Pregnancy Must Have's

I think I've pretty much experienced every side of pregnancy so far - it's been good, it's been bad, it's been ugly, it's been painful, it's been awesome... so I feel like I've got a good handle on what things I will keep around for next time - my absolute musts! Sorry I didn't put any effort into getting pictures, but I did link to a ton of stuff! Check out my pregnancy must have's:

Prenatal Vitamin | I mentioned this a little before, but I was originally on the Nature Made Prenatal. I bought it a looooong time ago when we first started trying to get pregnant, and I wasn't very consistent with taking it. When I did get pregnant, I was much better at taking it daily, but it made me so sick! I finally switched to the Spring Valley Gummy Prenatal and life is so much better. I think the vitaFusion gummy prenatals look delicious too! I still take my Nature Made ones sometimes at night, when I don't feel like eating the sweet gummy ones, and as long as i take it right before bed, I don't have a problem with feeling sick! Since prenatal vitamins are pretty much mandatory during pregnancy and nursing, i think it's important to find one you like that works for you! There are lots of different brands, and I recommend buying in bulk if you can - you'll go through them quicker than you think!

Boppy Pregnancy Pillow | I don't know how I would survive without this pillow. It's completely worth the investment! It's so soft, but gives you tons of support. There are three parts and they all velcro together so you can pick and choose which parts you need on any given night. I don't especially like the pillow part for my head (I like my own pillows better) but I sleep with the long part that goes between my knees every night, and now that I've been dealing with a lot of really painful round ligament pain, the middle part, that goes under your stomach is a lifesaver! My sister has the boppy wedge pillow, that you just put under your stomach to support it while you sleep on your side, and as my bump gets bigger, I'm starting to see how useful that will get and I'll probably end up buying it!

Palmer's Tummy Butter | I didn't start using anything specific on my belly until I hit about 20 weeks. I moisturize my entire body every day, so I didn't feel like I needed it. I did use organic coconut oil for awhile, but it was kind of messy! My sister just had a baby and had been using Palmer's - along with everyone else in the world, and there's a reason it's the most popular one out there - it's so good! I love how it smells, and it goes on smooth. It's a really thick consistency and it doesn't absorb right away, but I've loved using it nightly, even though I know that there is nothing lotions and oils can do about stretch marks - they are genetic!

Water | Guzzle. All. The. Water. Not only are you supposed  to be drinking troughs of water each day, but I feel better when I know I've had enough to drink each day. It helps me avoid the headaches, and keeps me fuller longer, so I'm not as prone to getting nauseous! Water also helps with swelling!

Gum | During the first trimester, when I was always feeling nauseous, and food never sounded good, chewing on a piece of gum helped my stomach a ton! I know this seems like a dumb thing to include, but it saved me during long work days!

Dry Shampoo | Washing my hair? hahahaha. It just doesn't happen anymore. Especially in the morning. I am wayyyy too tired to get up any earlier than I have to, so washing my hair in the mornings is completely out of the question. I'll do my best to wash it every couple days at night before I go to bed, but even then, I'd rather be sleeping! I love the Dove dry shampoo - it smells amazing and it works great! But the Batiste Coconut one has been my go to! It works so well! My hair has started to adjust to being washed less, and it's producing less oil and grease which is nice! I've trained my hair to be as lazy as me! Wahoo!

Maternity Jeans | Maternity jeans will save your life. Everyone has told you this. Everyone has told you to buy them the second you think you might need them, and I'm adding my voice! YES. GET THEM ALL. They are so comfy, they are so supportive for your stretching, achy tummy, and they can still be cute. They can! Enter H&M. Cute maternity jeans (I have these ones), at an affordable price. All the H&Ms I've walked into have a pretty limited maternity section, so just shop online. Maternity jeans fit the exact same as your regular jeans, but instead of a zipper and button, they have a stretching yoga band (GET THE FULL PANEL AND NOTHING ELSE). The H&M ones have a panel made out of really thick material and by the end of the day, i'm done but I know Old Navy has thinner material for the panel that's a bit more comfortable!

Old Navy Maternity Leggings | All the maternity leggings. The Old Navy ones I bought are thicker, which I like, because I can wear them with a tunic, and not worry about anything, but I'm sure just about everywhere has great maternity leggings. I have full and low panels leggings from Old Navy, and I like them both, though I don't think I could do low panel jeans! Old Navy has great maternity shirts, too! They're actually cute! Same with Target. Of course. Shopping for maternity clothes is fun as I get bigger - I like to show off this bump!

Hair Tie Trick | Since I'm not huge yet, I've still got all my regular jeans in rotation, but since I sit at a desk, and am dealing with Round Ligament Pain, buttoning them is not happening. Use the simple hair tie trick! The little bit of room it gives you is exactly what you need. Just put the hair tie around the button, then stretch it through the button hold and back around to the button again!

Apps | I love my pregnancy apps. I love comparing all of them, and they all give you such useful information! I definitely recommend getting more than one, I have 4 and they all give me different info! I have: What to Expect, Baby Bump Pro, Baby Center & Pregnancy+ (which is my favorite!). I love the fruit size comparison, and I love seeing weekly ultrasound examples and mock ups of what my baby currently looks like. A lot of the apps have additional resources like community boards where other expecting moms can discuss things, baby name idea lists (where you can bookmark your favorites!) and timelines that spread out the entire process for you in a super readable format. Each of my apps gives me a little different information so it's nice to compile it all together. They have daily tips, weekly updates and videos, and info for husbands too!

Night Gowns | sleeping in anything with a waistband that hits across my stomach has become so uncomfortable so I've been loving soft night gowns! Target always has cute, comfy ones and they will fit you before, during and after the bump!

Vitamin B6 | helps with nausea. like, really helps. that's all.

Journal | Recording this pregnancy in a journal has been so important to me! I love posting on my blog about it, but I write way more detail in a private journal. It's been a good outlet to express my emotions as well as keep track of all the details and stats! I started my journal when I first started trying to get pregnant, and I still love looking back and reading older posts. I plan on continuing to journal once this girl gets here, because I feel like it's something we will both (her and I) treasure forever.

Eucalyptus Bubble Bath | I don't think I could make it through this pregnancy without regular baths! I love eucalyptus, it's so relaxing, helps with that pregnancy congestion and nausea. I also love the lavender one, because it's so relaxing!