Discover our top pregnancy must haves you never knew you needed! We’re sharing our favorite first, second, and third trimester essentials so you can focus on growing your baby!
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Total transparency – I wasn’t one of those women who loved being pregnant. There was no pregnancy glow over here.
Getting pregnant was easy for me, it was actually being pregnant that was difficult and uncomfortable. Still, it was a personal mission of mine to find anything that could help me get to a point of relaxation.
Did you know that you don’t have to feel like crap your whole pregnancy? Do you want to know about products designed to help with nausea, back pain, or pelvic pain during pregnancy? Want to know about relaxing teas, yoga, and acupuncture? How about hacks to extend your pre-pregnancy wardrobe?
One of the best things about this list is that it’s actually great for minimalists, too. We’re dishing on some of the best minimalist maternity wear and pregnancy experiences, not just products.
And what if I told you that a babymoon isn’t just a trip during pregnancy but an absolute essential for you and your partner before becoming a family of three? Yep, I just told you that a vacation is one of my pregnancy must haves.
Keep reading to discover all of our pregnancy must haves, from journals, to pain relieving products, to wardrobe musts!
20 Pregnancy Must Haves You Never Knew You Needed…But Do!
First Trimester Essentials
Because your world’s about to change!
1. Prenatal Vitamins
You probably already know that prenatals are a pregnancy essential; you might have even started taking them before conceiving.
But, did you know that prenatal gummies are a thing! I much preferred these Olly fruit gummies to gros-tasting, chalk-y horse pills.
*Some doctors prefer you take a specific brand or prescription prenatal. Obviously each pregnancy is unique. My doctor was fine with an over the counter, like this one.
2. Nausea Relief
Did you know that sea bands work for morning sickness? The popular cruise remedy has a pregnancy version that utilizes acupressure to help with nausea.
Of course there’s a ton of other pregnancy sickness remedies that will quickly become must haves in your purse, car, nightstand, and everywhere:
- Prenatal Tea for Morning Sickness (and heartburn!)
- Anti-nausea Lozenges
- Magnesium Mist (spray your feet! not in your mouth)
- Nausea Aromatherapy Inhaler (great for on-the-go)
- Seltzer (I loved my boujee plain La Croix seltzer for morning sickness relief)
3. Bellaband // Clothing Extender
During the first trimester, you may not have a big enough belly for maternity clothes, but you’ll quickly outgrow your every day jeans. The bellaband sits over your pre-pregnancy pants, allowing you to wear them unbuttoned. I loved wearing the Bellaband to help hold up loose maternity pants, too.
Belt extenders work, as well, with the button and loop closure of your jeans.
4. Facial Wipes
Sorry to say this, but not everyone gets that gorgeous pregnancy glow. My skin, in fact, was either super dry or very oily. Keeping my skin clean during pregnancy became a priority .
These easy facial wipes were great to keep in my purse or my desk at work for when I started feeling icky. Which was all the time.
This hypo-allergenic cleanser, marketed towards moms, has natural, simple ingredients. Great to keep at home, it helps keep your skin firm and (maybe) glowing during pregnancy.
5. A Stainless Steel Water Bottle
Pregnancy thirst is real. A stainless water bottle will keep your water cold and ensure you always have something to quench the thirst! They’re not lying when they say kids suck the life out of you.
6. A Pregnancy Journal
Despite pregnancy not always being a walk in the park, you’ll want to remember it! A pregnancy journal is one of our must haves because we promise you that you’ll one day want to look back on the memories of growing your little babe.
Journal prompts provide a space to reflect, remember important milestones, and provide a space to track medical information, as well.
Take a look at these other pregnancy journals:
- This journal that goes from pregnancy, through your child’s birthday
- This Pregnancy Prayer Journal with bible passages
- A journal specifically for fist time moms
Second Trimester Pregnancy Must Haves
Here’s where sh*t gets real…
7. Pregnancy Pillow
Hands down, my number one pregnancy must have is the Snoogle Maternity Pillow. Sleep changed drastically – for the better – when I finally broke down and bought this pillow!
Continue to use your snuggle as a back support pillow during nursing and the postpartum period.
8. Belly Butter
By your second trimester, you can see and feel a change in your belly.
We all feel differently about the changes taking place during pregnancy, but I personally did not want stretch marks. A good quality belly butter is a must if you feel the way I did, or simply want to give your growing skin a bit of extra love!
