Sure, I probably should have written this post while I was still pregnant. But I was really busy…eating and sleeping, and reading lots of pregnancy books and articles. And watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix. I didn’t have a particularly difficult pregnancy, but it did have its challenging moments. Here are the things that helped me most through my pregnancy.

The information below is intended for informational purposes only.  It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other professional health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen.

1. Chiropractor Visits. Early in my pregnancy I developed pretty severe pain in my lower back and hips that I mistakenly thought was sciatica. It was actually Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP). Frequent trips to a chiropractor that specializes in prenatal and infant care made a huge difference. After a few weeks, I was able to walk around again. I continued with my visits until the end of my pregnancy. I have heard that adjustments help women have an easier delivery. It seems that if the hips are not aligned, it would be more difficult for the baby to come out. My labor was quick and delivery went very smoothly, so that could have helped also.

2. Magnesium Supplement. Pregnancy wreaks havoc on your insides. Hormones combined with your growing baby pushing everything up can really slow digestion and, well, make the rest of the process more difficult. I used a magnesium citrate supplement called Natural Calm Magnesium to get things moving a little easier. It’s also supposed to help you relax and sleep, although I never had any trouble sleeping.

3. Pregnancy Pillows. Despite frequent chiropractor visits, my hips would really start to ache at night when I slept on my side. The only thing that helped was keeping a pillow between my knees. The Snoogle Total Body Pillow was a great one, but it was a bit bulky for me sometimes. I would turn a lot throughout the night and had to keep bringing it over to the other side. Sometimes I would just grab one of our smaller decorative pillows to sleep with between my knees. If you are a stomach sleeper, there is a pillow called the BellyBabyBreast Pillow that allows you to sleep on your belly while pregnant.

4. Cool Mist Humidifier. Again, hormones do some strange things to your body that you wouldn’t expect. Mucus production increases and can cause lots of nose and throat problems, especially during the night and early morning. Using a cool mist humidifier really helped me. I used the Crane Drop Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier.

5. Breathe Right Nasal Strips. I’m not a snorer typically and I really hate hearing other people snore. I will make my husband change positions in his sleep when he starts snoring. In my third trimester, though, I had the worst snoring problem! All that pressure against the diaphragm and nasal congestion from that mucus can turn the quietest sleeper into a human chainsaw. I actually woke myself up a few times with my own snoring. After I started using Breathe Right Nasal Strips, it got better.

Hope that helps you pregnant ladies! If there are any other helpful tips you’ve learned, please let me know.