Let's be honest, the first trimester of pregnancy is a doozy. Your body is adjusting to growing a tiny little babe, and that takes quite the toll on your body in all aspects. Physically and emotionally I experienced things that I had never dealt with before. But, it's also an experience that I was thankful to have, even if I dreaded the nausea and fought fatigue the whole way through. Isn't it cool that a woman's body can care for, nurture, and house a growing baby that starts off smaller than a tiny poppy seed?! I'm in awe of it all!
Today, at 15 weeks & 5 days, I am through the first trimester and sailing into the second. I feel so much better, and slowly but surely the fatigue is waning. Having conquered the first 14 weeks of pregnancy, I thought I would share some of my musts for the first trimester. It's an odd grouping of things, but I couldn't have survived without them!
Palmer's Cocoa Butter Massage Lotion for Stretch Marks
I decided to start using this right away. If I can ward off stretch marks, then I'm all for it. My body is going to do enough changing from pregnancy, and if I can help it adjust just a little bit, then I'm going to. So far, no stretch marks, but I'm also not toting around a huge bowling ball of a belly yet. We'll see how it works once I've hit my third trimester. Until then, I use it once daily after I shower all over my belly and my lower back.
I was (and still am) always finding myself cold then all of a sudden hot. I'm also a creature of comfort. Put those two together, and you need yourself a very large and cozy blanket to take with you wherever. I take my blanket with me all over the house and whenever we travel. I don't know what I'd without it! And when you're not feeling like yourself, sick, and in need of feeling some type of comfortable, this blanket (or any large blanket) helps.
If you've been reading the blog long enough, you know I'm obsessed with fall. And this particular essential actually has nothing to do with my love for all things fall, although it certainly doesn't help my urge to go ahead and decorate :) During the first trimester there were so many scent and food aversions I struggled through. One day I was craving the scent of pumpkin and broke all rules, pulling a favorite heirloom pumpkin candle out and lighting it in the middle of June (way too early). It was exactly what I needed and wanted. A nice, gentle smell that could float around the house without making me want to run for a toilet.
Toward the very end of my first trimester, my belly started to reject my pre-pregnancy jeans. Paired with nausea, I also couldn't stand anything too tight on my belly. When I found these white maternity jeans at Target, I hit the jackpot! I have loved them so much, and they're perfect for carrying me through my entire pregnancy. I can't get over how comfortable they are too!
I've been taking these babies since last October. It's everything I need in a vitamin to support a healthy pregnancy in one pill. I really despise taking pills so I prefer to have one do the job of multiples. I did discover that I can't take them later in the day or at night because they make me feel sick. So as long as I take them by lunchtime I'm golden.
Not in my picture, are B6 vitamins and Unisom. I could not have made it through the first trimester without both of these. Don't go out and just get them without talking to your doctor first. My doctor had to prescribe the right dosage of B6, which I took three times a day, and later add half a Unisom tablet at night. The combination of both was a mircale for my nausea. Although it didn't help 100% of the time, it did bring so much relief for me!
Never experienced heartburn or indigestion?? Get ready! TUMS have been great for relieving both for me, and I'm thankful to be able to chew two up and rid of the discomfort.
Carbs, carbs, and more carbs! Anything that was simple and white is what helped me eat through the first trimester. We're talking mashed potatoes and bagels to name a couple. To add a little more flavor to that list of rather bland foods, I went with these banana bread flavored breakfast bars for my morning meal. I still eat them with a smoothie every morning. They help get me full without filling me too far up, and it's something my stomach can easily handle!
So there you have my first trimester essentials! What helped you through your different trimesters??
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