Shopping List for Baby

It's amazing how many things you find yourself needing for baby. I decided to create three lists. "List A" consisted of items required before baby was to arrive. "List B" consisted of items required shortly after baby was to arrive and "List C" consisted of items not required until baby was around 4-6 months old. Many of my A items were also on my baby registry. Anything we didn't receive at the shower was bought before baby arrived.

List A
-Infant Car Seat (Install the car seat base 3-4 weeks before due date)
-A good stroller
-JJ Cole Bundle Me (More on this later)
-Nursing Cushion
-Baby Carrier and or Sling
-Newborn Diapers (2-3 bags) + Wipes
-Any diapering items you plan to use (cloths, rash cream, diaper pail or bag etc.)
-Diaper Bag with change pad
-Sleepers, Newborn, 3-month and 6-month (x6-8 of each size)
-Onesies, Newborn, 3-month and 6-month (x8-10 of each size)
-Hospital Kit (Thermometer, nail clippers, etc.) Safety First has good ones.
-Bassinet & Crib set-up and dressed with mattress pads and bedding.
-x2 Newborn soother & Soother pod (more on this later)
-Swaddles x2
-Change table & Pad
-Newborn toques x2
-Receiving blankets x4
-Bath towel with hood
-Burp Cloths x6
-Piddle Pad
-Clothing (Good to have a few rompers- comfy for newborns b/c there is no waste band)
-Car sunshades & Seat protector (infant car seats really dig into your cars seats!)
-Mirror for viewing baby in rear facing seat.
-Head support for car seat (more on this later)
-Baby Bathing Chair and/or Euro Tub & Body Wash (I like the Aveeno Baby brand)
-Baby Swing (very useful!)

List B
-Mobile for Crib (Baby is likely going to be in a bassinet in your room for first 3 months)
-Glass Bottles & Pump (It's not advisable to introduce a bottle until your baby's latch is perfected)
-Humidifier
-Cloth Diapers, Size Small (ie. Fuzzi Bunz, min. x12 diapers)
-Monitor (this can wait because baby often spends the first 3 months in a bassinet in your room)
-Infant play mat (more on this later)
-Various rattles and toys
-Sleep sack x2
-Infant bouncer/rocker chair

List C
-Teething toys
-Small cloth bibs x4 (for drooly teething time)
-Exersaucer, baby can use by 4 months of age.
-Jumperoo, baby can use by 5 months of age.
-Highchair (baby shouldn't be eating solids until around 6-months old)
-Baby dishes, spoons, eating bibs.
-Bumbo Seat (great for restaurants- when baby is too small to sit in high chairs)
...I will add onto this list in a later post.

Canadian Family Magazine

I love this magazine for a number of reasons. It's a fresh and youthful Canadian Magazine. What you see you can get right here in our country and often right here in Vancouver. The magazine topics are relevant to us as Canadians. I really like the format of this magazine. There is a section called "Ages and Stages" where you'll find a featured topic for each stage of parenthood: Prenatal, 0-1, 1-2, 3-5 and so on. There is also an index in the magazine that breaks down every topic into the various relevant age groups. There's a wonderful section called "Diversions" where you can find reviews and recommendations of great books for babies and children of various ages. Lastly, I love the "Family 411: Approved" section. Here you'll find reviews on products such as diapers, play pens, strollers and so on. A group of Canadian parents are given a selection of 5 products (such as strollers) to try at home. They write a brief review and supply the magazine with a rating between 1 and 10 for each product.

You can find this magazine in some local stores. I now have a subscription to the magazine. Here's a link to the online magazine and subscription information:
http://www.canadianfamily.ca/

From Fuzzy Bunz to gDiapers...

"What's bad for the hive is bad for the bee"
We know that conventional disposable diapers are bad for the environment and I am inclined to believe they are also bad for our children. The typical baby will need about 6,000 changes, producing nearly 1-ton of nappies- a toxic mountain of plastic, chemicals and raw untreated sewage. Each diaper takes 500 years to breakdown in land fills. Once they do break down they release a host of chemicals into our soil and water ways. Aside from the plastic, vinyl and bleach I was surprised to learn that disposables are filled with chemical beads (Sodium Polyacrylate Gel) for absorbing wetness. A chemical that has has yet to be proven safe for humans. They also contain TBT a chemical known to disrupt sex hormones in humans. For more information take a look at this website: http://www.healthydiapers.com/hs.html

So, I've decided to seek out some alternatives that will not only be healthy & environmentally friendly... but also effective, convenient to use and easy on the pocket book. In the end Chris and I have decided to use a combination of three different diapers. Check back a few months down the road for my progress report.
In the mean-time here's my break-down:

New Born Phase
We've decided to start off by using "Seventh Generation" disposables for the new born phase. These diapers are the healthiest of the disposables, will fit a new born baby (the smallest of the cloth diapers won't likely fit) plus these won't interfere with the chord stump. Not to mention the first several BM's are like black tar and would destroy the cloth diapers.

