Top 5 Things Every Pregnant Woman Needs To Buy

You may be able to borrow these from a friend or find them at a consignment store.

The point is--GET THEM! 

You won't regret it.

And now, drumroll, please...

1.  An honest pregnancy book that won't make you feel scared or guilty.

Bye bye, What To Expect When You're Expecting, with its picky Best Odds diet!  So long, Spiritual Midwifery! 

My favorite pregnancy (and postpartum) books are by chatty author, Vicki Iovine.  Her Girlfriend's Guide To Pregnancy is fun to read--and tells you just what you need to know.

2.  Good prenatal vitamins, plus 5 fruits/vegetables per day.

Good food is a much better investment than another maternity top.  Supplement with a prenatal vitamin that makes you feel even better.

3.  Maternity underwear and larger bras as you need them.

It's madness to wear those stretched-out elastics...when your body is straining at its seams! 

You deserve to feel comfortable.  Break down and buy maternity support products, even though you technically could get by without them.

 (You'll be trashing those panties after 1 week postpartum, anyway.)

4.  One maternity outfit that makes you feel fabulous!

I'm all for hand-me-down maternity clothes, but get 1 flexible outfit in which you feel stylish and skinny.  You'll wear it all the time.

5.  Comfortable shoes that go with everything.

Pregnancy does a number on your balance.  Don't believe me?  Check back at about 8 months along.

Your feet will swell before and after birth.  You'll be glad you bought that simple black shoe one size larger. 

No one looks good in a pants suit and tennis shoes--if you can bend to lace them, that is!

The rest is gravy!  Of course, this list brings to mind several things I think pregnant women don't need, either:

rigid, detailed birth plans * 3-D ultrasounds from a mall doctor * expensive creams to prevent stretch marks * belly support bands * contraction timers * complicated DIY birth announcements * more than 1 bag for the hospital * and I'm sure, many, many more!