20+ Easy Pregnancy Hacks You NEED

Pregnancy is TOUGH, and when you have TOUGH things to do you need HACKS, am I right? Today I’m going to share some of my favorite pregnancy hacks. While not EVERY hack may apply to everyone, I think that everyone will find something in here that helps them out!

First off, hello! I’m Hilary — many people know me as The Pregnancy Nurse 👩‍⚕️. I have been a nurse since 1997 and I have 20 years of OB nursing experience, I am also the curly head behind this website Pulling Curls and The Online Prenatal Class for Couples. 🩺​ I have some GREAT options for you today, so let’s get going!

My FIRST hack for you is to let me join you in your pregnancy. I can send you tailored messages for just where you are, and we can walk that journey together:

Elastic to Expand Existing Pants

I have to start with this one because it’s like “THE” pregnancy hack. Use a hair tie or an elastic to wrap between your button hole and your button to give you a few more days of wearing them.

This is awesome in early pregnancy, but frankly it won’t last long. I do think that these last a bit longer, but the reality is most people find leggings and dresses to be their favorite (check out my post on early pregnancy clothes for more options).

Balance Carbs & Proteins

On my last pregnancy I ate the gestational diabetes diet for most of my pregnancy. I was AMAZED how much better I felt when I balanced my carbs and proteins during pregnancy.

I’d heard a lot of providers, over the years, talk about how the diabetic diet is the best way to eat and I have to say they’re right.

Every meal should have a small amount of carbs and you should be balancing that with protein.

So, yes — sometimes that meant a brownie and some chicken as dinner, but if I ate the brownie alone I felt like trash. Give it a try!

BTW there is a whole nutrition bonus video in here talking about eating right during pregnancy that is SO helpful!

I also have a safe eating guide you might find helpful too:

Take a Protein/Carb Snack to Your Glucose Test

The glucose test is one of the most hated part of a healthy pregnancy.

Should you take the test, 100%.

Is it miserable, 100%.

BUT one way to make it better (and to have a better life afterwards) is to make sure you bring a good snack to eat on your way out of the lab. I liked to bring a PB&J sandwich, but just something that has some carbs, some complex carbs (wheat bread) and some protein will help you get to a meal once you get home.

I even made a quick video about it:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/xuppxPaR-2k

One. Day. At a Time.

Sometimes you’re taking a very long view of pregnancy. You’re thinking I have 6 more months of this? And frankly, that is often just too overwhelming to think about.

And the other good news is that every day is different. There will be good days, there will be bad days, but the GUARANTEE is that this isn’t your new forever.

So, take it one day at a time, don’t think about the long game (especially when you’re feeling low). Just what’s your next step towards feeling a little bit better.

I’m also a big fan of positive affirmations:

Skip Thank You Notes

Oh guys, when I hear people filling out thank you notes for their shower — I just feel so bad for them.

Maybe you love thank you notes, in which case- – WRITE AWAY.

But if you don’t, a few options:

• Text them thanks — having some conversations with good friends will do you well anyway
• Give away thank you items at your shower
• Just ignore it.

There are exactly ZERO times I gave a baby shower gift and expected a thank you card. If you said thanks at the shower, that’s plenty. 🙂

While it is a lovely gesture, you may want to prioritize people who sort of expect one. Maybe your grandma, aunts, or people who didn’t make the shower in person.

I’m mostly saying expect less of yourself, because the people who truly care about you expect less. They know you’re growing a human inside of you!

Stretching

This is a BIG hack. Your muscles are going to be used in new and different ways that make them SCREAM sometimes. They just hate you and these new movements you’re making.

So, make SURE that you give them some time to stretch out and open up that body.

I could literally feel my body curling in on itself and contracting about how tired it was. I found a lot of joy with prenatal yoga.

If you have a specific spot that’s hurting, ask for a PT consult (physical therapy) to see what they recommend for you.

I wish I’d asked PT more about what was best to do in my case. My pelvis was splitting, but stetching felt really great. BUT I sometimes wonder if I was doing stretches that were making it worse — and that’s where physical therapy can be helpful!

