Hi, I’m assuming you are here because you are pregnant, or someone you want to support is. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be presenting a series of product recommendations for all three trimesters, so you can be equipped with all that you need to make this new experience more comfortable.
For recommendations for the second trimester, head over here, or skip ahead to the third trimester.
As someone who has been pregnant before, let me tell you that all of these were game changers for my first trimester which, to me, was the hardest trimester in terms of physical changes. I was bloated, nauseous, food made me want to puke, not eating made me want to puke and all I wanted to do was SLEEP.
Obviously, every pregnancy is unique, but these products helped me have an easier time as my body adjusted to the changes it was going through. And hopefully they do the same for you!
A Fitbit
I got a Fitbit (specifically, an Alta) to start tracking my sleep and my steps. Right from the start of my pregnancy, I was waking up to pee multiple times a night, and was having a hard time falling back asleep, so I wanted to see how much sleep I was actually getting to determine if it was enough.
Also, they say staying active during pregnancy is key, but I was just so drained that I couldn’t even think about vigorous exercise, so instead I used the Fitbit to track my steps and make sure I was hitting a minimum of 12,000 per day.
Sea-Bands
Another thing that started right from the beginning of my pregnancy was the dreaded morning sickness. In my case, it wasn’t limited to just the morning—lucky me—and also it didn’t come with sickness; okay, actually lucky me. I was just nauseous. All. The. Time. And nothing made it better. It was really bad when I was in the subway or in a car, which made getting to work extremely difficult.
Luckily, my husband did some research, and bought these Sea-Bands for me. I had pretty low expectations, as they’re just accupressure bands, but I was wrong. Every time I wore these, I didn’t feel like puking. The only hard thing was disguising them in the middle of the summer when we hadn’t told many people that I was pregnant yet. So I usually reserved them for use at home, or in the car.
Ginger Sour Candy
Speaking of morning sickness, another thing I found really worked was ginger sour candy. There are a ton of brands out there, but a favorite of moms everywhere is Preggie Pops. I would pop one into my mouth if I knew I’d be going for a little while without eating or drinking —which can trigger nausea —and that would do the trick. They come in candy or lollipop form, so you can pick and choose what works best for you.
TUMS
Speaking of eating, nobody told me the amount of discomfort I would feel if I didn’t eat, or the different-but-equally bad discomfort I would feel if I did eat. It was a lose-lose scenario.
Pregnancy hormones slow down your digestive system, which means you have to go easy on the greasy food, and try to eat small meals more often instead of large ones spaced out. Of course, life happens, and that’s not always possible, so I kept a little tub of TUMS handy to help me with the heartburn. They’re totally pregnancy safe, as long as you don’t consume more than five a day, but if you want to be extra careful, ask to your health provider about them.
PharMeDoc Pregnancy Pillow
This was another of my husband’s great purchases. As I mentioned, pregnancy was a major blow to my sleep schedule, and so he got me this Pregnancy Pillow that paid dividends for the entire pregnancy. Having it early on though helped me get used to sleeping with it in bed, because this thing is HUGE, but also so comfortable. And it’s great for other things too! I really enjoyed watching TV in bed with both my legs and my back elevated on the same pillow.
A Good Water Bottle
Getting pregnant makes you a camel. You drink SO MUCH WATER. I was thirsty all the time, and not drinking enough liquids made me—you guessed it—nauseous. So I just carried around a CamelBak water bottle with me everywhere I went. I really like these, because they don’t spill when you stick in them in a purse, but also are easy to drink from on the go. Also, it’s something you’ll need forever, so why not just go ahead and purchase one now, huh?
Stretch Mark Cream
It’s never too early to start working on preventing stretch marks IMHO. I was terrified of getting them, and even though I know genetics are largely to blame, dehydration and not moisturizing your skin can make them even worse. So I lathered up my belly and sides with this award winning stretch mark cream every night before bed. I’m happy to report that I got ZERO stretch marks, and as I was lying on the operating room about to get emergency surgery to deliver my son, the nurses were all complimenting me on how soft and radiant my skin was. So hey, it works!
Next week, we’ll talk about second trimester gear!