Hey everyone! As a Prenatal Chiropractic and Brand New First Time Mom, I have done a lot of research on the billions of different pregnancy, post partum, and baby products! I drove myself crazy reading reviews and obsessing over which products to pick. Here are some of my favorites… I am not sponsored by any of these brands… I just love them for myself and recommend them often to my patients!
Dr. Hurley’s favorite products:
Pregnancy and Postpartum
Serola SI belt. I recommend these supportive Sacroiliac Belts to absolutely all of my pregnant and postpartum patients, and also to many of my non-mom patients as well! The purpose of these belts is to support the SI joint (joints of the pelvis, sometimes called “hips”). The ligaments that keep these joints together can become overstretched if a person is hypermobile. In the case of pregnancy and post-partum, the body is filled with relaxin which further relaxes the ligaments. These belts should be worn very low and not put any pressure on the belly. I prefer this belt over a pregnancy support belt, because I am not a fan of any device that puts sustain pressure on the belly, potentially restricting baby’s movements.
The ideal way to use this belt is to bring it in with you to your Chiropractic appointments. I will adjust the pelvis and balance the ligaments, and then we will directly put the belt on. This way I can help you with proper positioning and the support will help the pelvis stay balanced after adjustments. Adjustments will hold longer!
You can find this belt on www.Serola.net
Magnesium Lotion. A common issue in pregnancy is restless, achy, or cramping legs. There are several things that help with this. Adjustments of the low back take pressure off those nerves and help relieve aching legs. Massage and stretching of the psoas and piriformis muscles can help, especially when done right before bed. And Magnesium! In fact, Magnesium lotion can help with restless, crampy legs. It can help with tight back muscles. It can even help with sleeping.
I recommend to my patients, in addition to regular chiropractic care, to begin a night time routine of a warm Epsom salt bath (also has magnesium!), apply magnesium lotion, perform stretch routine, and then go straight to bed. It helps with restless legs, sleeping, and may even be beneficial for maintaining a healthy blood pressure.
I personally love the brand 8 Sheep Organic with Lavender for magnesium lotion, but there are many good brands out there!
Yoga Ball/Birth Ball. There are tons of great uses for having a yoga ball throughout pregnancy and birth. In our birth classes at the clinic, Nicolle teaches several comfort techniques and positions to progress labor while using the ball. I also recommend it throughout pregnancy for doing core exercises in order to prepare for birth. It’s also great to sit on to encourage good positioning of the baby… plus good for your back!
I am obsessed with the brand Vivora Luno. It is a very cool sitting ball that has a handle and a cover. The standard is ok but I found the fabric to be scratchy. They recently restocked on the “Artisan series Chenille ball” which I have two of and I love. They are not perfectly round which helps to keep them from rolling around your house and they look great in an office setting for sitting at a desk.
Bras. My life was miserable as I had to change outfits and bras several times throughout the day to accommodate pumping, nursing, and going out in the world. Then I found the Dairy Fairy- pumping and nursing bra. I find the Rose style very comfortable, good for pumping, nursing, and wearing in public. Highly recommend!
Breast pump accessories. The website LavieMom.com sells Warming Lactation Massaging Pads for breast pumping. They are great for blocked ducts and helping pump more milk.
Breastfeeding Pillow. The number one thing that my postpartum moms tell me when coming in for their first adjustment: My upper back and shoulders are killing me! Adjustments and massage are going to be essential, but a pillow to help bring baby into an ideal position while nursing helps a lot! I like the My Brest Friend pillow for breastfeeding because it has lumbar support too.
Rocking chair. I don’t have a particular brand but it is non-negotiable to get a quality rocking recliner with lumbar support! I bought mine at FFO, they are a great furniture outlet for awesome prices compared to other furniture stores.
For Baby
Car Seat. Ok people. If you don’t consider any of these other products it is totally fine… but this one is an absolute must!!!
The DOONA!
First of all, I recommend either the Doona or the Britax car seat for the best structure for baby’s spine. Many brands of car seats actually have a thick piece of foam underneath the cushion that creates a ledge that pushes into the baby’s spine.
But the Doona is amazing because it is a carseat and stroller combination! I cannot tell you how many moms I see lugging around the heavy carseat over one shoulder and a diaper bag over the other shoulder, holding a purse and if they have another child as well…. Forget it! It’s exhausting, chaotic, and terrible for their backs and shoulders!! The Doona is a carseat that has wheels attached to the bottom. With the click of a button the wheels pop out and you are rolling them instead of hauling them over your shoulder! Saves parents’ spines and keeps baby asleep while getting them in and out of the car!
I know it’s more expensive, and many parents say they have a car seat that clicks into a stroller system… but they don’t use it when running into the store or going to a doctor’s appointment. With the Doona it’s all one piece. It is so worth it for the ease and convenience of not carrying the car seat over your shoulder.
Humidifier. Running a humidifier in the house is important for everyone’s health year round. It’s been shown to be beneficial to keep from getting sick and if they are sick to recover more quickly! I always had a generic brand but I recently discovered Canopy and love them! It’s a finer mist, runs longer on far less water, but actually raises the humidity in the room much more efficiently (yes I am a nerd and actually bought a little device to measure this very thing.) The Canopy is far more expensive so if you can’t afford, just buy a cheap one! You just have to be more conscious about drying and cleaning it because they are prone to growing mold.
Bottles and Pacifiers. I recommend Nuk brand because the shape of the nipple of the bottle and the pacifier help with cranial molding and development of the palate. However, my baby wouldn’t take Nuk… of course. She liked the Mam, which I think achieve a similar goal.
Soaps, lotions, detergents, cleaning products.
I encourage everyone to consider the soaps, sprays, lotions, perfumes, and cleaning products they use! Most have toxic chemicals that enter the bloodstream when absorbed into the skin and can disrupt hormones and endocrine function. This is especially important to be careful of when a baby will be in the house!
I use Honest Company for baby soap and coconut oil for lotion for my baby girl. I recommend using an app called Think Dirty to search for products and learn how clean they are. Don’t be fooled! Just because something is marketed for babies does not mean it is free of toxic chemicals.