Pregnancy Must-Haves

Pregnancy is a very strange thing.  The changes to your body are bizarre and often uncomfortable, but I have truly enjoyed getting to experience it.  Now that I’m in the home stretch, I’d like to share some of the things that have helped make my pregnancy more pleasant.

Supportive partner – This is by far the most important item on this list for me.  Himal has been 100% invested in our baby from the beginning.  He has missed only 2 prenatal appointments, attended childbirth classes with me and solo, educated himself on childbirth, taken on more chores at home, been attentive to my needs, dealt with my aches and complaints, emptied the cat litter boxes for 8+ months, cooked dinner, gone on maternity clothes and baby gear shopping sprees, etc. with very few complaints.  He loves our baby so much.  Baby D is certainly blessed to have him as his daddy, and I’m grateful to have him as a husband.

Heating pad – My best pregnancy purchase was a heating pad.  I have used it practically every day for months to help with back pain.  I didn’t buy anything fancy, just the cheapest option available at Target, but when I walk in the door with an aching back, which is a regular occurrence, there’s nothing better than sitting down with my heating pad.

Blog/diary, weight chart, and monthly bump pictures – This blog was Himal’s idea, and, in the beginning, I scoffed at the idea and had no plans to post much.  He was originally going to keep up with it.  Well….. you see how that turned out….  I’ve posted every week, and he has posted only two or three times.  Ha!  It was intended to keep our families and close friends updated on Little Man’s progress, but somehow we’ve gained a few followers in several countries.  Thank you to all of you who have followed us along this journey; it means a lot to us!

This blog has turned out to be an awesome keepsake of all of the milestones we’ve experienced during this journey.  We plan on printing the entire blog once Little Man is born and storing it in his baby book.  It’s cool to be able to look back and see exactly when we learned the sex or when I started feeling Baby D move.  Himal, thank you for forcing this blog on me.

In addition to the blog, I’ve kept a weekly weight chart.  It has been neat to watch the weight gain, and this is also something that will go in the baby book.

Another cool keepsake is the monthly baby bump pictures we took for the blog.  We enjoy looking through them and watching the bump grow.

Friends/relatives – Being able to discuss pregnancy with friends and relatives who have experienced it has been invaluable.  In addition to helping me know what to expect at different stages, they have provided me with great advice on baby gear and raising children.  Thanks so much, everyone!  And it’s been really special to experience pregnancy with my friend Maggi; having a close friend to exercise with and compare symptoms with as they are happening has helped make pregnancy more enjoyable.

Belly lotion – While I can’t promise that these products will prevent stretch marks, I recommend using these two lotions/oils.  I have used one in the morning and the other at night almost every day since I found out I was pregnant.  Many women experience an itchy belly as it stretches, and I feel like these two products have kept my itching to a minimum.  And maybe they reduced my stretch marks; it’s really too soon to tell.

 

www.babycenter.com – This website/app is a fabulous source of information on everything related to pregnancy.  I have the app on my phone and have checked the daily calendar every day.  It provides a countdown, advice, and education.  I highly recommend it!

Ultrasound pictures – Last but certainly not least, these pictures of my sweet Little Man have gotten me through the stressful parts of pregnancy/life.  I’ve had them saved on my phone and as the background on my computer at work.  Whenever life or work has gotten me down, I’ve looked at his adorable face and felt blessed to be carrying him.  He reminds me that the stress is only temporary and that everything will be worth it once he’s in my arms.