As a Mom of 4, I have found myself grabbing these 8 must haves for each pregnancy. Whether you’re looking for help with your birth plan or some things to make things more comfortable for your growing bump, this list covers each trimester.
**Disclaimer** I am not a medical expert. Please seek your doctor or midwife’s advice regarding any supplements or foods to support your pregnancy.
Each pregnancy presents its own experiences and challenges. With each of my four pregnancies, there were new things I tried, but there were also staples that I would go to again and again throughout each pregnancy. I always found that pregnancy was a time of concentrated effort toward my health since the health of my baby was impacted by my choices. I wanted to be intentional about the things I did to support each discomfort and to support my upcoming labor and delivery of the baby. Through the advice of my trusted midwife, I have used all 8 of these things through each and every pregnancy.
Must Haves For Pregnancy From the First Trimester
Magnesium Supplement. Have you ever woken up with leg cramps so bad that you couldn’t move your leg? Where I’m from in America we call these “Charlie horses.” I found tricks to manage this up until my first pregnancy. Then, no matter what tricks I attempted, I could not move my leg. When I brought this up to my midwife, she said it’s quite common in pregnancy. She recommended a magnesium supplement (magnesium phosphate, to be precise) and explained that our soils are deficient in magnesium so we can’t absorb it from food in the same way we once could. I started taking magnesium and never looked back. Moving forward in each pregnancy, I made sure I had magnesium. I still take it to this day (although in much smaller doses than when I was pregnant).
Books to read. My favorites include Ina May Gaskin’s Guide to Childbirth, Mind Over Labor by Carl Jones, and The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth.
Ina May’s book is very hippy dippy, but it gave me a new outlook on what birth could be like. If you don’t know anything about Ina May Gaskin, she was a sort of accidental midwife that came out of a hippie commune in the 70’s. This community traveled in buses around America, so when a woman was pregnant and giving birth, Ina May would be one of the main women that would care for her in labor and pospartum. She shares their birth stories and also shares her own.
Mind Over Labor helped me with my mindset going into labor–that it didn’t have to be something to fear or be afraid of (I used to joke that there’s only one way out and how terrified I was of that). My whole mindset around labor and birth could shift to one of peace, gratitude, and faith in the ability God gave me to birth this child.
I didn’t find the Mama Natural’s book until after my fourth pregnancy, but I wish I had had it for all of them! It’s rich with information about all the different options you have during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. It has recipes, guides for different techniques in labor, and so much more!
Must Haves For Pregnancy From the Second Trimester
Pregnancy Pillow. This, in my opinion, is an absolute necessity. I have tried layering pillows all around me, but it takes forever to get them just right and to be comfortable. When your belly starts to grow and you’re recommended to sleep on your side, make sure you’re ready with a maternity pillow of some sort. My last pregnancy I found my favorite one that wraps all the way around. This makes it so you don’t have to try to take the pillow with you. You only have to turn yourself. Look around and find what you think will be comfortable. They are well worth the investment.
A Lotion For Your Tummy. As your bump grows, getting a lotion that you like will be so helpful in keeping it moisturized. This keeps itching and stretch marks at bay.
Birth Plan. Second trimester is a great time to begin putting together your birth plan. There are so many options and choices in pregnancy and birth. Doing research on what you want will help you stand firm on your rights during labor and birth. The medical system pushes women through one door that can lead to many interventions that, frankly, make things worse. I could go into detail about this, but I think it’s best if you do some research and decide what you believe so you can choose what you want with confidence. The Mama Natural’s Guide (linked above) is a great place to start with this.
It is, however, also important that you hold aspects of your birth plan loosely. Sometimes things go differently than planned. We can’t know exactly how each birth will go, and we have to give ourselves the grace to make decisions as they come if they’re unexpected.
Exercise Ball. One thing I learned from my first pregnancy is how important good alignment is. Knees should be below your hips and you should sit up straight (not leaning back) from around 30 weeks. One thing that helped me with this was an exercise ball. Make sure it’s one that is well inflated and that does place the knees below the hips, however. I learned that mistake with my second baby. Good alignment puts the baby in the optimal position for birth and leads to easier labor and delivery. I also loved my exercise ball because when my tailbone or hips were sore from all the extra weight, I could sit on the ball and it would help take the pressure off of those areas.
Must Haves For Pregnancy in the Third Trimester
These last two things are recommended at different points in pregnancy depending on who your caregiver is and what research they believe in. Make sure you talk to your midwife or doctor about these and follow the care they lay out for you.
Raspberry Leaf Tea. I took this with each pregnancy and did feel that it helped. I love the taste and enjoyed having it daily. If you don’t enjoy the flavor, you can take it in a tablet form. You could also try Mama Natural’s different recipes.
Dates. Believe it or not, research has shown that eating dates in the last 6 weeks of pregnancy can make your birth run more smoothly, reducing labor time and pain in labor. I did this through each pregnancy, partially because I love dates and will use any excuse to eat them. I did feel like it aided in the ease of labor and delivery I had with each of my babies too.
If you would like a visual of these things, check out my amazon list.
What would you add to the list? What have you found as must haves for pregnancy?
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