Maternity Must-Haves & Must-Skips

These are a few of my favorite things

As soon as the digital universe found out I was pregnant, I was suddenly being sold everything maternity (and beyond). Baby gear, strollers, bassinets, gadgets I didn’t even know existed. But we’ll get to the baby stuff later. For now… this part was about me.

Clothing

For a while, you can absolutely get away with wearing what you already own. I was lucky to be pregnant during spring and summer, so I lived in dresses. There’s a very specific transition period, though—where you go from wearing babydoll-style dresses that hide bloat or a tiny bump, to suddenly wanting something more form-fitting so people know this is a baby bump and not a burrito bump.

I found some great options on Amazon and Target (I know, I know) that weren’t technically “maternity” dresses but worked perfectly. I also leaned heavily into athleisure from Quince and Amazon, plus some amazing hand-me-downs from Beyond Yoga.

One of my favorites was Rent the Runway. You can set your profile to “pregnant,” and they surface both maternity and “bump-friendly” styles. It was clutch during pregnancy and postpartum, when your size changes month-to-month—or honestly, week-to-week.

By the end, I gravitated toward pull-on lounge pants, a cozy maternity sweatshirt from Quince, and focused on ensuring any pieces I invested in were breastfeeding-friendly so they could carry me into the next season. I also became a quiet believer in maternity shapewear—not Spanx in the pre-pregnancy sense, but smoothing, supportive, comfortable pieces that just… hold things together.

The Pregnancy Pillow Saga

I think pregnancy pillows are deeply personal. I tried several. I bought the Araluna pillow that was being advertised to me as the “best” —and hated it. I tried a wedge. Meh. A knee pillow? Also meh.

What finally worked was the Meiz Pregnancy Pillow — a big, massive, oversized pillow that I could contort into a million positions and fully cuddle. Five stars. It takes up half the bed. I used it postpartum. I still use it. I plan to use it forever. Sorry, hubby.

Bathroom Cabinet Essentials

I was lucky to have only light nausea, but UpSpring Stomach Settle, recommended to me by a friend, was a lifesaver. I still find them in jacket pockets and purses to this day. They taste good, work well, and I kept them everywhere so I was never without one.

Pregnancy-safe skincare wasn’t even on my radar—of course right after I had splurged on some new (not pregnancy-safe) products. I swapped in a gentle cleanser and serum and called it good. I didn’t overhaul my makeup; it felt excessive to toss perfectly good products just because they weren’t the cleanest option. Anything I finished, I tried to replace with a cleaner alternative going forward.

Books

I’m an Emily Oster loyalist through and through. Add Expecting Better and Cribsheet to your must-read list. I liked having a mix of data-driven reassurance and cultural perspective—it kept me grounded without spiraling. She also writes in such a relatable voice.

Health & Wellness

Nothing groundbreaking here, but consistency mattered: walking, a yoga ball, and gentle movement. I also took a pre/probiotic, Vitamin D/K, and Perelel supplements (iron, prenatals, and protein powder) throughout pregnancy.

One of the most impactful choices I made, though, was working with Tori Persichitte, NTP of The Everyday Yum, through her Pregnancy Partner program. Having guidance around prenatal nutrition—and learning what my body needed nutritionally as it shifted trimester by trimester—made me feel informed and supported.

That said, my pregnant body was made up of 99% bagel, 1% baby.

Bagels were literally all I wanted to eat for every single meal. We restocked at the beginning of every week like it was a non-negotiable household utility. For my Denver people: Bruegger’s Bagels was my go-to (RIP, they’ve since closed). I’ve tried them all—Leroy’s Bagels (only in a pinch, not my fave), Call Your Mother (great as a bagel sandwich where the bagel is just the vehicle, but not it for a classic bagel moment), O’Dell’s as a solid backup, and Rich Spirit is by far the best bagel you can get. No notes.

I also had saltine crackers everywhere. By my bed. In the car. In every bag I left the house with. If there was a scenario where I might exist without immediate access to food, I had emergency saltines on standby. I went through a Ginger Ale Zero phase too, and honestly? It hit.

Pregnancy taught me many things, but mostly that sometimes nourishment looks like carefully planned supplements… and sometimes it looks like another bagel. Both can coexist.