Beyond New Born
Once the umbilical chord stump falls off and baby is a little bigger we will move to a combination of cloth and cloth/biodegradable diapers. At first I was quite overwhelmed by how many cloth diaper choices there are out there. After doing lots of research and talking with some friends who use cloth I found "Fuzzi Bunz" came out on top on all levels. Even though these are said to be the most user friendly cloth diapers... I still worry about being on the road with dirty cloth diapers. Yuck! So, for those times we will use "gDiapers". These consist of a cloth pant, internal liner, and flushable non-plastic biodegradable insert. They say you only have to wash the cloth pants once every 3-4 uses.

Financial break-down over 2-1/2 years of diaper use
(as per Canadian Family Magazine)
Seventh Generation Diapers $2,100 @ $00.36 each
All-in-one Cloth Diapers $1,364 @ $20.00 each
gDiapers Cloth Disp. Combo $1,400 @ $17.00 each cover, $15.00 per pack of refills
*The average cost of using traditional disposables is $2,300 over 2-1/2 years.

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Seventh Generation~ Healthier Disposable Diapers



Chlorine-Free Baby Diapers
Soft, cloth-like comfort keeps baby safe and dry.

Our Chlorine-Free Diapers offer soft, cloth-like comfort and perform just as well as conventional brands. In addition to keeping your baby dry, our absorbent polymer is non-toxic and non-irritating to baby’s sensitive skin. Featuring stretchy leg gathers and resealable closure tabs.

* Chlorine-free wood pulp fluff (rather than chemical absorbent gel)
* Hypo-allergenic (gentle on skin)
* Fragrance- and latex-free (much healthier!)

Where to buy: Capers, Choices, various specialty baby shops

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Seventh Generation Baby Wipes~ a truly gentle wipe
When a moist cloth isn't available or for convenience sake these wipes are great.

Here's why I like them:
Moistened with natural aloe vera, vitamin E, and water to cleanse and moisturize gently and naturally. Unlike most conventional baby wipes, these aren’t bleached with chlorine and they don’t contain alcohol, fragrance, or synthetic ingredients that may irritate baby’s skin.

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Fuzzi Bunz~ Cloth Diapers



The Fuzzi Bunz diaper was “born” 7 years ago when a Mom decided that she wanted a diaper that would be easy to use, leak free and rash free. Out of this came the incredible design of the first Pocket Diaper ever!
Fuzzi Bunz are a favorite diaper for families and it’s easy to see why:

* One piece to put on
* A complete diaper off the shelf - waterproof outer layer, absorbent insert and
stay dry microfleece layer all included
* Stay dry layer for rash free and happier babies (the insert wicks away moisture
leaving the fleece surface dry to the touch- really!)
* Adjustable snaps at legs & waist for a custom fit
* Waterproof breathable outer later – no need for additional cover
* The pocket opening accommodates variable levels of absorbency so you can
customize it for your child and for particular situations such as daytime or
overnights
* The shells and inserts (absorbent part) wash well and dry fast
* And they have some serious cute factor going on!
* Now available in a rainbow of colours






These diapers are currently only available online through "New and Green" a local Vancouver based retailer. You will find additional information regarding cost, fit, care, and use of these diapers on their website. The website is very informative:
http://www.newandgreen.com/index.php
http://www.fuzzibunz.com/
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gDiapers~ Cloth & Environmental Disposable Combo



gDiapers consist of a washable, cotton outer “little g” pant and a plastic-free flushable diaper refill. They are made of breathable material just like sports clothing. So, babies stay dry and happy and are far less likely to get diaper rash.
Flush, compost or toss.



