What are your pregnancy essentials?

[Tealeaf321]

I'm feeling fed up so online shopping for some unnecessary essentials. So far I've got bump band and maturnity pillow. Is there anything that eased your pregnancy that I may find useful? Also any reccomentations for maternity clothes? Have looked at the usual high street stores but found that everything is so mummsy, I want to feel like I'm still me.

H&M and Asos do some nice maternity clothes. It's just a pain most places you have to order online.

As for things that made pregnancy easier -

shed loads of Gaviscon!!
Sleep bras

Gaviscon and comfy undies!

Ice lollies.
Primark stretchy Ts and soft cup sports bras.
H&m Mama range. The widest selection of maternity wear (from any shop) is online.

I've pretty much got all my maternity clothes from New Look. Mostly online but they do deliver to store so i try it all on when i collect and send straight back if no good.

I agree on New Look and ASOS for clothes. I also had a few bits from George at Asda.
I'd recommend lots of gaviscon as an essential! I had a maternity pillow but I also bought a physio knee pillow off eBay for £5. It's a funny shaped memory foam pillow that you put between your knees and it helps to keep your hips parallel, therefore reducing pain in your hips and piriformis muscle. I had a lot of pain and this helped to make sleep a bit more comfortable. You can use a normal pillow but this is the perfect size and didn't keep slipping from between my legs.

I loved my maternity pillow - a great buy!

I liked tops and tunics to wear with leggings (comfy) and dresses from Purpless Maternity online. Really good value and nice stuff which fits and washes well Would highly recommend.

Plus Bio Oil! I smothered it on everyday and I haven't got one stretchmark!

Oh you may also want to get some anti stretch mark cream. I'm not sure if they really work but it's worth a try!

"Primark stretchy Ts and soft cup sports bras."

Definately!
Primark also do some great stretchy tube skirts. They were my go to item through 2 pregnancies. So comfy, smart enough for workwear at a pinch and a fiver a pop!

Next under bump jeans. In summer I found the over bump ones too hot and they just slipped too much. Under bump so much better!

Oh yes! I used tube mini skirts as bump bands!

Ice cream

Jeans- asos and h&m
Theraline pillow
Those lycra stretchy bras for day and night
Various packs of pants in ever increasinf sizes! I was 10 now on size 16!
Now getting into cotton lycra dresses from H&M
Large primark pjs
And cake, lots of cake

Pantyliners (Always unscented non-plasticky ones in a bright green box)
Palmers Cocoa butter lotion
Comfy bras in a ridiculous range of sizes
eBay for Seraphine dresses for work at fraction of new cost
Yorkshire tea decaf bags

I second the ice cream!

Ice cream with strawberries and spray cream.

Big granny pants and bra.

Gaviscon yes yes. Boots own brand is thicker and cheaper.

Sleep mask.

Vicks vapour rub.

Posh bath bubbles.

Definitely comfy stretchy bras

I liked Topshop Leigh maternity jeans - really comfy but smart enough for work

IKEA lingonberry and something (black currant maybe) fizzy drink. It comes in a 750ml bottle and tastes a bit like prosecco with Chambord in it! I had that at a lot of barbecues and Summer parties.

Deep Freeze patches. Like Deep Heat, but cold. I stuck these on my back and my ribs and they were lovely

Gaviscon and chocolate

Top Shop for jeans - comfy and trendy. Definitely worth the investment

Gaviscon or Rennies for towards the end!
I got some lovely maternity dresses from new look

Next maternity jeans are lovely.
Also husbands next boxers are the best underwear ever.

Boots own version of gaviscon... seems to be more effective.

Also second purpless maternity online. I've had some really nice nursig tops that fit lovely and will be used afterwards for breastfeeding.

Palmer's Cocoa butter. I was dry as a husk without it!
If you work in an office get them to get you a back support for your chair as well. I found that helped with posture and back pain so much.