On Things to Buy When You Get Your BFP

I'm writing this post specifically for one of my BFFs, Kasey, who I just know is going to get her BFP very soon.

When I got my BFP, I was honestly so clueless about pregnancy because I had spent SO much time just concentrating on the idea of getting pregnant and TTC. And, I found that many of the things I learned no one tells you about (probably because then no one would want to get pregnant, lol). I've honestly had a dream pregnancy so far, if you don't include the kidney stones - very little morning sickness, just normal aches and pains, and nothing out of the ordinary from what other mamas have experienced. However, I have been formulating this little list in my head for Kasey and figured it would be something good to update as I go along and learn more things about my pregnant body.

Medications & Personal Items

Zuplenz - it was a life saver for me when my morning sickness was at it's peak. It's the new Zofran, but dissolves faster, tastes better, comes in a higher dosage, and for my insurance, was cheaper than Zofran.

Colace & Fiber-Con - constipation hits hard in the first trimester, your digestive system changes due to the hormones. I'd never suffered from it before pregnancy and never want to have it again. My RE & OB both recommended these as safe and good to take on a daily basis.

Peppermint Lifesavers - the normal ginger ale, crackers route didn't work for me with my morning sickness (which, side note, lasts all day and night long). I would always try to keep my belly full and have the peppermint on hand. Also, in the mornings, I would drink juice versus water.

Sensitive Toothpaste & Mouthwash - I started having serious tooth sensitivity in my 2nd trimester and found out from my dentist that root exposure is common in pregnancy, resulting in sensitive teeth and/or bleeding gums. I learned to stay away from whitening toothpastes during pregnancy and to start a sensitive toothpaste... my issues have seriously decreased (almost gone completely!) since switching. Also, get mouthwash. I could barely brush my teeth without puking or gagging, so I relied on mouthwash some days.

Pantyliners - just trust me on this... especially if you are using Endometrin, lol.

Sarna Original Lotion (for injection sites) - my RE pregnancy nurse suggested this as I was getting awful bumps and rashes from my progesterone injection sites. It's the only thing that worked well.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Massage Cream - my skin was like the Sahara literally from the minute I found out I was pregnant. I was literally flaking off skin, it was insane! I started using this as a regular lotion because of it's creaminess and the thickness. I've been using it on my chest and belly daily and don't have a stretch mark yet. I know the little bastards are coming, but I truly believe moisturizing daily has kept them at bay so far.

Missha BB Cream & Clinique Moisture Surge - I have always used the BB cream, but even with the moisturizing powers it has, I needed more in pregnancy, so I started using the Moisture Surge. Both are lightweight and feel so nice on your skin. I would use the Moisture Surge at bedtime and the BB cream in my morning routine.

Snoogle pillow - I don't use mine all the time yet, but on days where my back or legs are achy, I use it and love it.

Clothing

Non-underwire bras - I've been out of underwire bras since my first trimester. My belly sits really high right now, and I just can't tolerate the underwires.

Belly Band/Belly Belt - these didn't work so well for me (my belly was huge from the beginning), but I know others who had great luck with them

Gap Demi Panel Modern Boot Pants & Gap 1969 Demi Panel Sexy Boot Jeans - these were my "go-to" work pants & jeans in the first trimester. However, towards the end of my first trimester, I had to switch to full panel pants because it was just too uncomfortable. I also like that Gap almost always has promo codes available. I have consistently purchased my "pre-pregnancy" size from them and been fine.

Gap Full Panel Modern Boot Pants - these are my current "go-to" work pants. Totally comfortable, machine washable, and they look great.

Express Best Loved Bra Cami - I still wear these under almost all of my shirts. It really smoothes things out, especially when wearing full panel pants.

Motherhood Secret Belly Line - I love their shorts, jeans, and capris. Also, once you sign up for their email list, you get coupons and promo codes all the time and their online selection is much better than what's in our local store. They often do 30% or 50% off clearance, too. I have consistently purchased my "pre-pregnancy" size from them and been fine - mostly mediums, but I bought shorts in larges since I'm sure I'll be huge by the end of the summer, lol.

Books

I never read What to Expect When You're Expecting. In fact, I gave my copy (which had been passed to me by a friend) to another friend who was expecting a singleton. My pregnancy nurse at the RE had told me from the start that I needed the "multiples bible" aka When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads: Proven Guidelines for a Healthy Multiple Pregnancy by Dr. Luke.

If you are ever on a Mom of Multiples board, you find they all reference Dr. Luke. She has done great research into the best things for a pregnant mama of multiples, including weight gain guidelines. I read this book cover to cover in a matter of days when I got confirmation I was having twins. To be honest, I don't follow her diet guidelines exactly (I try to stick with the basic principles, but sometimes I just cannot eat that much food or eat those specific things), but I have been following her guidelines for weight gain. I'll be 24 weeks on Friday and I'm up 25lbs as of the scale this morning - which is right on track. She provides information that shows early weight gain is best to have big, healthy multiples at birth.

Other books I've read and found informative include:

Breastfeeding Made Simple: Seven Natural Laws for Nursing Mothers 
Mothering Multiples
The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers

As you can see, I plan on exclusively breastfeeding the twins and have been really trying to read up on information about it. I love that all of the books broke down "myths" I'd heard about breastfeeding and really took it back to it's core - a natural thing that almost every mother can do. I think the best thing about today's society is that women can do whatever they feel is best for their child and that there are options - but I also think that some of the issues women encounter with breastfeeding are due to lack of education (on their part and/or their healthcare providers' part) and can be due to a somewhat Westernized-thought pattern on breastfeeding issues.

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That's all I can think of for now, but will update with more as I think of it. :)