20 Things that Helped me in my Pregnancy.......

 

Being able to experience pregnancy has been one of the greatest gifts I have ever recieved. There is nothing quite carrying a life inside of you, or in my case two lives, and feeling them move within you and grow until there is no more room left for them to grow. It has been a surreal experience....one that I will not ever take for granted. But let's face it....pregnancy is not all candy, hearts and roses. Physically, a woman's body is put through a lot during pregnancy. Here are some of the things that have helped me through my pregnancy journey.

 

1.  Sea-bands – I didn’t throw up too much in my first trimester, but I did feel nauseous ALL the time.  Someone from church gave me sea-bands, and they did help a little with the nausea.  You can find them at most drug stores.

2.  Pregnancy pops or mints  – You can find pregnancy pops at local organic grocery stores.  I personally didn’t like the flavor of the ginger ones, although ginger is supposed to be really good for nausea.  Peppermints also helped me when I felt sick. 

3.  Wheat thins and sprite – This was just about all I remember eating in my first trimester.  I had a box of wheat thins on me constantly.  Truthfully, I just did not have an appetite.  Nothing sounded good to me in the beginning.  I do recall being able to stomach eggs in the beginning, until I once threw them up in my morning bath.  Needless to say, that was the end of eggs for me.  I think PB on toast was also pretty tolerable for me during the first trimester.  The good news is that at 12 weeks, my nausea completely went away.  It went away as soon as my doctor told me I could go off of the prescribed progesterone he was giving me to prevent a miscarriage.

4. Mucinex and Tylenol Sinus – In my second trimester, my sinuses started acting up.  These were the only two things I could take according to the list of medicines my doctor gave me.  They didn’t always work.  I had a couple sinus infections where I just couldn’t take it anymore and had to go to med-check to get an antibiotic.

5. Vitamin C drops for sore throat – Along with the sinus infections, comes the constant nasal drip.  I still have this.  I really hope it goes away right after I deliver, as it is really annoying and causes a sore throat constantly.

6.  Pregnancy tea to soothe a sore throat – I have avoided caffeine in this pregnancy, and most herbal teas are not recommended in pregnancy.  Sometimes I just wanted hot tea with honey for my throat, especially on a cold winter day.  You can find pregnancy teas at most organic groceries.

7.  Water, water, water – I drink water constantly!  I haven’t been able to get enough.  Even now, I easily down about seven bottles of water in a day.  I don’t like the flavor of our tap water, so my husband buys me a giant case of bottled water twice a week.

8.  Milk – I have no idea why I have drank so much milk in this pregnancy.  I haven’t really had any specific cravings for anything.  I wouldn’t say my need for milk is a craving, but it is about as close as it gets to a craving for me.  I easily drink a gallon of milk on my own in less than a week.  I guess my babies must need the calcium.  I don’t know, I rarely drank milk before I got pregnant.

9. stretch mark cream – Cocoa butter, bio oil, coconut oil….you name it, if it’s out there I’ve tried it.  They don’t work.  Truthfully, I’ve read that stretch marks are genetic.  You either get them or you don’t.  I guess I have my mom to thank for this one.  If nothing else, all of that lathering up gave me soft skin.

10.  a great pair of maternity jeans – Maternity clothes that make you feel good is a must.  Might as well show off that bump while we have it.  A friend of mine let me borrow some of her maternity clothes, but then I’ve also been really lucky to find some cute things at consignment sales.  I also found one Goodwill in my area that has a maternity section, and I’ve found some really cute stuff there.  Tops are easy to find, but a good pair of jeans can go along way.  I’m short, so I needed a pair that fit my body.  While most of my maternity items were only a few bucks, I did fork out $35 for a good pair of jeans, and it was probably the most worn item in my closet while I was pregnant.

 

11.  maternity belt – Someone in my church gave me a maternity belt as a gift when I got pregnant.  I carried the boys so low in my second trimester, that the support belt came in very handy.

 

12.  pregnancy shoes – I’ve suffered from edema for most of this pregnancy.  The swelling has been intense.  My size 5 foot quickly went to a 6.5 before I was even 20 weeks pregnant.   Everyone says not to stretch out your regular shoes when your're pregnant.  Honestly, I couldn’t even fit into my regular shoes, let alone try to stretch them out.  I bought a couple pair of really cute flats just for pregnancy that I could wear with casual jeans or dressier clothes.  Great investment, as I still can’t fit into my regular shoes.  Even my flip flops leave marks on my feet.  My doctor said that a few weeks after delivery, my swelling should go down.  I can’t wait!
 

13.  foot bath – When I come home with swollen feet, I soak them in Epsom salts and lavender oil, and then my husband tries to rub the swelling out for me.  I didn’t buy an expensive foot bath.  A dish pan from Wal-Mart was really all I needed.

14.  heating pad – This was a great investment on the nights that I would come home from work and my lower back would be so sore.  I’d put the heating pad on low and sit on the couch with my feet propped up to get some relief.

15.  antacids - Heartburn and acid reflux in pregnancy has been insane.  All I can say is that antacids have been my friend and an absolute must on my survival list.  Maybe that's why I go through so much milk?  I do drink it often when I want instant relief for heartburn.

16.  PUPPS supplies - The PUPPS rash has been the worst part of pregnancy for me.  I have a list of things that have helped me to try to keep it under control.  I won't go into it now.  I plan on writing a blog post soon about what has helped me cope with a horible rash that less than 1% of pregnant women get.

 

17.  my blog -  Journaling this pregnancy on my blog has been a way to keep family and friends updated about everything.  I don't have to say the same thing 35 times, because most people in my life read my blog updates.  It's also been a way for me to capture pregnancy in a way that I will always be able to remember and cherish.  Yes, at times pregnancy can be hard, but I know that this pregnancy is a gift....a gift that I prayed for and truly do cherish.

 

18.  a supportive husband – I do not think I could have gone through this pregnancy without him.  He has been there to hold my hair back when I was throwing up….to rub my feet when it hurt to walk….to offer back rubs….to help with housework…..to run errands for me….to wipe my tears when I have been physically exhausted and the end still seems so far away….to tell me I’m beautiful and always will be when I look in the mirror and realize that even after I lose the baby weight, my body will never look the same.  He’s been my encourager, lover and best friend. 

19. encouraging people who pray – Encouraging people who remind you they are praying for you is a blessing.  Many people have been there to encourage me, especially in these last few weeks when I feel like it has gotten really hard to carry twins.

20. grace and patience  – This one is hard, but I know I need it.  I have no idea how much longer I will have to go before these babies enter the world.  If it was tonight, I would do a happy dance.  But for all I know, I may have to go a couple more weeks and have a scheduled induction.  In the meantime, may I be filled with grace and patience as I wait out the next few days or weeks.