A Look Back: Pregnancy Must-Haves

As the clock ticks down to the end of my pregnancy, I've been thinking about the products that I couldn't have lived without for the past 9+ months. To pay them tribute, I think a summary is in order:

First and foremost, the Snoogle pillow. This awesome contraption was given to me by a mommy friend during my seventh month of pregnancy, and it has enabled me to sleep soundly ever since (or as soundly as one can when waking to pee four times a night).


Equally fantastic is coconut oil, which thus far has single-handedly saved my belly from stretch marks. Although there are endless fancy stretch mark prevention creams on the market, all pandering to susceptible pregnant women with the promise of smooth, lineless skin, I've found that simply grabbing a jar of Whole Foods 365 Organic Coconut Oil from the cooking section (couldn't find a photo of it, but the stuff below works, too) and slathering it on does the job for me. In fact, why should my belly have all the fun? I've taken to using the stuff over my entire body - arms, legs, even face occasionally. It sinks in quickly, leaves no smell, and I'm soft as a baby's ass. Best of all, immediately after I apply it there's a trace of coconut scent in the air, which never fails to cause my husband to sing the Pina Colada song while dancing down the hallway. Love it. I think this stuff is going to replace regular body moisturizer for me henceforth.


I'm a vegetarian - or former vegetarian. Truth be told, I've been cheating with organic chicken and occasional fish for the past couple of months. There are concerns about too much soy intake during pregnancy, so I've only been eating my beloved tofu every other day or so, and baby needs protein. It was extremely exhausting to plan meals carefully enough to meet increased protein requirements without including meat, especially while limiting the amount of soy I consume (not to mention a wicked turkey burger craving that crept up on me during month 6 or so), so once I began my third trimester, I started eating chicken and turkey now and then. However, almost every morning of my pregnancy I've looked forward to my Trader Joe's Organic European-Style Plain Yogurt, which I mix with cereal and fruit. Paired with a half-cup serving of organic cottage cheese, I've got almost 30 grams of protein (half the day's minimum requirement) just from breakfast alone. Brilliant.


I've mentioned it before, but the Bella Band deserves yet another shout-out. Thank you, stretchy band of fabric, for keeping my pants, shorts, and skirts up throughout my pregnancy and enabling me to get through the past nine months without buying any maternity clothing whatsoever.


When I got pregnant, I switched all of my skincare products and cosmetics to baby-safe, eco-friendly alternatives. I entered the ingredients of all of my daily products on the Environmental Working Group's Cosmetics Database website and then searched for safer versions of the worst offenders. This was often extremely frustrating - I've discovered that, quite frankly, there is a reason that those chemicals are added to everything - they WORK. I went through countless craptastic paraben-free, phthalate-free, fragrance-free, (etc. etc. etc.) substitutions before whittling it down to a few options that worked decently.
First, Josie Maran Mascara is a pretty good substitute for my beloved Maybelline Full & Soft, and contains no questionable baby-toxic ingredients. However, it does lack some staying power, and at $22 a pop I think I'll be switching back to my trusty drugstore stand-by when LOOL graces us with his/her presence.


Also, Everyday Minerals Concealer did a smashing job of covering up my zombie circles, and the little brush applicator made every morning like creating a fine work of art on my face.


Last but not least, hooray to Forever 21 - made for 13-year-olds yet beloved by 30-year-old pregnant broads. Without their cheap, colorful shirts and dresses, I would have doubtlessly been wandering the streets naked for the past nine months. I have the shirt below in four colors, and have worn them in constant rotation, to work or play.

Also, thank you to current trends, which made finding flowy non-maternity tops simple.

I'm sure there are more favorites that I'm neglecting to mention, so I will add them as I remember.

T-minus 18 days til LOOL's due date!