My 5 First Trimester Pregnancy Essentials

Getting through the first trimester of pregnancy can be tough! If you’re one of the lucky ones with little to no symptoms, we are all jealous! I am a stay-at-home mom to a toddler, so I was nervous about my current pregnancy considering I had all-day nausea with my first pregnancy until about 17 weeks. 

Luckily, this second pregnancy has been much easier than my first. Nausea has been minimal and my biggest symptoms have been fatigue and extreme hunger (aka hangry)! I have a pretty extensive list of first trimester essentials that made a big difference for me. However, the thing that has been most helpful is my empathetic husband, but I decided to refrain from adding him to this list. 😉 Below are my top five first trimester pregnancy essentials:

Peppermint

Everything from mint tea, mint chewing gum, and mint essential oil. Anything peppermint helped anytime I was feeling nauseous. If you saw me in my first 12 weeks I was 100% of the time chewing on some kind of mint gum. I also loved organic mint tea from Trader Joe’s over ice. I’m also a big user and believer in Young Living’s essential oils. I make myself a peppermint roller to carry around either just to smell or to roll on my wrists. 

Stay active

I’ve tried to make it a priority to stay active 3-4 times a week during this pregnancy. I have a mantra of “just keep moving”–sometimes, that means just going for a long walk/jog pushing the stroller. Thanks to SLAM DC, I’ve been able to stay on top of my fitness at least 3 times a week.  This unique group of mamas (in all different levels of fitness and stages in life) are full of positive energy and truly genuine people. There were days during my first trimester where the last thing I felt like doing was working out. Either because I felt sick, nauseous, or just plain exhausted from entertaining a toddler all day. But those were the days I forced myself, even more, to get a workout in and I felt so much better the rest of the day. I never regret a workout, that’s for sure!  There are lots of other options to stay active whether is a gym with childcare or a specialty fitness group like a Barre Studio or Fit4Mom! Whatever it is, find it and commit to doing it! 

Prenatal Vitamins and Supplements

Since eating during the first trimester can get dicey due to food aversions or nausea, taking a daily prenatal is so important. I played around with a few brands my first pregnancy and found some made me more or less nauseous than others. I’ve been taking Rainbow Light Prenatal One which is a once a day pill that has a probiotic, folate, and choline. Additionally, I take Nordic Naturals DHA and try to eat a balanced, healthy diet. Be sure to research any prenatal vitamins and supplements and consult with your provider.

Healthy snacks 

As I mentioned above, I felt so “hangry” my first few weeks. It was like this desperate feeling of needing to eat immediately or nausea would hit full force. I tried to eat 3 meals a day and for snacks, I stuck to Lara bars, cold fruit, mixed nuts, and yogurt. As a mom, it’s easy to forget about yourself when you’re packing snacks for your littles. I found that packing snacks for myself was just as important as packing snacks for my daughter. It made for a happier, more patient mama!

Hydration

This one is easier said than done, but so simple. Just drink water! My cute S’well water bottle has been my trusty sidekick. I don’t enjoy drinking water, but find it helpful to add a piece of fruit or a drop of lemon essential oil to add flavor. The days where I hydrated properly felt way better than the days where I slacked on hydration.           

I am no pregnancy expert, but I remember spending hours researching first trimester symptoms and how to make them better. I hope this helps at least one other mama struggling through those first few weeks. If you have any tricks or products that helped you, share them in the comments, I’d love to hear them. Happy pregnancy! 

Disclaimer: I am not a pregnancy expert or nutritionist. These are just products and things I personally found helpful. Consult with your doctor or midwife to seek out what is best for you.

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