Fortunately I have been blessed with a pretty easy pregnancy. As I've mentioned before, I just recently started to feel a little uncomfortable and "for real" pregnant. Considering I am at the 8 month mark, I think that's pretty good! There have been a few things that I believe have really helped out. I'm not sure if these have everything to do with my pregnancy experience, but I certainly think they helped.
* What to Expect When You're Expecting. I love this book. It covers just about everything you may experience or wonder about while pregnant. I refer to it regularly when a new symptom or issue comes up, and I like knowing what to expect before it happens. Matt also read a father's version along with me, and I think it helped him better understand what was going on with my body, and what to expect as well.
* Exercise. I have continued to exercise just about every single day. Now granted I am no longer running, going to hot yoga, or doing anything strenuous, I am still getting some sort of light activity. I either walk or do the elliptical and throw in some light free weight exercises for my upper body. I truly believe this has been one of the main reasons I have had an easy go of it, and I hope it will also help me out in the delivery room. If you are recently pregnant, or planning on getting pregnant, start exercising NOW (assuming your doc gives you the A-OK of course). Anything will help.
* My beloved Snoogle. What a lifesaver. I have always been a stomach sleeper (not good during any phase of pregnancy), and my second choice would be my back (not good once you hit your 2nd trimester), so I definitely had some issues at first. My Snoogle helped me out so much and made side sleeping much more manageable. Although...I know Matt is ready for the third person to be out of the bed;)
* Cocoa butter. Say what you will, but all I know is that I religiously used this every night and I don't have a single stretch mark. In fact, my skin has never been softer.
* Limiting my salt intake. There hasn't been much that has made me feel crummy, but I have found that if I eat overly salty food, I get heartburn, feel very bloated, and have a harder time sleeping. For example, I had some salty breakfast potatoes the other night and sure enough I didn't sleep well, I couldn't get my wedding ring on the next morning, and I just felt crummy in general. The same goes with fried food.
* Salmon. This has seriously been my go-to food this whole pregnancy. Not only does it sit well in my stomach (as long as it is prepared very simply, easy on the spices and without added oil), but you can't beat the omegas and protein, two things baby needs. Plus it fills me up.
* BB Cream. I blogged about my beloved BB cream awhile back. This has been an awesome addition to my beauty routine, especially while pregnant. (Hello random dark splotches on my face!) It covers any weird pregnancy induced pigmentation and it makes my morning routine a breeze. This stuff is awesome, pregnant or not.
* Some sort of support group. I seriously can't even express how much I love our church small group. As soon as we found out we were pregnant, we joined one that was geared towards expectant and new parents. It has been so awesome to have the support, encouragement, friendship and accountability that we've received...not to mention the fact that we know we have people praying for us on a daily basis. If your church does not offer small groups, feel free to check our church's small group directory. You're sure to find one that fits your schedule and lifestyle:)
Anybody else have some must-have-items that helped them get through pregnancy, or maybe even beyond??
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