My purse lately is half a diaper bag too.  But I never leave the house without certain things in it, especially during pregnancy.  I’ve been caught between a rock and a hard place SO many times that I’ve cursed myself for not checking my purse contents before I walked out the door.

So I thought it would be fun to chat about what to carry in your purse when you’re pregnant so that you’re not caught unawares, scrambling desperately for something you can easily keep on hand.

What To Carry In Your Purse

First off, I’m an advocate of NOT carrying so MUCH stuff that your bag is HUGE and is just as heavy as the grocery bags you’re also hefting, or the car seat you’re more focused on.

But on the other hand, I hate little clutch purses that are more a waste because you may as just well carry your wallet and phone alone because they don’t support anything else.  Plus it’s gotta have a strap or two so I still have my hands free-very important.

Anyway, here’s what I think is the complete list of what you NEED, not necessarily what you personally want:

• Water Bottle - Don’t you DARE go anywhere without this filled before leaving.  If you don’t regularly carry a water bottle with you, then start making it a habit for life NOW.  Water is SO important for you during pregnancy.  And you’re going to be hot, hot and HOT a lot of the time because of that little bun in your oven that’s constantly baking.  Read more about why here.
• Healthy Snacks  - My own boys expect snacks immediately when we’re in the car because they know that I carry them (mainly for me).  I keep protein bars, fruit strips, sometime crackers readily available.  You will have times when you’re just immediately starving and need something right away.  But waiting those 15 minutes until you get home can be TOO long.  Don’t EVER ignore your body when you’re hungry.
• Tissues/Wipes -  There are two reasons to have these in your purse:
  • It’s likely you’re going to catch a never ending cold and/or have a stuffy nose for months at a time when you’re pregnant.  And dripping snot at the checkout line isn’t very attractive.
  • You’re going to be sweaty ‘down there’ quite a bit when you start to get bigger into your third trimester.  The additional weight, blood volume, just plain being hot and having to wear extra layers often creates a sauna in your crotch and underbelly.  Being able to clean that up a bit can be a big relief.  Often I’d just go to the bathroom and sit there for awhile with my underpants down so that I could air things out too.
• Lotion/Body Butter - As your belly begins to stretch super tight, that itchy feeling prevails.  And it takes a STRONG woman to resist the urge to scratch your belly until you bleed.  (What if you have extreme itching?)  It’s very helpful to be able to pull up your shirt for a moment and slather a calming creamer across your middle so you don’t end up making things worse.  Use one that has oatmeal in it which give even more relief for itching, or try the balm in this bundle here. 
  

  Image courtesy of kayaks.ca

• Change of Underwear/Pantyliners (sometimes) - It can be quite embarrassing to be out in public, have a super powerful sneeze……and then find your standard urinary incontinence got the better of you.  Coughing, sneezing, laughing even just skipping along can cause little spurts of urine to leak, unfortunately.  You can combat these with kegels, but you will never be able to completely be full proof against a few leaks. One time I had to go commando at work because I had an accident.
• Ginger Snaps - If you struggle with nausea and bouts of morning sickness, keep handy those things you know will help you get through those hard moments without puking on the lady in front of you at the checkout line.  It can the difference between survival and half an hour of apologies, embarrassment and cleaning up a huge mess.  Get extra help with nausea here.
• Tylenol - If you’re prone to headaches you may already have this with you regularly.  But some women suffer from more and worse headaches while pregnant, often striking at any time.  The main ingredient in Tylenol (acetaminophen) is the only pain reliever approved for use during pregnancy.  Ask your doctor about it if you have concerns.
• Antacid - Because heart burn can strike at any moment, not even if you’ve eaten recently.  Some days I’ll raid our work’s first aid kit because we get these huge ones in the break room that are fully stocked with orange calcium carbonate tablets I down as candy sometimes for relief.

And that’s it.  It can be a lot in the long run, but also very little if you are smart about it.

Check Out Sarah’s Purse

Just writing this reminded me that I need to add lotion to my purse.  I used to have a cute little squeeze tube that I carried around, but it’s long since run out and I need to replace it.  Because I’m starting to get a little itchy on dry days and could use the addition.

Here’s what I pulled out of my purse today:

• water bottle (I often have another one in my car too because I get headaches when I don’t have enough)
• notebook with all my stuff, to do lists, receipts, pictures, bills, etc.
• WIC packet
  • Some pregnant women and children get monetary benefits for healthy food purchases.  And the income guidelines are much broader than for SNAP food assistance.  See if you qualify and it will be a great benefit to your family.
• a Women’s Conference schedule I’m going to with my mom and sister next week at BYU
• chapstick
• lip gloss
• wallet
• checkbook
• keys
• emergency whistle
• pen light
• my ancient little flip phone (yes, I function perfectly fine with it  )
• diapers (remember I’ve still got two toddlers)
• baby wipes
• hand sanitizer
• nail clippers and file
• bandaids
• an extra zofran pill from when I had the stomach flu, just in case
• my grocery list from this week
• some pens
• my work badge key

I just realized I forgot to empty my snack pocket when I took this pic!  I’ve also got granola bars and fruit strips in there I missed.  Oh well, it’s still fun to explore each other’s purses even if you don’t see everything.

Do You Have Your Belly Armor Blanket In Your Purse?

Anyway, what have you got in your purse?  Hopefully you got a little inspiration.