Can't flush? It's ok to toss our flushable diaper refills because they're plastic-free. Or garden compost the wet ones. They'll break down in 50-150 days.
flush, compost or toss

A totally new way to think about diapers.
Once you get the hang of it, the whole process will seem as normal as recycling your newspaper.
In the beginning, you may have an icky encounter until you get into the groove of using gDiapers.
You can also compost the wet ones or simply toss the soiled refill. It will break down in the landfill in about 90 days vs. up to 500 years for a disposable. Ah, the beauty of plastic-free diapers.
Learn how to flush the flushable diaper refills, how to prepare a night time diaper that won't leak and how to get the perfect gDiaper fit by visiting their very informative website: http://www.gdiapers.com/
Where to buy: Capers, Choices, Crocodile Baby

Packing for the Hospital

What to pack... and when to start? Well, for starters I was told "you never know if you will go into pre-mature labour". So it's a good idea to have your bag(s) ready a month before the actual due date. After talking with a few experienced ladies I was able to come up with a fairly comprehensive packing list. Here are my packing lists:

For use during labour...
• Birth plans
• Robe -- useful if you end up pacing hospital corridors in early labour
• Slippers
• Socks -- believe it or not, your feet can get cold during labour
• A nightgown to wear in labour.
• Massage oil or lotion if you would like to be massaged during labour
• Lip balm, your lips get really dry
• Snacks and drinks for you & your partner, plus some hard candies to help keep you going through labour
• Digital camera
• Relaxation materials: books, magazines, games etc.
• Toiletries
• Hot water bottle! I wish I had two so while the one was being refilled I wouldn't have gone without.

For hospital stay and trip home...
• Going-home outfit, and loose comfortable clothes to wear while you're in hospital. It will take a while for your tummy to go down so you'll still be wearing maternity clothes when you leave for home
• Nursing bra(s)
• Breast pads for when your milk comes in
• Maternity pads, or "overnights" -- a couple packages. I bought the "Naturacare" pads fron London Drugs. They are gentle and free of chemicals and fragrances.
http://www.natracare.com/products/the_natural_choice.htm
• Nightshirt -- front opening shirts are useful for breastfeeding. Motherhood Maternity has some good ones.
• Toiletries
• Hairbrush, toothbrush and toothpaste
• Carefully selected knickers -- don't bring your best ones. The hospital gives you mesh undies. Great for those first couple of days.
• Arnica tablets to help with internal bruising after the birth. Although there's no conclusive evidence that they work, many women report that taking arnica helps the healing process. (This is a homeopathic remedy available @ Capers & Choices)
• Phone numbers of family & friends

For the Baby...
• An infant car seat
• A couple sizes of p-jays for the trip home
• Two to three onsies (different sizes)
• Baby blanket & Swaddle Blanket (Kidapotamus has a swaddler that can be used in the car seat!)
• Diapers, new born and some wipes
• One pair of socks or booties
• Hat, they lose a lot of heat through the head and aren't great at regulating body temperature quite yet.

Baby Bathing~ European Style

I love the idea of this tub and have heard all kinds of good things about it. After witnessing the angst of bathing a baby in a conventional baby bath I'm excited to try this one out. My sister got me one for my baby shower~ yay! There should be no shivering or crying with the Euro-tub... and once baby outgrows the tub it can be used for storing bathtub toys. I'll let you know how it works once we've tried it out!

The Marketing Blurb:
Spa Baby the European style baby tub is the tub babies love. Discover for yourself what the Europeans have known for years. They bathe their babies in tubs that let them sit in a natural upright position with warm water to their shoulders. The tub calms the baby because they feel secure and warm in the bath. It's no wonder babies relax completely and enjoy it so much! It even calms colicky babies. And best of all, it is easy to use for newborns until your baby can go into an adult tub, around 10 months of age. So relax during bath time, and treat your baby to a Spa Baby.

Sugar & the 3rd Trimester

Did you know that 100% of the glucose you ingest during your 3rd trimester goes to the baby?! This means if you eat any sugar or starch you will gain no effect BUT your baby will grow in size. Of course genetics play a large role in whether you have a large baby or not but consuming a lot of sugar plays a role also.

Some interesting tips from Allison & Beth (my midwives):
-Introducing more protein into your diet will help curb your cravings for sugars and starches. If you are not a meat eater then eat more eggs, nuts, and legumes.
-Consuming protein in conjunction with starch or sugar helps your body to better metabolize that sugar. This is also helpful for avoiding gestational diabetes. Some examples: eat your pasta with a meat sauce, and if you want a little chocolate eat it with nuts, have some cheese with your fruit, and sugar-free peanut butter on your toast.

The Fabulous "Convertible Crib"

Now here is some great furniture design. A crib is only useful for so long before you need a toddler bed and then an actual bed. Check out the Simplicity-Ellis Crib (available through Sears) my parents gifted to Baby Peerless:

Crib

Toddler Bed

Double Bed

Craig's List Rocks!

