Pregnancy Lifesavers

As my pregnancy journey is coming to an end (I can't believe I have only a month left), I thought I'd write about some of the products that have helped me throughout this occasionally challenging period. Call it my pregnancy survival kit...

Bio Oil/Palmers Coco Butter - I may be jinxing myself at this point, but at 33 weeks I have yet to get any stretch marks! It may be genetics as my mother of two didn't get any with her pregnancies, but one would think that with twins I would get a few battle scars? Now, I still have a month to go and have a co-worker who didn't get any stretch marks until a few days before her daughter was born, so we'll see. *fingers crossed that it's genetics!* That being said, I have taken measure to try and prevent those lovely scars from occurring. Since the start of my first trimester, I have religiously used either Bio Oil or Palmers in the morning right after a shower and occasionally at night before bed. I primarily use Palmers as the Bio Oil can be messy and takes a while to dry. I usually only use Bio Oil after my shower before bed or if I don't plan on going anywhere eminently during the day. Both products are easily available at a drugstore or Target. Bio Oil is more on the pricey side, but it lasts a long time if you use it sparingly. A little goes a long way!

http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod1800041

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Palmer-s-Cocoa-Butter-Formula-For-Stretch-Marks-Lotion-8.5-fl-oz/10311247

Unisom - I was unfortunate enough to have morning sickness throughout my first trimester and occasionally during my third. The worst part about my experience with "morning" sickness is that I would get it at night. It wasn't bad to the point where I was vomiting or had to be hospitalized, but I did lose about 10 lbs in my first trimester and nausea is never fun especially when you're trying to sleep. Luckily, my OB told me I could use Unisom, which is an OTC med available at any grocery or drugstore. It was originally used to treat nausea for patients in the hospital, but one of it's side effects is sleepiness. Not drowsiness. Out like a rock sleepiness. It is now marketed primarily as a sleep aid. For me, it was a godsend! I take half a pill if I'm nauseous at night and within minutes my nausea is resolved and I'm usually able to fall asleep after about 30 mins. Best sleep ever! It does leave you with a haze in the morning so I wouldn't recommend it if you have to wake up and drive somewhere. I will usually only take Unisom over the weekend or if I don't have to work the next morning and can sleep in. *Make sure you get the original Unisom in tablet form, NOT the gel caps.

http://www.target.com/p/unisom-sleep-tablets-32-pk/-/A-11191198?ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=Google_PLA_df&LNM=%7C11191198&CPNG=Health+Beauty&kpid=11191198&LID=PA&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=11191198&gclid=CI3Fkv-ev7gCFQ-i4AodfjcAjg

Tums - Another no-so-fun symptom that I started to experience during my third trimester was heartburn/acid reflux. My husband gets this all the time and pops Tums like candy. I never understood this since I never experienced heartburn until now. Obviously I can empathize with his pain nowadays. Like my nausea episodes, occurrences of heartburn also happen at night. Thankfully, I take two Tums tablets and I'm good to go in a few minutes. They don't initially taste bad, but have a yucky aftertaste! However, it's nothing a few swigs of water won't solve.

Prunes - Constipation! Yes, it happens during pregnancy and especially in the third trimester when your internal organs are pushed and smushed due to your growing uterus. Constipation sucks because it gave me horrible stomach aches. Thankfully, I like prunes and boy do they help! We can just leave it at that. If you're constipated try some prunes. If you don't like prunes then I'm sorry.

Water bottle - During my first trimester I craved water! I could drink gallons of it. And obviously throughout my pregnancy I had to pee so much I would have killed for a foley catheter just so I didn't have to use the bathroom all the time. As I progressed into my third trimester I started to become dehydrated. It's the summer time, it's hot, and with twins I had to drink twice the already ridiculous amount recommended for mothers of singletons. This means I have a water bottle with me everywhere! As I am approaching the end of my third trimester I have discovered glass water bottles!! They are heavier then plastic, but so much better for you (if you're one of those people who care)... BPA free and doesn't leach any toxins and metals that occur with plastic and metal water bottles. I have a water bottle from Lifefactory and Ellos (available at Target); both products I got with flip tops.

http://www.amazon.com/Lifefactory-Beverage-Bottle-22-Ounce-Turquoise/dp/B00B9DJWTM/ref=cm_srch_tsr_rtr

http://www.amazon.com/Ello-Glass-Water-Bottle-Flip/dp/B00BUTN4V2/ref=sr_1_2?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1374363272&sr=1-2&keywords=Ellos

Diflucan - Never got a yeast infection until I became pregnant and during my first trimester. Don't waste time and money using OTC products like Monistat creams. Just get a prescription for Diflucan/Fluconazole from your OB. You take 1-2 pills and BAM! No more yeast infection :)

Granny Panties - When you're pregnant everything tight starts to become uncomfortable. Especially being preggos in the summer, I craved comfy clothing. I practically live in with my pjs, maxi dresses, loose shirts, maternity leggings, maternity skirts, maternity tanks and flip flops. But granny panties are a must for nighttime comfort and I hear they are a must-have for postpartum recovery. I got mine at Motherhood Maternity. They are cotton, comfy, but most importantly large and in charge!

Iced tea - When my husband and I start TTCing, I immediately cut out any alcohol from my diet. Once I became pregnant I cut out coffee and caffeinated soda as well. Now, I LOVE my coffee and diet coke so this was no easy task, but I've managed to survive my entire pregnancy without any coffee and only recently indulged twice in a diet coke to help manage headaches I've been having in the third trimester. This is not to say that I have gone 100% without caffeine. My saving grace has been allowing myself to drink non-sweetened ice twice (which I will occasionally lightly sweetened with sugar). Yes, it has caffeine, but not as much as coffee or soda. Oh, and only brewed iced tea; not bottled stuff like Arizona, unless it's Honest Tea or PureLeaf which I love!

Prenatal Cradle - I'm 5'1", so I'm not a big person, and while I was overweight at the start of my pregnancy, I have never weighed this much in my life. My weight nowadays is primarily water retention and the belly. I'm having twins, so two babies, twice the amniotic fluid, and two placentas. HEAVY!!! My back started to bother me around 18 weeks when I started showing. By my second trimester I decided I needed some belly support especially at work. Voila, the prenatal cradle or a girdle :) It's not the most stylish, but I was in scrubs so who cares. It's not the most comfortable, but I definitely notice a difference when I'm not wearing it. I usually wear it around the house and definitely at work. It's harder to hide it underneath clothing during the summer. I bought mine from Amazon and got a medium since I figured my belly was going to be huge with twins. In hindsight, I probably could have gotten away with a small.

http://www.amazon.com/Its-You-Babe-Prenatal-145-175/dp/B00006D2RB

Well, that's all I can think of for now. Plus my swollen/numb fingers need a break. I'll try to update if I come along any other products worth mentioning :)