15 Pregnancy Essentials That You Must Have!

Here are the 15 Pregnancy Essentials you need to helps with nausea, bloating, headaches, and more! 

If you are new to Hello Spoonful, welcome! While I typically write healthy recipes I am also documenting my pregnancy journey! New mom here and I wanted to help other new moms by sharing these tidbits that I have found super helpful on my journey so far! 

To get the FULL experience, be sure to watch my Youtube video below and don’t forget to follow me on Instagram which is where you can find me literally every day 🙂

Magnesium

When you are pregnant your digestion is a way off (at least for me that’s what I have experienced) and I hear that for a lot of people. Magnesium is going to help with most pregnancy symptoms. 

It’s actually helped with my headaches (because I can’t take Advil and Tylenol honestly does nothing), so I have just been on the search for finding things that are going to help with my headaches and migraines. Since I am already susceptible, I’m basically being a human guinea pig to figure out what works. I also found that magnesium not only helps with headaches but with the uncomfortable bloating, my digestion, and sleep!

Magnesium is a relaxant which is why it does help you to use the restroom but then also it’s going to help you kind of wind down at night. 

I purchased some at Whole Foods, but you can get the brand Calm, which is also great. It does have a little bit of an off-taste. It’s very sour and a little weird to get used to but once you start you know what to expect and the benefits outweigh the taste in my opinion.

Prenatal Gummies

Obviously, you know if you’re pregnant you need a prenatal that’s nothing new but a lot of people don’t know that actually that iron in a prenatal is going to cause you to be super constipated can make you nauseous, and uncomfortable which contributes to poor sleep. 

I have found that these prenatals do not have iron and they work great for me! I’ve been focused on getting iron and the forms of different foods that I eat and then taking the prenatal gummy. 

Blue Light Blocking Glasses 

I already wear glasses occasionally which have the blue light blocker in them, but these have totally helped me with my headaches. So if you wear glasses and you don’t have the blue light protection or if you don’t wear prescription glasses at all, you should pick up a pair!

Unscented Everything

You know you have the extra superpower of smelling as a pregnant lady! If Michael opens up anything downstairs and I am upstairs in our room I can smell it! I’m already sensitive to that stuff, but it intensified with pregnancy and has definitely contributed to more headaches. I did my best to buy all unscented lotions, soaps, and shampoos. 

 

Align Leggings and Biker Shorts 

You don’t have to purchase the Lulu Align Leggings Brand, but that’s just what I prefer. They are so comfortable and last forever. It’s what I’ve always bought and they’ve been a game-changer for me! They are great for me especially later in the day when I start feeling extremely bloated and uncomfy, I just want to wear things that feel good and make me feel the most normal!

These leggings are pretty high waisted and so it just kind of keeps it all together and just makes me feel really secure. Think of them as compression shorts for guys! If you’re pregnant in the summer, grab some biker shorts…same concept!

 

Overall Comfortable Clothes – Sports Bras & Bralettes

I would say to get some really comfortable sports bras or bralettes, obviously, when you get pregnant one of the symptoms is that your boobs get bigger, it’s just inevitable! Your body is preparing you for breastfeeding. The fact that they are sore all of the time, comfort ranks high on the charts, so again these are a must for me!

 

A Little Caffeine 

If you watched my first-trimester recap, I talked about how I could not drink coffee at all. I just couldn’t stomach it. I know a lot of people don’t like to drink it when they’re pregnant because of conflicting information. I’m totally fine with drinking it. I don’t really drink more than 100mg, but I have found a drink that works for me.

It’s a combination of an iced vanilla almond milk latte and iced coffee. I like a little bit of sweetness in there and then just the regular coffee because I’m trying to not use a lot of added sugars. I’m also steering away from anything with artificial sugars as well.

A lot of women are going to get headaches when they are used to drinking caffeine and then quit cold turkey, so a little caffeine definitely helps with headaches and migraines. Whether you’re drinking some kind of green tea or coffee, just find what works for you!

Lemon Ginger Seltzer Water 

I found a drink at Trader Joe’s (so sorry if you don’t have one)! It’s ginger lemon seltzer water containing only carbonated water with ginger juice and lemon juice. I add more lemon juice and then sometimes if I want to make my “elixir” I will add the magnesium as well.

I put this in a huge mason jar with ice and it helps with my nausea and also helps me to stay super hydrated! Perfect for those who struggle with water intake anyway. 

If you love Trader Joe’s like I do, be sure to check out my Trader Joe’s Grocery Haul!

Giant Water Bottle 

Invest in some type of water bottle so that you actually remember to stay hydrated. The bigger it is, it is easier to track throughout the day! You can definitely get a Hydro Flask or Yeti, or something more affordable from Target! If I’m at home I just drink out of a mason jar, but on the go I highly recommend you get a water bottle! 

If you don’t want anything expensive, just grab one at Target! Keeping track of how much you’re drinking which is really going to help with all of these symptoms but especially with your headaches!

 

Peppermint Essential Oils 

You have probably heard of this before but for me, it’s a different one because I’m usually not about the essential oil life. I have been using peppermint essential oil right under my nose and then also on the back of my neck. This just helps a lot with overall nausea and then also with headaches since I cannot take Advil anymore.

 

Ice pack/Face Mask/Cold Spoons 

This is overall really relaxing, and typically when I get headaches they are really bad behind my eyes. So if you don’t want to buy a cooling mask, you can put spoons in your freezer and place them on your eyes! 

My Kindle

Screens are killer, we look at our phones all day. It’s so easy to do! But during that first trimester, I couldn’t do anything, I did not want to be on my computer or look at a glaring light, so having my Kindle to read was really relaxing and gave my eyes a break.

I know these are a little expensive, so if you don’t want to buy one, I recommend grabbing some physical books or even Sudoku! Anything to keep your eyes off of the screen.

 

Earplugs 

Sleep gets really really rough when you’re pregnant! I’m a very specific sleeper and I actually slept with earplugs before getting pregnant, but I cannot imagine being pregnant and not using them. My nausea would hit from the moment my eyes opened, so anything I could do to get a good night’s sleep I would! This is a must for me!  

 

Peppermint candies or Ginger candies 

With the exception of the ginger lemon seltzer water I was talking about earlier, I do not like ginger, BUT I’m using peppermint candies that helped a lot. If you can stomach ginger, there are ginger candies you can also buy. You can also add ginger in your hot tea or hot water with ginger and lemon is really helpful, but the peppermint candies are definitely a winner!

Lots of Pillows 

I have found that my headaches get really bad when I lay down. I don’t know why and don’t know if this is common for other people, but I need elevation! So having tons and tons of pillows to prop me up has been very helpful! l. All the pillows really make it comfy and cozy and I was in bed a LOT during the first trimester, so comfort was key!

I hope you found some things that work for you please leave any comments with things that you have found to be helpful during your pregnancy or ideas on how to make it a little less painful! 

Don’t forget you can tag me on Instagram or send me a DM with your ideas too!