Being a first time mom and trying to sort through alll the information – from making sure you’re keeping yourself and baby healthy, to navigating nausea or sleepiness, to reading all the books and prepping all the baby things – it’s overwhelming!! It’s hard to believe but my baby went from this tiny little newborn to being 7 months old in the blink of an eye. I love being a mom and overall I had a very healthy and positive pregnancy. There are a million different resources for pregnancy, but I wanted to dedicate a blog post to the things I bought and used and will def use again in future pregnancies. We all have different needs, but these are my 20 most-used pregnancy items!

While there are plenty of things you’ll need after pregnancy when baby comes (see this post for My 15 Most-Used Baby Items, or this post for My Postpartum Essentials), but right now you’re the one who needs lots of TLC so this list is all about taking good care of yourself, prepping for birth, and surviving the laundry list of symptoms that might pop up!

More Pregnancy Resources

Check out my Amazon folder for all things pregnancy here.

If you’re looking for more blog posts on fitness and nutrition during pregnancy, click here.

My 26-Week pregnancy workout guide helped me stay consistent with moving and stretching throughout my pregnancy. Shop my GOOD // SWEAT Pregnancy Guide here.

My Most-Used Pregnancy Items

Let’s dive into my top 20 items, across 5 different categories.

For Better, More Comfortable Sleep

I feel like half way through pregnancy sleep started to become a bit more eventful. By this point my bump was out and about, and my bladder was not wanting to let me sleep for a full 8 hours, iykyk lol. I implemented a few different things to make sure my sleep was deep and high-quality! Shop my favorites and read more below:

Pregnancy Pillow

My ride-or-die pregnancy pillow helped me stay comfy all night long. I loved the support for my low back and hips, and it helped keep me in one position all night vs tossing and turning. I honestly miss sleeping with this pillow!

Cooling Pajamas

I also religiously wore my Nuuds pajamas. I run hot as it is, but pregnancy was a different level – I was always hot and would often wake up sweaty. The Nuuds pajamas are not only the softest and most comfy fabric I’ve ever put on my body, but the fabric is cooling and breathable which made a world of difference for me.

Magnesium Spray

I’d say closer to the 3rd tri some joint achiness and general soreness becomes more common. As things start to stretch and shift for baby, aches and pains are totally normal. I swear by this Magnesium Spray from Cymbiotika – it’s so soothing and I loved using a few sprays before bed to ease any aches and keep me nice and comfy all night.

Hatch Alarm Clock

White noise isn’t for everyone, but I personally need it to sleep. I also love all the wind down settings and the gentle wake up that you get from this Hatch alarm clock gradually getting lighter until your alarm goes off. I couldn’t recommend this more as a little ‘treat yourself’ moment to enhance your sleep routine.

For Staying Hydrated

One tip that you’ll see in every book and hear from every doctor is the importance of proper hydration. Since you’ll experience an increase in blood volume as baby grows, keeping the water flowing will ensure that both you and baby have proper blood flow and circulation. Not only that, but hydration is an easy way to take care of your skin as your body grows, will help with muscle soreness and recovery, will sooth nausea and headaches, and so so much more.

Water Bottle

This is a tale as old as time but invest in a large water bottle with a straw that you can lug around your house. The bigger the better for pregnancy (and eventually for nursing), I love my 40 oz Stanley the most.

Electrolytes

I used electrolytes almost daily during my pregnancy to stay hydrated. Not only does it boost hydration, but it’s so nice to have a break from drinking plain water lol. I personally used LMNT (raspberry is my favorite) and nuun.

For Ideal Supplementation And Nutrition

Nutrition is more important than ever when pregnant. Eating enough protein, healthy fats, and a wide range of fruits and veggies is essential, and taking a prenatal vitamin helps fill in the nutritional gaps. The current recommendation is to start taking prenatals 3 months prior to conceiving to build up nutrient stores. Everything you can do in advance to prep for pregnancy might just make a difference in how you feel! For the full list of supplements I used while pregnant, check out this post: Supplements I Took While Pregnant, As A Dietitian.

Prenatal Vitamin

By far the most important supplement to include in your pregnancy routine is a high-quality prenatal vitamin. I took FullWell and I really love that the brand includes essential nutrients many other prenatals skip out on (or don’t provide enough of), like choline, magnesium and calcium. They also third party test for contaminants, allergens, and heavy metals via an independent lab for every lot. It’s formulated by Registered Dietitians, supported by MDs and OBGYNs. I personally would definitely recommend as a dietitian (and soon-to-be mom) myself.

Protein Supplement

Eating enough protein and healthy fats is important in everyday life, but even more so in pregnancy. Pregnancy hunger is unlike anything else, and I found that getting enough protein was the only way to stay full and fueled. Ritual protein is my go-to, I have it almost every day in my morning smoothie. I love that they have a specific pregnancy & postpartum formula too.

For Belly Care + Skin Care

One of the pregnancy things that nobody warns you about is having to go through all your skin care, lotions, and potions to make sure they’re pregnancy safe. It’s just as important to stay hydrated from the outside as it is staying hydrated on the inside. I used lots of belly oils and lotions to take care of my skin as it stretched throughout pregnancy, and also updated my facial skincare routine.

