I've seen so many lists of things that every pregnant mom "needs" and they are mostly extremely expensive and also the exact opposite of necessary. I don't understand why so many websites and books feel the need to make pregnant moms who are already feeling overwhelmed and under-prepared, feel even more stressed out, especially when it comes to things like $50 stretch mark creams and $75 body pillows. Well THIS mom on a budget has found that there are only a couple of things you really need, and they are NOT going to break the bank!
My aunt Lis sent me Bella B Tummy Honey Butter and I LOVE IT!! She used it during her whole pregnancy and doesn't have a single stretch mark, and so far I have had the same luck! It has a really light honey-ish scent, stays on all day long and really does the job. Before I started using this stuff my tummy was SO ITCHY, but Tummy Honey Butter took care of that problem.
The cheapest price I could find for this stuff is about $15 on amazon.com.
If that is a little pricey for you (which being the world's most extreme bargain hunter, I understand,) I also love Palmer's Tummy Butter. It doesn't stay on as long as Bella B, but it isn't greasy at all and it smells really fresh. I picked mine up at Walmart when my Bella B ran out and it was about $6. It takes away the relentless itch, too.
Every baby book tells you that you need a fancy pregnancy pillow--one of those that wraps around and supports your whole entire bod and costs a million dollars. I'm here to tell you that my $20 Laura Ashley body pillow from good ol' Bed Bath and Beyond has been a real lifesaver. I can't imagine trying to roll over with one of those gigantic wrap around pillows stuck to you because rolling with a normal body pillow is a pain, and I don't know about everyone else, but it seems like I have to roll over every hour on the hour cause my hips start having stinging pain!
I did try a cheaper body pillow from Target at first and it IS worth it to get the better body pillow--my Target one is pretty much smushed flat now!
Another must, Motherhood Maternity jeans!! I started wearing these beauties at the start of month 5 and I'm going to be so sad to put them away when I can eventually squeeze back into my old jeans. Being a cheapskate, I could not bring myself to spend a ton of money on jeans I would only being wearing for 6 months tops. So I went to Motherhood Maternity and got a couple of pairs of their cheapest store brand jeans and I LOVE THEM! I have only had 3 pairs (2 bootcut and 1 skinny) for my entire pregnancy and even with me wash-and-re-wearing them all week long, they still look great and are holding up really well. No one can ever believe that they are maternity jeans, they look awesome! They run about $40 a pair normally, but they are on sale all the time (usually buy one, get one half off) and if you sign up for emails from Motherhood Maternity, they send you coupons constantly too. One more tip, I ended up having to get petite ones and I'm 5'6 (not exactly abnormally shrimpy) so it's worth it to run in to the store and try on if there is one close to you.
I have a serious problem swallowing pills, I mean serious as in every time I swallow one, my husband has to give me the Heimlich. So, as soon as I realized I was pregnant and that meant prenatal vitamins, I panicked! But I did some research and found these super yummy chewy chocolate alternatives--Bellybar Prenatal Multi + DHA Chocolates. You just take one of each everyday--one vitamin and and one DHA. They do leave a pretty grody vitamin taste in your mouth, but I think that's pretty much standard. They taste and smell about a million times better than the other chewable options I tried, and unlike almost all of the others, these contain iron, which is super important for growing fetuses (or is it feti like cacti? haha) These things run about $15 for the month supply.
If I think of anything else I will add it, but I really think that other than a loving and super patient husband, those are the only things I couldn't live without. Hope this list helps my fellow frugal pregnant pals!
