Pregnancy Discoveries

With this pregnancy winding down, I thought I'd compile some of my favorite products and discoveries that kept me comfortable and sane the past 36 weeks. Its funny, even though this was my second pregnancy, there was still a lot to learn!

Clothes

Check your consignment shops, ladies! I found the most comfortable, well fitting maternity clothing for a fraction of the price it would have been new. You can't beat Old Navy Jeans for $4.

A new addition to my wardrobe this time around was a maternity coat. I really didn't want to buy one and thought I could get away with wearing sweaters and what not, but it has been way too cold for that. I broke down and purchased a pea coat from Motherhood Maternity's outlet for about $40. Honestly, I'm glad I did. I will probably be able to resell it when I'm done since I only wore it for a few months, but it was worth the warmth during the bad weather.

Sleeping

When I was pregnant with C, my body pillow did the job. For some reason, this time around it just wasn't enough support. I borrowed the Snoogle Pillow from a friend, and while most people absolutely love it, it just wasn't for me. I got a recommendation to try the Boppy Sleep Wedge and loved it! Its small, comfortable, and easy to move around the bed as I inevitably toss and turn.

Pain Management

I know the chiropractor isn't for everyone, but it worked wonders for me. Fortunately (and surprisingly), there is a chiropractor local to me that specializes in pregnancy and children. She is trained in treatments for common ailments such as sciatic pain, back pain, and headaches. After a few treatments, my headaches went away and I haven't had sciatic pain since. Good stuff.

My absolute favorite pregnancy discovery was magnesium. I've been having pretty wicked Braxton Hicks contractions since about 26 weeks and my OB recommended 500mg of magnesium a day. For $3 a bottle, I gave it a shot. Turns out, magnesium is helpful in relieving some of the most annoying pregnancy side effects - leg cramps, nuisance Braxton Hicks, constipation, etc. Why did no one tell me earlier?! Two tabs before bed (along with my Zantac - another must have) and I'm good to go.

Another nifty item that was recommended to me is something that makes complete sense, but I would have never thought of on my own - compression stockings. My legs and feet have been swelling for a while now, but when I wear my old lady stockings they feel a million times better! Ask your OB for a prescription to the medical supply store and they're much cheaper. Even without a script - they're worth the price. 

Supplements/Medication

The first trimester was hell when it came to taking prenatal vitamins. I knew I had to do it, but dreaded taking those stinky horse pills every morning and usually puked them up shortly there after. In comes Vitafusion gummy vitamins. Who knew, right? They contained everything I needed, tasted good, and didn't make me puke. Score.

If you haven't discovered the Neti Pot yet, you need to - pregnant or not. One of the worst things during pregnancy is getting a cold since you can't take any of the good stuff. You're stuck with plain Sudafed (not even the good stuff behind the counter) and saline spray. Not helpful. The Neti Pot is fabulous for helping clear out stuffy sinuses and feeling human again. 


What were/are your favorite pregnancy discoveries? How did you find out about them?