I thought I would create a list of the products that have been absolute must haves throughout my pregnancy. This is going to be quite a random list, but it is everything that has been VITAL to me throughout pregnancy so far.
I've already done a separate post on pregnancy skincare/make up. Click here to read it.
There are so many products on the market tailored to pregnant women, I really didn't want to buy into all these things that would probably end up being thrown away and wasted. I did thorough research on things before purchasing any 'maternity' items, hopefully it saves you guys the time and energy!
I will be updating this list as I'm sure I've left off some things (pregnancy brain is real) but I hope you find it useful!
PREGNANCY WARDROBE
I bought these at around week 12 because they had been so highly recommended by other mothers, but I wasn't able to wear them because my stomach was flat until about week 20 and the high band that goes over the belly was too baggy. Once my stomach popped out, I lived and continue to live in these leggings (now at 35 weeks). They grow with you and stretch as you do, you need one pair. They're so durable, I've washed them a hundred times and they're still in perfect condition. These are my favourite leggings, I bought a few others but none compare to the comfort of these ones. I have already purchased my two pairs from their 'postpartum' leggings.
Purchase your normal size, I got a S. Wash inside out to avoid pilling
As you guys probably know, the only activewear that I buy, wear and use is Alo Yoga. Once I find a brand that I like, I'm very loyal and it is hard for me to change to a different brand after that! I feel like I probably have collected every single colour of my favourite tops, leggings and sports bras from Alo. My leggings from them are an XS which gradually became a lot tighter as got later in my second trimester. I honestly wasn't going to get any for pregnancy because I thought, there's only a few months left with this big belly!
When I was in LA I walked past the store and decided to get a few pieces in bigger sizes for my workouts. I sized up to a medium in both leggings and sports bras. I think a small in leggings would've also worked fine.
The reason I live in the Airbrush style is because they're thick and really offer great support and don't slip off during workouts/yoga where you have to constantly pull them up. If you choose a size that is bigger than you need, you will need to pull them up so make sure you get the right fit!
Click here for my favourite sports bra from them. So comfy.
If you are shorter than me (I'm 5'7) I recommend getting the high waist airbrush legging in 7/8 rather than full length. Click here for them.
Obsessed with this tank top. It has a built in bra which is all the support you'll need. I lived in this tank all summer, I would wear this to run errands or go for lunch, not only to work out in. It holds you in and offers both chest and belly support. I recommend trying this on in store before purchasing because their sizing is weird!
I live in jeans. They're my go to every single day. Even though my stomach wasn't out yet, it felt uncomfortable closing my tight high waisted jeans on my stomach from around week 12. I always loved Topshop jeans because of how stretchy they are, particularly the Jamie jean. I was so happy to find they had a maternity version. I purchased three pairs in my regular size 26 and started wearing them at week 16 and they still fit me at week 35, they're getting a bit tight on my legs but I wiggle my way into them.
I chose the 'over the bump' version because I prefer having that belly support band. No one ever knew they were maternity jeans either, Omar thought I was still wearing my regular jeans for months until one day I lifted my sweater and he was surprised to see the belly band!
They're super affordable, so comfy and look amazing. They're always sold out so grab them if you find your size available!
When I found this sweater I was over the moon. I live in sweaters in London. Pre-pregnancy I usually wore ones that went to my belt line or even a little shorter. During pregnancy this no longer worked because it looked a bit awkward with my belly. I had to find longer ones that covered my butt.
Every time I post a photo in it on IG, you guys are always asking where it's from! I've gotten this sweater in 4 colours so far and I'm in love with it, plus I'll use these forever pregnant or not.
I got these in medium so they were longer.
The first change I noticed in my body was that my 'chest' area was a lot bigger than I was used to, being so flat all these years. I never needed much support, so I realised I had to go and find bras that fit me well and were comfortable and wire free, I do NOT like feeling suffocated. I went to CK and got sized properly before buying any new bras. I can wear these all day and not feel bothered by them.
The form bra was my all time favourite and I will definitely be re-purchasing these for post pregnancy when I'm back to my normal size, they're incredible and super soft. You don't feel like you're wearing a 'bra'.
Get sized for these bras in store. I thought I'd be a COMPLETELY different size to what I actually was!
These are the only shoes that I've been walking in since being pregnant, they are so comfortable and soft it doesn't feel like you have shoes on. Having said that, they don't provide any 'arch support' which my osteopath linked to my back pain, he recommended I add in orthotic insoles which I've linked below to provide proper arch support while walking for long periods and I must say since I started using them my back pain has subsided.