I love, love, love, Craig's list for baby stuff! Buying all the required "equipment" for your first baby is expensive. Craig's list has so many lightly used large cost baby items available~ it's fabulous! The site is especially great for the following items:
Strollers, Baby Carriers, Slings, Monitors, Cribs and High Chairs. Chris and I bought our Rock Star Baby Stroller (very lightly used) for half price. Our Baby Buddha Sling, also half price, like new, in the original packaging and with the instruction manuals. I plan to make more purchases through this great website.

Selecting Your Labour Team

You may have a doctor, midwife, or obstetrician delivering/catching your baby but who will be helping you through the labour process? Maybe your husband, partner, or a family member will be at your side offering support? Something to consider- you may like to have a Doula as well. A Doula can help you work through the pain of labour by utilizing a variety of pain relieving measures such as strategic massage. Also, a Doula will work with you to establish an ideal birth plan as well as a back-up plan. If you have a midwife you don't have to worry about your birth plan being followed. However, if you have an on-call doctor they won't likely have the time to read your birth plan. In this case your Doula would communicate your wishes to the on-call doctor throughout the labour and delivery process. Why do you need someone to talk for you? Well, I've been told by a number of women that you will not be in any shape to worry about these details...

Both of my midwives are aware of my birth plan. However, I still plan to have my sister be my Doula. She will not only offer additional support to me but Chris as well... after all this is a first for him too!
http://www.bcdoulas.org/

Hospital Delivery? A few things to consider when choosing your hospital...

An excerpt from Penny Simkin's book:
Each hospital varies in the services they offer, staff's attitudes toward patients, and their philosophy of care. If you have a choice it's best to learn about several hospitals and choose one that best meets your needs.

Some questions you may want to ask:
-Does the hospital offer maternity and neonatal service to both low-risk and high-risk obstetrical patients?
-Is the hospital family-centered? Can your husband or partner stay the night with you or will they be expected to leave for the evening?
-Can your baby stay the night in the room with you?
-Does the hospital have a Labour, Delivery and Postpartum (LDRP) set-up where birthing and postpartum care takes place all in one room? Or do you deliver your baby in one room and move to a communal recovery room?
-Is the environment non-institutional, clean, and comfortable in feel? You can take a tour to establish your own opinion.
-Do you have access to a private shower and/or jacuzzi tub for labour?

Vancouver has many great hospitals to choose from. I was torn between BC Women's and St. Paul's. BC Women's takes care of the entire provinces high risk deliveries so I was worried about the environment being overly stressful. Not to mention... what if they didn't have a room for me once I arrived. So in the end I chose Saint Paul's Hospital because of their family-centered approach, LDRP rooms w/ private jacuzzi tubs, and low stress environment. If I were to make this decision again I would choose Women's Hospital. The staff at St. Paul's were nice enough. However when we arrived at the hospital the hot water for the jacuzzi tubs wasn't working. Apparently this happens all the time. With my injured hip I REALLY needed that tub. Not to mention I was glued to my hot water bottles. It felt like a very painful eternity before the hot water system was fixed. Also they had no ice-cube machines! Ice chips are a must for a labouring woman. My room was alright. But I would have really liked a room with a window. Something I most likely could have had at Women's. Oh well. In the end Spencer came into this world healthy and strong. We arrived at St. Paul's by 3:00am Spencer was born by 8:55am the following morning and we left the hospital by 4:30pm the same day!

"The single best book for understanding pregnancy, childbirth & the newborn"

"The single best book for understanding pregnancy, childbirth & the newborn"
-Carol Jones C.N.M Director of Midwifery, Seattle WA

Here's a great resource book I'd like to recommend: "Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn" by Penny Simkin of the childbirth education association of Seattle. This is an all in one, authoritative, yet easy to use book highly recommended by my sister and also by my midwifes. This book was used as a resource text for my sister's Doula course and I was lucky enough to borrow it. Very useful.

Belly Shots a la Jonetsu Photography

These beautiful belly shots were a gift from our dear friends and photographer extraordinaires Camille and Chadwick Bensler of Jonetsu Photography. What a lovely experience and a priceless keepsake. Take a look at their website for more fabulously juicy photography.
http://www.jonetsuphotography.com/

Doctor or Midwife?

