10 Pregnancy Hacks You Need to Know NOW

Whether you’re currently pregnant, thinking about getting pregnant, or just had a baby, these pregnancy/postpartum hacks are going to be life-savers (and money savers) for you and your family! Now that you’re pregnant, you whole world is different and it will forever be different from here on out. But different in a magical way! Once you have that baby, you won’t be able to even remember what life was like before he/she arrived. How do you prepare for a small human who needs you to survive!? Your motherly instincts will definitely kick in, but I do have a few hacks to help make things a little easier.

This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Honestly, there’s not too much you need to do to prepare for baby before he/she arrives. Yes, he/she will need somewhere safe to sleep, you’ll need the necessities like diapers and boobs (which thankfully you already have!) or formula, and a few other basic needs for you and the baby. But for a long while, all that baby really needs is you, a clean diaper, and some breast milk/formula.

So before the baby arrives, take the time to write out any “Thank You’s” for baby shower gifts, graciously accept all the freezer meals people will be bringing you to help prep for your weeks following delivery, then sit down, relax, and enjoy the last few days of your silence-free life.

HACK #1: Wear a bikini top instead of a bra

Your body is changing rapidly, and will continue to. And we all know that the second biggest thing to grow (after the belly), will be the boobs. And have you seen the price of bra’s?! Who has the money to keep purchasing bra’s with their ever changing pregnancy body? I’ve heard women wearing sport bra’s during the pregnancy, as they are stretchier and more comfy. But having to pull those over your head can be quite the challenge once you’ve reached a certain size. Do you know what’s even easier than that?

A string tied bikini top! They will be far easier to put on and take off than sports bras, and will provide you with all the coverage and comfort you’ll need during pregnancy. It will even benefit you postpartum when it comes to breastfeeding!

HACK #2: Keep an adult diaper in your bag towards the end of your pregnancy

I can see the confusion on your face. What? Why? Well, in case your water breaks while you’re out and about! My water didn’t actually break, so I can’t really speak on the experience of this, but I can imagine it would be quite uncomfortable (and maybe even embarrassing… though it shouldn’t be! You have no control over it and you’re bringing a baby into this world!).

I’d say it’s better to be safe than sorry. Plus you can use up the rest of the pack while you’re in recovery after the baby arrives (see hack #6).

Hack #3: Wear your maternity jacket over your baby bjorn

Depending on what time of year you have your baby, you may still need a jacket. A maternity jacket is the perfect way to keep you and baby warm while you have him/her in your front carrier.

Buy it here

Hack #4: Wear men's undershirts

Men’s undershirts are longer and more easily able to cover that very pregnant belly of yours. At the end of my pregnancy, even my maternity shirts were too short. And I had very bad stretch marks. I needed better coverage asap. At this point in my pregnancy, I was wearing everything of his (boxers included!).

If your man doesn’t want to share (which, I’m sure he’d be happy to), you can buy your own pack for cheaper than you would a single maternity shirt. These shirts will be longer and stretchier as well! (I also wore his shirts postpartum as it was just easier to get on, comfier to wear, and I didn’t care if breast milk leaked a little onto it. I had so many that I could change into while the others were in the wash).

Hack #5: Create a pregnancy pillow with two standard pillows and an extra long pillow case

Towards the end of your pregnancy, finding a comfortable sleeping position will be so hard. It’s hard to get comfortable while being forced to sleep on your side (and that’s not even including if you were crazy like me and only slept on your left side for the health of the baby).

I found that hugging a pillow helped me fall asleep almost immediately though. However, some of the pregnancy pillows aren’t all that comfortable. That’s why I highly recommend making your own with two standard pillows in an extra-long pillowcase.

This will not only save you tons of money, but will also give you a pillow that is moldable to your body shape. You can easily separate the two pillows in the center for your belly to lie between, or prop them up extra for more support.

Buy it here

Hack #6: Freeze sanitary napkins for after childbirth

After childbirth, you not only need to take care of your baby, but also your vagina. You will be hurting down there! And you will also be bleeding a lot with no ability to use a tampon. A nice remedy to help soothe any discomfort down there, is to lightly dampen a pad and freeze it. Pull it out and wear it for some immediate relief.

Hack #7: Expand your own jeans with an elastic band

Maternity clothes are so expensive and you only wear them for a few months. If you can get away with wearing your favorite jeans, why not do that for as long as you can?! Just grab some elastic, push it through the button hole, then thread it through itself and loop it around the button.

If you’d like help keeping the zipper up too, you can do the same thing with the zipper (most have holes at the top of the zipper), then just loop that around the button as well!

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hack #8: Take photos of you with your gift & the gift giver

Pregnancy brain is real. You may think you’ll definitely remember who bought you what, but when it comes time to sit down and write those “thank you”‘s, you’ll find yourself struggling or feeling like you’re missing something or someone.

A great way to remember who bought what, is by either taking a photo with the gift & gift giver herself, or if you aren’t opening the gift in front of your guests, take a photo of the gift with their open card next to it (or write their name on a piece of paper and snap a pic that way). You now have photo’s to go through with the gift and either their face or their name included in it.

Hack #9: Use cabbage for swollen everything.

There is a lot of pain associate with pregnancy and postpartum. One of the biggest postpartum pains are engorged breasts. If you go too long between feedings, or when your body is simply getting used to it in the beginning, you will find that your breasts are sore and full. Apparently cabbage helps!

In order to get the most out of this remedy, you’ll need to make sure the veins of that cabbage are crushed. You can do this by removing the leaves and rolling them with a rolling pin. Then take the leaves and leave them on your breasts for 20 minutes (or until they wilt). You can do this up to 3 times a day. Within 2 days, you should be feeling much better!

Hack #10: Use toothpaste to hang wall decor in the nursery

A great hack for hanging wall decor straight (without marking up your wall) is by using toothpaste! Just place a small dab of toothpaste on the back of the frame where the hooks are and then press it against the wall. It will then leave little spots on the wall where you now know where to drill or hammer into.

This is especially helpful when it comes to frames and decor that have more than one hook on the back. Trying to perfectly space those hooks on a wall is always a nightmare in my opinion.

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And there you have it! 10 life-saving hacks for when you’re pregnant/newly postpartum. I hope you enjoyed!

Have you tried any of these pregnancy/postpartum hacks? Help others by commenting your experience/hacks in the comments below!