Best Buys-TTC & Pregnancy
A list of all my favourite products from my preconception, pregnancies, postpartum and beyond.
Please click the image to take you to the online store where you can get them.
I HIGHLY recommend making a baby wish list in Amazon. They send you free samples of things not only before baby is born but continually afterwards too, its great! They also offer you discounts on the products in your list as your due date gets closer! You can create your wish list here Baby Wishlist
Remember to link your Amazon prime streaming account (if you have one) in order to get free shipping or sign up for a free 30 day trial here .
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If you have a pregnancy, postpartum or newborn recommendation you think i should add, please contact me via Instagram
Ovulation and Pregnancy test kit
The biggest mistake i made with my first pregnancy was buying ovulation and pregnancy tests from chemists and supermarkets! I shudder to thing of the hundreds, if not thousands of dollars i spent on them unnecessarily! You can get this kit for under $50 for 70 tests from Amazon. I love that there is an app which helps you track and interpret the ovulation results (it’s is so much harder than i ever expected!)
Fertility friendly lubricant
Clinically tested Fertility Friendly. Mimics Natural Fertile Fluids to increase your chances of conception.
Basal Body Thermometer
BBT is the baseline body temperature you get as soon as you wake up in the morning — before you get out of bed, talk or even sit up. Your BBT rises about half a degree shortly after ovulation. Using a BBT chart can help you keep track of your body’s temperature changes and detect when you are ovulating. Download the “Fertility Friend app” to keep a record of your results. I will help you keep track of your fertile window. because BBT changes are only fractions of degrees you do need a special thermometer, but they are very affordable!
A good quality prenatal multivitamin
The range in quality (or lack there of) of prenatal vitamins in this country is overwhelming. If you are a novice when it comes to prenatal care and want to learn more about essential vitamins and why Elevate may not be the best choice i suggest checking out this this page by very knowledgeable Gina. The two brands i personally suggest are Eagle Tresos Natal or Biocenturials InNatal. both are practitioner brands but can be bought at a lot of chemists, including chemist warehouse. They will not be on the shelves, you will have to ask for them at the back of store and they will get them for you. Ideally these should be taken at least 3 months before conception and continued until the conclusion of breastfeeding.
For daddy to be
Did you know that men make new sperm every 3 months? It takes two to tango so dad needs to do his bit in preconception care too.
Pre-conception reading
Making Babies is a great book for every woman trying to conceive, whether naturally or through medical intervention.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding DHA
I take this throughout my pregnancy and breastfeeding journeys in order to best support my babies brain development. One Fish Two Fish Prenatal DHA is a superior triglyceride form (rTAG), not a semi-synthetic oil (ethyl esters) like other brands making it far more effective.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding probiotic
Another thing i take throughout my conception, pregnancy and breastfeeding journey is probiotics. I like this one as it is a multi-strain formula with 15 strains of beneficial bacteria. It also…
Supports immune and digestive health.
Balances healthy vaginal flora
Provides Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 which may help reduce the risk of eczema in young children
Stratamark
My OB swear by this stuff. He actually gives it to all his patients because it is the ONLY clinically proven product on the market. Stretch marks are genetic for the most part, so if they run in your family it might be worth giving this stuff a go. A little goes a really long way!
Belly Butter
After trying a lot of different brands across both my pregnancies i can confidently say this one absolutely, hands down the best. It goes on nicely and smells divine! Chemist Warehouse and Priceline both stock it. It doesn’t prevent stretch marks as advertised (none of them do, apart from stratamark) bit it is definitely soothing on an itchy stretching belly!
Raspberry leaf
Red raspberry leaves are rich in vitamins and minerals.
They provide B vitamins, vitamin C and a number of minerals, including potassium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus and iron. However, their most notable contribution might be their antioxidant properties .
Red raspberry leaves contain polyphenols like tannins and flavonoids, which act as antioxidants in your body and can help protect cells from damage.
In addition, the leaves contain small amounts of ellagic acids, which have been shown to neutralize carcinogens and even contribute to the self-destruction of cancer cells. Raspberry leaf helps to tone the uterus which is why it is popular amongst pregnant women. In fact, after the delivery of both of my babies the midwife asked me if i drank a lot of raspberry leaf tea as my uterus had shrunk back to regular size within an hour after birth. When i was pregnant with Maisie i drank the tea. I begin with one cup a day at 32 weeks and gradually increased to three to four cups as i neared my due date. I found it quite hard to drink that much tea honestly. So with Denny i opted for the capsules instead which i found much more convenient!
Body pillow
I tried a lot of pregnancy pillows when i was pregnant with Maisie because i was just SO uncomfortable at night! Hands down the best i found was this simple, straight body pillow from Baby Bunting. I found the wrap around ones uncomfortable as you couldn’t use your own pillow for under your head. I was forever waking up with a stiff neck. This one was lovely! my husband had to pry it away from a very reluctant wife once my babies were born.
Really want a wrap around pillow?
This is the best i found!
A book for daddy
The thing about women is we naturally research. You’ve probably downloaded the Ovia app and read it every day (if you haven’t, you should, its great!). Getting a book for the dad to be might help him better navigate pregnancy and infancy without having to rely on you to teach him every last thing.
Forget pregnancy pants!
Don’t waste your money on buying special pregnancy jeans or shorts! Get a few of these and wear them over your regular pants! they hide the open fly, while holding your pants up and are super comfortable on your belly. You can fold them in half and wear them as a belt in the early months then pull them over your bump for support in those last weeks. My most used purchase!
Feeling sore or heavy?
Well-priced, overnight shipping. Worth a shot for a little relief!
Bounce that baby down!
Use it for prenatal exercise or stretching. Use it to bounce bub down to engage. Even use it during labour to help promote dilation!
Pregnancy Journal
Keep a record of your pregnancy in this beautiful journal. it includes lots of prompts so you wont miss a thing.
Colostrum Collection
Normally, in the last few weeks of pregnancy, a few drops or a small amount of colostrum will flow out from the mother's nipples. The colostrum is rich in nutrients and contains protective antibodies which is why its often referred to as liquid gold! Expressing colostrum antenatally, freezing and bringing it with you to the hospital can make the world of difference to your breastfeeding journey. Not only can it help if baby is born with low blood sugar it can enable new mums to rest their nipples between feeds allowing them to heal and the feeding journey to continue pain free. It was a life saver… or should i say nipple saver… both times around for me!
Compression socks
These soft and comfortable maternity compression socks can help increase comfort, reduce soreness, and alleviate pain due to swelling during pregnancy. They can also be used while traveling, at work, or in bed to improve circulation.
Milestone discs
Announce and document your pregnancy journey and your belly’s weekly growth throughout each of your trimesters with these gender-neutral milestone discs.
SRC recovery Shorts
These are expensive but worth every penny. I wore mine under jeans for about 6-8 weeks after baby number 1 and 2-3 weeks after baby number 2. The SRC Recovery Shorts provide you with the support to move more freely post-delivery and make lifting, feeding, bathing and caring for your baby much easier. They help your abdominal muscles move back into place and your skin to tighten back up too. They have been designed my medical professionals so are much more than just shape wear. They provide compression in the correct place to aid wound healing after both vaginal and caesarian deliveries. They reduce pain and swelling in both areas as well activating muscles which also help alleviate lower back discomfort.
