Just-the-essential supply list for a smooth pregnancy now that you are pregnant again and in your 40s.
The Top 5 Pregnancy Essentials for Experienced Moms
Part 1: Comfort and Care.
How exciting! You are expecting again for the first time in years. Congratulations!! This is an exciting and wondrous time in your life. Though you have been down this road before, you will likely need some of these essentials to help get you through your pregnancy.
Especially since you have likely either donated or ditched the things on this list, or you need it fresh since its been a while. No problem, here we go with the top 5 pregnancy essentials for experienced moms like you.
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#1 Prenatal Vitamins
Taking daily prenatal vitamins was probably the biggest sacrifice that I made as soon as I realized I was pregnant. I am admittedly, not a fan of horse-pill sized multivitamins, and if the bottle reeks of ‘vitamin’ stench the minute I open it, It-Aint-Happening.
So when I found these prenatal vitamins called One A Day Women’s Prenatal 1 Pill Multivitamin, with DHA and Folic Acid, 60 CountOne-A-Day Complete Prenatal 1 Pill Multivitamin with DHA and Folic Acid
I gave them a try.
I immediately liked them because they were soft gels, did they not have a funky odor and went down smoothly. I also liked that they were a complete multi-vitamin, and I didn’t have to swallow multiple pills a day. This for my baby’s health, I could do, and now, with pleasure.
#2 Water Bottle that keeps your ice frozen and water cold
You need to take those prenatal with something liquid and truly, staying hydrated as your body builds a new human being, is of the upmost of importance.
Water is by far the best beverage to consume during your pregnancy, but having to endure stale water should not be your lot in life. Instead I found cool, refreshing water on my lips each and every time I drank with these two bottle choices.
They both kept my water fresh and the exact temperature I desired. And if you want ice cold water, the cubes even stayed frozen hours, even a day later!
Contigo AUTOSEAL Fit Trainer Stainless Steel Water Bottle, 20oz, Dazzling Blue
Takeya ThermoFlask 2 Pack of 40 oz insulated water bottles
The Takeya is my favorite, I can fill this twice and I know that I more than hit the mark for water intake for the day. Plus the mouth was wide enough for easy ice cube additions. Perfect also for hydrating during postpartum recovery and milk production after delivery. This is one of those investments that can last years. It is very well made.
#3 Belly/Body Cream/Lip Balm/Hand Cream/Face Cream
One of the biggest surprises of the effects on my body from my last pregnancy was the effect it had on my skin.
I had skin tags pop up all over almost overnight. There was darkening of the skin in blotchy patches in the strangest places for no apparent reason, and my face was radiant all right! From OIL, not from pregnancy glow!
Hormones, my friend, say it with me. Add the after 40 effect… heh, not cute!
On the other hand, my skin was as soft as butter (or you could say, as smooth as my soon-to-be baby’s bottom). That part was a nice side benefit.
In either case, you will want to protect your skin from the upheaval it is about to experience by hydrating with water on the inside, and moisturizing with creams, lotions, and balms on the outside.
I have been a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant either part-time or full time through all three of my pregnancies over the last 15 years so I have a vast supply of all the above on hand at all times. You can find your own consultant easily at www.marykay.com.
My favorite lip balm by far, is the Satin Lips Lip Balm.
Hydrates for hours, so cracked lips were not a problem. A LIFESAVER through my delivery with all the heavy mouth breathing! I usually use the TimeWise Repair Night Treatment and TimeWise Repair Day Cream to keep my skin looking years younger, hydrated and wrinkle-free (listen, I don’t need any GRANNY jokes when my kid head’s off to kindergarten folks!).
But I switched to the TimeWise Age Fighting Moisturizer for Combo/Oily skin when the hot summer months took over.
We have a fantastic body toning lotion I used for my arms, legs, chest, hips, bum and belly.
Listen, for the most part, stretch marks are hereditary and a function of your skin’s pliability. So paying $50-60 for a special cream specifically for my belly for stretch mark prevention, that had NO GUARANTEE of working, was a silly waste of money for me.
