My product purchases so far this pregnancy in Second Trimester

I haven’t purchased too many things yet this pregnancy. I’m doing my best to be frugal because I know a lot of expenses are on the horizon. But these few products that I did have to buy have been lifesavers for me.

My two must-have product purchases so far this pregnancy in Second Trimester

The belly band.

Not the kind that supports your back in your final months, but the one that extends the life of your pre-pregnancy clothes. It sits on top of your unbuttoned pants so that you can continue wearing your old clothes for as long as you can. I’m going to mention both items that I bought and explain why they worked or did not work for me. I first bought the Be Maternity BeBand from Target on my way home from work one day when my pants would no longer button comfortably. It was about $16. They only had the white one in stock and the largest size they have is a “L”. I found the material stretchy but tight so on days when I felt super bloated, it did cause me discomfort. The material is nylon and spandex, so it also snagged and got a tear on it. Also, it was long, going from nearly my crotch to my bra. Sure, you can fold it over, but that made it even tighter. In addition, the thing would not stay in place. It twisted and moved around and I constantly had to readjust. One more thing and this was the most annoying, is it did nothing to keep my unbuttoned pants from folding over and sticking straight out.

So then I saw this Belly Button Band offer they had around Mother’s Day to get the band for free and just pay shipping (in fact, you can just search online and find codes to get the item free at almost any time!) I paid about $11 in shipping I think. I was skeptical, since what do you really get for an item that is free, but let me tell you this has been exactly what I needed. The important piece – it has buttons so your pants button into it and stays in place!  It, therefore, does not slide around! Also, it is not as tall, just going from the zipper area to the button line. I wish it was a few inches taller though because the top of my pants sits above it, and it might be more comfortable if that was completely underneath the band. The material feels like it is mostly cotton, so no more stretchy pressure, but just loose comfort. Since it attaches to the pants, I can just slide my pants down like a pair of sweats and don’t have to fumble anything. So I completely recommend this one (but it doesn’t hurt to find a code to get it for free, am I right?).

Pregnancy pillow.

I had a hard time sleeping on my side because of back pain, so I went and got a body pillow to help me with that problem. I ended up going with the Boppy 3 piece total body pregnancy pillow from Target. What I liked about it is the Boppy brand name, but also that it was designed by a physical therapist. Also, it is in 3 pieces, so you can mix and match how you like. I love my own pillow, so I removed the head pillow part and I prop it up behind my back for extra support. The part between my legs has helped keep my spine straight and lessen my back pain. I haven’t started using the under the belly portion yet. The pieces connect by velcro, so that is a little noisy, but it seems to hold together well when I did try it out. In the store, I was able to get this pillow for $45 (cheaper than advertised online). Definitely worth it.

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So those are my purchases so far and my opinions on them. Are there any pregnancy must-have items you want to share?