These are the ones my osteopath recommended for me, I do recommend doing your own research to figure out what your needs are before using these but I have to say they have helped so much! I now feel like I can walk around without feeling scared of the back pain creeping in. If I walk for more than 15 minutes and I don't have these in my shoes, I get a sharp pain in my back...
I found out I was pregnant in the summer and quickly realised I needed new swimwear for the coming months and trips we had planned. These are the swimsuits that I've worn the entire pregnancy. They are one size fits all and stretch and grow with you as you do. They fit me perfectly before I was showing and fit me perfectly now at 35 weeks. The fabric is amazing and super soft.
They also fit me post-pregnancy and I will continue to wear them, they grow and shrink with your body.
I love all of their styles, particularly the ones with high waisted bikini bottoms and also their one pieces. I'll be getting more of these for next summer, they're amazing pregnant or not! Highly recommend!
I know this is a random edition but this blanket is amazing. I plan on taking it to the hospital with me for coziness and also getting the baby blankets and sweaters that they have online. I love cozy blankets and this beats any I've owned!
OILS & ACCESSORIES
I only got this oil about two months ago and I'm already 3/4 through the bottle. I use this everywhere. You guys have probably noticed how much I love this brand. It is so pure, natural and has only clean ingredients. This oil smells like you just left the spa and has been my FAVOURITE belly/butt/thigh oil to use during pregnancy and I've tried a lot of different ones.
KIEHL'S SOY MILK & HONEY WHIPPED BODY BUTTER
My. Favourite. Body. Cream. It smells so good you want to eat it. It has a really thick buttery texture which is perfect for winter weather when I get so dry. Just go sample it in store and THANK ME LATER! I love this for pregnancy cause it's a heavy body cream, I put this everywhere after the shower and it really moisturises the skin!
I had been using Kopari's deodorant for about a year leading up to pregnancy, but once I got pregnant I found that it stopped working for me. Apparently this is common after reading about other women's experiences! So many pregnant women suggested Lume as a replacement. It is free from all the harmful things. This stuff WORKS! I highly recommend it!
When I posted that I dry brush on my stories you guys flooded my DM's on why I do this and what the benefits are, I thought I'd include this here because it really is something useful to do (pregnant or not) to stimulate blood flow to stubborn areas like your butt and thighs. As I gain weight being pregnant, I can tell that I'm getting a bit of cellulite on my thighs and butt.
I've always been a firm believer in lymphatic drainage massages to drain any fluid build up in the body. Dry brushing is a great way to do this yourself at home. You should dry brush 1-2 times per week and follow it with a body oil to hydrate as it is exfoliating on the skin. I've included a photo of how to dry brush. Some of the benefits include: improving circulation to help with cellulite reduction, removes toxins, exfoliates the skin and stimulates the lymphatic system.
I use this for two reasons. Pregnancy congestion is definitely a thing. Having a cold during pregnancy is also not fun, because you can't really do anything about it. Regardless, congestion is annoying, especially at night when you're trying to sleep. Having a facial steamer is a great way to soften the mucus build up in your nose/throat so that you can try to get it out by gently blowing your nose. I add a mix of eucalyptus oil and tea tree oil to the water as well as this helps with congestion.
While I'm using the facial steamer for congestion, it is almost like getting a mini facial. I wash my face with my cleanser thoroughly making sure my skin is very clean, then I use the steamer for 10 minutes. It is amazing during the colder days to help hydrate your skin keeping it nice and plump. The heat opens up your pores so right after your steam, use your toner to wipe away the excess water on your skin followed by your skincare routine which will penetrate much better as your pores are wide open!
SUPPLEMENTS
GARDEN OF LIFE PRENATAL ONCE DAILY
I started taking this prenatal vitamin about 6 months before we conceived. They say to start taking the prenatal beforehand because it is important to get your dose of folate and vitamin D before you conceive. It was important to me that the prenatal I take was food-based and not synthetic. This way your body actually is able to absorb the nutrients/vitamins/minerals as it's from food and not synthetic materials that the body does not recognise. This supplement is also from organic whole-foods, even better. If your vitamin bottle does not say 'FROM FOOD' that means it is synthetic, so I would highly recommend switching to food-based supplements in general!
I also noticed that most prenatal vitamins were 3 tablets a day, I knew this would be a problem if I experienced any nausea (which I did, badly). I love that this one is 1 pill a day.
