First Trimester Essentials
Like it is for many women, my first trimester was something of a doozy, and looking back, I am still counting my blessings I didn't have a far more difficult time of it AND that the worst of it for me fell over the Christmas / New Year’s break which meant I was able to more easily be a recluse without disrupting work too much. I definitely had my share of embarrassing moments when I was ill in public places but I just had to remind myself that it wasn’t anyone else’s business and carry on as best I could. I had a hard time believing it at the time but truly does get better. Hang in there!
Here I’ve rounded up a few things that helped get me through the first few months of pregnancy; what worked and what didn't for morning sickness, books I’ve been reading, vitamins, and ahhhh bras that fit.
Please join in the comments and share your favorites and recommendations as well.
Bras
New bras were the first clothing item I had to invest in. My old ones were nearing the end of their lives pre-pregnancy which gave me a good excuse to invest in some new things in my new size. (And yes, your size will change seemingly overnight!)
ThirdLove: I tried their online fit finder and ordered a few things online but they didn’t work for me so I made a visit to their showroom in Soho to get refitted. It honestly wasn't my favorite shopping experience but at least it helped me find the right size. I ended up ordering online anyway as they were out of stock in-store in my size. I kept this t-shirt bra while returning this and this.
Lively: Using the size from my ThirdLove experience I ordered this t-shirt option which I love and this lace-back option which I ended up returning. {Use code AMB-Danaecgf for $10 off your first order.}
True & Co: This was a bit of a disaster from a customer service standpoint and despite placing two different orders I only kept one item. I had high hopes for a lot of their non-wired options which I prefer for home and weekends, but I found that almost everything I tried had strangely placed padding or seams in spots that just didn't work for me. I did end up keeping this which is a nice less-structured option.
Everlane: Their tank bras have been my favorites for sometime and when I spotted them on their ‘Choose What You Pay’ sale I snagged two more in a size up.
Food/Drinks
Morning sickness (or all-day sickness to be more accurate) hit me pretty hard from about week five to about 11, though I was still battling sporadic waves of nausea for several weeks after that. I tried my best to maintain some level of a nutritious diet but it was definitely a struggle. Previously, (and now again, thank goodness) I am a big veggie lover but I legitimately could not look at a carrot, mushroom, spinach or just about anything else for weeks. (And well into my second trimester I am still on the fence about mushrooms TBH). Fresh green juice was one thing I could usually get down even if it took me several hours to get through a single glass. I also found that I couldn't get too hungry or eat too much and get full or the nausea would be exacerbated.
Some foods/drinks that generally worked for me:
Trader Joe’s tamari crackers: #lifesavers
Zero ginger ale: It had to be flat for me to get it down but I really struggled to stay hydrated so I tried anything I could
Vitamin water zero: Lemon and strawberry lemonade flavors were my favorites and my wonderful husband actually brought them to me during the day at work a few times when I was desperate
Coconut Water
Fresh green juice
Snyders gluten free pretzels. I kept a bag in every purse
Van’s gluten free waffles: I went through a phase that lasted 2.5 boxes... the remaining three waffles are languishing in our freezer
Rice puff cereal: Over Christmas this was legitimately the only thing I could eat. I had it with almond milk and frozen blueberries or raspberries. Again, the phase only lasted a box but it worked for a few days
Apples/oranges/grapes/oranges: Fruit was usually something I could tolerate and the sugar really helped when my blood sugar would get super low and I would get lightheaded
Things I tried and didn’t work (but hopefully will for others!):
Ginger Tummy Drops: I ADORE ginger but I couldn’t face these. I now have boxes stashed everywhere. Shout if you want some!
Ginger/Lemon/Peppermint tea: I couldn't drink anything warm
Books
I am a voracious reader so naturally I wanted to read several options but I was also conscious about not overwhelming myself. I’ve found that reading or skimming a variety of sources has helped me form my own opinions and not get too fixated or stressed out by any one recommendation or proclamation. I’ve also been checking The Bump and What to Expect apps.
