Top Must-Haves for the First Trimester Make the first trimester of pregnancy comfortable and enjoyable with this complete list of essentials. From cozy clothes to morning sickness hacks and birth prep materials, your first 12 weeks will be a breeze.
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Love Your First Trimester With These Essentials

Are you thrilled to be pregnant but wish the changes would just stop?! Nausea, sore boobs, and constantly worrying about the next steps can make the first trimester a stressful one. The first trimester of pregnancy is a whirlwind of changes, but there are a few ways you can make this time more relaxing and enjoyable.

Tackle the tough stuff so you can get back to loving your pregnancy with these essentials.

What Clothes Do I Need for the First Trimester?

Depending on how you feel, you may need to adjust some of your clothes to accommodate your growing body. With my first child, I gained 12 lbs. in the first trimester and needed to alter what I wore the closer I got to 13 weeks but with my second, I wore all the same clothes the whole first three months. If you’re like me with my first baby, here are all the adjustments I made in those first 13 weeks. 

Bra extenders

These saved me from buying new bras right away. I noticed within a month my chest was getting wider and my boobs were slowly getting bigger. My bras pretty quickly became tight and made wearing them very uncomfortable. So I ran to Amazon and picked up these bra extenders and made my first trimester a lot more comfortable without having to buy a new bra just yet.

Pant extenders

If you’re like me, your midsection is one of the first places to gain weight. Also, when growing a human you tend to get bigger in the belly(or it’s just all those pregnancy carb cravings making me bloat). I really tried my hardest to wear my pre-pregnancy clothes as much as I could without being totally uncomfortable. 

So I found this hack on Pinterest that will help you salvage your pants for just a little while longer. If you have trouble buttoning your pants, tie a hair tie around the loop of your pants and then loop it around the button. This will give you a little more room without walking around with your pants completely undone. 

pant extender for pregnancy

Stretchy pants

Having comfortable pants during this growing phase was a necessity for me. Some days I felt bloated or my belly was showing a little bit more by the end of the night. So I sized up in my workout leggings and was able to wear them for most of my pregnancy. 

With my first child, I purchased a pair of Blanqi leggings, and I was able to wear them for my entire pregnancy. However, if you are giving birth in the summer months and live in a very hot climate (like Texas), these leggings are a little too thick in my opinion. These leggings have great support and stretch but are made with pretty thick material and I found myself not using them at 9 months pregnant in July. If you are giving birth during winter, you could definitely get these early on and wear them your whole pregnancy to get the most use out of them. 

Ways To Cure Morning Sickness

Morning sickness aka all-day sickness, is one of the worst things about the first trimester. This is always something I try to combat right away. While I never found anything that completely got rid of my symptoms, there are a few that really helped. 

Water

I know this sounds very basic, but it will be a lifesaver. During the first trimester, our blood volume will double in size to accommodate the baby, so you will need to drink more water than you have been. If you’re not drinking enough water, you will have a headache which always makes nausea 10x worse. Get yourself a big water container and make sure you are drinking plenty of water throughout the day!

Sea-Bands

These look like sweatbands you would wear while playing sports back in the day but they have a white circle on them that is used as a pressure point and helps with nausea. If you have a terrible time with morning sickness I suggest giving these a try. 

anti-nausea remedy for pregnancy

Essential Oil Roller

I really didn’t think this was going to work but it was one of the most helpful things I had for my nausea. I made a roller with peppermint, spearmint, and lemon and rolled it right behind my ears. I would smell it throughout my day and feel much better. If it was getting worse, I would just smell it right out of the bottle as well.

Anti-Nausea Essential Oil Roller:

  • 10 drops Peppermint
  • 5 drops Spearmint
  • 5 drops Lemon
  • 5 drops Lime
  • Fractionated coconut oil

Add each of these oils to your roller and fill the rest with a carrier oil like coconut, almond, or jojoba oil.

How Can I Prepare for My Pregnancy and Birth?

I watched many documentaries on pregnancy and childbirth to educate myself about what was in my future. I’m a big research nerd so I wanted to know everything that could happen, see all different birth experiences, and be educated on all things babies. I have a few favorites and the best pregnancy tracking app to help you get ready for your little one. 

The Bump

This app was extremely helpful all throughout my pregnancy. It shows you week by week how big your baby is growing, has tons of articles on pregnancy, and relates your baby’s size with foods that are a similar size. I started using this and got good information on what to expect in the coming weeks and when to do certain things. It was also good just to remember how far along you are, after a while the weeks blur together!

pregnancy tracking app

Vaxxed

The first documentary I watched was Vaxxed which is about the MMR vaccine. I was skeptical because you always feel like documentaries, especially on vaccinations will have a skewed view of whichever agenda they are trying to push. But I thought this was very factual and just stated what they found, not hating on either side.

It opened my eyes to things going on in the healthcare system today surrounding vaccinations so if you haven’t followed this stuff I recommend watching it. 

The Business of Being Born

Next, I watched The Business of Being Born, and honestly, this documentary blew me away! This got me thinking about how birth is treated in the US, and I ultimately made the decision to have a home birth after further research. Whether or not you choose a homebirth, this is still a good watch for anyone having a baby for the first time. 

Breastmilk

And finally, I watched Breastmilk which helped me learn more about different breastfeeding journeys women have. I thought breastfeeding was a pretty cut and dry thing, but it turns out quite a few women have a hard time breastfeeding their children and this gives you some insight on that along with ways to create the best odds for success. 

What Are Your First Trimester Must-Haves?

The first trimester can be a hard start to pregnancy, but once you get past it, the fun stuff starts to happen. Get yourself set up for the least amount of discomfort, and before you know it, you’ll be on to the second-trimester glow! What are your must-haves for the first trimester of pregnancy? Let me know in the comments below!