15 Things That Helped Me Survive My Pregnancy

As natural and amazing as pregnancy is, every woman that has been pregnant knows that it's not without its drawbacks.  Some lucky woman out there are just glowing and happy and have no issues or pregnancy symptoms but for most pregnant woman that just isn't the case.  Pregnancy can be pure misery, filled with many ups and downs, not to scare off woman about having a baby, but there are some things that I've found to really help me out over the last 8 months of my pregnancy.  

I was not one of those blessed woman that never got morning sickness, I felt like I had the stomach flu for about the first 3 months of my pregnancy and I have spent the last 2 months on modified bed rest due to a fall down a flight of stairs that resulted in me getting symphysis pubis dysfunction, which is not very pleasant and really limits my activities, so for me finding things to make the pregnancy experience more comfortable was a must.

Here is a list of 15 Things That Helped Me Survive My Pregnancy

Image source: www.largerfamilylife.com

1. Sea bands:   I could have absolutely never survived the first trimester without these!! They really helped ease my morning sickness so that I was at least able to leave the bathroom, for the most part anyways, and my home.  
2.  Ginger Ale:   I know a lot of people swear by ginger in general to help sooth an upset stomach and most pregnancy sites suggest ginger chews, gum or mints but I found them to be too strong and they upset my stomach even more.  For me ginger ale was just enough ginger flavor without overwhelming my already very upset tummy.
3. Plain Foods:  When reading about what foods settle the stomach on most sites they suggest saltine crackers and for me having Celiac Disease they are just out of the question.  So I had to find gluten free alternatives that I could stomach.  The foods I tolerated best where plain air popped salted popcorn, Snyder's gluten free pretzels, Plain potato chips, yes I was very surprised to find out just how much I could handle them too, and Crunch Masters Sea Salt crackers with Sharp cheddar when the morning sickness wasn't as strong and  mashed potatoes and plain or lightly seasoned chicken or steak.  
    
   
   
   
   
    4.  Pops and hard candies:   I know for the health conscious this one's a though one, but it really works quell the nausea, especially sour flavored candies.  I opted for the organic pops mostly but from time to time I would suck on Preggie pop drops or pops, Jolly Ranchers and occasionally eat Starbursts or Sour Patch kids. Something about the citric acid or tanginess of these candies really helped curb the nausea and at least put something in my tummy, while boosting my blood sugar which would dip very low quite often.
   
   
   5.  Fruit pops and sorbets:  I was in my first trimester in the middle of summer which only adds to the nausea in my opinion due to the heat and humidity, so fruit pops and sorbet were a must.  There were days that I couldn't stomach any solid food and pretty much lived off of ginger ale, water, smart water, popsicles and sorbet.  Not only are they easy going down, and back up, but they help to cool you down when pregnancy hormones and the heat of summer seem to make your blood boil. 
   
   
   
   6. Smoothies:   I would make myself some version of a fruit and veggie smoothie every day so that at least I knew I was getting my vitamins in and having something healthy. I add chia seeds and coconut oil to help keep things moving regularly too, which is a problem for a lot of pregnant woman, including myself. Although I couldn't really continue doing it after a few too many times of throwing them up and had to wait till my second trimester, when the morning sickness went away, to continue having smoothies for breakfast and I still can't do the berry smoothie that made a reappearance one too many times.
   
   
   7. Chiropractic Care:   This one is a big one for me, it has helped me in numerous ways and with different things throughout my pregnancy.  It really helped with morning sickness in the first trimester and at the beginning of my second trimester I literally had a killer headache everyday for about a month and me not wanting to take anything for it, even though they say Tylenol is safe I just didn't want to take it, so chiropractic care was super helpful for me in revealing my headaches.  Also pretty much through the entire pregnancy, although the further along you get the worse it gets, low back pain is a common complaint and having regular adjustments really helps with that.  
   
   
   
   
   
   8. Supplements:  Everyone pretty much knows that a good prenatal vitamin is essential for pregnancy and optimizes you and your baby's health but there are also a few supplements that you can take in addition to your prenatal, or if you're having a hard time stomaching yours, that you can take to alleviate some issues.  I found when morning sickness was at its worse I couldn't handle my prenatal and that taking a good quality B-multivitamin really helped me to get the essential folic acid for baby's growth and development and also the B6 really helped with the nausea.  For me a good quality magnesium and calcium supplement really helps to keep me regular, reduce heartburn and without it I'm not sure what I would do.  I also couldn't really handle the iron in my prenatal vitamin, it really upset my stomach, and had to find one that didn't have it in it, which isn't all that easy I've found, and ended up finding one on Amazon after many attempts at the natural food stores.
   