Expecting Better by Emily Oster: A great primer on what to pay attention to and what is mostly just hype when you actually look at the science. I also want to check out her second book Crib Sheet which focuses on the early parenting days.
Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman: This is a cult classic for a reason and although I haven't finished it yet what I have read has been equally informative and entertaining.
What No One Tells you by Dr. Alexandra Sachs: I’d probably put this down as a nice to peruse not a must read. Though it did have some sections on managing family dynamics that I found insightful and helpful.
Nurture by Erica Chidi Cohen: Again, some good info and insight but I found it to be a bit one-dimensional and rather common sense in the information presented. That said, I found the format to be really nice.
Real Food for Pregnancy by Lily Nichols: I’m on the fence about this one. Parts of it I found fascinating and very well researched. Other parts came off as a bit preachy (i.e. the author doesn’t believe in vegetarian diets during pregnancy and devotes quite a bit of air time to the topic) but on average a good read if you are interested in some of the more nuanced topics in pregnancy nutrition.
Books I read during our fertility journey:
Making Babies by Jill Blakeaway (Jill is the founder of my favorite acupuncture center Yinova)
Vitamins
Again, this is highly personal and I am not a health care provider so please consult your own doctor, but my current routine looks something like this.
Ritual or Thorne Prenatal: Currently using Ritual because it is only two capsules per day instead of three with the Thorne option (yuck!) and I like the monthly auto-refill option. That said, are tons of great prenatal vitamin options out there and definitely check with your doctor but everything I’ve read seems to indicate that you want a prenatal that has folate in it, rather than folic acid which is the synthetic form and not absorbed by everyone.
Vitamin D
B6: Supposedly helps with nausea
Magnesium: Helps with headaches, muscle cramps and digestion. I take it before bed.
Another magnesium option is this drink mix which I normally quite like as well but not surprisingly couldn’t face for several weeks.
Floradix vegan iron supplement: I’ve been taking this since the early days of my fertility journey at the recommendation of an acupuncturist. It’s not cheap, but as someone who doesn’t eat red meat I think it really helps with iron levels.
Oils/Lotions
I am going to do a separate post on pregnancy skincare but for the purposes of this post I wanted to give some insight into some of the dry skin/stretch mark treatments I’ve been trying. We’ve all read that the tendency to get stretch marks is mostly genetic but I see no harm in attempting to minimize if possible. Plus, given that it’s been winter my skin has been incredibly dry so all of these options have been beneficial.
Weleda Pregnancy Oil: This was okay but I didn’t repurchase.
Clarins Body Treatment: This oil is super luxe, and not surprisingly, on the more expensive end. The bottle/dispenser can get a bit messy and most importantly, especially during the first trimester when your sense of smell is haywire, the scent is quite strong. I’ve found I can’t wear it to bed, but during the day I quite like it.
BioOil: This is one of my favorites. The scent is really lovely and it’s not too greasy. I’ve gone through several of the larger bottles and got a travel sized one for my travel kit.
Versed Body Oil: Love the spray dispenser on this one.
Erbaviva Belly Butter | Erbaviva Stretch Mark Oil: Both are lovely if a little pricey.
Fitness
Despite the general lethargy of the first trimester I did manage to stay fairly consistent with getting in some movement most days. I know this isn't feasible for everyone and I feel very lucky that with the exception of a few days where all I could handle was a gentle walk or some yoga I did make it to the gym for a Madeline Moves workout. Melissa Wood Health flows at home have also been a lifesaver and I’ve recently gotten a subscription to Megan Roup’s The Sculpt Society which has been really fun as well.
Pre-pregnancy I was a big hot vinyasa yoga fan but the data about overheating and exercising in heated rooms, especially in the first trimester when the neural tube and major organs are forming, is limited and rather contradictory. I took a few classes here and there and stayed very close to the door/away from the heat source, but ultimately I didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks so I’ve started exploring non-heated options. I’ve also been taking regular reformer classes at NY Pilates and as I move into my second trimester have started taking their prenatal option to avoid having to modify a regular class too much.