Pregnancy
Congratulations! If you’ve made it here, I hope that it’s because you’ve fallen pregnant. If you’ve made it here because you’re wishing and hoping to fall pregnant, I hope you’re wish is granted soon.
These are my favourites and must-haves - I hope this list helps you.
Bras: Bonds & Mumma Milla
I tried SO many different maternity bras and struggled to find ones that I loved. My favourites were probably Bonds (particularly the Wirefree Contour Bra) and Mumma Milla. My least favourite were Juem - they look cute but I didn’t find them comfortable.
Activewear
I lived in activewear pregnant, so this is a big one! I’m a Lululemon girl, but they don’t do maternity and sizing up in everything at Lulu is not cost effective. For sports bras, go Lorna Jane. I wore Lulu Align leggings/bike pants for most of my pregnancy. I wore activewear so much that maternity tights felt worthwhile as the belly grew. I cannot recommend CRZ YOGA enough. Do yourself a favour and buy these - a similar fabric to Align without the price tag, the ‘super high rise’ sits above the belly and this is just soo much more comfortable as you grow. I got the bike pants. Sizing is generous - I’m a 2/4 in Lulu and an XS in CRZ YOGA.
Maternity brands
Bae the Label and Legoe Heritage are great quality and comfortable clothes that made to work during pregnancy as well post-partum.
Bumpsuit - after spending too long deliberating over it, I bought the Cindy Romper and it did not disappoint. It’s better quality than others I’ve tried - the fabric is way thicker than I thought it would be and its supportive. Their pieces are designed to be worn in pregnancy, postpartum and beyond. If I could, I’d try all of it! Tip: I wish I’d sized down as it has so much room to grow.
Paige denim for maternity jeans. One of the only brands that doesn’t have fabric that you pull over the belly. These are a bougie purchase, but I was pregnant over winter so it felt worthwhile.
Non-maternity brands
Cotton On ‘Staple Rib’ range for basic tops - comfortable, stretchy and wont break the bank.
Dissh for stretchy dresses and sets. I love the Percy top and pant set.
Nude Lucy for knit pants. Tip: wear pants low on the belly to avoid sizing up too much.
I loved wearing bodysuits with jeans or eslasticised pants. Mine are Commando and Alix NYC - both were comfy and accommodated my growing bump (available on a bunch of websites).
Hunza G is another bougie purchase, but their swimwear is comfortable, flattering, grows with your belly (one size fits all) and you can wear beyond pregnancy. I have the Pamela Suit and Juno Bikini.
Pillow: Sleepybelly
I found it hard to pick a pregnancy pillow and ended up going with the Sleepybelly which I was happy with. I liked that it didn’t take up our entire bed, I could use it in multiple configurations, and found it easy to pack just the small pillow when travelling.
Body care: Brillo
I tried a bunch of different body butters and moisturisers. My favourite was Brillo. I tried all their products and loved The Butter and The Oil. Their products feel luxe, look cute and I enjoyed using them every day. I got the Pregnancy Pack which includes a magnesium spray (helped with leg aches and cramps that came with pregnancy), but you could also just buy a basic magnesium spray from the pharmacy. I found lots of influencers promoted Palmers, but that was my least favourite brand - I found it never properly sunk into my skin and just rubbed off on my clothes.
Electrolytes: Mini + Me
I probably had a Mini + Me Hydramama almost every day of my pregnancy to help with hydration (I couldn’t drink enough water), fatigue and muscle cramps. I love this Australian brand of electrolytes that doesn’t contain any additives and is endorsed by the Australian College of Midwives.
Managing challenges during pregnancy
Morning sickness: I felt hungover 24/7 from about week 6-12 of my pregnancy. Apart from constantly eating and having snacks beside my bed, the one thing that helped was Restavit. It’s an over-the-counter antihistamine and my OB recommended taking a quarter of a tablet every night as it helps with nausea.
Pregnancy insomnia: I suffered with pregnancy insomnia during my second and third trimesters. It didn’t always help, but my OB recommended continuing to take a quarter or half a tablet of Restavit (it’s a drowsy antihistamine). Tip: don’t take a whole tablet or you’ll be a zombie the next day!
Women’s health physio: I started seeing Lauren at Pear Exercise Physiology and Physiotherapy when I was 12 weeks pregnant to assess my pelvic floor (necessary whether you are giving birth vaginally or via c-section). She gave me exercises and we had a few check-ins during my pregnancy to ensure my pelvic floor was strong - important during pregnancy and post-partum. I cannot recommend Lauren enough - she’s knowledgeable, kind, warm and gave me lots of extra parenting tips (she’s a mum of two).
Exercise: I did pregnancy pilates at Pear Exercise Physiology and Physiotherapy throughout my whole pregnancy and loved it. Classes are run by exercise physiologists and are specifically designed to strenghten your body to support you through pregnancy and post-partum. I continued pilates here as a new mum - they offer Mums & Bubs pilates, but they encourage mums to attend any class time with bub in tow, and will provide support by holding and entertaining your baby.
Pelvic girdle pain: I suffered from pelvic girdle pain from about 22 weeks until the end of my pregnancy. It started as what felt like lower back pain and became severe. Thankfully, I was already seeing my women’s health physio, Lauren. She helped me get the pain under control and ensured I spent most of my pregnancy pain-free by avoiding certain movements.