Let’s be honest: there are a lot of uncomfy parts of pregnancy. Insomnia, lower back pain, and achy feet aren’t exactly fun. But pregnancy doesn’t have to be uncomfortable. Fortunately, we live in a time when a lot of amenities are available to us – many just a click away. These must-haves for a comfortable pregnancy make the more challenging parts of pregnancy easier and a little more bearable.
I put together this list of 15 must-haves for a comfortable pregnancy with everything I used to ease the discomforts of pregnancy so you don’t have to search for them when you’re in need of relief!
(The contents of this post do not constitute medical advice. This post contains affiliate links. Click here to read our disclaimer.)
Let’s get to it! I included links throughout the post, but all of my must-haves for a comfortable pregnancy are linked here in one spot for you, too!
Soft & Supportive Bras
Other than my missed period, my larger breasts were the first indication that I was pregnant! At just five or six weeks pregnant, my bras suddenly were just not doing it for me anymore. I needed more support but wanted my new bras to feel gentle since my breasts were feeling really sensitive. I am also not a fan of underwire (haven’t worn it in at least five years), so I wanted bras that could provide support without it.
- Seamless Maternity Bras – I ended up wearing these bras throughout most of my pregnancy! The fabric is super soft, and the wide strap on the back makes the bra really supportive. I’ve also never seen so many hook and eye closures on a bra, which meant that it was easy to change the size as needed throughout my pregnancy. Now that I’m breastfeeding, I can say that the front clip is extremely easy to use one-handed. Additionally, these bras were especially great for work. I run a hotel fitness center and wear a uniform shirt that almost always showed my nips (they got really aggressive during my pregnancy). I liked that these bras came with removable pads that helped with this problem!
- Maternity Cotton Sleep Bras – These cotton maternity bras are sooo soft and comfy! Once I had our baby, I ordered an extra 4-pack of these bras because I wanted to make sure I could wear one every day! I like that they don’t look like nursing bras – no extra clips or layers – and I can see myself wearing these beyond pregnancy and breastfeeding. They provide a lot of coverage and also have a wide back strap, which I find really supportive. For nursing, you can easily pull the front over to the side, and there are pockets for nursing pads (I use these ones) if you like using them.
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Foot Care
Your feet go through a lot during pregnancy. Not only do they end up carrying the extra weight of your baby, amniotic fluid, extra blood, etc., they also experience a lot of changes. Once the relaxin hormone kicked in for me, all the joints in my feet relaxed and spread out! Near the end of my pregnancy, my feet and ankles started swelling and feeling achy due to lymphatic buildup. Here’s what helped me the most:
- Foot & Calf Massager – I have a very active job, so even when I was doing much less near the end of my pregnancy, I still found myself on my feet and doing quite a bit of walking. That meant my feet were almost always sore in the last few months of pregnancy. My husband is a prince and provided a lot of foot rubs, but sometimes I needed something extra. I kept this foot and calf massager in our living room so I could use it while watching TV. I also love that you can flip the massager to another angle so it can rub you calves, which came in clutch when I kept getting charley horses during the last few weeks of pregnancy.
- Foot Baths with Epsom Salt – I cannot tell you the number of times someone recommended Epsom salt to me during pregnancy. I took lots of bubble baths with Epsom salt, and as my feet started swelling, I did frequent foot soaks with them, too. Epsom salt foot soaks can ease swelling in the feet as well as reduce achiness. I would fill a basin like this one with warm water and stir in ½ cup of Epsom salt. Since I regularly use it for baths and foot soaks, I like ordering this big bag of Epsom salt to save money and keep me from having to go to the store as often.
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Comfy Shoes
Comfortable, supportive shoes are another pregnancy must-have for foot care, and wearing good ones can prevent some foot issues that arise during pregnancy. These shoes were my go-tos:
- Supportive Sandals – Cushionaire’s Lela sandals are an amazing Birkenstock dupe without the price tag. Once spring hit, I lived in these sandals outside of work. They provided so much support for my tired feet, and I appreciated being able to adjust the width of the sandal straps as my feet spread out and swelled.
- Fleece–Lined Moccasins – I have been a fan of my Minnetonka Chrissy booties for many years, but pregnancy has made me even more devoted to them. Technically, these booties are slippers, but their rubber sole means you can easily wear them out of the house, making them an excellent fall and winter pregnancy shoe. I loved sliding my achy pregnancy feet into these fleece-lined moccasins, which are cushioned for extra comfort. And the soft leather upper never felt constraining, no matter how wide my feet got during pregnancy!