Btw, do the aches and pains of pregnancy make you wonder how you’re going to do with pain at birth — let me share a few of your pain options with you:

Chiropractic Care?

This one has a question mark because you HAVE to find a chiropractor that is NORMAL and is based in the Webster Technique.

That’s a special technique for pregnancy and babies.

You don’t want a chiropractor that is practicing out of their lane, or not doing proven techniques on you.

You’ll find providers are hesitant to recommend a chiropractor, which is a REAL shame because I think they can be really helpful during pregnancy as long as they stick to what they’re good at (that somehow just feels rare anymore).

I wish I had gone, but again — it may take some searching to find one that works for you.

I actually had a chiropractor on my podcast that explains more about what they can do:

Take a Prenatal Class

The thing is, your pregnancy appointments can be helpful, but your provider really can’t answer every question that you have about your pregnancy & birth.

That’s why I recommend taking a class that gets a lot of the “everyone needs to know this” stuff out of the way so you can use your appointments to concentrate on what’s going on with YOU.

The other stuff that pertains more to you.

Plus, In my studies this class class makes people 54% less nervous and they feel almost 70% more prepared for birth and life after baby — which is probably the best hack in here! Feels amazing to feel confident and prepared!

Lower Your Expectations

This is a big one. I have this pep talk frequently with pregnant people.

You just can’t expect so much of yourself.

Yes, you were super productive before you were growing another human, but you added that to your plate and frankly it takes a lot of effort.

So, you may need to nap more, take more time for yourself. Be kinder to yourself.

Just expect less, and maybe just be happily surprised when you get more done.

Honestly, this goes through after baby is born and in my postpartum lessons in here I talk even more about this and how I needed to do it better too.

Belly Band/ SI Belt

A belly band can be amazing. I hear some mixed results, so be mindful of that. There are two types of bands.

One is worn under you belly, and is meant more to support your core and ligaments as the belly grows. Like this.

The other one is worn over your hips and helps any pelvic issues, and is called an SI belt.

Talk with your provider about which one is right for you. I have a couple of articles on them overall, one on how to wear a belly band and one on belly straps that you might find helpful.

If you have hip pain, I have a few tips for you right here:

Kinesiology Tape

In a similar vein to the belly band, have you seen kinesiology tape that goes on your abdomen? It helps support your belly (through, what seems like magic).

I was super skeptical, but the studies do show that it helps.

I actually asked Mummy Tape to for some to try on my sore body one time. I wore it to Disneyland and used it on my normally VERY unhappy plantar fasciitis and it worked!!!!! I have no idea why.

It seemed like placebo, but I was pretty skeptical all along and it really seemed helpful. People say the same about the belly tape. I think these ones from Mummy tape make it easiest! You can use coupon code PREGNURSE to save 20% on your order!

They have free shipping, so you can always try it out and see if it helps you!

I’d also recommend talking with your provider at your next visit about it too, see what they think.

You can see more about it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHlv7NLjICM

Better Shoes

I hear this one a LOT. People are just MISERABLE and then they get better shoes and feel SO much better.

I think this might be a good time to go to your local walking/running store and see what they recommend for however your body is acting.

Supporting those feet is MORE important than ever, so make sure you’re doing just that.

At the very least go to a good shoe store and try some on to see if they just feel better. Maybe make your partner come so they can lace them up. 😉 {bonus hack there}

BTW, getting partners prepared is a total hack too!

Plan Nesting Early

I asked in my pregnancy group what people found to be a hack and they all said getting their nesting plans set early on was a big hack.

It’s likely you’re going to feel pretty great in your 2nd trimester and doing the physical things to get prepared is smart mid-pregnancy. As you get later into your pregnancy you are going to be tired. So, getting stuff done early can be a BIG hack.

It is also a great thing to have for your partner so they know what you’re hoping to get done and can work on it even when you’re not feeling right.

And yes, I also have an organization course…. because I love me some nesting.

Use a Yoga Ball Right

I see SO many people bouncing on a yoga ball and I just roll my eyes.

Guys, BOUNCING ON A YOGA BALL ONLY MAKES YOUR LIGAMENTS MAD. Like real mad.

