Pregnancy is a really exciting time but it also means a lot of change in your body and in your life! So I’ve created this massive post with all of my favorite pregnancy hacks to help make your pregnancy a breeze.
So let’s get started!
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Take care of yourself
So this tip may seem super obvious, but make sure you’re eating well, you are exercising and you are resting.
Now, this does not mean you need to go and eat salads every day, it does not mean you need to go to the gym every day. But it does mean you just need to take extra good care of yourself in general, because the more you do that, the better you are going to feel!
Right now Your body is going through a lot and a little bit care can go a LONG way.
What are some examples?
- Take a prenatal vitamin
- Do your regular doctor visits and ask questions!
- Get up and move your body each day
- Get enough sleep
- Eat foods that will give you more energy
It sounds really simple but this is so easy to forget when you are pregnant and miserable. But your body is not just home for you anymore- baby is there too! So it’s super important to try to take care of yourself as much as possible.
Keep those stress levels DOWN
Another thing that goes hand in hand with taking care of yourself is taking time for you during your pregnancy.
So things like reading that book you want to read, taking a rest, getting your nails done just anything to give yourself a little bit of time and take a break from the stress that can sometimes come with pregnancy.
That’s really important to keep your stress levels down because your stress levels affect, baby.
Make plans and write them down
I don’t know about you, but anytime we get something down on paper I just feel better. Every time I make checklists, even if I don’t finish them, I feel better.
So I highly suggest that once you figure out you’re pregnant and you start on your journey, you make plans and physically write down all the tasks
Now I know this can be super overwhelming to sift through all the things that you’re supposed to do during pregnancy. So, to help you out. I’ve got this super easy checklist that you can download for free!
You can also check out my Ultimate Pregnancy Prep Pack, which is literally giving you all the resources you need to get through your pregnancy tasks in a snap AND get all the info you need to get it done right.
Make a budget
So, when you’re taking on a new life you’re also taking on all the financial responsibilities that come with that. Let’s be honest your budget is going to drastically change.
I hope you have a budget right now. If you don’t, don’t worry! You can make one. It’s not that hard, I promise.
What you need to remember is that you’re going to have some really unexpected expenses, and you’re going to have a lot of added expenses.
So I have a whole post here all about how to budget for baby that’s going to help guide you through. PLUS it will help in estimating those expenses that are going to come along, so that you aren’t completely blindsided once they’re here.
There are a lot of things that are going to cost you more money once you’re pregnant that you’re just not paying for now.
Things like doctor’s visits, hospital bills, your childcare (if you aren’t going to stay home), diapers, wipes, clothes, and eventually food. I mean the list goes on.
So, make sure that you’re thinking about these expenses, because they are going to happen whether you like them or not.
Pregnancy pillows
So you might have seen around that pregnancy pillows are all the rage and everyone loves them. While yes, they are great, the price is not!
So to make yourself comfortable during pregnancy I highly recommend just buying a couple of body pillows and just simply like shaping them just like you would a pregnancy pillow.
It’s not that different. And they’re a fraction of the cost.
I used body pillows through both of my pregnancies and was SO comfortable.
Zero issues. It was awesome.
Belly Bands
A belly band is probably one of the best things I bought during pregnancy, especially during your first pregnancy! A belly band is basically this band that will keep your pants up for you even when they stop buttoning. It is a live saver!
I was able to get away with a belly band for a very long time with my first pregnancy.
But a note about the Belly Band- personally I preferred the band with my work attire. I did not like to wear jeans I much because they were thicker and it just was folded fabric up against your stomach.
That does not feel that great, but I highly encourage them for work settings because they were a dream at that!
Do pregnancy YOUR way
My next hack is do pregnancy your way.
Do not feel like you have to follow what everyone else is doing.
Don’t feel like you have to do a gender reveal if you don’t want to.
Don’t feel like you have to find out the gender if you don’t want to.
