Oh, the miraculous glow of pregnancy. Your hair is shampoo-commercial thick and shiny, your cheeks have a natural rosy hue, and you… um… you have oddly persistent acid reflux, feet that are swollen two times their normal size, and all-day morning sickness. But in a few short months, you’ll have the most beautiful baby. And if your preggo life isn’t 100 percent perfect right now, we have the hacks that will make all three trimesters that much easier. You totally have this pregnancy thing covered.

A woman drinks a glass of water in bed

1. Take a morning sickness morning sip. Even though morning sickness doesn’t only hit hard in the a.m. hours, mamas-to-be who feel especially rocky first thing may need to take a moment and wait to eat a major meal. If whatever hits your stomach first comes straight back up, start with a sip or two of water. While it doesn’t necessarily stop the sickness, water is much more comfortable on your throat than oatmeal, granola, or toast.

2. Lounge in pregnancy-pillow luxury. Sleep is an elusive goal for many mamas-to-be as their pregnancies progress. Don’t let your belly bump get in the way of your nighttime rest-and-recharge needs. Prop a pregnancy pillow (like this PharMeDoc one, $110) between your growing body and the bed to add comfort and support.

3. Work it — with a pillow. Sure, you now have the nighttime pillow thing down. But what about your daylight needs? Bring one of those small travel-size pillows with you to work. When your office chair just doesn’t feel right, slip the pillow behind your back.

4. Cool your… bra? Yes, your bra. Summertime isn’t the only season that will make you sweat now that you’re pregnant. As your baby and body grow, what used to seem like the most minor activities now turn your internal temperature up. Stash a clean bra in the fridge, then take it out when needed to cool yourself down almost immediately.
A pregnant woman struggles to button a pair of jeans

5. Easily expand pants with a hair tie. It’s too bad that your pre-pregnancy pants’ waistbands don’t grow with your baby bump. But as your belly pushes out and makes your old pants tighter, let loose with this so, so, so simple hack. Thread a hair tie into the buttonhole of the fly, pass one end through the other, pull to cinch it tight, then hook the loop of the free end over the button. Now you’ve gained a few extra inches of give!

6. Make kinesiology tape your BFF. Chances are you’ve seen this brightly colored tape on the bodies of Olympic athletes, but that doesn’t mean only gold medalists can wear it. The aches and pains of carrying around a growing baby aren’t always easy to deal with. Visit a body pro (in other words, a physical therapist or certified athletic trainer) to get the low-down on how to use this genius tape. They can place the tape for you, showing you how to apply it on your own next time.

7. Pack a what-if kit. Once upon a time you could laugh, sneeze, or cough without accidentally peeing a little bit. But now that baby is pressing on your bladder 24/7, all bets are off. Pack an extra bag with a fresh pair of underwear and anything else that you might need to keep your pregnant self comfy. This includes toothpaste and a travel brush for those post-morning sickness moments and snacks to calm your rocking stomach.

8. Book everything ahead of time. Will you really member to schedule your third trimester OB appointments, various screening tests, dental visits, and everything else you need to do while pregnant? Maybe. But just in case, book all of your appointments at one time, well in advance. An early booking also makes it easier to get an appointment that actually fits into your schedule.

9. Trust your phone instead of your mind.Pregnancy brain happens: Don’t count on your own memory to hold all of the info it used to. A note-taking app like Evernote is the perfect pick for jotting down everything from doctor’s appointments to where you parked. Another option is to email yourself or snap pics of anything that you might forget (such as the garage level where you just left the car).

Tweet us your favorite pregnancy hack @BritandCo.

(Photos via Getty)

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Erica Loop
Erica Loop is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh. When she's not busy creating kids' activities for her blog Mini Monets and Mommies, you can find her trying to hang out with her teenage son, being chased by her two Olde Boston Bulldogs or teaching a children's karate class (she's a third degree black belt!).