That isn’t to say that a yoga ball can’t be helpful. I totally recommend them for things like:

• Roll to the side for a supported inner thigh stretch
• Rolling sexy hip circles to help stretch out your back.

Just don’t bounce on it. That’s not helpful. I have a whole post on if a yoga ball can put you into labor.

Plan to Deliver Late

Stop thinking you’re going to deliver at 37 weeks. It’s not helpful.

You need to plan that you’ll deliver about a week after your due date.

It sets your expectations long, so if you do go into labor early (or chose to be induced) you’ll feel extra happy.

Vs the people who, at 36 weeks are thinking “I’m almost done” and then realize they have a whole other month left. That’s a let down and I don’t want that for you.

Personally, I’d just tell people I’d have my baby way later than we were actually due because I just didn’t need the questions as to when she’d be here. I was due April 17th, I told people “late April” and I had her on April 29th. It was still miserable, but at least I didn’t feel like I was in super overtime, because I figured I’d go later.

By just telling people it would be late April I also set those expectations low for myself!

Eat Dates

There’s SO much about eat xyz and it will put you into labor. Although there really aren’t any studies that show that’s true. However, studies DO prove that eating dates can make labor happen a little easier — the key is that you have to eat about 6/day and you need to start early. Read more on my post on when to start eating dates.

And, if you’re wondering how to go into labor, my best tips are in here:

BTW, that book is included in the Bump to Bassinet Bundle here!

Tailor Your Epidural

This one’s a labor hack, but it’s not something a lot of people think about.

Did you know that you can tailor your epidural to you? So many people covet the “walking epidural” but while most people won’t walk with an epidural, you can still have the amount of movement that you want.

You just have to balance that with how much pain it’s taking away. I talk more about it in my walking epidural post.

Honestly, it’s like a lot of labor. You can tell us what you’re wanting and we can make it work for you. BUT if you don’t tell us what you want, we have no idea how to fix it right for you. I talk more about that in here.

Pick a Great Provider

It sounds dumb — but during your pregnancy your provider really can make or break things. You want to feel like you have someone supporting you in this process. Not someone who makes you feel like a burden.

So, if you don’t like your provider and you’re not past 30 weeks yet, shop around. Ask friends, call the providers who are in your insurance booklet to see who you can switch to. At least you should find out if there are better options.

I had a lady in my Facebook Group who was going to a provider FAR away, who she really liked, but they always had a 2 hour+ wait for appointments and it was taking over her whole life.

She found someone closer that just felt more supportive (and less taking over her entire life) and was much happier. It was a win. She just needed a little shove to do the back-end work.

It is important to know that later in your pregnancy it can be harder to change, so aim to do this one as early as possible if you want to change.

Pain vs Labor

Some people seem to think that if they do things that put them through pain (aka, eating spicy foods, jumping jacks) that is something that may put them into labor.

Being in pain is not the same as labor, and the earlier you learn that, the happier you’ll be.

In fact, being dehydrated can cause contractions, but they’re just your uterus being mad, not actually pushing baby into the pelvis. So staying hydrated keeps your uterus happy! ANOTHER FREE HACK! 🙂

Give Up Control

This is my last, and best one. Stop pretending that you’re in charge of this. Yes, I LOVE me a birth plan:

(btw, you can grab my series on them above or here) — because it helps you think of your options in advance. But birth and pregnancy just aren’t things that are plannable. You seem to think that you have plan XYZ and then when your provider gives you information that needs to change it you’re heart wrenched that it’s not following your plan.

The reason it’s doing that is because labor isn’t something you can plan. You can be prepared (more on that in a second) but you can’t plan it. You don’t have control over it and if you keep thinking you do, somehow mother nature will strongly remind you that you don’t).

Ok, back to being prepared. That is truly the BIGGEST hack of them all. I don’t want you to be that lady who says “no one ever told me” — because you don’t need that.

I tell you the things you need to know in here. It’s quick, it’s fun and you’re going to feel SO much better when it’s done! Come join me!

Not sure we’re a good fit check out my free class — It’s your first step towards being your own birth boss.