We all know the first trimester of pregnancy can sometimes be the hardest. Whether you are an experienced mom or a first time mom those first 12 weeks can really take a toll on your body and mind. About this time last year I had officially exited the first trimester with Avery and was starting to feel 1000 times better. This got me thinking about what are the pregnancy must haves during the first trimester. This post contains affiliate links meaning I receive a small commission on any sales generated. However, all images that link to product are products I personally have used and love or friends have used and raved about. You can find my full disclosures HERE
First Trimester of Pregnancy Must Haves
Prenatal vitamins
Yes you need prenatal vitamins in your first trimester. In fact it is super important that you take your prenatals with folic acid to help prevent neural tube defects. Current studies have even shown that it may be beneficial to take prenatal vitamins before conceiving. I prefer the gummy ones because that actual pill prenatal vitamins made me extremely sick to my stomach.
Probiotics
These helped both with the nausea and constipation. They were actually a lifesaver since I could barely keep anything down for about 1 month before I started Zofran and then someone suggested using probiotics. I continued taking these throughout my pregnancy and it helped with nausea, constipation, bloating and even heartburn. Plus they are so good for your gut health I am still taking probiotics daily not. These ones from Pink Stork are my favorite! Really if there is anything you need to have during the first trimester and beyond it’s probiotics!
Home Doppler
Some people feel better when they have a doppler at home to listen to their little one’s heart beat. Moms in my mom group raved about having one. I personally did not have one for Avery’s pregnancy because I was high risk and got frequent ultrasounds but for those moms that I know that had one, they loved them. Now if you can’t hear the heartbeat and you are before 12 weeks, don’t panic. You may not always hear a heartbeat before the 12th week of pregnancy. The one all the moms in my mom group talked about can be found HERE.
Belly band
If your a second time mom you may start to show much sooner then you did last time. I loved my belly band because I could leave the top button open on my pants when I was feeling a little extra bloated. I actually used the same one through my entire pregnancy with Avery and for a little while afterwards so you get a lot of use out of it.
Pregnancy pillow
Might as well get comfortable now and get your hubby used to sharing the bed with your giant body pillow. These things will help make sleeping a little easier the further along you go into your pregnancy. Once your belly starts expanding, sleep becomes a little more difficult. These pillows are designed to wrap around your body and help support areas that need a little extra support. There is also a wide range of variations of this type of pillow but my favorite is linked HERE.
Pregnancy Journal
One thing I wish I had done was write down important milestones during each pregnancy. Sadly I didn’t and I regret not having that record of how I felt and when appointments were. If I were to have another baby I would grab one of these gorgeous pregnancy journals and keep track!
Water Bottle
I was drinking water like crazy during the first trimester which also meant that I was peeing like crazy. Despite this it is so important t drink tons of water. I found having a water bottle with me wherever I went helped me keep up with my water intake. Bonus, reusable water bottles are way better then plastic water bottles on the environment. So drink your water and save the planet! I love the CamelBak without the straw because they are durable (I drop things all the time), leak proof and BPA free.
Lotion
Get a good lotion whether it just be for stretch mark prevention or overall skin moisture. I personally don’t feel like stretch mark creams work but I think it is so important to moisturize your skin while pregnant. Hormones tend to dry your skin out making it dry and itchy. A good lotion can help combat that. I love Burts Bees as well as Earth Mama.
Pregnancy Book
We all know that the internet can provide a mass of information at your fingertips but so can a good old fashion pregnancy book which is one of my last pregnancy must haves. Google your symptoms and 9 times out of 10 you will have diagnosed yourself with some incurable disease. That can be extremely scary when your pregnant. I personally love What to Expect when your Expecting because it really covers everything that you need to know for your pregnancy, especially if your a first time mom.
What were your pregnancy must haves during the first trimester that helped you survive? Let me know in the comments below!
Great tips!
First. Your name is awesome.
I do wish I had gotten a doppler. I loved hearing the baby during Dr. appointments. Now they’re teens and won’t stop talking. Geesh
This is a great list of must haves for the first trimester! I take a multivitamin daily (not pregnant) but for my health!
nice list! one tip i got from my mom is to always have ginger, especially when feeling nauseated. i had the worst morning sickness and ginger really helped. as for the stretch mark, my OBGYN told me that it was genetic and you cannot do anything about it. if your skin is not that elastic, it will break during pregnancy not matter what you do. i’ve never done a single scratch on my tummy and i’ve put all the creams and lotions to prevent it, but i still had pretty bad stretch marks. i guess some girls are really lucky they’ve got good genes 🙂
These are great tips and will pass along to others that are expecting. Even though I am not going to have children, there are still some items I will use because they are great for women or anyone for that matter. Thanks
I find this list overwhelming as I’m not expecting any baby yet…. Thanks for the tips, by the way. I’ll take note of these soon when I’m ready to conceive.
This is a great list of must haves for the first trimester. Though I am yet to be married and be pregnant it is a good training for me.
Lovely tips for a first time mum! Will definitely keep this in mind if I ever get pregnant 🙂
This is a really interesting post. I’m not pregnant and I don’t expect to be for a few years but this is definitely something I will keep in mind and I bet it will be super useful for first-time mums.
Being pregnant is really hard most especially the first trimester it really gives you a lot of difficulties. I agree with you on all of those essentials that a pregnant woman should have.
I think this is a great list for any future moms who just found out they are pregnant. I don’t have children so I wouldn’t know what it’s needed in the first months of pregnancy.
Thank you for sharing!! My friend is in her first trimester, and I’m def sending this her way!
When I was pregnant, I had every item on this list. These are all great products to not only get you through the first trimester but the entire pregnancy.
This is a great list. I’ve looked into the doppler for home but I’ve been told the ones you can buy aren’t always that accurate, so I don’t know. The next thing I’ll need is a belly band because my pants are getting tight.
This is a great list! I couldn’t have survived my second pregnancy without a belly band.
Great tips and products. I definitely used most of these things during my first trimester.
Probiotics are so important! I wish someone had told me to take them during my pregnancy. I only heard from the pediatrician that taking probiotics actually helps the baby reduce risk of having eCzema after my son was being treated for it. Thanks for this useful list!
Such good advice!
The pillow was what got me through the second trimester!