   
   9.  Tea:  I particularly couldn't live without my Green tea and Red Raspberry Leaf tea.  I really needed the energy boost that the green tea gives to jump start my day.  I for almost the whole of my pregnancy suffered from just being tired all the time, to complete exhaustion, hey making a baby is hard work after all, and I really needed the boost of caffeine to get me through my semester at school and work.  I would brew one bag of my favorite green tea blend and one bag of Red Raspberry leaf tea, for it's amazing reproductive health properties, everyday.  Red Raspberry Leaf tea is great for all woman to take but especially pregnant woman, it strengthens the uterine walls,  helps prevent miscarriage and hemorrhage, helps ease morning sickness, reduces pain during and after birth, and assists in the production of breast milk, although astringency may counter it in some women, and it is rich in many vitamins and minerals.  The caffeine also helped with the headaches too.
   
   
   
   10. Pregnancy Pillow:   Honestly this is an absolute must have for me.  I know many woman say they can live without it, and their partners will surely complain about it, but for me I can't sleep without it and will continue to use it even far after my pregnancy is over.  It is just amazing and I won't go any where without it.  The one I have is shaped like a big u and surrounds my whole body so that when I roll over in the middle of the night my belly and legs are supported no matter what side I end up on.  It really helps to reset everything and ensure proper alinement through the night and is a god send for my symphysis pubis dysfunction, it almost always, no matter how much pain I am in the night before I go to bed, when I wake up things are all reset and relatively pain free, which is amazing and usually doesn't last that long for me but feels great for the time being.
   
   
   11.  Coconut Oil:  I tried recently to go without using coconut oil for a couple nights while I stayed at my mothers to look after my grandmother and I was miserable.  Every night I slather it all over my belly, boobs, hips and butt to reduce itchiness and prevent stretch marks, which I have yet to get any and that is pretty remarkable seems how when I hit puberty I got a ton on my butt, hips and thighs.    I also have been putting in my nose to prevent bloody noses which I never got before getting pregnant, but apparently all the extra blood flow can cause bloody noses for some woman and I guess I am one of them.  Just recently I have also been applying it to my perineum  to help soften the area and help reduce tearing when D-Day comes along.  I also add a spoonful of coconut oil to my bath water with some lavender oil and Epsom salts when I want a hydrating and relaxing bath to ease my achy body.
   
   
   
   
   
   12.  Prenatal Massage and Yoga:  I can't really do many of the yoga poses since my accident but yoga really has helped me throughout my pregnancy just as a form of relaxation and a way to stretch and strengthen.  I have also made prenatal massage a priority as well trying to get at least one a month.  They both have really helped to relieve overall tension, including lower back pain and headaches but they also help to align the baby and make sure that they are in proper position preparing the body for birth.    
   
   
   13.  Maternity Pants:  I know this is another one that some woman don't feel is necessary and just get away with using one of the bands and their normal pants but let me just tell you how amazingly comfortable they are.  There is nothing digging into you, they never contrict your belly and make you feel uncomfortable, and you never again will have that embarrassing moment of showing your butt crack when you sit down or bend over.  I honestly don't think I will ever go back to normal jeans and pants again, I am in love.
   
   
   14. Hot and Cold Packs:  Both hot and cold packs have helped me in differing ways throughout my pregnancy.  Hot packs ease any aches or early on cramps you may have and also help to lessen the pain of contractions and just overall relax you and your straining muscles.  Ice packs have also been great to help reduce swelling from my fall and when I over exert myself doing too much and my pubic and pelvic pain really flares up.  Ice really helped with the headaches too. I would put ice packs on my neck and my partner got me one that goes over your eyes too which really helped to ease the throbbing pain I would have along with the crazy tension like headaches.
   
   
   15.  Heartburn Medication:   This is one road I just couldn't go down naturally. Nothing that I have tried even before becoming pregnant helped with my acid reflux and would keep it in check. But now in pregnancy the heartburn that was once under control with a prescription is now flaring up again.   Starting towards the second half of the second trimester I would get heartburn again at night.  It's just something that a lot of pregnant woman get do to the lack of room in the stomach and the loosening and relaxing of the muscles making digestion slower.  So Tums, and magnesium and calcium supplements in addition to my prescription heartburn medication are musts in the second half of my pregnancy for me.  I don't think I would have a esophagus by now without them.  But please by all means do try some of the natural heartburn remedies first if it is not something that you already struggle with.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Well that concludes my top pregnancy must haves. Hope that it helps some of you ladies out there suffering like I did.
   
   
   xoxo   
   
   
   Megan