Hear ye. Hear ye. Oh pregnant ones. Or anyone looking for gift ideas for mamas-to-be… Before I’m too far away from my pregnancy, lest I forget, here are my must-haves. I swore by these things within the last pregnant year and didn’t have to break the bank to get my hands on them.
Burt’s Bees Mama Butter – I’m not saying this stuff is the reason that I’m stretch-mark-less, but I was coated in it for 9 months… It’s not very aromatic, which was great because I wasn’t looking for my stomach to smell like a Yankee candle (maybe you are?). It provided moisture, itch relief, and I felt like I was pampering myself and the little one every time I dug into that glorious little tub… which was approximately twice a day. I loved that it didn’t leave me feeling greasy, ever. Plus I just trust Burt’s Bees. I never had to question if this stuff was bump-friendly.
Cost: $7.50ish per tub
Snoogle – or any body pillow with a curve really. I’ve read great things about the bump nest also (not affordable). Think you’re just gonna rest casually on your side? Think again. The bump would drag me down and make me almost a stomach-sleeper unless it was properly propped. Enter: snoogle. It was perfectly rounded to fit between my knees, under my bump and up around my head. It was like sleeping wrapped in the cushiest of clouds. Disclaimer: it makes getting out of bed very difficult because a: you’re so comfy and don’t want to and b: you have to detangle yourself from the web of pillow and wonder you’re wrapped in. Priciest thing on my list by far, but worth it. They also offer a mini snoogle (which I probably would’ve preferred) for 30% less.
Cost: $60.00 for the full size; $40 for the mini
Belly bands – I would not have survived without this. I repeat. I would have failed to make it through pregnancy without my belly band. I bought a Cantaloop maternity ‘support belt’ on zulily (along with everything else during my pregnancy) for $11.00 and it saved me and my back and my sanity. I wore them under everything. Most especially necessary when walking long distances, standing for long periods, or doing both while training to be a nurse for the first time. Mmmm. Those were the days.
Cost – $11.00 on zulily if you can catch it! $20.00 on Amazon
Belly button bands – not the same as belly bands. I got these for ‘free’ then paid a crazy shipping fee. Soooo not free. But worth it. Click Here for the discount code via A thrifty mom (there’s some other freebie codes over there). I was able to wear my non-preg pants much longer than I would have. Still needed maternity pants eventually, but these were helpful in the beginning when you don’t quite fill out the ever-stylish belly panel and clearly aren’t your pre-pregnancy size. It makes you feel a little less pudgy when you still ‘fit’ into your cute jeans.
Cost: 2 for FREE – plus $15.00ish shipping
Flip flops or expanda-shoes – I don’t have a particular brand or type of shoe to recommend here, but make sure you’re paying attention to your growing feet even though you can’t see them anymore. I didn’t gain all that much weight, but I’d say my large baby and puffy feet accounted for the majority of it. I had to go out and buy a full shoe size up but made sure to pay attention to how much extra room and give the shoes would allow me. Elastic was my friend. So were sandals. I was lucky, though, I didn’t have to deal with boot weather. For you winter pregos, I’d say invest in anything that ties so you can leave them loose and give yourself some wiggle room.
Cost – $2.50 for old navy flip flops. Always a win.
Bras Bras NURSING Bras– I didn’t really think ahead here and recommend you learn from my lack of foresight. As the ladies grew during pregnancy I bought a bunch of bigger bras to accommodate my new friends, only to later buy a whole separate set of nursing bras in the same size. These days I spend most of my time lifting shirts, fighting with undergarments and cursing myself for wearing layers while holding a flailing hangry baby. I’m telling you, you will say peace out to the non-nursing bras so fast… wearing one is akin to donning a straight-jacket by choice. Just buy the nursing ones early. I didn’t fully comprehend how precious a little tiny plastic clip would be. They aren’t all ugly and motherhood maternity actually has decent prices (and often, by 3 get 1 free!!). I say stock up as soon as you outgrow the hot pink lacy impractical beauties of your past.
Cost – $70.00 for 4 varied styles
Nightlights – so as to not wake your happily snoozing husband as you make your third trip to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Also helps to avoid bruising, scraping and the need for midnight icing of extremities from taking a stroll in the pitch black to find the toilet.
Cost – $10.00ish per pack of 4
Outshine Bars – I would eat my beloved outshine bars instead of heeding those ice cream cravings. Maybe not 100% of the time, but these delights just totally did it for me all pregnancy long. I love almost every flavor of them. My favorites transitioned from lime in the first trimester to settle my stomach and satisfy my citrus cravings, to pineapple toward the end to induce labor, as if a popsicle could ever do that. As it turns out, no amount of pineapple was going to get my 11-day-late-baby out any faster. At least I enjoyed my pineapple pops in the meantime. These things are so much better than your average sugar-filled popsicle and our freezer is always stocked thanks to Costco and my mother-in-law.
Cost – $3.00ish per pack of 6
Big-@$$ (do people still do that? Use symbols to pretend they aren’t swearing?) water holders. I used a mega mason jar (32 oz-er). Other people claim you need a fancy tumbler for this purpose. Eyes. Rolling. Just make sure you have a huge-mongous cup of some sort. Staying on top of your hydration is a must. Or if you’re like me and are awful at this… Your body will reprimand you by introducing a thirst you’ve never experienced. Keep a jug handy. You’ll need it.
Cost – $22.00 per pack of 12. Free if you already own any big cup.
And there you have them the…1,2,3,4… the 9 things I needed to survive my pregnancy without going broke.
