pregnancy essentials | first trimester

being pregnant this third time around, has been a whole new experience.  I've done this before a couple times, you know, so I should know what to expect.  but also because it’s been so much different than my pregnancies with the girls! with the twins, as well as Baker, I had and easy breezy first trimester.  I was hardly sick and occasionally forgot I was actually pregnant.. and while the exhaustion never ceased, it was manageable.  with this little boy in my belly I had awful morning, er.. more like evening or ALL DAY sickness.  I am so exhausted, too.  I basically slept on my face at night even with a two hour nap during the early afternoon every day.  it’s pretty weird how pregnancies can have your body react in such different ways. I’ve really accepted this time around that while I can control a lot of things in my life, this isn’t one of them, so I’ve adapted a go-with-the-flow type mentality. with my first trimester recently rolling to a close, I thought I’d put together a short list of some of my favorite that have helped me get through those first 13 weeks.

get moving, stay hydrated, + take your vitamins!

invest in a good water bottle. I fill my hydroflask water bottle and I carry it everywhere. my OB suggested drinking 10 glasses of water or more every day and my giant bottle holds about 40 ounces.  so I know if I re-fill my water bottle at least two times I am in good shape!  Not to mention what I am eating and drinking outside of water itself.

saltine crackers. I was never without a sleeve of these crackers during the first trimester, and a short stack almost always kept my queasiness at bay. almost. 

fruit. I always love fruit, but when I am pregnant its like we need an apple orchard and strawberry farm in the backyard to keep up!  a bowl of fresh fruit is hands down my favorite first trimester snack..okay. maybe my favorite pregnancy snack in general. 

Fitbit. thankfully my sickness wasnt in the morning when I am used to working out.  but even then, waking up extra early has been hard! the fitbit has been a great thing to help keep an eye on my heart rate while working out but also to help keep me motivated to move throughout the day outside of bootcamp.

who doesn’t love a horse pill prenatal, am I right? as if your gag reflex isn’t already at it’s all time high (I cant even hardly brush my teeth), you are expected to swallow and tolerate a giant chalky vitamin. I am a horrible pill taker in general, and took one for the team while I was pregnant with the twins. I hated life taking those giant prenatals.. and when I was pregnant with Baker, I used the honest brand prenatal complete vitamin, and although it wasn’t the worst, I still couldnt take it on an empty stomach.  I made a healthy habit of taking my vitamins after dinner before going to bed so that I slept through any stomach discomfort.  this time around I have decided that the gummy vitamin is the way to go.  my OB wasnt super impressed with the idea of me taking an over the counter option I had selected, so she prescribed me the Vitafol gummy vitamin.  I also take an additional (gummy) calcium supplement- the target brand.  I’m still not convinced these gummies arent candy–a far cry from the horse pills!

I need support! … & a comfy pair of jeans.

snoogle body pillow. the snoogle body pillow has been a lifesaver. up and having to quit sleeping on your back or stomach can be a real drag, especially if you’re that kind of sleeper- which I am a hard core stomach sleeper.  my belly is still small enough I can ALMOST get away with it.. but I wake up so uncomfortable within an hour. this pillow is a must have. I swore by this pillow during my previous pregnancies- and when I was pregnant with the twins it took me until about mid-pregnancy to make the splurge.  that’s the best part about pregnancy the second and third time around–when you know better, you do better– all the little things you learn along the way add up for the next time around. the snoogle pillow encompasses your entire body giving you back and tummy support. I love that it will last all pregnancy.. and some time afterwards if I'm being truthful- the hubby found out that I had pulled this puppy out from the darkness while he was at work and browsing through my social media. basically sent me the crying emojis for three hours. sorry hubby.

speaking of support, I embraced maternity clothes much sooner this time around than I did with the other two pregnancies.  just finally accepting it for what it is.. so much better than the old elastic band through your buttonhole trick! my belly is measuring almost 2 weeks larger than I actually should be. I fell in love with the comfort and stye of motherhood maternity in my first pregnancy with the twins and again with Baker.  maternity pants style and sizing (leggings and denim) seems to be all over the map, but when you can find quality and comfort AND consistency in one place I totally can appreciate that.  I have several pairs of motherhood maternity denim (which I just noticed is BOGO 50% off right now!) and have ventured over to their work style pants/chinos as well as leggings and workout gear.  I know exactly the size I need and shopping online has been easy.  I about DIED when I found these faux leather leggings in their collection.  FAUX LEATHER.  I will find every reason to wear these:)  not to mention they are by Jessica Simpson maternity, which has inadvertently become  my favorite maternity designer. 

So, I know those are just a few items, but truth be told the first 13 weeks aren't riddled with many crazy life changes that required new purchases.. I took that time to focus on sleeping and trying to eat when I could. It was back to basic survival skills with less of the fun stuff. What did you swear by in your first trimester?