I'm Carolann! I'm a military spouse and new mom currently calling the DC area home. Finding Ithaka is all about the journey and about finding yourself.

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I’m 33 weeks pregnant this week! The third trimester hit me hard and it’s forced me to slow down. I’m feeling tired, my back hurts, and I still get waves of nausea, especially in the morning But I also have been feeling her strong kicks and savoring this time. Seriously, her kicks are so strong! She’s already giving me a run for my money.

I also feel like it’s crunch time and it’s time to get the house in order. I’ve been organizing, cleaning, washing her clothes, trying to figure out what else we still need, and making a lot of freezer meals to stock up our deep freezer. I still love being pregnant even though it’s gotten tougher as the weeks go by.

Remaining budget-conscious has been really important to me during this pregnancy. I didn’t want to buy tons of maternity clothes or other special products. But you need maternity clothes, and there have been a few things that I feel like have made my pregnancy so much easier that I had to share with y’all. Although everyone is different, these are the things that worked best for me. Many of them I decided to use after talking to my midwives.

Here I am sporting my maternity support belt! Helps a lot with back pain.

First Trimester

1. Earth Mama Belly Oil

I started using belly oils and lotions as soon as I found out I was pregnant, and I don’t have any stretch marks yet at over 33 weeks! I have no idea if this is genetics or the oils or something else. I have tried a bunch of different belly oils and butters and I like oils best. Specifically, I love this one because I love the way it smells and I love how it makes my skin feel. I don’t feel itchy at all even though I know that is a common pregnancy complaint.

2. Physix Gear Compression Socks

I bought these socks early in my pregnancy because of all of the traveling I knew I was going to do with our trip to Japan and our PCS. They are incredible! I started using them as early as 10 weeks when I went on my first flight. I have used them on 9 flights throughout my pregnancy ranging from an hour to 8 hours and they worked really well for me.

3. Preggie Pop Drops

I have struggled with nausea throughout my entire pregnancy. These drops helped me a lot in the beginning when my nausea was the worst. They would take the edge off especially if my blood sugar started to drop. I think they would hold me over while I would get something to eat. Once my nausea wasn’t as bad, I started to switch to hard candies because they were cheaper, and that did the trick.

Second Trimester

4. hiccapop Pregnancy Pillow Wedge

My mother-in-law sent me this pillow in my second trimester and I love it. I get a lot of pain in my hips and legs when I sleep, so I would put it in between my legs to sleep at night. It also doesn’t take up as much space as the big body pillow that I used later in my pregnancy.

5. Squatty Potty

Squatty potties seem to be getting more popular! My friend had one in Hawaii and when I saw how much it helped things, well, progress, I decided I needed one too. If you’re feeling constipated I definitely recommend getting one of these. And even if you’re not I still think it’s worth getting. It helps you get into a better position for going to the bathroom. Trust me, it works.

6. Jogger pants from A Pea in the Pod

These pants are a bit pricey, but there are always different sales. Right now there is a sale for 30% off for Memorial Day! Plus military and teachers get an extra 10% off that you can use online too. They are the most comfortable pants I’ve ever had. I live in them and I have two pairs. They are so soft and comfortable and I know I’ll wear them well beyond my pregnancy. I think you deserve these.

Third Trimester

7. Silicone Wedding Ring

As soon as I hit my third trimester, I took off my engagement and wedding rings because I was afraid my fingers would swell. I really like how these feel and fit! My wedding rings are size 4.5 so I got the size 4.5-5 and they fit perfect. I miss wearing my rings but I also like the colors of these rings.

8. Maternity Support Belt I started having back pain pretty much as soon as my third trimester hit. One day it didn’t go away for the entire day so I called my midwife. She said it was probably SI joint pain. She told me that a chiropractor or massage would be best, but that I could also do some stretches and get a maternity belly band specifically for back pain. I decided to go with the cheaper rout first and I found this band on Amazon for $25. I love it and it helps a lot! It doesn’t take away the pain completely but it helps me go on walks, clean, and stand for longer periods of time. I don’t use it when I am sitting down, only when I am up. When I’m sitting, I like to use a heating pad we’ve had for years. 9. Full Body Pregnancy Pillow

I got this pillow for free when I first got pregnant, and I really didn’t want to use it because it’s so huge and it takes up so much space in the bed. But when my back pain hit, I decided to give it a try, and it helps so much. I am still getting a lot of aches and pains while I am sleeping and this cuts down on a lot of them.