Decisions-decisions... it all started at my GP's office when my Dr. asked me "how would you like to continue your maternity care?" She doesn't deliver babies but she could offer me a referral to a team of doctors who do. Being that I was not considered hi-risk I wasn't likely to require an obstetrician but I could consider having a registered midwife. Dr. Baggoo said she had heard good things about a clinic called "Pomegranate" and that I might like to make an appointment to meet one of their midwives before making any final decisions. She offered a very objective description of each potential route and from there I started my research. Here's what led me to choosing a midwife...

-Midwifery care is covered by MSP.

-A registered midwife is qualified to be your primary pre-natal/delivery/postnatal care giver through education and certification. They typically spend 5 full-time university years specializing in the study of human reproduction and child birth. A doctor spends 7 years but has to learn the functions of the entire body.

-Midwives offer the option of a hospital or home delivery for low-risk pregnancies. I didn't know that they had hospital rights. Very important to me in my decision process.

-Midwives are experts in natural birth and possess skills and experience to assist women to birth their babies with minimal intervention and without the use of medications. However, they are not opposed to the use of drugs and epidurals when absolutely necessary. They are very knowledgeable and able to educate on the pros and cons of each potential medical intervention.

-For example: so many women think they should enter into delivery asking for an epidural right from the get go... I was one of them. I had no idea that by having an epidural you would be numb from the waste down. This means your natural contractions are weakened and so you can expect to add up to 4 additional hours onto your labour! Not to mention you often require another drug to induce artificial contractions... which can be rather painful regardless of your numb state. Plus you can become rather groggy from these drugs and in some cases so can the baby. You don't want the baby to be overly groggy for a number of reasons. One of which is that grogginess can weaken a baby's sucking abilities where-by inhibiting success in early breastfeeding. However, a midwife will tell you that in some cases an epidural is good. If you have had a long labour and are exhausted/unable to effectively push and are in the final stages of labour a numbing of the "nether region" can be just what you need to let that baby out without heading to the O.R. for a c-section.

-Fundamental principle of midwifery care~ informed choice. I like this a lot.

-If you choose to have a midwife you will alternate visits between two midwives. This way you are guaranteed to have one or the other present at your birth. They will be very aware of your ideal birth plans and will do all they can to see that things unfold the way you had hoped. Delivery doctors typ. work in pools of 4-5 doctors. You will have all pre-natal visits with one doctor but could have any one of the 4-5 doctors present at the birth. Not only do you lose the comfort of the person you've gotten to know but the doctor on call may not follow your desired birth plan. They likely won't have the time to read it and you won't likely be in any kind of shape to explain what you would like to see happen.

-If you are at all nervous about pregnancy and/or delivery... then you'll like the extra "hand-holding" (as my doctor called it) that you get with a midwife. They are all about explanation, choice and support (many general practitioners are also) but a midwife has more time as this is all they do. It's really nice to know they are available 24/7 by phone/pager from beginning to end. If you have any concerns you can call. Also, a midwife will typically come to your house and be with you during early labour. Then accompany you the hospital. They will be with you through all stages of labour and will stay for approx. 2-hours afterward, tuck-you-in (as my midwife said), and be back the next day to see you off from the hospital. An on call doctor will typically be someone you haven't met before, will join you in the delivery room for the final of the 3rd stage of labour, take care of the delivery, and move on from there.

-Midwife clinic visits last anywhere from 30-45 minutes or longer if needed. Where as the average doctor visit will be 15-minutes.

-Every midwife visit will start with a urine protein test, blood pressure check, an abdominal exam, a listen to the baby's heart rate. From there a midwife spends time talking with you about any concerns you may be having. In the final trimester they spend lots of time working with you to develop your birth plan(s) and educating you on your medical options. They also order any necessary blood work and can administer shots if needed.

-A note on medical routines: I am surprised by the number of medical routines that we don't realize are optional and aren't often necessary for you and/or your baby. Here is one example... Post WWII there was an outbreak of chlamydia. Babies born to mothers with this disease developed eye infections. If these infections were not treated properly then babies went blind. So this led to a country-wide ruling for preventative eye drops to be routinely administered to all new born babies. If you know you do not have chlamydia then these irritating drops are not necessary- baby can forgo the puffy blurry eyed side effects. In my opinion medicines are great when needed but typically come with some sort of side effect. Why would I want my new baby to be given any drug unnecessarily?

-In studies where midwifery care was compared to physician led care midwifery clients have been proven to experience lower rates of forceps, vacuum extractions, cesarean sections, episiotomies, infections and babies born requiring resuscitation.

