Useful Pregnancy Crap

So like next week or this week (I can never remember) I'll be in my third trimester, and when I told Matt that, he said, "I don't like to think of it as your third trimester; I like to think of it as your sixth--and final--trimester."  I like that.  5/6 of the way there, peeps!

Now since I've basically spent the last two years being pregnant (only taking a break to birth a human and put my body through a different kind of hell as I struggled to keep him fed, but that's a story for another time), I feel like I might have some tips for others about stuff that was/is actually helpful or necessary during pregnancy (especially since a bunch of my friends are fixin' to jump off of the getting-knocked-up cliff).  Obviously, everyone is different and what worked for me might not work for you, but I think this might help to sort through the array of shit that stores try to convince you that you need while you're growing a fetus.

Here are my must-haves:

1.  Long tank tops.  So awesome.  Mine are mostly from Target, some are the Liz Lange brand and some are the Be Maternity brand, but they're all awesome.  I wear them under my other shirts, work out in them, sleep in them, and pretty much have one on at all times.  They're long and forgiving and soft and I will probably keep wearing them long after I'm done growing babies.

2.  Be Band.  I have a black one and a nude one, and they're crucial to me for keeping up the full panel maternity pants (note: when at home I basically wear all yoga pants all the time, but for work and other times that I feel the general public doesn't want to see waaaaay too much of my ever-growing body, I opt for the full panel maternity pants).  Nothing's more annoying than saggy-assed pants, and these help to keep everything in place.  I've seen infomercials now about how people use them to decrease muffin tops, too, so there's that.  (Though once I'm done being pregnant I will just long to wear clothing that is not a contraption, so I'll be passing mine on to my next knocked-up friend.)

3.  Body pillow.  Ten bucks and it makes side sleeping much more tolerable, if only it weren't being constantly commandeered by my husband and furry son.  Also fun for making car trips more cozy.

4.  Heating pad.  Mine has a permanent place on our couch now (and is also often taken over by the dog).  Now, my doc says that I can totally lie on it for like an hour because today's heating pads don't get hot enough to boil the fetus.  So that's nice.  If you have an old-school one, though, you only get like 15 minutes.

5.  A good pair of jeans.  You really only need one, right (remember the all yoga pants all the time around the house rule)?  I was happy that my favorite type of Gap jeans, the long & lean cut (oh, Gap, you slay me with your less than apt body type descriptions!) was also a cut for the full panel maternity jeans.  They're more expensive at full price than I feel like they should be, but you can totes keep your eye out for sales and coupons.  This is not an area you're going to want to skimp on, unless you like feeling even more frumpy and uncomfortable.

6.  A good pair of work pants.  Mine are just plain black and are from Target.  They were only $35 and I love them.  They're super flattering and comfortable and they wash well.  I would buy another pair if I wasn't so determined never to buy another piece of maternity clothing in my life.

7.  Flats.  Ugh, I like flats on other people but hate wearing them myself (I have high arches and they hurt my feet).  But at some point in pregnancy they become a necessity.  Honestly, I wore my lower heels up until Charlie was born last time, and they were great, but the flats were better with jeans and stuff when it was too cold for flip-flops.  Plus, when you wear flats you won't have crazy old broads tell you how you're strangling your baby with the umbilical cord because of the height of your shoe.  Something that you might not realize before you get knocked up is that there are like one bajillion undercover obstetricians.

8.  Brand name Tums Smoothies.  I'm like the cheapest of the cheap and we were buying the Target brand regular tums until Cassie told me to switch to the Tums Smoothies.  Since I basically have enough to these each day to count as a meal, it's nice that they're less chalky and taste much better.  And if you close your eyes and get your mind in the right place, you can totally convince yourself that you're eating Smarties.

9.  Publix Mac & Cheese.  Oh, how I love thee!

10.  Elliptical machine.  Partly for the aforementioned Public deli treats, but mostly because, as much as I often hate to admit it, ellipting is like the greatest pregnancy exercise.  It makes you strong, is low-impact, and is great bang for your buck exercise-wise.  When I ellipt, I'm less uncomfortable, my back hurts less, I sleep better, and I have more energy throughout the day.  If only lying on the couch eating cookies and watching Netflix Instant had those same benefits!

So, those are the items that will help to get me through the next three months of my life without (hopefully) too much whining (accidentally just typed wining--oh, I wish!) and bitching.  Did I forget anything?  What did you find totes necessary while you were with child?

And stay tuned for the "crap we needed with the baby" post.  I know, I know, too much excitement up in here.