Today I’m sharing some of my favorite products and tips that have helped during my pregnancy, and some I tried that didn’t work!

Shop my favorite pregnancy items on my Amazon storefront.

Prenatal Vitamins

First up, prenatal vitamins! If you are trying to conceive, it is recommended that you take these months before you get pregnant so that your body has all the nutrients it needs. Folic Acid is super important in your baby’s brain development, and it is recommended that you take 400-800mg per day (but obviously consult your doctor). I was taking the Olly prenatal vitamins before we got pregnant, and they tasted like candy. I took them on the days I remembered, and ate them no problem for about a month into pregnancy. Then all of a sudden I couldn’t STAND the taste of them anymore – they made me gag! So, I had to switch brands and tried at least 4 other brands until discovering the Smarty Pants prenatals that I can actually stomach. Your body does wacky things during pregnancy, and food aversions are just one of them.

Pregnancy Pillow

A pregnancy pillow is something I purchased early on. I am usually a stomach sleeper, and during pregnancy you are supposed to sleep on your side. So in order to keep me rolling onto my stomach I researched pregnancy pillows and decided on this one with the U shape rather than the C shape most of them come in. You can definitely find less expensive pillows on Amazon and other sites, but I wanted something I knew was good quality and would be comfortable for sleeping the next 9 months! I bought the LEACHCO Back ‘n Belly pillow from Nordstrom in the “Drift” pattern, and I love it. The cover zips off and is machine washable. I highly recommend this pregnancy pillow!

Nausea Remedy

For the first trimester my nausea was awful. I had severe nausea from weeks 5-9 of pregnancy, and what helped ease it the most were these Preggie Pop Drops, eating more frequently (small amounts every 2-4 hours), and eating carbs. Never in my life have I craved Wendy’s chicken nuggets, but let me tell you, I NEEDED them.

The pop drops are like a hard candy or cough drop, and they help ease nausea when you are eating them. They taste good, and I would recommend keeping a handful (or the whole bin) in your purse during the first trimester.

I didn’t use to eat breakfast at all. I would have a coffee in the morning, then my first meal at lunch. Eating breakfast and eating carbs helped my stomach – adding in an english muffin or toast with eggs, bacon, or whatever breakfast food you like. Then eating every 3-4 hours throughout the day helped with my nausea, and I was craving fast food so much!

One thing I tried for nausea that didn’t work at all were these anti-nausea wrist bands. They are literally sweat bands with a piece of plastic that is supposed to press on the veins in your wrist and alleviate nausea. They didn’t work for me, but hey – if you want to try it, go for it.

So I can’t really tell you if this product works or not yet, but I am currently 28 weeks along as I write this, and I have not gotten stretch marks yet. I know your belly and body stretches the most towards the end of pregnancy, so I will be lathering this on more in the coming weeks and hoping for the best. I apply the Burt’s Bees Mama Bee belly butter at least once a week after a shower at night and then go to sleep. I should probably be using this daily, but I just use it when I think about it.

Update June 2021: I am now 3 months postpartum and let me tell you, there is no amount of cream in the world that could have prevented my stretch marks. My baby did not want to come out and I was HUGE towards the end of pregnancy. I have heard that stretch marks are genetic, so there’s not much you can do to avoid them. I did not have any as of 38 weeks, but the last 2 weeks really stretched my belly, then when the baby comes out, your belly is totally stretched out. They have definitely faded, but are still there. I’m sure they will continue to fade as time passes. At this point, I don’t really care, I won’t be caught dead in a bikini any time soon.

Other Pregnancy Must Haves

I won’t get TMI here, but just trust me and go buy some of these and these and thank me later.

Underwear/Bras: You will need to buy new bras almost immediately (your boobs hurt SO bad and grow enormously during the first trimester) so you’ll have to size up. I bought a couple new bras 1 size up from my normal size at Victoria’s Secret. The most comfortable bras for me have been simple stretchy sports bras with no liner like these from Amazon. While you’re at it, go ahead and buy a size up in underwear as well. My favorites are from Aerie and Soma. You’ll need this in the 2nd – 3rd trimester. Buy some “normal” or “granny panty” kind too – thongs aren’t your friend towards the end.

Something else random: When you’re pregnant, your little guy or gal is pushing on your bladder so you’ll naturally have to pee more! I bought this toilet bowl light I saw on Shark Tank that is a motion-censored light so you can see during the night without turning on a light. It’s awesome and we still use it. You can even choose what color you want it to be!

Shop my favorite pregnancy items on my Amazon storefront.