- Holy Grail Clogs – Are these clogs cute? No, no they are not. Are they the most comfortable shoes you will ever wear? Yep, guaranteed! Also, Jennifer Lawrence wore this brand during her pregnancy, and if they’re good enough for JLaw, they’re good enough for me. Seriously, though, I originally bought my OOFOS clogs when I injured my Achilles and wanted extra support, and they delivered! According to the company, their shoes are engineered to absorb 37% more impact than traditional footwear foam materials to reduce the stress on your feet, joints, and back. This is amazing not just for athletic recovery but also for pregnancy, which is basically an endurance sport in its own right.
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Pregnancy Pillows
I know that pregnancy pillows are kind of a running joke because they tend to take up so much real estate in your bed, but they were truly one of my pregnancy essentials. A good night of sleep becomes even more important when you’re growing a person in your body, but it’s harder to achieve because of the discomforts that come with pregnancy. These two types of pregnancy pillows gave me better nights of sleep:
- U-Shaped Pregnancy Pillow – I fully intend to take my giant U-shaped pregnancy pillow into my post-pregnancy sleep life with me. I loved waking up cradled in it – I thought it must be something like the level of comfort babies feel when they wake up snuggled in our arms! The U shape made it easy to support different parts of my body and sleep more comfortably when I was feeling achy. I also really struggled with acid reflux during pregnancy, and propping myself up with my U pillow while I slept was one of the only things that kept my reflux from waking me up at night.
- Wedge Pillow – The wedge pregnancy pillow is much smaller, which is great if you don’t have a lot of space or if you just don’t want to deal with the U-shape pillow some nights. Sometimes all you need is a little support beneath your belly. I also tucked my wedge pillow under my regular pillow to tilt it up and help with my acid reflux issue.
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Back Pain & Headache Relief
Tension in your shoulders, neck, and back comes with the territory of carrying an extra 20-plus pounds. But the pain it causes can make functioning difficult and cause headaches. Here’s what helped me with these issues:
- Heated Neck Massager – I’ve always struggled with tension headaches (they’re actually the reason I started practicing yoga), and I got a ton of them during pregnancy. Later in pregnancy, the heaviness of my belly and lack of support from my pelvis because of the relaxin hormone resulted in a lot of lower back pain. My heated neck massager helped with both. This thing is honestly magical – you can turn the heat on or off and change the speed and direction of the massaging. Plus, the handholds make it easy to move to different spots on your back, and I think the massager itself just looks good! I kept it plugged in next to our couch and would settle in for a massage and tv show after a long day at work. Not only is this one of my must-haves for a comfortable pregnancy, it’s also a must-have for a comfortable life!
- Heating Pad – Depending on what was the sorest that day, I would sleep with this heating pad under my shoulders or lower back to loosen up my tense muscles overnight.
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See also: 10 Prenatal Yoga Poses for Lower Back Pain
Belly Bands
Belly bands support your hips and lower back in pregnancy, as well as provide mild compression. There are several different kinds, but I preferred this one:
- Belevation Maternity Band – This belly band is like a stretchy sleeve. I wore it when I first felt the joints in my pelvis spread out when the relaxin kicked in and my lower back started hurting. I felt like I didn’t need it as much for a while, and then once my belly got heavier, I wore it for the last part of my pregnancy and really appreciated the extra support.
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See also: Prenatal Yoga for Pelvic Pain During Pregnancy
9 Natural Pregnancy Headache Remedies
Nausea & Heartburn Support
Like many pregnant people, I really struggled with morning sickness during my firs trimester. Although that subsided quite a bit once I hit the second trimester, acid reflux and heartburn were problems for me throughout pregnancy. Here are the natural remedies that ended up being my must-haves for a comfortable pregnancy:
[Remember to always discuss any new medications or supplements with your healthcare provider before you start taking them.]
- Papaya Enzyme – My midwife recommended these papaya enzyme chewables to me during my first trimester, and I used them throughout pregnancy. They help your body break down proteins so you can digest your food more easily, preventing pregnancy heartburn. Just take them before or after meals. They honestly taste pretty good!
- Vitamin B6 – Vitamin B6 can be an effective natural treatment for morning sickness Like papaya enzyme, it helps your body break down proteins so they’re easier to digest..
- Sea-Bands – Sea-Bands use acupressure to improve nausea by stimulating the P6 point on the inside of your wrist. Sea-Bands are most helpful if you put them on early in the morning, so I’d keep them with my toiletries (they come with a little carrying case) and throw them on first thing in the morning when I was going through a rough period of morning sickness.
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See also: 11 Natural Pregnancy Heartburn Remedies & Acid Reflux Relief
Prenatal Yoga for Nausea – The Best Poses for Morning Sickness
What are your must-haves for a comfortable pregnancy? Tell me in the comments!