It is playing to society’s pregnancy paranoia over whether a woman’s body will return to her pre-pregnancy state without a scar. Don’t EVEN get me started on that junk!
We should be celebrating a woman’s achievement of having carried, nurtured and birthed a living being into this world. Not making her worry over how her stomach skin reacted to its expansion of nearly 5 times its size or more in a short period of time! UGH! I can’t go there!!!
Plus, the only one I show off my jiggly midsection to anymore is the one who knocked me up in the first place. If he has a problem with my battle scars, too bad for him. As it turns out, I don’t think I got more than two or three new stretch marks anyway, and we are both proud of each and every one of them, thank you very much.
Long story short, treat your body well as your skin is going through a major upheaval on the outside, just like the rest of you on the inside. And know from experience, by the time your Lovie hits the 1 year mark, you should be back to form, skin tags gone and all. So hydrate, lotion and balm it up my friend!
#4 Body Pillow
I had a love-hate relationship with my body pillow. At the time, I chose a Leachco Snoogle Total Body Pillow.
It was a BEAST! It took over the entire bed. My husband wondered if he would ever get to spoon me again. I must say, I missed him. It was like putting a divider in our bed.
And forget turning over onto your other side. It was like wrestling a full-sized alligator! Enormous!
It did do the job of supporting my legs, my bump and even eliminated the need for a pillow. But I did miss my husband. After all, that’s how I got in this predicament in the first place isn’t it?
If you are anticipating spending most of your pregnancy sleeping alone, do go for the extra support of the Leachco.
If I had to do it all over again though, I would get this: Boppy Slipcovered Pregnancy Body Pillow, Trellis, White
Poppy Pregnancy Body Pillow
It doesn’t seem like it would overwhelm the bed, while still being versatile enough to use sitting up to watch TV, for reading in bed, or on the sofa. It looks supportive in all the right areas. Mainly you want support under your belly and between your knees. Looks like a winner.
And the slipcover function is a MUST!!! You will sweat on this sucker like you would not believe. They don’t call it a bun in the oven for nothing!
#5 Always Discreet Pads
Alright friend, truth time. Our bladder is not as young and pliable as perhaps it was 20 years ago.
Gratefully, I had managed to pass the flu season without a hitch when I was pregnant with my son, but come allergy season, I was a goner.
That first time I sneezed and wet my pants I was like, “DANG! Are you serious right about now?” Sadly, it would not be the last time.
We just talked about how much water we should be drinking, and you will feel like you need to hustle to the restroom more often than usual. But suppressing your sneezes for fear of embarrassment won’t work for long. One is going to get away from you. Best to be prepared.
Pantyliners can do a little bit to help but generally are not as absorbent as you will need.
Enter the Always Discreet, Incontinence Liners. There are different levels of absorbency. Very Light should be all you will need for the occasional leakage accident. Feel free to move up the ladder in absorbency depending on your need.
NO one talks about this, but it is real phenomenon and happens to all of us. Even the “young-ins” at times. So please do not be embarrassed or delay your purchase of this important undie-saver: Always Discreet, Incontinence Liners
You will thank me the first time! And if you never ended up needing them at all, well, you go girl! We’ll call you the lucky one in a million!
This concludes part 1 of 2 on the Top 5 Pregnancy Essentials for Experienced Expectant Mothers over 40. Check out Top 10 Pregnancy Essentials Part 2: Bump to Toe. What to get and what to skip for a comfortable and fashionable pregnancy.
Happy Pregnancy!
Cheers, Chandra
Chandra is the chocolate-chip loving mother of 2 teenage girls who started over again with a baby boy in her 40’s! She is the author of The Mom’s Playbook to Conquering Softball Season. She gives other moms the tools they need to prepare their daughters for real life. Her content is centered on helping girls grow up to be well-rounded, equipped, expressive, confident, intelligent, capable, kind and independent.
Are the Mary Kay Volufirm products safe to use while pregnant? I assume the night cream is not. Thank you.