Last week I published my gift ideas for runners, and this time I thought I would share some ideas for those who are in the same situation as me right now. I am still running a little, but pregnancy gifts for first time moms are far more appropriate to me right now than running things…especially as my body shape is a little unproportional right now!
So if you are looking for a gift for a newly pregnant friend or gift ideas for mom to be in your world who is coming to the end of their pregnancy, there will be plenty of ideas to choose from of all price ranges. I have gifts for under $20 to get a good stocking stuffer or a present for a friend as well as more elaborate (but much appreciated) gifts for your pregnant daughter, sister, friend (not for baby!). I even have a suggestion for a pregnant couple, which I knooooww will be revived well 🙂
So lets dive in:
Lululemon Enlite Bra ($98)
I cannot say enough about this bra. As a sports bra, casual bra, life bra. This is the best bra I have ever worn in my entire life. Everything about it has been meticulously thought about, and apparently, Lululemon spent two years on the design of this one, but boy did they hit it out of the park! It is comfortable, smooth, and supportive. I see the hefty price tag, and trust me, I have NEVER paid that much or even anywhere in the ballpark for anything like this in my life, but I loved it so much I have two, and I am considering purchasing a third. It is THAT good.
Find the Lululemon Enlite Bra here.
Thrive Market Membership ($59.95 per year)
I have been a thrive market fan for many years, the membership fee is eaaassillyyy paid back in the savings you make from how much cheaper the products are, and its nice to know you are helping a family in need at the same time.
Now you are or your loved one is pregnant, surrounding yourself with the right products becomes even more important. From what you put in through eating to the cleaning products you use, pregnancy really makes you think about what you are doing to your long-term health, and of course, that little baby growing inside.
And not just that, but thinking about once the baby is born, making the right choices. A thrive market membership would allow the freedom to just make the most of the savings you make (and there are a LOT of them compared with the grocery stores), and save money picking up quality products.
Cravings
What has the pregnant woman in your life been enjoying (or maybe not so) during her pregnancy, if she has been resisting the urge to indulge, well, I would argue the holiday season is the best time to actually allow yourself to enjoy, so a nice gift card to that restaurant or a place they can purchase the product would be good, or otherwise buying it for them if possible.
The cravings I have indulged in as they hit me taste 1000000 times better than anything else I have ever had in my life, so it is well worth giving in and enjoying them. So even if your loved one is mad at first, they will be thankful you did after they enjoyed it…unless obviously their craving is almonds, but they are allergic to nuts and will end up in hospital if they consume even one…maybe in that case, skip this one 🙂
Maternity Dresses for a Party ($60-$80)
In the early stages of pregnancy, I was stubborn and thought I would just wear my normal clothes for the most part, and allow them to stretch. I realized I had to purchase some things, like a pair of jeans and maybe a few tops, but I resisted as long as I could.
Lately I have realized that not only do clothes not work that way, if they stretch out, they also stretch up, so you end up with your belly poking out the bottom if your shirt is not long enough. Not exactly the way to show off your bump with pride.
I also have realized how bad most things look, even if they are able to stretch, the material becomes very thin around your bump or it bunches in strange places…for obvious reasons, it was not meant to be worn this way! Either way, it just is not flattering.
Having a few nice dresses for the pregnant woman in your life to wear to parties will make a huge difference. It will be something chances are, we would never spend money on ourselves, but it could go a long way to showing off that beautiful bump with confidence, rather than feeling awkward and uncomfortable in the corner of the room.
Motherhood Maternity has some great ones, as does H&M.
Hypnobabies Class ($180)
This one is not going to be for everyone, but for me as I prepare for the birth of my baby, I could not have found anything I liked more. Hypnobabies involves teaching yourself self-hypnosis for when the time comes and it is time for your baby to join you in the world, you have the skills necessary to be calm, relaxed, and comfortable as you progress through.
It is all about changing the way we view pregnancy and birth, seeing it as a healthy, normal, natural and safe thing, rather than this terrifying event that we have all been accustomed to seeing on tv. I am really enjoying changing my mindset, and feeling good about the day I get to meet her, rather than dreading it.
This involves quite a lot of “work”, not in the traditional sense, more just finding time to listen to it every single day. usually around an hours worth of listening and practicing your self-hypnosis. Sometimes I do struggle to motivate myself to do it, but I feel SO good afterwards, and if nothing else, it forces me to lie down and relax for an hour a day, which can only help.
I am using Babymoon in Lexington, but you can purchase the Hypnobabies birthing method materials yourself here if you live elsewhere.
Dr Browns Baby Products (price varies)
Those of you who know me and my blog, know at the time of writing this post, I am in my third trimester with my first baby. Therefore, I have not yet used any baby bottles or products from Dr Browns, but by far and away this was the most recommended company by family and friends. I heard so many wonderful things about them, that I decided very early on, I would be using them as they come so well recommended.
