Pregnancy Comfort Essentials: Feel Your Best

Almost as quickly as I began to celebrate the conception of my second child, I also began to suffer from the same nausea that plagued me for seven months during my first pregnancy. I was surprised and disappointed. Hadn't I heard that every pregnancy was different? And yet, just three months into this pregnancy, I was feeling as tired, bloated, and nauseous as I did while carrying my daughter Sofía.

With six long months to go, I knew I needed to stock up on anything and everything that would ease me through the challenges of pregnancy. With information from new mothers to great-grandmothers, I've compiled a list of pregnancy comfort essentials that should help ease any mom-to-be's occasional pregnancy woes.

Clothing

Beatriz Gonzalez, a mother of three, admits that during much of her first pregnancy, vanity kept her from wearing maternity clothing. "I went into denial at the beginning," she says. "I didn't want to go shopping for maternity clothes, but regular pieces just wouldn't fit." Once she began to feel her baby move, Beatriz found it easier to accept the changes that were affecting her body and began to look for maternity clothes that accommodated her growing belly, without overwhelming her petite frame.

Many women find that, despite clothing manufacturers' claims, maternity wear should not be purchased in the mom-to-be's pre-pregnancy size. Consider purchasing items one size larger than your normal clothing size to avoid uncomfortably tight pieces later in your pregnancy. Mom Susan Bassett advises buying a few maternity tops that "show off the great boobs that most women have" while pregnant, as well as a few smaller items "to look forward to wearing post-pregnancy," as a reminder that you won't always be wearing small tents and muumuus.

Footwear

Despite the popularity of flip-flops, they're not really appropriate footwear for the majority of working women. I never invited more unwanted comments from strangers than when I wore comfortable, open shoes during my pregnancy! Besieged by warnings of permanently wider feet, I found myself searching for shoes that would ease the strain on my feet, while still providing support and looking fashionable. "Flats and small wedges, always in leather, expanded with my feet and my wardrobe," says Susan. "I wore two pairs of shoes throughout my entire second pregnancy!" As a bonus, flats can ease the back strain and pain that are often associated with pregnancy.