My Top 10 Must-Haves for a Healthy, Happy First Trimester
The first trimester brings with it an incredible amount of change to a woman’s body. These 10 must-haves always help me cope.
I can hardly believe that I’m already at 17 weeks in my pregnancy! The first trimester truly flew right by me, and now I’m looking forward to our 20 week ultrasound in less than a month.
Getting through that first trimester can be rough, though. Nausea, extreme tiredness, and serious food aversions are so common!
I’ve had varying amount of discomfort, nausea, and other issues for each of my six sustained pregnancies. After going through this six times, I’ve found some that certain remedies, products, and habits have been really helpful in getting through the first 13 weeks or so of a pregnancy.
Today I’m sharing my top 10 must-haves, and I’m interested to hear if you have any to add!
Now of course, it deserves to be mentioned that every woman and every pregnancy is unique. If there was a fool-proof way to get rid of pregnancy discomforts, someone would be a wealthy individual!
These must-haves are all safe for pregnancy and generally promote wellness, especially during the first trimester, but I can’t guarantee they’ll solve all of your morning sickness woes.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links to products and services I use during pregnancy. Purchases made through these links come at no additional cost to you but allow me to earn a commission. Thanks!
Must-Haves for a Healthy First Trimester
Lemon Water
Ice-cold lemon water does wonders for the nausea that hangs around during the first trimester for me. Along with being a more flavorful way to stay hydrated, it sometimes helps me with early heartburn, too.
I’ve also drank ice water that has a splash of apple cider vinegar, some grated or ground ginger, and a bit of honey when heartburn and nausea were really bad and found it helpful. I prefer the taste of lemon water, though, so I drink that most often.
Milk Thistle & Astragalus Supplement
Milk thistle is an herb well-respected for its liver supportive actions. Our livers work to process the hormones in our body, and during pregnancy, they can become sluggish. Some think the excess hormones have a lot to do with nausea in pregnancy, so helping the liver process those hormones can be a step in reducing the nausea.
Astragalus is an adaptogen, so it helps the body adapt to stress. As exciting as pregnancy is, it does put added stress on the body.
I take these two herbs in a glycerite form that I make at home. You can also find them as single extracts here.
Herbal Pregnancy Tea
I love drinking my Herbal Pregnancy Tea all through my pregnancy! It provides some extra vitamins and minerals and is full of herbs that promote good digestion, uterine strength, and restfulness.
Quality Prenatal Vitamin
I know that some real food enthusiasts shy away from multivitamins. I used to be one. But I’ve come back around to finding a quality prenatal multivitamin very beneficial during this time of my life.
My diet isn’t perfect, though I try hard to eat foods that actually feed my body and my growing baby with real nutrition. The multivitamin helps fill in the gaps, and I notice a difference in my overall feeling of wellness when I take them. I’ve used and like both Rainbow Light and New Chapter Organics.
Protein Snacks
Protein is so important during pregnancy! It helps keep the blood sugar balanced so that extreme hunger doesn’t aggravate nausea.
However, it can also be hard to stomach early on. For me, mild chicken was a winner during this first trimester, and I can always go for a chilled, mild cheese. Nuts make for a great protein snack, too. They have a slightly sweet flavor which is always yummy, but I found especially agreeable during the first trimester.
Fit2B Workouts
A few weeks before we found out we were expecting, I got back in to regular exercise with Fit2B. I was so glad I did! I actually had a base level of fitness again and was able to keep up with some good workouts during those first 13 weeks or so.
I love that these workouts help my growing belly stay supported! I also was able to choose the right level of intensity based on how I was feeling that day.
Healthy Carbohydrates
I find carbs to be extremely comforting foods when I’m a bit nauseous. Rather than binge on the kind that are void of nutrition, though, I try to stick with homemade sourdough breads that I make at home.
Fresh fruit and veggies also provide some healthy carbohydrates and fiber. I often like them really cold, though there are some cooked veggies that still taste good to me during pregnancy, especially with butter and salt. Of course!
Magnesium & Calcium Supplement
This has been a huge help to me during this pregnancy! I’ve tried to supplement magnesium in the past simply by using topical lotions, but that didn’t seem to be enough this pregnancy. I opted to try Natural Calm Magnesium & Calcium blend, and was I ever thankful I did!
Regularly taking the magnesium and calcium blend helped me rest better at night, have fewer or no muscle cramps, and just have a general feeling of wellness. I noticed when I forgot to take it for a few days, as my muscles would feel more tired and I’d have weird dreams.
Naps
I know that naps can be hard to come by, especially if you have older children who aren’t quite big enough to handle an hour of quiet time without getting into trouble. But finding a way to take regular, even daily, naps can be crucial!
Nausea and heartburn would always spike for me when I was too tired and needed a nap. Ninety minutes of sleep was usually enough to turn things around, but sometimes I could get by with less.
Elastic Waistbands
Elastic waistbands are my friends during the first trimester. They’re so gentle. So forgiving. So comforting.
Maternity clothes don’t fit me during the first trimester, but skirts with elastic waistbands allow my belly a little extra room to gently expand when it needs to.
Best of all, I can find elastic waistband treasures at the thrift store. Win!