Now, I realize you as a pregnant woman or your loved one will also not be able to use this yet, but these are a little more than the other products (although well worth it), so they may not otherwise feel they can go for this brand. By removing that part of the stress of finding bottles, they can have the best ones, without having to purchase them. This gift is for the baby, but it will also be for the mama as it will make feeding much easier, which saves a lot of stress once the baby arrives.
And from what I hear, stress removed in any way can make a whole lot of difference!
Maternity Swimsuit ($20-40)
I am a runner, always have been, always will be…other than, you know the three months off I took to get my periods back after nine years without. I would have taken whatever I needed to, but thankfully for me it happened fast. I always knew I would be back to running.
BUT, running while pregnant is rarely fun, often uncomfortable, and sometimes, just not even possible due to pains and just a gut feeling that it isn’t right.
Running gets worse almost every day you are pregnant, but swimming on the other hand, just gets better and better.
It removes the excess weight from your body, and gives you a few precious moments of feeling like a normal person. I have loved swimming while pregnant, and most pregnant women do.
However, swimming while pregnant requires a maternity swimsuit, as in most circumstances, there is no way in heck I am going to be able to squeeze into my previous swimsuit, not just the belly, but the boobs too.
Maternity swimsuits at Motherhood maternity are pretty reasonable, and would make a great gift for the mama to be in your life.
Silicon Ring ($10-20)
I have not yet reached the stage to need this, but I know it is coming. The dreaded swollen fingers where your rings no longer fit. Most married or committed couples do not want to remove their symbols of a lifetime partnership, especially when the person who you are tied to is the father of the child. Therefore, most women are left feeling a little uncomfortable when their rings no longer fit.
A silicon band can be used to replace your actual ring during the final months of pregnancy, but then can also be used in the future for times at the gym or while running if you do not want to get your precious jewelry scratched.
These are pretty reasonable for how useful they are, so a great gift for any mother to be who does believe the symbol is important.
Qalo is probably the best known and rated brand out there, and has lots of options. Find Qalo rings here.
Food Storage Containers ($20)
This one is a bit random, but will be much appreciated.
As we all know, pregnant or not, once the baby arrives, life reaches a whole new level of hectic, and time seems to disappear even more than usual. For that reason, mealtimes become more difficult as it can be tough to find the time to prepare a home cooked meal.
BUT, in those final weeks of pregnancy, most pregnant women are pretty much on lockdown in the house, unable to do very much. Cooking however, is something that can be done, and can go a looooong way once the baby arrives.
I am doing a lot of food prep and double batching meals to put in the freezer for use in February and March, but you wouldn’t want to use up every tub you have filling up your freezer, so a good set of containers that freeze well will be really helpful to making this an easy process.
Rubbermaid makes a lot of good products, and these ones are great glass ones (which means you can stick them in the microwave if need be.)
UCAN Bars ($33 without discount)
UCAN bars? Huh? What is that doing on here?
Well, my friends, these bars have become my friends over the past few months as they are the ideal thing to eat when you first wake up in the morning. Either to prevent morning sickness or just get something in your stomach as you are hungry….again, they are ideal. Around 170 calories, they aren’t too filling or heavy, and I find they are perfect to enjoy an hour before I exercise. I also have some of them in my car for if I am in a pinch and unable to get a snack…or refuse to pay $4.00 for a single granola bar.
They don’t cause any stomach upsets, and they taste good. I would say there are more than enough reasons to try them out for your pregnancy.
Find generation ucan bars here and remember to use code running4real for 15% off. AND if you purchase during the week of Monday 27th November, it will give you 25% off!
Books
Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth ($10)
This is the one I am currently enjoying, and it just helps to spin your perspective about things. Going along with the Hypnobabies way of changing your mindset and approach to pregnancy, but maybe a little less extreme. Ina May shares some beautiful stories of birthing, and has a more positive outlook on the experience while giving you advice on what to expect.
For any mother to be who is worried about the birthing process, this is a must.
Find Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth here.
Fit & Healthy Pregnancy ($14)
I loved this book, especially as an active pregnant person who was beginning to get the snarky remarks about how I should be resting all day while pregnant. Dr Pinto gives great suggestions on how to exercise safely, what to do, and how to approach it, all backed up by research and advice from her OBGYN.
This book breaks it up into the three (well, actually four, including postpartum) stages of pregnancy, which makes it nice and easy to follow along as you go through your journey.
Find Fit and Healthy Pregnancy here.
What to Eat When You’re Pregnant ($12)
I am so glad this book was bought to my attention. There is so much negativity around what not to eat while pregnant, and it can be very frustrating as you are told not to eat this, that and everything else, but not actually told what you can and should eat…other than “eat healthy”, which can be tough in those early days!