-Less medical intervention results in less chances of a required c-section. There are a number of reasons you may want to avoid a c-section. For one, babies born by c-section have a higher rate of respiratory illness later in life. A vaginal delivery compresses baby's chest, releases fluids from the lungs and helps the baby to start breathing naturally. Also, with a c-section you often lose the super-important skin to skin 1st-hour of bonding as the baby is routinely whisked away for evaluation. Sometimes the baby will be kept for some time and lose the opportunity to breastfeed for colostrum- a substance that coats the baby's stomach and offers important antibodies. If the baby is kept away too long they can even be offered formula by the nurses... this will reduce the effects of any colostrum they will later ingest. Many women today are booking c-sections for convenience and to avoid the pain of a natural birth. What they don't always realize is that a c-section is a major surgery and so recovery time is much lengthier. All this said, it's great to know that in an emergency a c-section is always available.

-Once the baby has been delivered a midwife will carry out postnatal visits to monitor yours and your baby's health. These will consist of 6 visits to your home over a period of 6-weeks. Yes, this too is covered by MSP. I love the way midwives weigh babies during these postnatal visits. No cold stainless steel scales and crying babies here. Take a look below. :)



SOME USEFUL LINKS:
Pomegranate Midwives (my chosen midwifery clinic)
http://www.pomegranate-midwives.com/index.html
BC Midwives Association (find a midwife/clinic near you)
http://www.bcmidwives.com/
Canadian Midwives Association
http://www.canadianmidwives.org/index.htm
College of Midwives
http://www.cmbc.bc.ca/
Midwives in Vancouver
http://www.midwivesinvancouver.ca/

Pregnancy, a few things I've learned along the way...

Who knew there was so much to know about maternity vitamins?
After much research I settled on Sisu's Multi-Expecting vitamins. Here's why: They are all natural with no fillers, contain boosted levels of folic acid (a critical supplement for baby development), vitamin B6 & ginger to help combat nausea which is much appreciated in the first 3-months. Often times women are taken off of their maternity vitamins (by their doctors) due to severe vitamin induced nausea. Also the fact that these vitamins are split into two powder filled capsules taken morning/night really helps reduce nausea. They contain ester-c, the most easily absorbed form of vitamin-C, silicon to fight stretch marks, chelated chromium to help your body digest sugars and prevent gestational diabetes. Lastly, they contain a citrate form of iron which is the least constipating form... very helpful since constipation is typically a pregnancy problem w/o the added iron. Check out this link for more info. on this great vitamin company and this particular supplement:
P.S. It's suggested that you start taking pre-natal vitamins 3-months prior to removing "the guard".

Hmmm, why do they call it Morning Sickness?
In my experience morning sickness was more of a morning/afternoon/evening event and lasted for the first 3-months. It felt a lot like being sea-sick. There really isn't much you can do but ride it out and keep in mind it is temporary. All that said here are a few things to consider: One, always keep soda crackers and water on hand even beside the bed. Two keep some really sour hard candies in your purse. Sounds strange but they helped me ward off the metallic taste that came along with morning sickness... and even helped a bit with the nausea. Make sure that you stay far away from any strong smells and especially smells/tastes that bother you at this time. Consider eating cold foods that don't create a lot of scent while cooking. Your body may not be able to tolerate what it used to.

Stretch marks can often be avoided~
Put lots of lotion or oil on your growing and stretching parts. My fave was a mild scented coco-butter bar Jess got me from Lush. This might be something you want to shop for once you are a couple months into pregnancy... as you likely won't know what smells will be a problem until then.

Clothing your growing belly~
I suggest you invest in some lulu lemon pants one size bigger than normal. They'll fit to the end of pregnancy and then for the first few months. Super-comfy too! Dresses are great for those days that you just don't want anything pushing on your tummy. Thyme Maternity has the most comfortable cotton low cut thongs and boy shorts. They fit just below the belly line and so there is no pressure on your bladder later on.

A new kind of bra~
Throughout your pregnancy you can expect to grow at least two bra sizes larger. By the second trimester you may find your standard under-wire bra very uncomfortable. I bought a couple nursing bras well before it came time to nurse. Bravado makes good nursing bras. You can find them online and in some maternity shops. Also, I found that Vie Maternity Wear in Yaletown had some really pretty and comfy lace bras. When it comes to sleeping it's a good idea to wear a bra-tank (Bravado has a nice one) or a sports bra. That little bit of added support really helps with any weight induced pain you may be feeling in the chest area. Also (apparently) it can help a girl avoid future sagging issues. We'll see...