Pregnancy Faves

I’m basically the pregnancy expert on this blog so I wanted to list my Top 5 Pregnancy Favorites while they are fresh in my head. 

 1.  Baby Bargains:  Allyson gave me this book shortly after I got pregnant and I love it.  I was very overwhelmed with all the baby gear decisions and this book has been amazing.  It’s essentially like a Consumer Reports for baby shit.  It compares every brand of everything (cribs, mattresses, car seats, strollers, diapers, bottles, etc.) and tells you what you actually need and what you can skip.  For the major categories, it gives each brand a grade (A+ through F) and what parents like or don’t like about each so you can decide if that’s important to you.  For example, the crib we were looking at got a B+, but after reading the review the only reason it wasn’t an A was because it wasn’t easy to raise or lower the mattress.  Considering you only do that once, I really didn’t care that it would be a pain in the ass.  I highly recommend getting this book and a highlighter.

2.  Target Brand Prenatal Gummy Multivitamins:  I started taking these last January.  They taste good and never made me nauseous so I stuck with them even after my doc wrote me a prescription for prenatals.  My doctor had a cute way of explaining why prenatals are important and I think of it every morning when I take them.  He said that the vitamins are more for the mother than the baby.  That essentially, the baby is going to rob me of every vitamin it wants and leave me with whatever is left over.  He said that if I want my teeth and bones after delivery I should take them.  Enough said, I’ll take the vitamins.

These vitamins don’t have Iron so I’ve recently been diagnosed with Anemia.  It’s not too surprising because I’m usually borderline Anemic anyway.  So now in addition to my gummies, I’m taking a prescription Iron supplement too.  I was hopeful that it would help with fatigue, but no such luck.

3.  Genie Bra:  Haha...yes, I love infomercials, but I think this is the first time in years that I’ve bought something because of one.  My last purchase was in college, the Miracle Blade Perfection Series III, and that was awesome so why not.  I love these bras.  It’s kind of like wearing a sports bra, but you don’t get that weird uniboob and the straps go where normal bra straps go.  Bras might not be an issue for ladies with normal sized boobs prepregnancy, but let’s just say it’s not fun starting with big boobs knowing they are only going to get bigger.  Ugh.  Counting down the days until my last child is born and I can go see Dr. 90210.  #katiegetsaboobjob2018

4.  What to Expect App:  Nine times out of ten when I’m on this app it’s because the CRAZY women on the message board make me feel really normal, drama free, and smart.  It’s so funny.  There was a post recently from a woman who is “SO ANNOYED” with her husband because “he just says ‘I love you’ way too much.  It’s lost its meaning.” 

But aside from the highly entertaining Message Board, it does have a lot of valuable information and a daily topic to read that’s customized for you and your due date.  Today’s topic - Day 212 of Pregnancy: How to prevent that Puffy Feeling.  Not all of the daily topics are winners, but I recommend the app.

5.  Tums Smoothies:  As my stomach has gotten higher and higher to accommodate everything else that’s moving around (organs, a baby, etc…ew!), indigestion and heartburn have become a part of everyday life.  Thankfully, it’s not too bad and Tums always does the trick.  For about the last 6 weeks, I’ve never been more than 6 feet away from the closest Tums.