My Top 11 Pregnancy Life Savers


This is my fourth pregnancy, but I feel like it’s my first time! I forget how hard it is to sleep at some nights, and let’s not even start talking about the things I’d need to prepare before giving birth.

I’m about to enter my second trimester, and here’s a quick run down of things that have been helpful to me so far:

1. Tempur pillow

This came at the BEST time for me. I received it I think two days after I found out that I was pregnant. I always wanted to have any Tempur product, all the more after the girls and I went to a “movie night in bed” event for their tenth year anniversary here in the Philippines. I’d say, if I could afford to buy a bed right now, there’s a pretty big chance I would have gone to one of their branches already. When I got home, I remember actually telling Dennis that maybe we should start saving up for a mattress pad (we’ve got to start somewhere, right?).

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This is on my wishlist! 🙂

My dad is an orthopedic surgeon, and so I have memories of him always checking out the ergonomic designs of chairs, as well as the firmness and comfort level of mattresses and pillows. Almost each time we’d stay in a hotel (or any place for that matter), he would have a comment about the chairs, the mattresses, and the pillows. I think I caught on some of that, because now I am consciously aware of whether or not mattresses and pillows follow the normal curves of the body, and if they help to maintain the natural form of our spines. Tempur does. When I got to experience lying down on a Tempur mattress during the event I mentioned, I seriously did not want to get up. I now understand what some of my friends are saying about not ever wanting to go back once you’ve tried having the best sleep ever using Tempur (visit http://ph.tempur.com/ to know more about their products and branches).

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Here’s a quick guide to choosing the right mattress (source).

2. Tube tops

I’ve worn out my tube tops especially during my pregnancies because they are really so useful. I use them to cover my belly and to prevent the top part of my unbuttoned and unzipped pants from popping out. I also use them to ensure that my growing future nursing source is kept well-concealed at all times. Once the baby is out, they shall serve the same purpose of giving me the “cover” that I need.

3. Crackers and Nuts

Obviously, this list isn’t categorized. I’m really just giving you a list of my life savers the first few months of my pregnancy as they come to mind.

Nausea creeps in any time of day for me during the first trimester. One minute I get a little bit hungry, then the next minute my stomach is already so acidic, and I am feeling nauseated. The worse part is, by this time I still have no idea what my palate could tolerate. Always having crackers and nuts with me were a life saver.

4. White Flower

So Chinese, eh? To some, the smell might be too overpowering, but for me, this helped “drown out” all the other smells that gave me a headache or nausea. I’d panic each time I couldn’t find my tiny bottle and we are already on our way to dine somewhere!

5. Essential oils (such as lavender) and diffuser

This helped remove the odor that reached our room during and after cooking. This also helped when I had difficulty sleeping.

6. A hard-drive with preaching podcasts and television series

The rare moments us moms can watch movies/ TV series and not feel guilty about  include the times when we are nursing and burping (and nursing and burping and nursing and burping) our newborns, and when we are ordered to be on bed rest. In my case, I’d schedule my “viewing times” when my nausea is at its worse (usually when dinner is being prepared), to help take my mind off it.

7. Books

Being on bed rest doesn’t have to mean being unproductive. Learning something new is always a good thing, and what better time to catch up on your reading than  when you are not really allowed to move around so much?

8. Top Mom Picks Guidebook

While we are on the subject of books, this guidebook by Mommy Mundo includes a narrowed-down-to-essentials list of nice products to have for pregnancy, baby, toddler, school-aged kids, and for us, moms. (You can find this at a bookstore near you!)

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9. Lip balm

I honestly am not sure if I am able to drink as much water as I am supposed to, but I do try to increase my water intake during pregnancy. Despite this attempt, however, my lips still get so dry that they crack. A lip balm is a must-have for us who have this issue!

10. Prenatal vitamins

This goes without saying, but because I have to admit I am normally not so diligent when it comes to taking my vitamins, I am including prenatal vitamins in this list to remind all of you who, like me, might tend to take supplements for granted. I think these become all the more important during the initial phase of pregnancy, when our babies are at their most vulnerable state and when we usually don’t have a well-balanced diet because of paglilihi.

11. Leggings, stretchy clothes, maxi dresses

I don’t know when it happened, but I just realized that I gave away almost all my clothes that would’ve been so useful for my pregnancy! So now I have to “restock” my wardrobe. And for me not to feel guilty, they need to be well thought-of: they need to be useful for pregnancy, and usable after pregnancy. Leggings, stretchy clothes, maxi dresses are safe. I also found good pairs of jeans and shorts from Mamaway (over at Shangri-la Mall) that I know I can use even after pregnancy. Instead of wide bands, it is like you have a built-in tube top that you can use to cover your belly when nursing as well.

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There you have it. My top 11 must-haves for this season, in no particular order. Hope this helps some of you pregnant or soon-to-be-pregnant mommies out there! 🙂