By pregnancy the majority of mothers’ get challenges including running in search of restrooms all the time. Others have gone as far as missing the sight of their feet as their ‘belly’ seems to have overtaken the entire body.
Others complain of always running out of breath after climbing only three stairs.
As the days to delivery slowly tick by, every day chores and responsibilities can become equally or more strenuous than what they were in previous weeks.
This is why during these critical periods it is very essential to seek the due services of an expert OBGYN for both your health and the health of your unborn child.
Your gynecologist is the right person to visit routinely for an individual’s anxiety level rises as well as their detector of impending conditions due to stress.
From proper knowledge of foods to avoid and places to visit while exceeding the numerous drug side effects, they resolve you to have an easier transition to getting into motherhood.
Does it always have to be this way?
The answer? No.
“Everybody leave me alone. I had a busy day being pregnant and have to do it all over again tomorrow.”
There are many small things in everyday life that turn out to be a concern when you are pregnant, like the simple pleasure of being able to paint your toenails, have a foot massage, or go to the toilet only once per night.
Sure, trying to function as usual with a belly the size of a watermelon pose to be a tad difficult of a chore and it isn’t much you can do about that.
But, there are ways to still fit into your clothes, find comfortable women’s underwear, control the morning sickness, and mentally prepare yourself for the harder tasks that are looming in front of you.
Yes. You read right. You can definitely hack our way through pregnancy.
Sit down comfortably and make notes of ways to make your pregnancy easier, a lot easier!
Pregnancy Hacks: Clothing
Maternity clothes are expensive. There’s no doubt about that. And, they’re just larger versions or stretchier versions of your current wardrobe. There are ways to help you still wear your pre-pregnancy clothes and help you save a few bucks in the long run.
Spending VS. Extending
Delay yourself from spending more on maternity clothes in the earlier part of your pregnancy.
Hopefully, you’re the kind of pregnant who only expands in the belly and not in other parts of your body. If you are, then this simple hack will be helpful for a few months.
As soon as your belly starts showing, extend the use of your fave jeans by using a hair tie.
Simply loop one end of the hair tie around the buttonhole and hook in onto the button to add the needed extra stretch.
Get Bra Extenders
When you become pregnant, there’s a hundred percent chance your breasts are going to grow to accommodate all that milk you need for your baby.
Maternity bras can also cost you a limb. They’re quite expensive and are unusable after your pregnancy. The cheapest way to go it so buy some bra extenders to give your favorite bra an even stretch.
You can opt to buy stretchy sports bras if you’re filling out more than your usual bra can accommodate.
Freeze Your Bra
Pregnancy entails a lot changes inside your body as well. Many women get hot flashes during pregnancy, especially around the chestal area.
Relieve the heat by putting your bras in the freezer overnight. Many moms have revealed this hack to be truly helpful.
Make Your Own Belly Band
If you have loose tank tops you no longer wear, then you have the perfect item to make your own belly band.
A belly band would add the extra length you need to cover up your growing pregnant tummy. It can also cover the hair tie hack which means, this is multi-purpose!
You can check out the blog A Beautiful Mess for instructions on how to make your own belly band.
Easy Everyday Outfit
No sewing is required, all you need is some stretchy fabric and scissors to make this beautiful tunic. Full tutorial at A Beautiful Mess blog.
Morning Sickness Hacks
Oh, the side effects of pregnancy. Puking your guts out totally just tops the chart when it comes to things you don’t look forward to when you become pregnant.
The good thing though is that there are ways to minimize, control and efficiently coast through the morning sickness.
Keep Solids and Fluids Separate
Avoid overloading your stomach by eating solid food and drinking your fluids at the same time.
If you can, eat your food first and wait a while before drinking your fluids. This will prevent your body from triggering your gag reflex because of all the intake.
You can infuse lemon into your fluids to help with nausea.
Eat Something Before Getting Out of Bed
Getting up from bed immediately causes morning sickness, especially if you have an empty stomach.
Stash some Saltines or your favorite crackers in your bedside table. Have a pack before you get up. This will help settle your stomach and get your blood sugar in place.
Eat Neutral Food
Try to stay away from foods that are hot. Eat them at room temperature or cooled down. Cooled off food lets off fewer smells which also lessens your nausea trigger.
It would also be wise to stay away from food with potent smells or spices. If you consume sweets or fatty food, make sure you only consume a little. Do not overeat sweets and fatty food because it will cause queasiness.
Have a Puke Kit (yes, that’s a Thing!)
Morning sickness will attack you randomly, and there are times you will be in public. So pack a puke kit. A puke kit will keep you prepared on the road and in public in case of accidents.
