First Trimester Pregnancy Essentials
Pregnancy Essentials
♥
Pregnancy Essentials ♥
This is my first pregnancy! We’re over the moon and cannot wait to welcome our little one in the Fall. I’m excited about enjoying my pregnancy journey and seeing how my body changes. I’m not going to lie, pregnancy seemed a little daunting. You hear about other pregnant people’s journeys and you realize that your body and your life will never be the same. Though I feel like I was able to live it up before we started trying to conceive. I also thanked and appreciated my body and said farewell, because it would never look like that again. I now welcome these changes, because it means motherhood, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
My first trimester was not too bad. It seemed like each week was a case of new symptoms. I dealt with insomnia, fatigue, growing pains, nausea, acid reflux, and constipation.
Supplements + Medication
Prenatal vitamins - I use Nature Made Prenatal Multi + DHA from Costco
Tums - I got the Costco Kirkland brand of antacid assorted berry tablets
Self-Care
Acupuncture - safe and effective to help support one’s pregnancy and treat common symptoms like fatigue and nausea. I got acupuncture weekly in the first trimeter and it really helped.
Positive affirmations - I don’t think I’m the only one that tended to overthink and wondering if baby was okay. Whenever that thought process would start, I’d break it up by reading and repeating positive affirmations.
What to Expect app - I love this app! It felt so useful to have them break down each week as to how the baby is developing and common symptoms you may feel and why. It was a great resource to have since your first prenatal visit won’t be until 8 weeks! That’s 8 weeks of you on your own, overthinking. Lol.
Clothing
Amazon leggings - super comfy, stretchy, and affordable. I was able to wear this throughout my first trimester.
Neiwai barely zero classic bra - super comfy, wireless bra that will fit you all throughout your pregnancy.
Menore slippers - comfy, supportive, non-slip slippers.
Things to Combat Nausea
Preggie pops - these worked wonders for me. I actually felt like it helped take away my nausea for an hour. Though I couldn’t keep eating candy all day.
Sour dried plums - I haven’t tried this brand. I usually get mine from local Chinese herb stores.
Sina ginger candy - I get mine from my local Asian grocery stores and it’s cheaper.
Reed’s ginger beer - this gave me liiife. Also, it helped with my indigestion. I’d pour out a bottle into a sealed jar and drink a small portion when I had indigestion/nausea.
Trident mint gum - sometimes the mint helped me feel less nauseous. Next pregnancy, I’ll try drinking mint tea if I’m nauseous. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it this time around.
Liquid IV w/ vitamin C - I really feel like this helped in my first trimester stay hydrated and boost my immunity. Since I was nauseous, water was not easy to drink.
Skincare
Pregnancy safe skincare - Charlotte Cho from SokoGlam and 15 Minute Beauty were great resources. Soko Glam has a pregnancy and breastfeeding safe section now! Also, 15 Minute Beauty has a comprehensive list of different skincare and beauty products and will say if it’s not safe based on what ingredient. Also, I recently heard from a friend that she uses Biossance Phyto-Retinol which has similar effects, but without the retinol. So if you’re looking for a safe retinol alternative, you can try that out!
8 Sheep Organics true belly serum and helichrysum belly balm (Use discount code: SAMANTHA59577 for $5 off). I love these products. They smell great to me. The balm is a bit grainy, but I’ll warm it up and rub it in my hands before applying and that helps a bit. I started out using Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Stretch Mark lotion and that was meh. Definitely clogged up my pores more. I started a skincare belly routine immediately, because I wanted to do whatever I could to prevent stretch marks. It’s true stretch marks are based on genetics, but hey, I’m willing to do whatever I can to help. I mean we’re all going to get wrinkles, right? But I still use eye cream everyday.
Notable ingredients:
Centella Asiatica and Hyaluronic Acid (serum)
Rosehip Seed, Argan, Vitamin E, and Helichrysum Essential Oils (balm).
LED mask - this has helped my skin SO much during my pregnancy. It’s helped me reduce redness and breakouts.
Exercise
Sweat Subscription - this has been super helpful because I had no idea how to adjust my workout routine for pregnancy. I really appreciated having mini guided exercises and stretches.