10 items to get you through the 1st Trimester

The 10 items I realised I desperately couldn't live with out to get me through the horrid 1st Trimester as a new mum-to-be...

Pregnancy Apps

Top of the list of course, has got to be pregnancy apps. There are about a billion out there but the three I skip between are Bounty, Ovia Pregnancy and Baby Centre. 

Ovia Pregnancy is great for regular little updates about baby, and size comparisons between fruit, pastries, toys and lots more! 

The Baby Centre seems best for articles on questions you might be having, and Bounty is good for freebies and a more realistic view of what baby might look like at each week.

Pregnancy multi-vitamins

A few friends I spoke to said that taking pregnancy vitamins made their nausea a lot worse. I didn’t experience that. When I had nausea, nothing seemed to make it better or worse really. It was simply…. nauseating. 

I've been using Pregnacare Original Vitamins. 

Although, like most vitamin supplements I can’t say I particularly ‘felt’ their effects but, with my distaste for food and my ability to only eat Chicken Chow Mein, having a pill that made sure I was still getting some nutrients was great for peace of mind.

I read one article where a woman claimed her pregnancy craving was salad. I hate that woman.

Bath tub thermometer

This really depends on how much you love a bath but, for me, it was a big deal. I love a bath and not just any bath, a skin-boilingly hot bath! If I’ve not come out feeling faint and bright red, it’s not a good bath in my books. Great for me, but not so great for baby…. Unfortunately.

Baby-friendly bath and room thermometers are a great buy if you’re like me. And of course, you can use them when baby comes too. Guidance online states that bath water temperature should sit around or below 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius. 

I bought this little super cute Hippo for my Tub.. works a treat!

That being said, I took this guidance with a pinch of salt after reading this Telegraph article which says that pregnant women can enjoy hot baths and even saunas without risk for a short period of time.

Here are some of my favourites from Amazon... 

(they're clickable)

Body oil

I’ve always been fairly dedicated to a post-bath moisturise so swapping my normal moisturiser for Johnson's baby oil was simple. I was also gifted a Boots Stretch Mark oil spray (you can find it on Ebay now) which I used on my bump, chest and thighs. It’s important to keep this area soft and supple right from the start.

 
Snack pot Tupperware

I found that an empty stomach can quickly bring on nausea. On a visit to the spa in week 7 it was mum to the rescue with Tupperware pots of nuts and fruit which kept me going through till afternoon tea. Mum's always know best!

Tupperware Ideal Little Bowl Set of 3 in Green, Red, Blue

Sparkling water

Unfortunately, I only found out about this absolute win in week 12. A friend of mine told me that she glugged down litres of the stuff. Sparkling water is indeed your pregnancy friend.

A re-usable water bottle

Multiple re-usable bottles to dot around your home as you’ll start to drink like its going out of fashion (and unfortunately, I don’t mean gin and tonics!). A handy tip; keep a full water bottle in your bathroom each night. I was getting up to pee A LOT and it helped me stay hydrated at the same time which helped me feel a little less light headed in the morning.

I'm a big fan of the water bottles with timer markers to prompt you to drink through the day... we all need a little nudge am I right!

Comfort food in the cupboards

Toward the end of week 8 I was really starting to feel the dreaded symptoms the maternity articles warn you about. Week by week they grew in intensity and it shocked me how much I struggled with all day nausea, headaches and feeling exhausted. I went off pretty much all food at that time, and dreaded mealtimes… and trust me… I NEVER go off food!

I leaned on comfort food and meals from my childhood to get me through. Chicken chow Mein, chicken nuggets, egg and soldiers and Semolina puddings. If there are a few childhood dishes that spring to your mind now’s the time to stock the fridge. 

Maternity jeans and leggings

By week 10 I was sneakily undoing my jeans post-lunch. They’d fit fine in the morning but by the afternoon I was dying to come home from work and get my PJs on for some relief! A quick run to Mothercare for a pair of skinny black maternity jeans and a 3 pack of maternity leggings turned into a god send. My advice, ignore the forum mums that tell you that you shouldn’t be showing until week 15 and you should need maternity gear – if you want it, get it!

A spare pillow

In weeks 11 and 12, my bump was pretty plump and whether it was baby or bloating I started to get a little uncomfortable lying on my side in bed. At this stage a maternity pillow is a bit over-kill, but a spare pillow works a charm. 

Do you agree? What have a missed? 

Love 
LauraClaire