This needs to be whatever you want it to be. Your experience is your own and it should live up to your expectations, not to everyone else’s.
So if you want to have just your husband in the delivery room, great. Do it.
If you want your mom, great, do it. But don’t feel like you have to listen to everybody in the world in there. Yes, because this experience is about you and your partner and the new family you’re going to be creating and not about everyone else.
Handling all the unwanted advice during pregnancy is difficult. My motto when I was pregnant was just to smile. Say thank you and move on. Kill him with kindness. It’s not worth it to argue
Prep your home early
Prepping your home is super important when you’re about to have a baby.
So obviously, if you’re going to have a nursery, then you’re going to want to prepare that. You’re going to need some space in general for the baby to sleep and to be.
But I’m going to tell you that I think it’s even more important to prep the rest of your home for baby, which is going to be decluttering and cleaning. Because let’s be honest, you’re not going to be able to deep in your house with a newborn, you’re just going to be too busy for that nonsense.
Tiny babies come a lot of stuff that are way bigger than the baby, but take up a ton of space. So you’re going to need more space in your house!
A side note- don’t feel like you have to have a nursery like a full on room for a baby.
As long as the baby has a safe place to sleep, you’re good.
I have a whole post on prepping your home that you can check out here!
Find maternity clothes that will work AFTER pregnancy
OK it’s time for some #realtalk about maternity clothes. Maternity clothes are like kind of the bane of pregnancy because they’re very cute but they’re clothes that you can only wear for a certain amount of time. Then you’re done with them and you don’t wear them anymore.
So what I actually suggest is put off buying maternity clothes as long as you can, simply to save money, and because your size can change from month to month (even though you don’t like it too.)
I bought shorts way too early on in my second pregnancy, and then I couldn’t fit into them when I needed them. It sucked!
So whenever you’re looking for maternity clothes, I suggest trying to go and buy normal tops that you could wear after that are just loose. Then go with a belly band for pants until you can’t do it anymore.
The only thing you have to take in consideration really is to remember your belly is round and even longer clothes may not cover it all the way!
Right now that tunic styles are so in, you can absolutely try and cut out that expense of buying clothes you wont be able to wear after pregnancy!
By just working with what you have and just finding things that you’ll actually be able to wear after your pregnancy is over you can save a ton of money.
Want to check out a full post on how to create a pregnancy wardrobe on the cheap? Check it out here!
Heart burn and acid reflux
These things just tend to come with pregnancy, unfortunately. So if you’re experiencing heartburn or acid reflux, there are a few things that can help that I’ve listed below!
- Watch what things you eat aggravates your condition and stop eating them!
- Try eating smaller meals
- Don’t lie down after eating! This one made a big difference for me.
My personal favorite was literally just eating an apple that seemed to take away both acid reflux and heartburn or whatever it was for me.
Take a trip
You don’t have to call this a hack but I’m going to include it anyways. Have a baby moon or make sure that in some way you are taking time to be with your partner before baby comes.
Everything is about to change for you, whether you like it or not.
You could simply have a staycation and stay at your house, but just focus on each other and do something fun together and just have a blast before you become a family of three or more.
Parenting is hard but coming at it from a better relationship status. It makes it easier
Have a virtual baby showers
When having a baby shower with all your friends and family present isn’t possible it is devastating. It’s a really special time in your life. And it’s special for everyone to be able to get together and just celebrate your baby and your new family.
So my last hack here is to not be afraid to celebrate online and do a virtual shower! Don’t let circumstances steal your joy!
I have a whole post here on how you can do a virtual shower and actually make it fun.
It does not have to be this thing where you’re just opening your gifts for your guests. You can make it amazing and it will still be just as fun as in person shower!
Plus you still get to feel that connection and the support from your friends and your family that you really need.
Alright, that wraps up our list. I hope you guys enjoyed this post. Let me know when your favorite hack is below or if I missed one that you love!