Congratulations – you’re having a baby! Our handy shopping checklist will help you figure out what to buy and when, during your pregnancy!
Nutrients
Maternity supplements ensure you are getting enough Folic Acid and Vitamin D throughout this journey – Our Top Seller for mum’s all over Ireland is Pregnacare Plus. First off…let’s start with giving you the essential nutrients needed during pregnancy. We cannot recommend Zita West highly enough if you wish to get the ultimate nutrients cocktail based on each trimester !
New Pants or Belt Extender
A new pair of pants with a bit of Lycra stretch might round out your wardrobe perfectly.Your belly may not be visibly rounder in Trimester 1, but your pants may not be fitting as well, even just a few weeks in.
If you don’t want to start buying new clothes just yet, try a waistband extender which turns everyday pants and skirts into maternity wear!
Pregnancy Pillow (A Godsend!)
Some pregnant women say their number one favourite purchase during pregnancy was their pregnancy pillow.
The multi-award winning Dreamgenii Pregnancy Pillow as seen in the image above is recommended by 9/10 women. World renowned brand, Boppy also do a pregnancy wedge to support the bump, if you are on a budget this is a great alternative to their custom fit total body pillow.
Skincare
What do Kourtney Kardashian, Victoria Beckham, Jessica Alba and Sienna Miller have in common? They’re all fans of Mama Mio. With so many maternity skincare products on the market it’s safe to say that the most loved is Mama Mio – because it works! The Tummy Rub Oil and Tummy Rub Butter ensure your skin has the best fighting chance against stretch marks.
Fetal Doppler
A portable fetal doppler is a fantastic device to use at home. It detects the fetal heart rate quickly from about 12-14 weeks through labour, and it’s safe and simple to use. From the Pocket Sized Anglesounds Fetal Doppler to the hospital grade Fetal Doppler you are sure to find the right one for you in our Fetal Doppler section of the website.
Pregnancy Supports (Belts, bands & stockings)
Pain during pregnancy can be frustrating and a good support belt or band is designed to support the lower back and abdomen during pregnancy. Visit our Pregnancy Supports section to choose the right one for you. The Belly Bandit is the king of all bands and even supports SPD.
Decreased core strength is common in the weeks following birth. Muscles and ligaments that were stretched and strained during pregnancy require time to heal. Weakness combined with the demanding job of caring for a newborn can be challenging and lead to injuries.
Many women find that wearing a support postpartum provides additional support to the abdomen and lower back, decreasing discomfort.
The Scholl Light Legs Tights are new to the market and are compression tights that help boost circulation and give you perfectly shaped legs. The Medicare Open Toe Maternity Compression Stockings help promote circulation, reduce mild swelling and relieve tired aching legs – Hallelujah!
Labour Essentials
As the final weeks close in it’s good to start getting prepared for your delivery with some labour essentials.
elle tensIf we can recommend one thing from our own experiences, it’s that a TENS Machine was a complete godsend – the burst function on a maternity Tens Machine will be your very best friend when those contractions start! Our Top Seller and best value is the Elle Tens but you can choose from our range to suit your needs in our Maternity TENS Machines section.
Sitting comfortably becomes more of a challenge as pregnancy progresses. The use of a birthing ball during your pregnancy has shown that benefits including the maintenance of good posture, increasing blood flow to the uterus, placenta and growing baby, relieves pressure on the spin, perineum and thighs and will actually increase the pelvic diameter, encouraging your baby to descend in an optimal birthing position. In your final days you’ll just be bouncing on this…trust us!
Some must-haves for your hospital bag include BV Maternity Pads aka greenpads and some good quality disposable Breast Pads for leakage protection. A Nursing Pillow to help you support your baby during feedings; nipple cream to soothe sore nipples. You may find long lists of hospital bag must-have’s online but you wont use half of it!
And as we are big fans of all the amazing nurses out there, take our tip….bring the nurses a box of chocolates and leave them at the nurses station as you check in. It may sound silly, but being a maternity nurse is a huge commitment with each new mum that comes in, and it’s nice to recognize that with a little something, since you’ll be seeing a lot of each other over the next couple of days.