GARDEN OF LIFE WOMENS PROBIOTICS
Probiotics are so important to take daily pregnant or not. It keeps your gut healthy and improves the levels of good bacteria in the gut. I started taking these at the same time as my prenatal vitamins. I was using a different one before which I wasn't sure was pregnancy safe or not so I decided to switch to this one.
A lot of women complain about frequent yeast infections during pregnancy, I really do believe that the reason I didn't have any issues/infections like that during my pregnancy was because of the probiotics. It is a women's probiotic and is tailored to all things related to stuff 'down there'.
Always consult your doctor before taking ANY supplements, especially during pregnancy. I will continue to take these post pregnancy because I love them!
COLLAGEN! Let's talk collagen. I started off taking the Vital Proteins Marine collagen powder from about month 4 onwards, I would add it to my smoothies or oatmeal in the morning. I still do sometimes! I started doing this because I read so much about collagen helping prevent stretch marks and what not. However, I figured why use this white powder that has gone through quite a lot of processing? Why not go straight to the source and drink bone broth directly. I started doing this a few times a week and I obviously am still pregnant so I can't really say that there are noticeable benefits yet (other than clear skin? but this could be linked to many other things) but I do believe that the nutrients, collagen, trace minerals, electrolytes etc. found in bone broth are WONDERFUL in general and also during pregnancy and breastfeeding!
It can be amazing for your skin, speed up the healing of scars, help prevent stretch marks, overall healing (for post pregnancy) and so much more!
You can purchase bone broth (make sure its a trusted brand) or make it at home.
HAIR CARE
AVEDA PURIFYING SCALP CLEANSER
When I got pregnant my scalp got extremely dry, but also my hair started to get more oily meaning I had to wash it more frequently than I was used to. The combination of both of these things was a little strange, how could my scalp be dry but oily? I wanted something to really cleanse my scalp before I washed my hair, this gel cleanser is absolutely amazing and it helped both the dry flakiness and also the oiliness I was experiencing. Since I started using this before every hair wash, both aspects have improved tremendously.
On dry hair, about 30 minutes before you take a shower, you squeeze it all over your scalp and then rub it in (it lathers a bit like a shampoo would) and tie it up in a bun. I like to leave it on anywhere from 10 minutes to 1 hour. You then go on to wash your hair normally, it leaves your scalp feeling SQUEAKY clean free from any build up, dandruff etc. which was exactly what I need!
AVEDA ROSEMARY SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER
This is the shampoo/conditioner I've been using my entire pregnancy, it is specifically for scalp purifying thanks to the rosemary and peppermint in it and smells divine. It keeps my hair hydrated without over-drying it and makes your scalp feel CLEAN!
OTHER
Drinking water in my first trimester was a no go, my nausea was so bad that I couldn't stand the taste of water. It was very strange! I usually drink 3-4L a day so for me it was a big adjustment. When I moved into my second trimester I realised that I liked drinking cold water ONLY. I already had two Hydroflasks with straw lids but I had always only drank room temperature water. This flask keeps water cold for HOURS AND HOURS which was perfect for me. Plus the straw lid actually makes you drink so much more water, I swear! Which is super important when you're pregnant!
As I mentioned before, I got a lot of back pain starting in month 7-8 and it was so bad that I actually couldn't walk without a weird limp. Every time I would step on my right foot I would get a shooting pain in my lower back on the right. The orthotic insoles really helped, seeing an osteopath was very educational because I found out that it was due to pelvis instability. Foam rolling and doing squats everyday worked WONDERS for me. I would go to the gym sometimes just to foam roll and do as many squats as I could manage and then go home, because it really made the back pain disappear! I would foam roll my entire lower body starting from my lower back down to my calves. Try this out if you experience any pregnancy back pain!
I've always experienced calf cramps ever since I was younger, they would happen very randomly once or twice a year, nothing major. During pregnancy they became a bit more frequent which wasn't the nicest feeling - they would mostly happen while I was sleeping and the cramp would wake me up. I did my research and found out that taking an epsom salt bath can really help as well as taking a magnesium supplement.
I started taking salt baths in month 7 and taking a magnesium supplement around the same time, both seem to have gotten rid of the leg cramps. Now they only happen every few weeks and not for as long!
*YOU WILL NEED APPROVAL FROM YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE DOING EITHER OF THESE THINGS ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE LOW BLOOD PRESSURE, I SPOKE TO MY DR IN DETAIL BEFORE INCORPORATING EPSOM BATHS AND MAGNESIUM INTO MY ROUTINE.
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