First Trimester Must Haves

Since the time I knew I was pregnant, I researched about things I will need to survive through the nine months of pregnancy. It is common for people to refer to your pregnancy in weeks, months or trimesters when they ask you about your progress, your physical and emotional changes and so on. Most common question a lot of my friends who got pregnant after me asked me was about the things I used or needed during each trimester. This blog will focus only on the first trimester must haves. Honestly, this is the easiest trimester in terms of clothing or using your same shoes as your body is still very much the same as it was before you got pregnant and no baby bump is visible yet. 

Pregnancy demands certain things for the comfort of mom-to-be as well. Raising a human being inside your womb is definitely not an easy job. It takes lot of exhaustion, fatigue, extra fat, morning sickness, stretch marks and increasing pant sizes from moms to grow that tiny human being! All these feelings and physical changes are what makes the mom stronger and connect more to her baby. Moms feel proud of yourself as you are doing a great job! Through my first trimester, I found that there were essentials that helped me survive through the initial months. I am listing them here to help you make your pregnancy easy and enjoyable.

1. Water Bottle- You will feel tired and exhausted very quickly. Keeping yourself hydrated at all times is very important. Drinking more water will make you feel better. Keep a bottle with you at all times. You can also drink other clear fluids like Gatorade or juices.

2. Snacks - Your baby is going to need food and nutrients to develop inside the womb. She will make you hungry all day. Keep a variety of snacks for you to munch on when u feel hungry. I always had crackers, Granola Bars, plantain chips, potato chips and some sour candies. You can also eat Goldfish snack, cheese balls or pretzels. 

3. Comfortable Pants - One of the earliest changes I faced was putting on the pants. Even though my baby bump was not showing up yet, I did not feel comfortable in my regular pants. I bought 2-3 pairs of yoga pants from Costco. They are reasonably priced and very comfortable. You can also buy yourself a pair of maternity pants, they are going to be useful to you until the end of your pregnancy. I did all my maternity shopping from Thyme Maternity store.

4. Stretch-mark Cream - As your pregnancy progresses, you will feel your body stretching from everywhere. I literally mean everywhere - your belly, thighs, bum and  your breasts. This is your body’s way to prepare you to support the weight of your growing baby. As your body stretches, you will see stretch-marks in the areas. It is best to start applying a stretch-marks cream or oil to moisturize your skin. It really gets itchy at times. So applying the cream can make it little more bearable. However, to be honest, none of these creams will help you avoid stretch-marks, even if you applied the cream from the first day of your pregnancy. I used Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula and stretch-marks cream and moisturizing body oil by Marcelle from Thyme Maternity. 

5. Sports Bra- One major change your body will go throughout your pregnancy is the change in your breast size. Your pregnancy prepares your body for breast-feeding leading to increase in blood supply to your breasts which leads to the growth of your breasts. To be comfortable at all time, you will need a good support bra for your growing breasts. I switched to sports bra as they are comfy without wires or clips. You can also try maternity bras. I usually shopped them from Thyme Maternity. Other places to check for maternity clothing are H &M, Walmart and Motherhood Maternity.

6. Baby Tracking App - We are now in the tech world and it has made things easier for us to be closer to our baby. One of the best apps in my opinion is BabyCenter App. You should download it as soon as your pregnancy is confirmed. I was surprised when my OB asked me if I was following the app. It gives you weekly update of your growing baby and her development along with some great articles to read on. You can also follow this App after your baby is born.

7. Prenatal Vitamins - Once your pregnancy is confirmed, you doctor will prescribe you Prenatal Vitamins to take throughout your pregnancy. It will provide the required nutrients to your developing baby.

Based on my personal experience, these “must haves” helped me survive through my first trimester. If you had anything else on your list, feel free to comment on this blog so other readers can also know more about your experiences.