9. Leggings That Look Like Pants
Getting dressed for work is rough at seven months pregnant. Don’t tell my former boss, but I often wore these leggings in black or blue, with boots and a long shirt, because they look like work pants.
Versatile, comfortable pieces are absolutely essential during pregnancy. The best part is you don’t have to spend a ton of money or buy ten pairs of pants.
10. Maternity Tights
Want to know the secret to holding on to your pre pregnancy clothes throughout your WHOLE pregnancy? Maternity tights!
I wore almost all of my dressed throughout two pregnancies because of maternity tights. Not to mention, these inexpensive tights saves me a ton of money in actual maternity clothes.
11. Bra Extenders // Nursing Bras
More than just your belly grows and expands during pregnancy. By your second trimester, extra chest room is probably on your radar. I’d kill for my pregnancy boobs again…
Cheap bra extenders give a bit of extra room for your growing girls. Alternatively, you can invest early in a few nursing bras since, if you’re planning to breastfeed, you’ll need them anyway. Make sure you size up since the extra baggage won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.
Third Trimester Maternity Essentials
Home stretch… More like survival mode!
12. Compression Socks
By your third trimester, circulation issues are ramping up. Hello swollen feet and ankles. Compression socks promote circulation and help with swelling and muscle fatigue.
If you’re taking a babymoon (we think you should!) you’ll want to snag a pair for the plane ride, especially.
13. Slide on Shoes
Getting any shoes that require ties, buckles, or straps on while your belly is in the way is … interesting. It’s pretty much impossible without being an acrobat.
Do yourself a favor and get a comfortable pair of slip on shoes (or use ones you already own). Unless you want to continue asking hubby to dress you every day…
14. Flat Socks
Flat socks have only recently been on my radar. I wish I knew about these during pregnancy.
Not necessarily only for pregnancy, flat socks are a must for anyone with sweaty feet. They’re particularly useful during pregnancy because you can line your slide-on shoes first, then dress easily. No assembly required.
15. Nursing Pads
First time mom? You might be surprised to learn that you will start leaking during your third trimester, thus nipple pads are one of our absolute must haves during pregnancy, not just while you’re nursing.
I used these organic reusable nursing pads because I hated the idea of constantly creating more waste. They were comfortable and no, you cannot see them through your shirt / bra.
16. Pelvic Support Band
Hello, meet the most unattractive, but sometimes necessary, item on our list of pregnancy essentials. You might be lucky enough to forego a pelvic support band…I wasn’t.
A support band provides relief for extreme back pain and discomfort from Symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD). SPD happens during pregnancy when the pelvic joints are stiff, uneven, or overly stretched. The best way I can describe it is to say that it literally feels like your pelvis is ripping in half. The band helps push it back together to provide temporary relief.
17. Yoga
Did you guys know that I’m certified to teach yoga? I always advocate for expecting mamas to take up or maintain their practice during pregnancy for a number of reasons.
First, gentle yoga, especially with restorative props, can help stretch the body when its tight and prep the body for childbirth. It’s also a great way to connect to your baby on a more spiritual level.
If you have a strong yoga practice, continue to keep up, albeit with some modifications (room for the belly, no deep backbends). If you’re just beginning, I recommend a gentle beginner maternity class, either online or at a studio.
You can find my prenatal yoga essentials here:
18. Acupuncture
Hands down, I believe acupuncture flipped both of my breech babies. If it weren’t for this, I would not have been able to vbac with Rory!
Acupuncture absolutely helped with morning sickness, joint pain, and provided a solid hour every week for me to relax. According to my acupuncturist, you can also help prep the body for labor. I’m convinced doing acupuncture a couple times a week helped me when I was passed due.
19. Prenatal Massage
Swollen ankles, meet your match! If you’re swollen, sluggish, tight, or just plain in need of some time to yourself to actually feel relaxes, do yourself a favor and book a prenatal massage.
20. A Babymoon
Like I said above, taking a trip with hubby while you’re pregnant is a must. Spend time reconnecting and enjoying the last few moments as a couple before you become a family of three (or four, or five…).
Use the relaxing time to discuss any loose ends when it comes to how you want to raise your little one and prioritize one another. Children can wear down a marriage. A babymoon at least gets you off on the right foot.
Related: Our Babymoon in Paris
What pregnancy must haves would you add to our list? Did any of our suggestions work for you? Let us know in the comments!
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