August 9, 2011

Maternity must-haves

Finding out you’re expecting is one of the most exciting moments life has to offer.  Being pregnant for 40 weeks, however; you’re bound to experience some unpleasantries such as discomfort, nausea, stretching, and much, much more. A few of my girlfriends have recently announced that they're expecting. Yahoo! As a tribute to them, below are a few things that I leaned on during my pregnancy that I'd like to pass along. Congrats ladies!
Pregnancy app, “What to Expect.com,” is a Free app from Heidi Murkoff, the author of the What to Expect series of books. Track everything you need to know about your pregnancy including week by week updates of your baby’s amazing development  and your fast-growing belly, all at you’re fingertips! My hubby and I would look forward to reading our updates every Friday morning.

Can’t quite do up the button on your favourite jeans or skirt anymore? The Bella Band is a must-have during the first few months of pregnancy. This bando-like waistband enables you to still wear your regular pants even when they've become too snug to do up the button. You grow, girl! 

Lollipops are a yummy way to help alleviate mild nausea. For friends who experience the extreme nausea that pregnancy has to offer, talk to your doctor about Diclectin – a combination of vitamin B6 and an antihistamine.  


Let’s face it, gaining weight and feeling big is a fact of being pregnant. To help feel better about your changing body invest in some good maternity clothes. Looking good will help you feel better and embrace your pregnant bod.

To keep stretch marks at a minimum, apply a belly oil such as Motherlove or Bio Oil thoughout your entire pregnancy and even afterwards. These smell lovely, even for the queasy momma! Bonus, applying belly oil allows you a few minutes in the day to admire your bump and bond with your developing baby.



Getting a massage while pregnant is a good way to reduce stress and labour pain. In fact, studies have shown that pregnancy massage can improve a woman’s mood, ease pain, decrease depression and anxiety and, reduce the risk of complications.  Find a RMT who specializes in prenatal massage then lie back, relax and enjoy. I saw Sarah Barton, RMT, at 360 Healthcare once a week!

Pretty soon after finding out you’re preggers, sleep will never be the same. For some reason, getting comfortable in bed is next to impossible, never mind the middle of the night wakings to pee.  Ugh.  One thing I found to help get comfy in bed was the Snoogle.  Andrew picked one up for me at Babies R Us. Look out husbands, this very well might be the only thing she’ll want to snuggle up to for the next few months. 

As you might know by now, my experience with breastfeeding did not start off on a very positive note.  Among other things, milk supply was a key contributor to my issues.  Only after struggling to nurse Brayden for a couple months did I finally learn about Mother’s Milk tea, which promotes healthy lactation and is traditionally used to increase breast milk production. Most health food stores carry it. I will definitely be drinking lots of this tea in the final weeks of my next pregnancy.

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