My Pregnancy Must Haves

I'm sure it's no secret that being pregnant is rough.  Basically from six weeks up until my current state (24 weeks pregnant today!) I have been uncomfortable in some way, shape or form.  In the beginning in was nausea and exhaustion, now it is backaches and heartburn.  I think those women who brag about how much they love being pregnant and how awesome it is are big fat liars.  That's not to say it's all bad, I mean, feeling the baby kick and seeing his little face on the ultrasound is pretty damn exciting--it's what makes all the pain and discomfort worth it.  But I'm also not going to lie, so far, being pregnant=no fun.  There have been some essential items for me that are making this whole business a little bit easier to deal with.  These are my must haves for surviving my pregnancy (so far):

1.  Cinnamon Toast Crunch:  My major craving so far has been for cinnamon--cinnamon rolls, coffee cake, anything cinnamon.  Cinnamon Toast Crunch satisfies my craving and still gives me some nutrients (and of course, with cereal comes milk, which is always good!).

2.  Burt's Bees Chapstick: I have always been a Burt's Bees girl, and with the extra skin dryness pregnancy has brought on, these babies have been a lifesaver!

3.  Gummi Multi-Vitamins:  I absolutely HATE swallowing pills, and most vitamins are the size of horse tranquilizers--no thank you.  These gummi vitamins have allowed me to get my nutrients, even during the first trimester when I was nauseous all the time.

4.  Jolly Ranchers:  Nothing has helped my heartburn quite like Jolly Ranchers.  I suffered from heartburn before pregnancy, but never with the frequency or intensity I do now.  I don't know what it is about sucking on these hard candies, but it provides a few minutes of much needed relief.

5.  Pregnancy Wedge Pillow:  I just got this pillow a few days ago and it is already making a huge difference in the quality of my sleep.  I am a stomach sleeper, and stomach sleeping has been a no go for a few weeks now.  Placing this pillow under my bump allows me to almost feel like I am sleeping on my stomach.  It also relieves pressure from my hip bones, which have always been one of my achier joints.

6.  The Bump:  I actually started frequenting The Bump when I was in the trying to get pregnant stage and got tons of useful information from the ladies there on their message boards.  Now I am a member of a group of moms who are all expecting babies in June.  These women have been an essential part of calming my fears, sharing symptoms, and celebrating the little milestones of pregnancy.

7.  What to Expect When You're Expecting App:  WTEWYE is probably one of the most famous pregnancy books out there.  There is a lot about the book itself I am not a fan of (I mean, if you can read that book and not be totally freaked out about all the things that could possibly go wrong, you are a stronger woman than I), but the app has been super helpful.  Each week I get a new update on the baby's size and the changes he is going through, plus all the things I can expect for myself that week.  Every day there are new quick tips and links to blog posts and info for my particular stage of pregnancy.

Of course, the most essential helpful thing for surviving pregnancy has been my amazing husband, and our friends and family.  Mr. B does everything from rub my back to make me eat my vegetables.  Without him, I don't think I would have made it this far!  Any of you ladies out there have pregnancy essentials you couldn't live without?  Let me know, I still have sixteen weeks to go!