Pregnancy Favorites

When you get pregnant for the first time, it's normal to research the must haves both for pregnancy and beyond (i.e. the baby). I know I'm not in this boat alone. After all, you're a first timer and there are a whole lot of other folks out there who have been through it before and have some useful (and dismissible) advice.

As I follow a lot of bloggers who I consider internet friends and whose judgement I trust, I did my research among those who had written about their pregnancy journey as well as navigated online reviews. Below have been some of my favorites over the last six months.

Elasticity Belly Oil by Belli - This stuff smells good, lacks parabens and plenty of other harmful chemicals, and so far seems to be working well (no stretch marks yet!). I put the oil on my belly in the morning and just before bed.

Bravado seamless nursing bra - It might seem silly to buy a nursing bra near the beginning of your pregnancy, but when you're looking at all the $$ you're shelling out, investing in a bra (or three) that works now and later isn't a bad idea. These aren't the sexiest, but they are incredibly comfy and again will serve you for those post-pregnancy months too. 

New/bigger underwear - Hear me out. For the first several months, you won't necessarily need bigger underwear, but eventually as the body grows, some of your old pairs may just feel restrictive. Around 16 weeks, I went to Target and bought six new pair, including a few that were a size larger. Hello, comfort.

Gilligan & O'Malley Women's Fluid Knit Pajamas - These are amazing. I just found them a few weeks ago and seriously, they are the softest feeling PJs on your skin! I would recommend these to anyone, pregnant or not. P.S. Until I looked these up, I have always pronounced the brand 'Gillian O'Malley'. Funny how your brain corrects things to make more sense to you. 

Old Navy tamis tanks - These are great because they are soft and extra long to accommodate the bump and yet they don't have the ruching on the side that most maternity clothes do. 

Gap Body Pure Body long-sleeve - light, ultra comfy cotton with room to grow. Plus, Gap often has sales if you're on their e-mail list. 

H&M MAMA slim jeans - For me, these have been the perfect skinny jean with a comfortable belly band (not too tight or loose). By chance, I found one pair of these at our local H&M, but would buy several more pair if I hadn't already bought some LOFT maternity jeans. 

New pillow - Many people swear by the Snoogle pregnancy pillow, but I opted to save the $$ and simply invest in a new comfy pillow so I had enough to put between my knees and one behind my back (to stop me from rolling to my back). 

Beyond the stuff, a few other things have been key:

• Having a supportive spouse or family member. It is so fun to go through pregnancy with someone who is just as excited and fascinated about the whole process as you are. 

• Being kind to your self, both body and mind. This was an area of accomplishment for me, for sure. I prepared myself ahead of time to embrace my body and its changes as they came knowing that I might look different post baby, but that I will have something much more important to focus on. But in addition to the massive body changes, I've also learned to relax my expectations for running and exercise in general. Some women can run just fine with huge preggo bellies until the final days, but I am not one of them. 

• Having a friend that doesn't mind chatting about all things pregnancy or baby. Thank you, Lindsey! We're lucky enough to be just two weeks apart in our pregnancy journey. 

For those of you who have been on this journey, do you have any pregnancy favorites? OR Tell me about your weekend plans!