Belly Oil and Lotion

My go-to belly oil is this Summer Fridays Babymoon Belly Balm. I used it every single day and bought many refills throughout my pregnancy! I also swear by Lux Unfiltered products. The Body Cream is the most luxurious and hydrating lotion I’ve ever used, and I also loved using the tanning lotions on the days that I just needed a boost of confidence.

Clean & Pregnancy Safe Skin Care

Just a few of my all-time favorites and items I use daily!

For Fitness & Recovery

For me personally, staying active was so so important throughout pregnancy. Regular exercise helps me feel strong and confident, and I also use it as my me-time to check in with my mental health and clear my mind. Although I had to make some adjustments as baby was growing, I stayed active until the day Hayes was born. I highly recommend finding a consistent routine that works for you! It doesn’t have to be anything crazy, getting stronger or leaner shouldn’t be the goal 🙂

GOOD // SWEAT Pregnancy Guide

I spent my entire pregnancy studying to become pregnancy and postpartum certified and created these workouts in real-time so you can take comfort knowing your trainer has been through exactly what you’re going through, no matter what week you’re in. These workouts are incredible for staying consistent, the perfect amount of challenging, and include so much education about pelvic floor health, taking care of your core, necessary exercise modifications, and more. Click here to shop the 26 week guide!

Yoga Ball

If you’re in your second or third tri, you might feel the need for this already – both in and out of the gym! There are tons of amazing pelvic floor exercises included in my pregnancy program that utilize this yoga ball, and it’s also a great way to offer additional stability and support in various exercises. Not only that, but it’s a great thing to sit on while tying up your sneakers lol. You can watch this video of me assembling mine to see how easy it is!

Shop more of the fitness necessities I have linked in my Amazon storefront:

Compression & Recovery Boots

I was so thankful to have these as I got later in my pregnancy. Swollen and achey legs are a very common symptom of being in the 3rd tri and these boots were my #1 recovery tool.

Stretchy Activewear

My belly and my boobs sized out of my activewear pretty early. I sized up for comfort, but I always went back for my stretchiest activewear. My top picks for activewear included Rec Sweat, lululemon, Abercrombie, and more.

You can follow me on LTK for all the activewear I wore while pregnant and postpartum.

For Staying Comfy As Your Baby (And Belly) Grows

Getting dressed sometimes felt like a daily battle, lol. Things just change so quickly that one day something fits perfectly and the next week it doesn’t feel the best.

Jeans & Pants

My best tip for jeans are to buy your denims 3-4 sizes up and wear them under your belly (as long as that is comfy) because you can also wear those jeans postpartum. I loved having ‘normal’ clothes to wear that weren’t just sweats or activewear. My go-to pair were the Low-Rise Baggy jeans from Abercrombie – they were so roomy and comfy but made me feel put together. They have tons of styles (and maternity options!) that are amazing for growing a baby.

When I couldn’t handle jeans, I loved these viral Amazon joggers and these flare leggings – both were also amazing postpartum.

Dresses

In my opinion, showing off the bump as much as possible is always going to be cute. I was lucky to be 8-9 months pregnant in early summer, so I basically lived in this insanely comfortable Amazon tank dress in lots of colors. If you’re pregnant in winter or fall, there are tons of styles with sleeves as well to keep you warm! The stretchiness of these dresses will sell you, you’ll live in them!

Bras

The pregnancy bra department was a whole new world for me. I definitely found myself wanting more support, more coverage, more padding, etc. I found this MomCozy bra on Amazon while I was pregnant, and even though it’s a nursing bra (it’s a 10/10 for breastfeeding and pumping) it also was just the most comfy and supportive bra during pregnancy for me. Another one of those items that can come with you from pregnancy to postpartum, and we love that.

The other bra option that I personally like was using these Nippies covers and ditching a bra altogether. This worked well for me when I was dressing up or wearing a top that had enough stretch and support to hold me in. I repeat purchase this brand on Amazon!

Cozy Robe

More of a want than a need and definiltey a treat-yourself item, but getting a cozy Barefoot Dreams robe to enjoy throughout your pregnancy (nothing is more comforting when you sleepy or nauseas!), bring to the hospital, and also wear postpartum. If you have a birthday or holiday during your pregnancy, put this on the top of your list!

For Being Informed Without Getting Overwhelmed

Everyone and their cousin will pop out of the woodwork to recommend books and articles and podcasts while you’re pregnant. It’s easy to get overwhelmed so I kept it really simple. I’ll recommend a few of my favorite resources below if you’re looking for a book recommendation, but just a gentle reminder that you don’t have to read every single birthing and parenting book – just take what you need and trust that you’ll know how to care for your baby!

Books

On Becoing Babywise By Robert Bucknam

Real Food For Pregnancy By Lily Nichols

Postpartum

If you’re near the end of your pregnancy and starting to look for postpartum resources, I’ve got you!

Check out my Delivery & Postpartum folder on Amazon for all the products I swear by in the hospital and the first few weeks at home.

Check out my Babies folder on Amazon for everything you need starting the second you leave the hospital.

Read more posts about Mom Life on my mommy lifestyle blog posts, tips and tricks for breastfeeding, sleeping better, schedule optimization, etc.

Read more posts about Baby Things like traveling with baby for the first time, all the products you actually need vs the ones you can skip, my stroller and carseat picks, etc.