My Pregnancy Top Five

I thought I would share with you my top five items that I have relied on, on a daily basis, during the first 20 weeks of my pregnancy.

When I was newly pregnant I spent hours looking at online forums trying to find out what I should buy to help myself and ensure that this time was enjoyable. So here we go, I hope you find it useful…

1 – An exercise/birthing ball

My first disclaimer here is that I don’t use this ball for is proper intended purpose. I’ve never done a sit up with it. It’s purely an extension to my sofa but is definitely my number 1 must have.

Having suffered sciatica for over a year my back has been a source of pain for some time and it’s only getting worse…enter giant inflatable bright green bouncy ball!

I don’t know the medical stance behind it, all I know is that I have to sit up straight (or I will fall off) and this allows my muscles to stretch out and takes the pressure off my lower back and hips.

It’s been so successful at home; I’ve even talked my company into allowing me to have one at work. Much to the amusement of my colleagues…

I am sure as the months roll on I will find other uses for it and may even consider using it for exercise once little one arrives…maybe.

2 – Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Stretch Mark Cream

The dreaded stretch marks, we all know they can happen and we all want to avoid them, I already have some small stretch marks on my tummy, i don’t mind them but don’t want them to get any worse.

I chose Palmer’s Cocoa Butter as it was brand i was familiar with and didn’t cost the earth. I started applying it to my tummy, hips (love handle area), upper thighs and boobs daily from 9 weeks and so far, so good!

The stretch marks I have haven’t gotten any worse, there’s no redness to them yet and I haven’t developed any new ones, that’s enough to make me happy so Palmer’s is a winner in my book.

3 – A trusty water bottle

No matter the weather but especially when it’s hot, make sure you keep your water intake up! I know the need to wee, every minute of the day can put you off but it’s so important to keep drinking.

Find yourself a trusty bottle and take it everywhere! I LOVE my Hydratem8 bottle! It goes everywhere with me; to work, on the train, to the supermarket, out for lunch, even to bed to make sure I keep drinking when I wake up in the night.

The reason I love Hydratem8 is simple, their bottles are super stylish and come in a range of colours and styles, the company is conscious and donate to Pump Aid for every bottle sold and the handy timer makes sure i fill up and get the recommended amount of water each day.

Ultimately, I doesn’t matter which bottle you use, just find one that works for you and get that water flowing.

4 – Mother Care Maternity Leggings

Ahh leggings, the universally loved item for all expectant mothers. Stretchy, light and slimming in black leggings are my fave!

I particularly love the Mother Care maternity leggings (£14.99 per pair), they sit over your bump but don’t have that annoying baggy sack type material on the front.  At 5foot9 tall I often find that trousers of any style are never quite long enough but not these, they fit perfectly.

Did I mention leggings are my favourite?

5 – BabyCentre.co.uk

My favourite site is babycentre.co.uk, mainly because it’s a UK based site and so the information provided is relevant to UK health advice and the lovely ladies who write in the forums are sharing their experiences of the same shops, same healthcare services, same safety regulations.

Anything you can think of that you want to ask, I can guarantee someone has asked it already. Baby Centre is definitely my most trusted online source; it hasn’t let me down yet!

The One I Returned

We all have that one purchase that gives you nothing by regret, mine is the various shapes and styles of pregnancy sleeping pillows.

Most pillows are designed to lie in front of you, your pump resting on top and the lower part tucked between your legs. This is fine and relatively comfy, until you want to turn over.

Now you have a pillow tucked inside the duvet and it doesn’t want to turn with you. Cue an odd pulley system to try and extract it from the covers.

I gave up on my first pillow and swapped it for a full body pillow, this one was shaped more like a number 6. Designed to curl behind your head and support your back as well as your bump and legs.

Can you see where this is going…the lower part of the pillow, like the bump of the number 6 goes between your legs, and straight up your bum. We laughed too!

Maybe I will find the pillow that’s right for me, I know so many people have found them useful and when my bump getting bigger and heavier I might be forced to revisit this item but for now, it’s my no-go pregnancy purchase.

Thanks for reading my list, I hope it was helpful. Leave a comment below and let me know what your top 5 items are…

Rachel xx