First Trimester Pregnancy Essentials
Yayyyy! First of all, congratulations mama on that sweet new addition to the family!
The first trimester comes with a lot of excitement, although it can come with a lot of not so fun symptoms as well. For me, I had a tough time with nausea and extreme exhaustion as well.
I have now just finished the first trimester, of my second pregnancy, a few weeks ago. I found some new first trimester essentials that I did not know about during my first pregnancy, that were definite life savers this time around. Making handling nausea a breeze compared to the first pregnancy.
So here I am, sharing all of my favorite tips/tricks/essentials that helped me through the first trimester!
First Trimester Essentials
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1. Prenatal Vitamins
Well this one is pretty self explanatory. Be sure to start taking them as soon as you find out you are pregnant.
2. Tummy Drops/Ginger Chews
I had no idea about these all throughout my first pregnancy, although with this second pregnancy they have been a lifesaver. Let me tell you, try these out sooner than later!
These are my favorite tummy drops, as they contain ginger, spearmint, and lemon. All ingredients that are known to reduce nausea and calm an upset stomach!
3. Ginger Ale
Just like stated above, ginger is known to help with nausea and upset stomach. I always kept ginger ale on hand throughout both of my first trimesters.
4. Water Bottle
Water is of course essential during pregnancy and carrying around a water bottle throughout the day has always encouraged me to drink more water.
Drink up all that water to keep you hydrated, help with cramps, as well as headaches. I mean a water bottle is not only essential for the first trimester but the second and third trimester as well.
I love this water bottle, as it has ounce markings to keep me on track throughout the day. As well as a strainer to easily infuse fruit into your water.
5. Arm and Hammer Bags
I love these for more than one reason! I use them now for Oaklynn's stinky diapers! They are a must to keep in your diaper bag. They are perfect for traveling as well as using at grandparents, friends house, etc. No having to stink up their trash can!
Okay, now why are they essential for the first trimester? You never know when morning sickness is going to hit, so keep in the vehicle, your purse, etc. And if you don't use them in your first trimester, you will surely use them up when the baby arrives!
6. Pedialyte Freezer Pops
These are an absolute must, especially if you can't hardly keep anything down! During my first trimester I relied on Pedialyte freezer pops! I am now no longer in my first trimester and needing these. Although, while writing this post, I came across a different electrolyte freezer pop brand! They have amazing reviews and tend to be cheaper than pedialyte!
I cannot attest for them, so I am going to let the reviews do the talking!
7. Phone Apps
It is always fun to track the progress/growth of baby, as well as chat with other moms! A couple of my favorite apps include What To Expect as well as Ovia Pregnancy. With Ovia Pregnancy you can also look up food safety as well as medication safety, so these are apps that I like to keep around for the duration of my pregnancy.
8. Stretch Mark Cream
I recommend getting a stretch mark cream as soon as possible. Even before you start to see your body making any drastic changes. Rub on your belly, chest, and booty every night before bed!
9. Comfortable Clothes
If you are anything like me, you probably have several pairs of leggings and oversized tops laying around. Pull them out for those days when you are bloated and don't want anything tight on your belly/waist.
Oversized tops are also great for the first trimester when you are bloated or just beginning to show, and you do not want anyone to know you are expecting yet!
10. Seamless Bras
During pregnancy, your breasts may become sore and sensitive. So a seamless bra is a must to have around. During pregnancy, you will hate anything uncomfortable and constrictive, so I must say nursing bras to the rescue.
I ordered these nursing bras for my first pregnancy over 2 years ago and still wear them! They are comfortable and they have held up wonderfully for over two years! I actually even wore them when I was no longer nursing because of how comfortable they are!
When it comes time to nursing, these bras are great as they have easy drop cups!
These bras come in a pack of three at such a great price. They also come in a few different colors!
Mamas these bras have held up so great for me that I don't even think I will have to buy new ones for this next nursing journey. And if I do buy new ones, I know which ones I am buying!
