh and moisturized every single day.
Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Soothing Oil. I didn’t love how it felt using it straight at first (felt like I was basting a turkey) but I decided to make a 1:1 mix of it along with my regular body lotion and I couldn’t be happier. Use it AM and PM. Seven months into a full-belly pregnancy and not even a little stretch mark in sight!
Get three bottles on Amazon for $19.79 (or a single bottle, not eligible for Prime, for $7.93).
17. Or a nightly oil — it says it can help improve the appearance of stretch marks and give your itchy belly some relief.
Bio Oil!!! I put it on in the bath every night from 6 weeks and didn’t have a single stretch mark! I know they say it’s mostly genetics, but I’m gonna say 50/50.
Bio Oil. Best thing for an itchy belly, and I don't have any stretch marks.
Get it on Amazon for $23.99.
18. If oils aren't your thing, this luxurious-sounding ~belly butter~ made with cocoa, shea, and jojoba may help keep your skin smooth and soft month after month.
19. A stability ball that's comfortable to just sit on and also fantastic for some relaxing stretching and low-impact exercises.
20. A pair of compression socks for shielding you from painful swelling in your feet and calves no matter how long you're on your feet every day.
Compression socks! They were a life saver since I was working 10-hour shifts at a hospital while pregnant.
Compression socks and flip flops! The end of my pregnancy was late summer/early fall. It was hot and my legs were swollen. My feet grew at least one shoe size too, so flip flops were awesome (and no help needed to get them on. Win!)
Get a pair of compression socks on Amazon for $15.88+ (two sizes and nine color combos available).
21. A pair of yoga pants that'll be basically the only thing you'll want to wear day in and day out, because they're just THAT comfortable.
Maternity yoga pants!
Get these on Amazon for $8.99+ (seven colors available; sizes small to x-large).
22. Or a pair of leggings in bright, playful prints for the days when you're tired of your go-to black pair but want to feel extra cozy.
Leggings. Wouldn’t have survived my last pregnancy without them. Pregnancy makes it hard to wear pants, whether it’s uncomfortable bloat or that awful “in-between real pants and preggo pants” phase, pants just suck. Plus, mobility is a thing. My toddler didn’t care how pregnant I was, he still needed mommy to play with him on the floor. —Laurie Taylor, Facebook
Get this pair of leggings on Amazon for $11.99+ (two different one-size-fits-all available in 44 patterns), or browse all of the best leggings on Amazon.
23. A simple, comfortable dress that you can buy in multiple patterns and colors so you always know you have something cute and easy to wear.
My best pregnancy hack was buying the same cute, simple, flowy dress in 5 different colors. I rotated them, and lived in those and leggings throughout my pregnancy.
Get this flowy, ruffle-sleeve shift dress from Old Navy for $36.99 (seven colors and patterns available, although to see the full selection you have to go to their main maternity dresses page.)
24. Or if wearing the same outfit for nine months sounds like your nightmare, basically anything from Pink Blush so you can feel just as put-together and well-dressed as you did in your non-pregnant life.
Pink Blush maternity clothing! It's the only maternity line that matched my style and a lot of their stuff doubles as nursing clothing so you wear it for A LOT longer than 9 months.
Get the yellow dress for $58 (sizes XL-3XL), or the leaf-pattern one for $43+ (two colors, sizes S-L) — and check out all the best places to buy maternity clothes online.
Tums. So many Tums. —Romina Dejukanivich, Facebook
TUMS. ALL THE TUMS. Third tri has been nothing but heartburn, and I'm dying. I eat tums like candy for that, and they work almost instantly. I've gone through three bottles and I'm only half way through my third tri... But they are worth their weight in gold, I tells ya! —Renee Lynn Ripley, Facebook
On Amazon, get 48 Tums as an add-on item for $3.99 (that's about $0.08/tablet) or 150 generic calcium tablets as an add-on item for $3.60 (that's about $0.02/tablet).
Zantac for heartburn! I’m 34 weeks pregnant and I take one every morning and one every night and they are amazing. Tums quit working for me early on and I was left in excruciating pain from the heart burn/acid reflux. Zantac has been amazing! (The generic brand for a fraction of the cost is the best!!)
On Amazon, Zantac 150's $29.90 for 150 tablets (that's about $0.20/tablet), and a generic equivalent's $13.49 for 190 tablets (that's about $0.07/tablet).
27. Prenatal yoga classes that'll help relieve small aches and pains and give you a community of other moms for good old-fashioned emotional support!
Prenatal yoga! I did not do this for my first pregnancy and found it so helpful for my second. Helps to ease physical discomfort, prepare you for labor (as much as one can be prepared), and provides emotional support with all the other moms there!
Classes not in the picture for you? You can find plenty of prenatal routines on YouTube you can do right in your living room.
28. A tea to help, well, loosen things up on the days that your gut needs a little bit of help.
Smooth Move tea... because pregnancy does a number on regulation. —lindsaydiamondc
Of course, only drink it when ya need it, and stick with just one cup, brewed according to the directions! Get two boxes of 16 teabags on Amazon for $9.95.
29. And a supportive, comfy pair of Clarks that won't make your feet complain after walking for a little while.
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