Since being pregnant took up the majority of my thoughts, life, and body for almost a year, I decided to throw together a little compilation of the stuff that kept me going for those nine months.


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  1. Be Maternity Seamless Leggings: I bought leggings from several places, but these were my favorite. I gawked at the price ($25) when I first got them, but I wore them up until my last day/week of pregnancy. They held up—no runs or tears, and they kept their elasticity—and kept my legs warm during the winter months (they also have a capri version). I only wish I bought two so I wasn’t washing them so often.
  2. Full-Panel Boot-Cut Yoga Pants: Like the leggings above, I wore these all the time and really wish I bought two instead of just one pair. I’ve wore them almost exclusively during the last month of pregnancy and they only got a little dingy towards the very end.
  3. Toilet Paper: Whoever said you go to the bathroom a lot in the first trimester are liars. The third trimester is when you never leave that porcelain throne. I tried counting how many times I had to pee one day and last track after 10. I highly suggest investing in toilet paper.
  4. Contigo Water Bottle: Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. I always had that water bottle with me, which is why I was probably always in the bathroom! When you’re pregnant you have to keep your fluids up, and since I had my amniotic fluid tested weekly, I constantly drank water. This water bottle doesn’t leak and holds 24 ounces, which is the perfect amount to fit in my cup holder. I still use this water bottle (they sell them in bulk at Costco!).
  5. Fake ring: Thankfully, my body didn’t start retaining water until around 35 weeks, but once that happened, there was no going back until I popped my baby out. I could barely get my wedding ring off my finger one night, so I knew it was time to bust out the stand-in ring. This little gem kept my finger from feeling naked!
  6. Comfy shoes: Being pregnant during the winter has its advantages, the main one being that my body temperature was so warm all the time that the cold didn’t really bother me. Even though I wore flip flops a lot, sometimes my feet got cold, so TOMS were my go-to shoe when I needed to “dress up.” I loved that I could slip them on and didn’t need help from my husband (hello, belly!).
  7. Cheddar Cheese Snack: String cheese is awesome, but I’m a fan of cheese with a bit more flavor, and this little treat did the trick when I needed something fast to keep my hunger at bay. I usually grabbed a cheese when I headed out the door.
  8. Ann’s House Energy Blend Mixed Nuts: Nuts are so good for you, but I’m extremely picky with all the blends out there on the market. This is my favorite variety and I kept a bag (they sell them in bags at the grocery store) in my purse and a bag in my car. It’s a fantastic emergency snack if I couldn’t get to food quickly.
  9. Poise Pads : So…um…remember the last post where I said pee my pants? Yeah, it happens. I like this brand of pads. Oh, the beauty of pregnancy. By the way, Mister Rabbit calls these my “pee pads.” Marriage is grand.
  10. Body Pillow: I didn’t get one of those fancy schmancy pregnancy pillows. I sort of wanted one, but couldn’t justify spending the money on it and they just looked so gigantic, so instead I got a regular body pillow. Maybe next time around I’ll spring for the nicer version, but this one did the trick.
  11. Motherhood Maternity Panties: I didn’t understand why I’d need or want maternity underwear until I started wearing them. It was like instant comfort in the third trimester.
  12. Pepcid AC Acid Reducer: I seriously don’t even know how I would have functioned without taking one of these every morning.
  13. Nursing Tank Tops: I wore (and still wear) these allll the time. They not only add that extra layer under my non-maternity clothes, but they’re comfy, and helped add shape to the belly. I have them in several colors and I loved that I could wear them after I had my baby.

So there’s my list! Did you use any of these? What must-have items would you add to your list?