Your puke kit should contain the following:
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Mouthwash
- Puke bag
- Towel
- Wet Wipes
- Mints
- Extra Shirt
- Extra Underwear (in case you pee yourself)
Prenatal Yoga
If you’re in your first trimester when you’re most likely to experience morning sickness, try these Pilates poses designed to treat nausea.
Everyday Comfort Hacks
Aside from the clothing and the morning sickness hacks (which are, by the way, the most hassling worries), there are a few more tricks you might want to keep under your sleeves to make your pregnancy as comfortable as possible.
Pillow Talk
Find a pillow most comfortable to you. There are maternity pillows which can be as long as your body or twice the length and curves around you.
Maternity pillows support your belly, back, head and legs which lessen the weight against the body. Invest in one and you won’t regret it. There will be nights that your pillow is more comforting than your husband’s arms.
Pee before Brushing your Teeth
Your pregnant bladder isn’t the best friend of your gag reflex, so better start with a visit to the toilet before you attempt to brush your teeth.
Grandpa’s Recliner
Carrying that much load will certainly wear out your back, and it will be sore from all the balancing your posture with your baby bump.
Sit back on a recliner to ease the tension from your back. The reclining position will also stretch out the tired muscles from your back. This is also the reason why we stretch when we’re sitting for too long at work. 🙂
Electrolytes and Bananas
There’s no getting away from leg cramps or any kind of cramp altogether when you’re pregnant. Keep annoying cramps at bay by drinking drinks with electrolytes and stacking up your potassium levels.
Opt for the less flavored electrolyte drinks rather than the sweet flavored energy drinks since it can cause nausea. If you are in pain, don’t just ride it. Massage the affected area to relieve pain.
Soothing Pregnancy Tea
Brew yourself a simple pregnancy tea with outstanding health benefits, it will relax and sooth you during pregnancy and it can be actually massive help during labor.
Recipe at Scratch Mommy.
Parking
In some states, you will be eligible to get a temporary disable parking card which will make the trip to the supermarket less of a marathon.
Some shops also offer special parking for moms with kids, and they will be happy for you to use it too.
Stretch Marks Oil – DIY
We all fear stretch marks invading our body as soon as the baby starts growing. Prepare ahead and tackle them head on, with a wonderful home remedy that works wonders.
Get the tutorial at Real Food RN.
Graber Thingy
Bending over is for Olympic Athletes. Raid your grandma’s drawer and find this handy grabber thingy that will extend your hands to places you wouldn’t think you could reach before.
I wouldn’t show up with it in public and use it to pass ketchup in a restaurant, but in the comfort of your home, you can do as you please.
Besides, you are pregnant, so anything that makes bending over unnecessary or easier is a welcome life saver.
Have a Safe Word
The day will definitely come when you feel like a volcano is about to erupt inside of you. That’s perfectly expected.
Pregnant women are the most hormonal beings in the entire human race. People expect that too. But, it would also be unfair to the people around you to take the brunt of your emotional outburst.
Create a safe word for you and your family. This will be your warning to them that you’re reaching boiling point, and they would know just to leave you alone or be extra careful. 😉
Make Labor Cookies
Never heard of them? Then you better start researching if you are overdue with your little one and want a natural way to bring in the labor.
Get this recipe from the Frugal Navy Wife and try it yourself!
Belly Tape
Did you know Kinesio tape is not reserved just for athletes?
You can use it comfortably during pregnancy to promote better blood circulation and relieve pain. Check this blog to see a few examples of how to tape up your belly for more comfort.
However, taking care of your own health doesn’t stop after you give birth. Regular exercise and a balanced diet should help you in this time. Consider purchasing an after-pregnancy belly wrap to help you regain your core and pelvic floor strength. It’s important to take care of yourself for you and your baby.
Now, were not claiming that these hacks will make your pregnancy road easy peasy.
It will be most unlikely for it to go completely 100% smooth. You will have emotional outbursts. You might experience morning sickness. You will definitely feel aches and sores.
But, it takes quite a rocky road to create something so precious and beautiful and then it makes it all worth it. Worth it to the point that you’re ready to go through that rocky road again as soon as you’re able to.
Pregnancy is a bliss – even with all the changes you go through. Still, let’s all try to smoothen out our pregnancy journey to the best of our abilities. So that one day, when your kids ask about it, you’ll look back and be able to say. “It was a pleasant ride.”
Any pregnancy hacks you want to include here? Let us know with a comment below!
Pregnant women can feel tired sometimes and these hacks just make their life better. You are doing a great job! Keep up!