First Trimester Report + Pregnancy MUST HAVES
If you didn't already know... I'm pregnant! Our first baby is due December 30th, 2018. My husband and I are so excited to be parents. As a first time mama, I've had to learn a lot over these last 3 months, and I've have the help of some amazing products that kept morning sickness at bay, and made me feel more comfortable in my growing body.
The First Trimester
As I said before, I'm a first-time mom, so everything is new to me. Morning sickness lasted weeks three through eight, then the sore boobs, back, and belly started around week nine. I've gone up almost three cup sizes in the last three months, thrown up six times, felt insanely nauseous at least 5000 times and stopped fitting into my jeans around week six.
Turns out, growing a baby is hard work. Who would've thought!?
All that being said, the first 12 weeks of my pregnancy actually went by very fast. And to be honest, I've felt pretty good overall. I've been documenting the early stuff on my channel, check out those videos below if you missed them.
There have been a few things I've purchased or been using regularly, that have made me much more comfortable and that's what I'm here to share.
[youtube=://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohG0Mxr5W9c&w=854&h=480]
Products I've Loved
There are some affiliate links below, but you know the drill, I only share products I've used myself and products I'd recommend to my own mom. Hey - I've got a baby coming, I could use the extra cash.
The Pregnancy Journal
The very first thing I purchased after we found out we were expecting was THIS pregnancy journal. I wanted to make sure I documented all the symptoms, memories and firsts that can go by so quick.
I'll be honest, there are some pages that we just won't use in the journal, and that's ok! If you are trying to conceive, this journal starts with your family history and checklists that you could use. If you're in the second trimester already and JUST realized you need a journal, you might feel overwhelmed by this one.
On top of this journal, I actually started writing letters to my future children over two years ago. I've written every few months in a journal, and I plan to give it to our first child on their 18th birthday. I've been sure to keep up on both journals during this pregnancy so that we have something fun to look back on when our kids are older.
Gin-Gins Hard Candy
Like I said earlier, morning sickness started right away for me. It was actually one of the reasons I took a pregnancy test since I rarely felt nauseous before being pregnant. There are a couple things that helped me through that icky phase.
Ginger hard candies, I used THESE, were the perfect quick solution. If I started to feel sick, I'd pop one of these in my mouth and suck on it for an hour or until it melted. It almost always helped relieve that feeling until I could get a snack in my stomach.
Lemon Ginger Tea
THIS tea was the second thing that helped a ton. When I had already snacked and still felt sick, this tea was my go-to. It would help settle my stomach and give my food a chance to digest. I really didn't throw up much during those first months, but I often felt very nauseous and uncomfortable, and this tea almost always cured me.
Side note, don't fall for those "pregnancy teas" that cost $40 online. They are nothing special, and you can easily find ginger tea at your local grocery store for under $5. This goes for a lot of "baby" and "maternity items". Most of the time you can find something similar for WAY cheaper if you get creative.
Old Navy Dresses
Maternity dresses were a little too big on me at first, but I still outgrew my pants in a couple months and I just wanted something comfortable and forgiving. THIS dress, THIS dress, and THIS dress all are super soft, stretchy material and affordable.
I've been wearing dresses non-stop this summer, along with some good ol' leggings and t-shirts to stay comfortable.
A Belly Band
This was another purchase I made pretty early. I love high waisted skinny jeans, my bloated 1-month preggo belly did not. THIS belly band is super affordable and keeps my pants on, even when I've given up on buttoning them.
A Giant Takeya Water Bottle
Staying hydrated is super important, obviously. I have a hard time drinking a lot of water unless it's ice cold, so my Takeya water bottle has been getting a ton of use lately. I can put ice in it in the morning and by the time I get home from work, there's still ice at the bottom.
It's also 40oz so I only need to refill the water a couple times each day. You can buy one of them HERE.
The Bump App
There are a million pregnancy apps out there, an I downloaded about half of them after that positive test. The only one I've consistently checked and used is the Bump app. It's super simple to navigate, has weekly videos about your growth and baby, and the articles on the app are pretty decent.
Side note for those who are curious, I used the GLOW period tracker app to get pregnant and the What to Expect app when I'm bored and what to read about the baby.
CC Cream to Hide that Adorable Pregnancy Glow (acne) & Curology to fight it
Oh the hormones. They have been wrecking havoc on my skin these past three months. I've been using Curology to treat my acne for the past two years and I ADORE it. Seriously, I have a whole review about it. However, when I got pregnant, I had to switch my prescription, and then I forgot I canceled it for awhile, and basically I went two months without acne medicine and now my skin is a nightmare.
Armed with a new bottle of curology and THIS CC cream, my skin is finally clearing up and looking more like a pregnancy glow instead of a horror show. The Supergoop! CC cream is awesome because it has sunscreen, sheer coverage to even out my skin, doesn't irritate my already-angry skin, and the brand is great (no animal testing, vegan, no weird chemicals, safe for preggo mamas). TBH, the whole Supergoop! brand is awesome, so if CC cream isn't your style, check out their line here.
[youtube=://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_7emd319aI&w=854&h=480]
Stretchy One-Piece Swimsuits
I'm not going to have a huge belly at the pool this summer, but I still needed a swimsuit that would leave me some room to grow. The Aerie Smocked Super Scoop One piece has been absolutely amazing this summer. It's super soft and forgiving. The adjustable straps mean my chest has some room to grow too, and although it's one piece, it's still cute and flattering. I might have ended up buying it in three colors...
All of the Aerie swimsuits are great from the few I've tried, so if you're not sporting a huge bump yet, their swimsuits might be a good choice. If you are sporting a bigger bump, Target is a great choice too.
My Handy-Dandy FitBit
This is kind of an odd one for this list, but my FitBit really has been a huge help during my pregnancy so far. I still try to workout, but since I usually enjoy cardio, keeping a close eye on my heart rate has been extra important. The app also helps me make sure I'm drinking enough water, getting healthy food, and gaining weight at a healthy rate.
FitBits can be a bit pricey, so if you weren't really thinking about getting one before, this one might be a pass. If you've already been eyeing one, now is a great time to invest and get some extra use while you're expecting.
