Pregnancy is the most beautiful journey I have embarked in my life so far. It is a mix of emotions from happiness, anxiety, fear, stress etc. I would like to share some useful products and tips that helped me through my beautiful journey.
Helpful buy's
Body Pillow - During the initial days of 1st trimester I have had back-pain. I didn't want to go for any medication or balms so I researched a bit and found this body pillow. This is one of the best buys of my pregnancy, it not only helped me relieve my back pain but also helped maintain a good posture throughout. The small leg pillow helped support the tummy as it grew bigger. I would definitely recommend body pillow for all expectant mom's. Here is the link to the item click here
Compression socks - It is recommenced for pregnant women to stay active during pregnancy unless the doctor says otherwise. One of the safest ways is to keep walking to avoid blood clots. If you cannot move a lot or need to sit in the same place for longer duration you can try compression socks which keeps the blood circulating and avoids clots. These are also helpful if your are driving long distances or sitting for work for more than couple of hours. Honestly speaking I didn't use them much as I was making sure I walk at frequent intervals but would recommend for those who cannot walk and stay active click here
Foot massager - Gaining weight can be stress on the feet and adding to that we keep walking and moving around. Luckily for me I never had swollen feet but I used to feel my feet soar sometimes. I had this click here foot massager for few years now and I started to utilize it more during my pregnancy. I filled it will warm/lukewarm water and soaked my feet in it for about 30minutes. You can chose to add either Epsom salt or soothing oils for more effect, I chose to stick to just warm water. My feet were all refreshed and rejuvenated after the 30min cycle. The above massage is super helpful but it involves a bit of work i.e. filling water, cleaning afterwards etc.. so I had to get help all the time. So, I found a simple and handy foot massage/roller click here which will help soothe the feet and keeps the blood circulating during the days I cannot use the massager. I simply use it while watching tv or even while working. Combination of both these products helped me relieve the foot pain.
Cerave products - Remember your skin needs to be equally hydrated as much as you body. So using the right kind of safe products is equally important. Keeping your skin hydrated and moist helps avoid skin irritation and itching which is one of the common symptoms many moms-to-be face during pregnancy. I am very hesitant on using any product on my body, so I stopped using every product I have and did a bit of research and found that Cerave products are completely safe for during pregnancy. I was never a heavy makeup/cosmetic person but the even the basics like body wash, face wash and moisturize. I immediately shifted to cerave products. Below are the links for products I am using
Body wash - click here
Hydrating facial - click here
Hydrating Moisturizer - click here
Just as much the skin needs hydration so does your lips. I have very dry lips and I need to constantly apply lip balm. Did a bit of researching and found that EOS lip balm is safe to use during pregnancy as it is no chemical, no paraben, no phthalate and gluten free.
Lip balm - click here
Stretch mark cream - Sorry ladies I didn't have any stretch marks so I didn't get a chance to try it, I prefer not to recommend something that I never used 🙂. I used to apply coconut oil during early days of my pregnancy, can't tell for sure if that helped with strech marks.
Next, it's important to feel comfortable in what we wear, so I shifted to maternity clothing and got the below.
Inners - click here
Maternity Bra - click here [these are multi purpose they grow as you progress in pregnancy and can be used for nursing also]
Pyjamas - click here
Pure cotton tops - click here
Maternity/Feeding dresses - click here
What I ate
Diet is the most important part of pregnancy. Mother and baby need nutritional food.
I have been heavy on sugars, caffeine and biryani's my whole life. As soon as we came to know about our pregnancy I immediately cut all three of them and shifted to a high protein, low carb meals. Initially it was difficult but as I got used to it I couldn't wait for each meal. I have experimented meal plans and decided on what suites my taste buds the most. I have got most of my meal ideas from the below link.
https://www.babycenter.in/a1046500/pregnancy-diet-plans-trimester-by-trimester
Apart from regular meals I kept the below handy throughout pregnancy
For nausea
Saltine Crackers - click here
Tummy drops - click here [haven't really had much nausea but really helped me with heartburn]
For heartburn
Tums - TUMS Extra Strength Antacid Tablets for Chewable Heartburn Relief and Acid Indigestion Relief, Assorted Fruit Flavors - 330 Count click here
For Constipation
Colace - I had severe constipation around 35/36 weeks of pregnancy so I was prescribed with colace. I took it regularly since then. Apart from medication I tried the below natural remedies for constipation
- Eating 3-5 prunes every morning on empty stomach
- Detox juice made with celery, spinach and apple [remember fiber rich foods help with constipation, but be careful not to overtake fiber as it could lead to diarrhea
Exercise / Classes
We took Bradley course for childbirth. It was a 12 week course. It did give a lot of useful information but at some point we felt it was dragging a bit. It's just us, everyone is different. I would recommend signing up for some classes so that parents to be are prepared. There are several classes available, even hospitals offer classes so make sure to check with them when you go for hospital tour. Coming to exercise I did the following exercises starting mid pregnancy
- Pelvic rocks
- Kegels
- Squats [please take help with squats, not recommended to do them when your are alone]
- Sitting on birthing ball
- Maternity inners (3)
- Maternity/breastfeeding bra (2)
- Going home dress
- Comb, Compact powder, Hair bands, Lip Balm, Tooth brush
- Body towel and face towel
- Phone + charger
- Few pairs of socks
- Fleece/Throw
- Breastpump(lactation consultant will show how to use it so please carry in case you have questions on usage)
- Nursing pads
- Nursing pillow
- Sanitary pad(hospital grade in case you have heavy bleeding postpartum)
- Baby onesies
- Cap
- Mitts & Socks
- Swaddle cloth
- Towel
- Diapers
- Wipes
- Burp cloths
- Baby grooming kit
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