My Maternity Must-Haves

Since being pregnant has taken up the majority of my thoughts, life, and body for the past year, I decided to throw together a little compilation of the stuff that kept me going for the past nine months. 

1. Be Maternity Seamless Leggings (Target) I bought leggings from several places, but these were my favorite. I gawked at the price ($25) when I first got them, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be wearing them up until my last day/week of pregnancy. They’ve held up—no runs or tears, and they kept their elasticity—and kept my legs warm. I only wish I bought two so I wasn’t washing them so often. 
2. Full-Panel Boot-Cut Yoga Pants  (Old Navy) Like the leggings above, I wear these all the time and really wish I bought two instead of just one pair. I’ve been wearing them almost exclusively during the last month of pregnancy and they’re just now starting to get a little dingy.
3. Toilet Paper (Amazon) Whoever said you go to the bathroom a lot in the first trimester are liars. The third trimester is when you never leave that porcelain throne. I tried counting how many times I had to pee one day and last track after 10. I highly suggest investing in toilet paper. If I was back in America I think I’d take advantage of Amazon’s awesome subscription service.
4. Contigo Water Bottle (Amazon) Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. I always have this water bottle with me, which is why I’m always in the bathroom! When you’re pregnant you have to keep your fluids up and since I’m having my amniotic fluid tested weekly, I’m constantly drinking water. This water bottle doesn’t leak and holds 24 ounces, which is the perfect amount to fit in my cup holder. I love this water bottle and I’m about to buy the color above (I have the green one now).
5. Fake ring (Target) When I went home I bought a ring just in case I needed it. It turns out that after a weekend walking around Milan at 35 weeks, my body decided it was time to retain all the water I’ve been drinking. I could barely get my wedding ring off my finger one night, so I knew it was time to bust out the stand-in ring. This little gem keeps my finger from feeling naked for the time being!
6. Comfy shoes (TOMS) Being pregnant during the winter has its advantages, the main one being that my body temperature is so warm all the time, that the cold doesn’t really bother me. Even though I’d wear flip flops all the time if I could, sometimes my feet do get cold, so my TOMS are my go-to shoe. I love that I can slip them on and don’t need help from my husband and if my feet are swollen the shoe usually stretches while I wear it.
7. Cheddar Cheese Snack (Sargento) String cheese is awesome, but I’m a fan of formaggio with flavor and this little treat does the trick when I need something fast to keep my hunger at bay. I usually grab a cheese when I’m headed out the door (it takes about 30 minutes for me to get anywhere from my house, so the cheese holds me over until I’m around food again).




8. Ann’s House Energy Blend Mixed Nuts
   (Amazon, Ann’s House) Nuts are so good for you, but I’m extremely picky with all the blends out there on the market. This is my favorite variety so far! I keep a bag (they sell them in bags at the commissary) in my purse and a bag in my car. It’s a fantastic emergency snack if I can’t get to food quickly.




9. Poise Pads (Amazon) So…um…remember this post where I said pee my pants? Yeah, it’s still happening thanks to my lingering cough. I like this brand of pads. Oh, the beauty of pregnancy. By the way, my husband calls these my “pee pads.” Marriage is grand 🙂




10. Body Pillow I didn’t get one of those fancy schmancy pregnancy pillows. I sort of wanted one, but couldn’t justify spending the money on it and they just looked so gigantic, so instead I got the only body pillow they had on base. The one I have is flimsy and has zero “body” to the pillow, but it still gets the job done. Maybe next time around I’ll spring for the nicer version.




11. Motherhood Maternity Panties (Amazon) I didn’t understand why I’d need or want maternity underwear until I started wearing them. It was like instant comfort in the third trimester.




12. Pepcid AC Acid Reducer (Amazon) I seriously don’t even know how I’d be able to function without taking one of these every morning. I’m so anxious to see if my baby will have a lot of hair based on all the heartburn I’ve had.




13. Be Maternity Seamless Cami (Target) Full disclosure: my camis aren’t from Target. They’re from H&M, but I couldn’t find them online, so this is what I’m linking to. I wear these allll the time. They not only add that extra layer under my non-maternity clothes, but they help add shape to the belly. I have them in several colors and still wish I had more. 

So there’s my list! Did you use any of these? What must-have items would you add to your list?