Our Favorite Pregnancy Support Care Items
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As much as we all say we love pregnancy, some of us just really don’t actually enjoy it. Some of us struggle with pain and discomfort, body dysmorphia, emotional triumphs to overcome, and more. Pregnancy is full of so many things to overcome, but sometimes caring for yourself in the right ways can make all the difference.
We asked our collective of doulas some of their favorite items that all expecting mothers can use and benefit from to make pregnancy a little easier and comfortable. Below are their suggestions.
Be sure to comment with your favorite suggestion or maybe add one of your personal must-haves from your own pregnancy journey!
Prenatal Vitamins
When it comes to prenatal vitamins, there are so many to choose from. And of course, yes, your doctor or military clinic will likely be able to provide a free option to you if you are in need. We just know that not all prenatal vitamins are created equal.
Some of the considerations you will want to take into account:
Does it contain folate or folic acid? Folic acid is the synthetic version of folate and with any synthetic thing, it isn’t necessarily the best for your body.
Does it contain DHA? DHA is very important for the healthy growth of your baby, especially in the first two trimesters. Some prenatal vitamins require you to take a separate DHA pill, so be sure to check your prenatal’s ingredients.
Do you have special dietary requirements or sensitivities?
Do you prefer gummy vitamins? Or have a sensitive stomach?
Is price a factor for you? You will need to purchase these routinely, so be sure to consider your month-to-month financial well-being too.
These are just some of the factors to consider when choosing a prenatal vitamin.
Some of our personal favorite prenatal vitamins include:
Books
Google isn’t always the most reliable when it comes to giving you the best information on your pregnancy journey. We often turn to our books that we read during our doula training and certifications to get evidence-based information and to better support you or answer your questions.
Fill your home library or Kindle with some of our favorite pregnancy books to help guide you on your journey.
Nausea Relief Wristbands
Nausea is no fun, ever. And in pregnancy, we swear it happens all the time. We’ve seen a few tips and tricks when it comes to diet to help curb that nauseated feeling that plagues the early weeks of pregnancy, but how about some other remedies?
Consider acupuncture or similar body-worker type relief, but if that’s too much to do, then we have found that nausea relief wristbands tend to work pretty well for some expecting birthers.
They work similarly to acupuncture and acupressure by putting a little bit of pressure on your wrists in an acupressure point to help curb nausea and discomfort.
You can find one here.
Belly Oil or Body Butter
Dry skin and stretch marks and itchy bellies are common sources of discomfort or frustrations during pregnancy. By using a little bit of belly lotion or body butter on your belly, you may be able to settle the itchiness and dryness a bit. And we hate to be the bearers of bad news though, stretch marks are hereditary. Some birthing persons swear that this lotion or that will cure or prevent stretch marks, but really you can owe it to genetics. If you’re feeling itchy or dry though, go ahead and lather up and help ease your skin’s discomfort.
Water Bottle
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. We can’t stress this enough.
Your body needs water, your joints, ligaments, and muscles need water. Your digestive and nervous systems need water. Your baby needs water. Every part of you needs water.
Since we know you’re going to be lugging a water bottle around to ensure you’re hydrated all day long, why not make it cute? Or maybe you prefer to focus on the eco-friendly aspect? Or maybe you want one that reminds you when to hydrate throughout the day?
Just remember, drink your water.
Herbal Teas
Herbal teas can help you with finding a little bit of peace in the chaos of day-to-day. You may also want it iced in the summertime, while still enjoying a delicious drink (that’s not your 8th cup of water that day).
You can consider herbal teas that focus on nausea relief or pregnancy support. And as you approach the end of your pregnancy, you may wish to introduce red raspberry leaf tea drinks as well, to support your uterus and postpartum bleeding. There may be a lack of sufficient evidence to support that it helps with induction, but some medical providers will say that it is good for your uterus and postpartum bleeding (just don’t continue to take it if you notice an increase of pre-term contractions).
Just please be sure to talk to your medical providers about any herbal supplements you may be taking.
Fitness/Yoga Ball
Movement on a yoga ball is more than just bouncing up and down for hours. In fact, please don’t do this, it’s not good for your pelvic floor.
You can use an exercise ball for so many different things, assisted lunges and child pose, pelvic tilts, figure 8s with your hips, and more. And these are great tools to help encourage the body to restore balance and to help your baby get into a better position.
Pregnancy Support Band
Pregnancy is uncomfortable, we know. But you don’t have to be uncomfortable or feel like your belly is weighing you down all the time.
A pregnancy support band is a little device you can wear to help relieve some of the aches and pains with pregnancy.
Some pregnancy support bands offer extra relief across the top of the belly or more relief on the back. You may have to play around with a few styles, but here are a few recommendations:
Military Mommies’ Embracing Belly Boostier (Order via khopkins@militarymommies.com)
Also, you may want to check into your insurance or with your medical providers, because some insurance companies will cover this for you.
Maternity Leggings
Look cute while being comfy. Maternity leggings can provide gentle compression and support to your legs and belly, while allowing you to be comfy in the day-to-day.
Pregnancy Support Pillow
Sleep is important to you and your baby and we know how hard it is to get sleep while pregnant (hello, all the nighttime bathroom visits). By having a quality, supportive pillow you can find a little more balance in the body and relieve some of the discomfort you’re probably feeling in your hips, pelvic floor, back, and maybe even your belly.