Oh, the first trimester. What a beautiful purgatory it is. For most women, including myself, the first trimester is full of all the symptoms. Morning sickness, peeing, sore boobs, you name it. Your body is going through some major changes and you’re #blessed if your body doesn’t remind you of that every single day. In my opinion, your first doctor appointment after finding out your pregnant should include a survival kit full of first trimester must haves.
What would it include? Oh, good question.
1. Small snacks
I couldn’t eat anything because I was so sick. But, the fun thing was, the only way to not be sick was to have something in my stomach. A lot of women say that having saltine crackers next to your bed and eating a few right when you get up does the trick. I think this is a good tip, but for some reason I wasn’t feeling saltines. The small Sargento Balanced Break snacks lasted me at least two hours, and sometimes I couldn’t even finish them. True story. But they kept the nausea at bay while I munched on them.
2. Prenatal Vitamins
This one is obvious, right? Your baby is a parasite, leeching everything it needs to grow into a human (which, spoiler alert, is a lot) right out of you. You need to make sure you’re stocked up on all the vitamins needed. Plus there’s folic acid, which I’m pretty sure every midwife and obstetrician recommends during pregnancy to help prevent certain birth defects.
I recommend gummy prenatals. Because of my morning sickness, and needing to have something – anything – in my belly, more often than not the gummy vitamins were my first defense against morning sickness. Plus, chugging water to take pills did not sound pleasant or possible to me.
For me, and I think most women, this isn’t just a first trimester must have, but a first trimester, second trimester, and third trimester must have!
3. Comfy Pants
So no, you’re probably not showing yet. Even if you think you are, it’s probably bloat. (Sorry to burst your bubble.) But if you’re anything like me, your lower abdomen could be super sore really early on. Come ten weeks, my belly was tender to the touch. Any sort of waistband was like a torture chamber created by the devil himself. Thankfully there is a God and he goes by the name Old Navy Yoga Pants.
4. Netflix
Netflix or any way of binging your favorite shows. My personal favorites are Netflix and xfinityTV, both of which can be streamed on your mobile devices and watched from the comfort of your own bed when you’re exhausted during your first trimester and just hashtag can’t. This was actually the first real first trimester must have tip one of my friends gave me – find shows you can binge, and binge without guilt during the first trimester. You need all the rest you can get if you’re sick!
5. Applesauce
Applesauce is amazing. It’s bland, low in sugar, easy to digest, and just the thing to look for when fighting morning sickness. We went through a lot of this. Some days, it was all I would eat. Oh man, the good days.
6. Gatorade
YAAAAAAAAASSSS! Gatorade! Save the day! We all know that water is king, but Gatorade is without a doubt queen. When you’re struggling to keep anything down and struggling to stay hydrated, a few sips of Gatorade helps you rehydrate and replenish your electrolytes. Pro Tip #1: Freeze some Gatorade in an ice cube tray and suck on that when you literally can not keep anything down. Pro Tip #2: Never do red Gatorade if you’re throwing up.
7. What to Expect When You’re Expecting – the book
I emphasize the book because the book isn’t Google and won’t lead you down a rabbit hole of “oh my God my baby is doomed”. It has all the questions you could possibly ask about constipation, discharge, sex, varicose veins, swelling, everything. What to Expect When You’re Expecting tells you what size your baby is (usually relative to a fruit, even when your baby is just literally the size of a small baby) and what symptoms you may or may not have during each week of pregnancy. The book doesn’t tell you anything you can’t look up on your phone, but it also won’t alarm you that every single symptom you have is a symptom of miscarriage or your own death.
8. Pregnancy Pillow
You’re duplicating, so it shouldn’t shock you that your body might feel a bit uncomfortable in positions that might’ve felt comfortable before. This goes double for sleeping. Never mind the fact that your body is all out of whack with your back bearing the burden of a growing uterus and shifting internal organs, pregnant women are often times advised to sleep on their sides – preferably the left side.
So you’re uncomfortable and now basically forced to sleep in a totally foreign position. This is where your pregnancy pillow comes in. I got the Snoogle, and like every pregnancy pillow it supports your bump and your back. With one single pillow your neck is supported, your back is supported, your bump is supported, and you have a pillow to put between your knees to keep your hips and back aligned. Praise Oprah. Again, this one isn’t just a first trimester must have, but also a second and third trimester must have!
9. Trash Can
You may need a trash can or two for throwing up. (It ain’t pretty, but just remember you’re growing a human and that’s pretty fantastic.) I was working on a campaign during the first trimester, so I spent a lot of my time driving to offices, meetings, and events. A lot of time. So much time that I actually had a trash can in my car with extra plastic bags because maybe I was throwing up while driving up 35E. Also, for the first three or four months of pregnancy I had a trash can next to my bed for my AM and PM vom sessions. No point in running to the bathroom every time you have to throw up.
10. Full Battery and Reddit App
Is that technically two? Oh well. Full battery because if you’re feeling crummy you’re going to spend a lot of time chilling and relaxing on the couch or in bed and you need something to entertain you.
I picked Reddit because you need a group of ladies who are also pregnant and know what you’re going through. There are a million pregnancy subreddits on Reddit, including monthly subreddits for your due date. You can talk to ladies who are going through the exact same thing you’re going through, bounce ideas off of them, vent to them, etc. Perfect for when your husband won’t get you watermelon at 10PM and you need to know if you 1) are being unreasonable or 2) need a divorce. Also perfect for real things like “is anyone else’s kid trying to kick their way out of your cervix?” The answer is yes, by the way.
There you have it. My first trimester must haves! I vote to have all of this delivered to women who have just found out they are pregnant, who’s with me?
xx.
Samm
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