Top 10 Pregnancy Purchases

When I was pregnant I hadn’t a CLUE what I would need. In fact, I didn’t actually think I would need much as naive as that sounds! … PAH! how wrong I was!

Here is my list of the top ten pregnancy purchases I made, so you can be a little more prepared than I was.

Amazing PJ’s

Some REALLY nice ones. You are going to LIVE in your PJ’s once baby arrives. Or if you’re like me, you already do live in your PJ’s so nobody will notice the difference. Nobody comes home from work and actually changes into more clothes right? ANYWAY get yourself a few nice pairs, nice roomy ones and some that open down the front so you can get some use out of them in the 4th trimester if you’re planning on breastfeeding.

I love these from FatFace, I have a few different colour-ways but these are my favourites.

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Also Sainbury’s are amazing for nightwear, these are the ones I LIVED in over christmas.

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Comfy Pants

Really big Bridget Jones type ones. I didn’t bother buying actual maternity knickers, instead I bought a few packets of nice silky ones from Marks and Spencers.

They are non VPL ones and are super stretchy. I sized up two dress sizes from my pre-pregnancy size and they lasted me right through as they pulled right over my bump. I still wear them now months later, yes they are a little overstretched and reach my bra when pulled right up but who cares when they are this comfy.

Oils and potions

I’ve covered this is a separate post but even if the oils and potions have no effect on your stretch marks at all, the daily routine of applying a nice relaxing massage oil can be really beneficial in your self care.

I also think the process helped me bond with my baby, he was always the most active during these massages but calm once I was done.

Relaxation Techniques

From the very early months of my pregnancy I realised I was going to need something other than hard drugs to help me through labour. In fact if it could help me not to need the drugs at all, even better!

In the end I did both a 1 day hypnobirthing course and a weekly pregnancy relaxation class with the same company 1 evening a week.

The course taught me lots of ways to keep calm and I practised these every week. There were also some great books with downloadable tracks that I used. Sometimes if I started a session before bed when I was struggling to sleep it really helped me to relax and eventually doze off.

People often told me that towards the end of their pregnancy they panicked. But apart from a minor wobble about the prospect of being induced just after my due date, I never reached that point. Instead whenever I felt slightly anxious I would start using my relaxation technics and pop on one of my tracks to help me through it.

A Yoga Ball

This isn’t really something you’re likely to use until the end of your pregnancy but i think it’s worth getting it earlier to practise.

If you haven’t used one before it can be a bit of a balancing act so getting to grips with it before you’re as big and round as the ball itself can be a big help!

Treat yourself

Whether that’s with nights in snuggled up on the sofa or out and about with friends get out there and DO SOMETHING. You’re about to enter a kind of hibernation where even going out for milk requires a level of planning only previously undertaken by NATO.

For me it was Afternoons Tea, I had A LOT of them and loved every minute of it. It was a great way to enjoy a day out without booze, and obviously there was cake, lots and LOTS of cake!

No fuss clothing

I don’t mean completely let yourself go and wear a bin bag for 9 months but think about buying things that don’t need to be ironed, that are easy to get on and off without fuss and that give you room to breathe. I know, I’m describing PJ’s again! But there’s nothing worse than being hot and swollen in something tight and non-breathable, especially if you’re having a summer baby.

There are some great maternity ranges out there but my favourite outfits weren’t maternity at all, I just sized them up a bit to make them work.

Pregnancy Cushion

I’ve always been a really good sleeper so I wasn’t prepared for how uncomfortable I was going to get. I ordered a “proper” pregnancy cushion but in reality what I actually needed was a nest of cushions along my back and front before I could get to sleep… so maybe invest in a second bed as well because once I was settled for the night there wasn’t much bed left for my poor husband!

Slip on shoes

There will come a point, probably around the 7 month mark, where bending down or even SEEING your feet becomes a problem. Invest in some nice comfy slip on shoes and avoid the hassle. Just be careful though, towards the end you run the risk of wearing odd shoes. I did my weekly “big shop” like this but as I couldn’t see my feet anymore, I didn’t notice. To be frank though, I was 39 weeks pregnant at that point so I didn’t really care!

LOTS of Gaviscon

I like to think I did pretty well with the lack of pregnancy symptoms, especially the lack of sickness. However from 5 months onwards I had horrendous heart burn and acid reflux. Stock up on some Gaviscon in advance as it hit me initially at night and when it hits, it hits HARD.

Also if the Gaviscon stops working don’t be afraid to see a doctor. I left it until the last few weeks and suffered, but the pills the GP gave me were a miracle and I wish I had gone sooner.

So that’s my top 10, I hope they helped. Any other new mums got some more suggestions to add to the list?