11. Head Ache Patches
Throughout my first trimester, I felt like I was constantly hungover. Nauseous with a horrible headache, and these provided the best relief for me. I would also much rather use these than take Tylenol every day.
12. Snacks
I know mama, during your first trimester you may not feel like eating anything. Although, nausea tends to get worse the hungrier you are. When waking up in the morning and snacking throughout the day, I loved to snack on crackers, toast, bagels, cheese, veggies, and these Belvita biscuits.
Also when eating throughout the day, be sure to eat smaller more frequent meals, rather than the three larger meals throughout the day. As this will tend to help with nausea.
13. Peppermint
Peppermint everything. I was constantly chewing peppermint gum, sucking on candy canes or mints, diffusing peppermint, etc.
If you didn't already know, peppermint is great for nausea. It relaxes your stomach muscles so that bile can break down fats, and food can quickly move through the stomach.
14. Humidifier
I of course used a humidifier in order to diffuse my peppermint oils.
And guess what mama, because pregnancy causes more blood to circulate, blood vessels in the nose can swell, resulting in a stuffy nose. Another reason to keep a humidifier around.
Lavender is also a wonderful essential oil to diffuse for relaxation.
15. Pregnancy Journal
I never thought about keeping a pregnancy journal throughout my first pregnancy and am kind of upset I didn't. So with this pregnancy and my future pregnancies, I will be sure to keep one!
A great place to jot down how you are feeling, your food aversions, cravings, how OB appointments went, how much you weigh, the measurements of your belly, pictures, etc.
You may not think this is that great right now, but five/ten years from now I bet you will enjoy going back through your pregnancy journal and reading about all the memories. Even if all of them weren't so good.
It is also a great way to compare previous/future pregnancies. What things are different/what things are the same?
16. Coconut Oil
You will want to keep your skin hydrated during pregnancy, especially your belly! Keeping your skin hydrated can help in reducing stretch marks. And what better way to keep your skin hydrated than coconut oil?
I love the unrefined, cold pressed, virgin coconut oil as it skips the chemicals and man made ingredients. A must in my opinion.
Also, instead of using lotion on my newborns those first few months, I opted for coconut oil instead!
17. Pregnancy Pillow
This may not be a first trimester essential, but I am telling you mama, by the time you reach that third trimester you are going to wish you had one! So in my opinion, do yourself a favor and get one NOW!
Pregnancy pillows are made to support your back, belly, and legs while pregnant. I am telling you, this will keep you much more comfortable at night!
18. Mommee Coffee
Okay ya'll. You probably know that while pregnant you need to limit your caffeine. Although, for us mamas that love our caffeine, this is a bit tough!
Thankfully there is Mommee Coffee, a coffee designed by moms for moms. This coffee is low acid and organic and water pressed! So no harmful chemicals and easy on our stomachs! And better yet, Mommee Coffee has four different levels of caffeine: decaf, ¼ caf, ½ caf, or full caf. So you can decide which one is perfect for you!
19. Jolly Rancher
During the first trimester, I made sure to keep jolly ranchers in my purse, diaper bag, vehicle, etc. At times, I had a hard time dealing with the aftertaste of some foods, which left me feeling nauseous. This is when I would pop a jolly rancher, sweet tart, etc. into my mouth in order to get rid of that after taste!
20. Pregnancy Books
My all time favorite pregnancy book, What To Expect When Your Expecting. This is a must have, especially if you are a first time mama! It goes into great detail about the changes in your body and what to expect week by week!
My OB recommended this book to me and I loved it so much that I now recommend it to every new mama! And I can guarantee that any other mama that has read this book will recommend it as well!
There you have it mama! I hope this post found you well and helped kick some of those pesky first trimester symptoms to the curb! What are some of your first trimester essentials that you could not live without? If I missed something, I would love to hear all about it in the comments!
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