Last year, I did a post on items in my running bag that I couldn't live without, that I had worn down to the nubbins, to the fray, and/or had stockpiled for 2010. In the spirit of that post, Worthy of Disintegration in 2010 (and possibly TMI), I thought it would be fun to continue the tradition. This year, however, instead of dissecting my running bag, I thought it would be more applicable to go through the items in my pregnancy bag, especially since I spent more of the year pregnant than running :) As is the tradition, products must have proven themselves to be worthy of disintegration, over-use, and/or unnatural attachment/superstition at some point in my pregnancy world. You may be looking for the perfect items to fill your own/someone you love's pregnancy survival kit at some point in 2011, and if so, may you or your someone special be filled with joy and health throughout this amazing journey! Without further adieu and in no particular order, I heart:
 | |
| Exercise ball for sitting on. This SAVED my back and sacrum and feels SO good to stretch out, roll, bounce, and do yoga on. I was recently told to stop bouncing on it since I am now on bedrest, but I still stretch on it almost every night. LOVE this thing. |
 |
| This book came highly recommended by the group of midwives I had the pleasure of knowing at NTC Point Loma (San Diego). It was written by a mother-daughter team, who "wrote [the] book as a travel guide on [the pregnancy] journey". That description was enough to sell me on this book instead of some of the other more popular choices. The authors consulted with a number of well-credentialed professionals and do a great job presenting and differentiating between scientific fact and opinion. I have loved every moment of it, especially the week-by-week descriptions. |
 |
| I picked up Shiva Rea's basic prenatal yoga DVD from Target after I started having issues keeping my blood pressure down. Prior to increasing the number of days per week I did prenatal yoga, I was fast-walking an hour + per day on the beach most days. My blood pressure did go back to normal in the second and third trimester, (until the last couple of weeks) which may have been coincidental. Either way, this was a very easy, very relaxing addition to daily preggo life, and I liked how they had 3 different women you could follow (one for each trimester). |
 |
| Psyllium husk fiber! This stuff was actually on my running list too :) I guess it will be with me for life. There's nothing quite like the absorbing, cleansing, gentle nature of this product while your body is growing a baby! Make sure to drink plenty of water with it. I found that during the first trimester, it was a little hard to keep it, juice, cheerios, AND a prenatal vitamin down, so during weeks 9-14-ish, I had to wait a couple of hours between this and cheerios. Those are the things you figure out for yourself. |
 |
| Okay, so this one is kind of weird, but I had a MAJOR ant problem over the summer in San Diego after a series of major construction projects began in our condo complex. This stuff is made out of cinnamon , menthol, and eucalyptus oil. It was not only the ONLY thing that worked in my battle with the ants, it was pregnancy-safe! So, if you find yourself with an ant infestation during your pregnancy, I recommend you give this stuff a try. |
 |
| Yes To Cucumbers! Cucumbers, Spirulina, sea minerals, and broccoli. Delicious ingredients mixed into an olive and avocado oil base, with a very light and cooling scent that will not gag you if you become extremely sensitive to smells, as I did. I remember initially using a cocoa butter lotion, but the smell of it made me so nauseous that I couldn't continue the cocoa butter tradition. |
 |
| My number one staple during this pregnancy has been fruit! Pineapple and lemon were big ones in the first trimester. Apples are amazing for fighting heartburn in the third trimester. Mango is strangely comforting. Prunes (and other dried fruit) are full of iron and loaded with fiber, sugar, and sweetness. I probably ate a diet of 60% fruit for the first several months. Later in the pregnancy, I did experience cravings for protein, but it is beyond me how people sit and eat a package of Oreos or gorge themselves on greasy food while pregnant. Alas, we are all snowflakes :) |
 |
| On that note, and just so we are perfectly clear that I am no angel...I have to come clean about my Coke habit! There is NOTHING, and I mean nothing that even came close to fighting nausea like a few sips of icy-cold, cinnamony (I always think it tastes like cinnamon), lemony (and lemon) Coca Cola! This was not a daily habit, but this product was something that I am sure I would have DIED without during the first trimester. It honestly did not take much...just a few sips. I would not recommend drinking an entire 12 ounce can or even drinking it daily, but just know it's there if you need it, get to the point where you will do anything, and find ginger ale to be the biggest anti-nausea joke of all time :) |
 |
| Faith and the ability to deal with change...Hopefully these 2 things dwell inside of you because while they are absolutely necessary, they are hard to find if you don't already posses them :) |
