3 Products I Used Religiously During Pregnancy that I Still Use Now
Silver is 2 months old now - can you believe it? It's wild how time flies because I swear the pregnancy test just turned positive yesterday, right? I miss being pregnant, and as challenging as my pregnancy was, it's hard to say goodbye and close that chapter of my life.
During my pregnancy, there were some extra products I bought this round that I hadn't when I was previously pregnant. I thought I had all that I needed and knew what to expect, but while splurging a bit for comfort, I found some of my new favorite things. These three products made my pregnancy so much more comfortable, and to my surprise, they're still three of my favorite products now even though I am two months out of the pregnancy stage.
I love products that give you a good bang for your buck, that can have multiple functions and be useful for more than a short period of time. While I bought these and used them religiously during pregnancy, they're still regularly used now.
1. Maternity Support Tank
I had never used a maternity tank in my previous pregnancies and didn't understand how much I really should have. I thought they were only useful for women who experienced back pain from the weight of their belly, which I never found an issue. I purchased the maternity support tank early on in my last pregnancy to help extend the life of my regular wardrobe, hoping it would help keep my pants up and provide extra length to my regular shirts. It worked wonders because I was able to wear my regular jeans through my whole pregnancy, which didn't happen in my previous ones.
Now, two months postpartum, I am still wearing my support tank, but this time it makes a wonderful tank for nursing. The one I have is open in the bust area, which makes my nursing bra easily accessible yet provides coverage and support for my stomach. I also find it to be wonderfully helpful during this time as added back support while I wait for my stomach muscles to start working again.
The tank that I am obsessed with is the Blanqi Maternity Underbust High-Performance Belly Support Tank, $68
Related: 10 baby products that are worth the splurge
2. Full Body Pillow
Getting sleep during the later stages of pregnancy is not easy, mostly thanks to your giant belly - at least that was the case for me. This pregnancy I splurged on one of those body pillows that says it hugs all the right curves of the pregnancy body, allowing you to get more comfortable sleep, and it was right. I used my pillow every night and love it so much that I think it should just arrive at your house when your pregnancy test turns positive. It helped relieve any aches and pains, and though I still didn't sleep the best ever during pregnancy, it made a huge difference.
Now that the baby is here, I still have this pillow on my bed and use it for various things. It makes a great nursing pillow for when I'm cuddled in bed and feeding the baby. It also makes a great barrier for when Silver is taking a nap in the bed. Since he's not mobile yet, it's safe to put around him (with distance) just in case he makes a random rollover. And it is still wonderful to sleep with as I did when I was pregnant - I can't imagine sleeping without it now because … hello, comfort!
The body pillow that I am obsessed with is the Snoogle Total Body Pillow available at Toys R Us, $59.99
3. Compression Socks
My pregnancies are considered high-risk because of my blood clotting disorder called Factor V Leiden, which means I am more prone to developing blood clots than the average person. It's been a contributing factor to my multiple miscarriages, and in order to reduce the risks of complications during pregnancy, I take a daily blood thinner injection and need to wear compression socks. If you suffer from varicose veins during pregnancy, compression socks are often recommended as well for comfort and pain relief, so it's not unusual to see a pregnant woman sporting the socks. I wore them for the last trimester, and it was important to have them on during my c-section birth as well as the six weeks following.
Although it has been over six weeks since Silver was born, I still find myself wearing the socks daily. It's weird since I don't really have to do it for medical reasons now that I am off blood thinners and my risk is lower, but I find the socks help ease the aches of being on my feet all day. And for some reason, I just love a tight-fitting sock.
The compression socks that I am obsessed with are the Vim & Vigr Fashionable Compression Socks, $29.95-32.95
Photo source: Devan McGuinness
-By Devan McGuinness
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