This book has a lot of helpful advice up front and then breaks it down by weeks, giving you suggestions of food that would be particularly beneficial at that point in the pregnancy based on what your baby is developing that week. Week by week you gather an army of foods that are good for pregnancy, and feel confident about what you are doing.
If you want to nourish and feed your baby and body well, this is a good one to have.
Find What to Eat When You’re Pregnant here.
Maternity Coat ($100)
One of the big ones on my list this year…hint hint to my loved ones 😛
I resisted this for so long, thinking that it was absolutely absurd to purchase a new jacket just to wear for three months and then potentially never again. BUT after talking to my sister who has a 10 month old, she said it was one of her favorite pregnancy products, and she still uses it now to keep her little girl warm in the cold while wearing her baby carrier.
Most of my jackets won’t even get close to zipping up this winter, and rather than expose the one area I am trying to protect, I am going to suck it up and ask for a maternity coat.
I love the motherhood maternity and H&M ones, although Gap has some good ones also.
Snoogle Pillow ($50)
Those of you who read my blog often will not be surprised at all to see this on the list. This is by far and away the most important and best pregnancy product I have had. From very early on, to this day…and honestly, it might even be hard to give it up after the baby is born…this pillow has been a lifesaver.
Sleeping or being comfortable lying down while pregnant is not fun, but this pillow will make a HUUUUUGGGEE difference, I feel comfortable in every way of sleeping with this pillow, and it is worth every single penny of the cost.
I have two, that’s how much I loved it!
Maternity Photoshoot (price varies)
This is gonna be a bit more on the pricey side, but if you want your mama to be to feel good and confident about the beautiful thing she is doing, give her something she can smile and cherish for life, getting her a maternity photoshoot with a good local photographer is probably the best way you can do that.
They will take flattering photos of you and your growing belly, and show it as the beautiful thing it is, rather than the uncomfortableness that surrounds us a lot of the time. And besides, everyone loves to see photos of them in the best light, especially when you are doing something as wonderful as creating a baby.
This also is considered a gift for the partner too as the man will be involved in many of the photos, which make them perfect for displaying in your home.
I am using Courtnie Coulson, but find a highly recommended photographer in your area.
Pregnancy Slogan Shirt ($30)
Okay, you have to be the right kind of person for this, but most of us do love a cheesy shirt that makes fun of (while celebrating) our pregnant bodies. I fell in love with this jumper when I was home in England, and I am very excited to start wearing it in just a few days (December 1 here I come!). There are some shirts out there that are a liiiittttle too over the top for me, and may be for you or the mama in your life, but there are some that are cute and can be very personalized depending on what interests the mother has.
Sure they will only wear it for one time in their life, but every time they put it on (and remember, unless you want to spend a lot of money purchasing new maternity clothes, we don’t have many clothes to pick from!) they will smile and chuckle a little. Which can make a tired and blah day feel a whole lot better.
There are lots of options from stores like Etsy, but again, Motherhood Maternity has some great ones!
Pregnancy Journal/Planner ($15)
Pregnancy can feel like it is lasting forever, but at the same time, it goes by in an instant. Having a pregnancy journal to document how your body is changing and how you feel along the way is a wonderful thing to do to be able to reflect on someday. You can stick your ultrasound pictures in there and photos of you as your belly grows. One thing is for sure, as this only happens a few times in life, it is nice to have documented this part of your life as much as possible. Sometimes that can feel like a hassle or another thing that you just can’t be bothered with, but it is so worth it.
Having a pregnancy journal makes it really easy, and many of them actually don’t have you fill it in every day or even every week, so there is no pressure to feel like you “have to” do it often.
My sister bought this one for me, and I love it.
Prenatal massage (price varies)
I saved the best for last.
Absolutely the best gift you can get for the pregnant person in your life. I recently went to Baby Belly for a prenatal massage and it was blissful. Prenatal massage is tailored specifically to pregnant women, and they have specialized equipment as well as masseuse who are trained to work with pregnant women. This means they know exactly where to work and how to get the most out of it.
For the first time in months I left feeling like a normal person, and could move around so much better than I had just a few hours before.
Now, pregnant women are not meant to get any form of massage before the 12 week mark, so keep that in mind, BUTTTTT even if you purchase it for them now, it can be the reward they get for making it to 12 weeks, so will be much appreciated, trust me!
You can also get a couples massage at many prenatal places, which makes it a good gift for a pregnant couple to enjoy before their life changes forever.
I love Baby Belly, but you can find a prenatal masseuse in your area.
These are many of my faves (and many on my list too!), but if you have any other ideas, feel free to add your suggestions below.
