My Pregnancy Wishlist

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Pregnancy and Maternity Wishlist for Plus Size Women

Since finding out I am pregnant I’ve been reluctant to buy anything for this pregnancy or baby but now I’ve had my first scan and we’ve finished the first trimester I finally feel ready and less anxious about the things I know I’m going to need and want during this pregnancy. Having a baby puts a lot of strain on your body and comfort is so important, as well as taking care of yourself. Then there are all the things you need for the baby too. Right now though, whilst I’m growing a human I am going to focus on what I want and what is going to make things easier for me over the next six months.

I do have a small list of first trimester essentials which might help you during those early days with morning sickness and keeping fit and well:

• A bedroom fan to keep cool during the night
• Comfortable PJs and a dressing gown – particularly useful on Snow Days when you can’t leave the house – we had a few of these!
• Peppermint Tea
• Ginger biscuits
• Pregnancy Vitamins with Folic Acid + Vitamin D
• Smoothies – a good way to get in some vitamins and a bit of energy
• A reusable water bottle

Things I Need for my Pregnancy

I’m passed the first trimester and into the second which, if I remember rightly and if this pregnancy is going to continue being much like my first, was actually a really nice part. I didn’t suffer with many symptoms, my energy was up and the anxiety from the first part was mostly gone. I didn’t really do much research into things I would want for my first pregnancy and with Adam being the dad and everything being new to him as well as there being seven years between this and my first pregnancy, I kind of feel like I get to start again and experience things again properly. My last relationship was not as positive as this one and the in laws took over a bit. I think they felt they were overcompensating for the fact that I was so far from my family, and they did help a lot but it got a bit overbearing and I didn’t really feel like anything was my choice. Anyway, I digress…lets go shopping!

Pregnancy Support Pillow

There are so many to choose from and I did have one of these before which became a necessity for me in the later months of pregnancy. I sleep on my tummy and I know that soon I’m going to have to switch onto my side. The best position for sleeping when pregnant is on your left side with legs bent and a pillow between them. Having a proper pregnancy pillow can also support your growing bump and back too. I had a sort of triangle support pillow during my pregnancy with Evie which I could then go on to use as a breastfeeding support pillow and that really helped! I really like the long snuggle one which I think would give excellent support due to me being overweight as well as being a great support with breastfeeding when the baby is here with us. There are lots of great pregnancy support pillows available ranging in size, length and style. Some have built in dips for back support, some are designed just for support between your legs and some are brilliant for added neck support or lifting your legs. You will find one that is best for you and your needs but it is absolutely an essential for me.

Maternity Bras

I’m currently measuring at a 42G so maternity bras are going to be an absolute essential for me. I actually miss nursing bras, they were so comfortable however with a bigger size comes a bigger price. Colour is not really going to bother me but comfort is key. I need wide straps for good support and preferably I want to ditch the underwire. They always end up jabbing me in the side boob anyway after a few wears so lets just be done with it. For those that don’t need such a massive size then the usual places like Mothercare have some great options. Luckily Figleaves have loads of fantastic maternity and nursing bras between £30-£54 for my size and I’m hoping to use them to grab my maternity and nursing bras a little later down the line. My boobs have actually been quite tender this pregnancy and incredibly sensitive which is not something I really remember during my last pregnancy and not something I’ve ever suffered with during my periods. I think a good, cotton, wire free support bra is going to help this.

I am not really too bothered about colour either. Black, white or nude seem to be the standard for my size so I’m pretty happy with the choices. As I said, comfort is key. It’s a good idea to go and get yourself measured. You can do this yourself at home or you can go into store. The best time to measure for a nursing bra is around 8 months pregnant.

Maternity Swimwear

I am hoping to go to lots of Aqua Fit and Aqua Bumps classes for as long as I feel able to. I want to do this to help me try and loose some body fat, avoid putting on too much weight and to help reduce any strain. I love swimming, always have, and I really should continue to make good use of my gym membership! For the meantime I have got myself a size 22 Swimdress from George at Asda however as time goes on I think I will look into a maternity swimsuit to accommodate for a growing bump. My problem is that the majority of these swimsuits are halter neck tops which is just not suitable for my breasts. Halter necks never give me enough support and I’m always at risk of popping out. Not something you want during aqua fit. So far the best find is online at Asda and is available in my size and is a lovely dark blue, polka dot swimsuit available in sizes up to 26. I’m hoping to get myself this soon before it disappears never to be seen again. I like the blue polka dots, I like that it’s in my size and the swim dress just makes it a bit more flattering.

Maternity Clothes

With my last pregnancy I didn’t really have any maternity clothes. I just wore the same stuff in a bigger size. I think that’s the thing with being overweight, you don’t really have a noticeable bump for a really long time. I do, however, want to find some decent maternity leggings and a few long tops or jersey dresses. I am absolutely a leggings and a dress kind of woman and luckily these seem to be available year round so I’m not too worried about finding something to wear. A lot of women I have spoken to swear my maternity jeans and how comfortable they are.

Pregnancy Journal & Baby Record Book

I sadly lost my baby book I kept during pregnancy and in Evie’s early days due to moving away so I really want to try and document as much as I can through my pregnancy in the book and the baby’s first milestones. I’m so glad I have this blog to do that too and write down all my thoughts and feelings – hopefully helping others who are pregnant too. Adam and I actually got this one quite a while ago and it’s been in storage since. It was nice to pull it out and finally start using it. I believe I picked this up from The Works in my local town one day whilst browsing.

 

Pregnancy and Motherhood Reading List

I do love a good book and a good read. I’m currently looking for books on Pregnancy Yoga, Hypnobirthing and I’d like to find something on Breastfeeding too. Any recommendations for any of those are really very welcome. Here is what I’ve found so far and what I’m currently reading:

This just never gets old! A funny take on pregnancy and parenting which I absolutely love.

I am really being drawn in to Hypnobirthing and mindfullness. I’m really hoping I can have a VBAC providing there are no issues throughout the pregnancy and this baby doesn’t wait until they are so overdue. Whatever the decision though I want to try and put these exercises in place to have as best birth I can whether that is through VBAC or Elective C-Section.

Right now I think they’re the essentials I would like to pick up throughout this pregnancy. I do have another list of things I’d love to have for the new baby and I’ll put that list together a little later down the line. We’ve got a bit of decluttering to do in the flat before we get any of the big baby stuff and we need to move our bedroom around a bit to fit in a cot. I am desperate for a Next to Me style Cot because they look great and are supposed to help a lot with breastfeeding. I also think it’s the only one we will be able to fit in our room! A full size cot would just be too big for us, so I think we’ll have to move before we make that purchase.

 

For more pregnancy content please head to my hub post which contains links to all my relevant pregnancy based blog posts. My second High Bmi Pregnancy.