First Trimester Pregnancy Must-Haves for New Moms

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Congratulations! You are pregnant! The first trimester of pregnancy is such an exciting time in a woman’s life as you start to grow your bundle of joy!

Your body is changing while growing a tiny human. It’s the miracle of life!

As joyous as it is, the first trimester is also probably the hardest time of any pregnancy, as hormones are going haywire and affecting your body in so many different ways.

You might find yourself having many pregnancy symptoms of the first trimester – nausea, cramping, bloating, breast soreness and more.

As a new mom you might also feel overwhelmed with all the information available and are probably overlooking your self-care. Especially if you don’t know what to buy or if you can’t rely on friends and family for pregnancy tips and advice, because you chose to keep it a secret for a little while.

If this is how you are feeling, let me assure you that most of us have been there. That is why I want to share with you my favorite, must have products for your pregnancy’s first trimester.

What to Expect When You Are Expecting Book

This is the holy grail of pregnancy books. Instead of spending hours on Google, buy this book. It goes through every phase of pregnancy from pre-conception to post-delivery, and touches on most of the pregnancy symptoms and situations that might happen when you are expecting, even rare ones.

I like to reference it when something new comes up, when I am anxious about something in between doctor visits or when I want to know what to expect in the coming weeks. It also has an amazing section on birth and post-delivery to prepare you for what is to come.

Side Sleeper Leg Pillow

One of the things that I learned during my first pregnancy is that proper support during sleep is a must when you are expecting. After the 16-20 weeks pregnancy mark, your doctor will instruct you to only sleep on your side.

If you are a back or belly sleeper, you will have to adjust to this new position and it might actually start quite early if you are feeling bloated or your belly is cramping from uterus stretching.

A lot of moms love the whole body pregnancy pillow, but I prefer the side sleeper leg pillow. The reason is I can easily turn from one side to the other without having to readjust the pillow. This pillow is also made of supporting memory foam, which keeps my pelvis aligned during sleep.

Before using this pillow, I used a regular pillow and it was cumbersome to turn under the sheets and was also not providing the best support. Since I had to spend almost a year in post-delivery physical therapy for pelvic related issues, I am taking extra precautions this time around by investing in a good side sleeper leg pillow.

Comfy Pants

Two of the symptoms I had during my pregnancies very early on were bloating and implantation cramps. For this reason, I lived on comfy pants during the first trimester of pregnancy and I really didn’t want anything hugging my belly.

These comfy maternity pants are super soft, affordable and light, which make them perfect for lounging around the house in any weather. They come in many colors and I might actually keep them around after giving birth for those PMS days.

Comfy Bras

Another uncomfortable symptom many women experience in their first trimester is breast tenderness and swelling. It’s akin to a few days before you have your period, but might last a lot longer.

In my case, my breasts grew two full sizes during the first trimester and were really sore. This meant anything with wires were out and my exercise bras no longer fit me.

These comfy bras provide enough support even if you have a larger cup and are not as restrictive as regular bras.

The other plus of these comfy bras is the cut. You can wear them without having a racerback showing through and with a v-cut top.

They are super affordable – less than U$10 – and are great for breastfeeding, so you really get your money’s worth.

Maternity Underwear

Related to belly bloating and cramping, you will want to invest in new underwear that have wider legs and softer fabric around the belly area to accommodate for a growing body and belly and you might as well invest in that comfort from the get go.

I love these panties because they are super soft, and the top is foldable so as your belly grows you can adjust it to your liking.

Microwavable Heating Pad

If you experience implantation cramps as a pregnancy symptom, you will need one of these microwavable heating pads.

I experienced implantation cramps for a few weeks right in the beginning of pregnancy and this pad was so comforting. Implantation cramps are akin to menstrual cramps, but they last longer and can be quite painful.

And since taking anti-inflammatory drugs is not really recommended in the first trimester, or you might choose not to, I highly recommend buying these microwavable heating pads.

They also come in handy if you develop round ligament pains during the second trimester.

Ginger Chews, Ginger Tea

One of the most common symptoms of the first trimester of pregnancy is the dreaded “morning sickness” or as all pregnant women like to call it “all day nausea.”

Ginger is a great natural remedy for nausea. Ginger tea was specially helpful to me. Just make sure it’s homemade or decaffeinated. If you don’t drink tea, these ginger drops are really good, especially if you like sweets.

I am one of those lucky people that gets motion sick riding in a car and I’ve tried everything for nausea – bands, patches, medication.

If ginger does not work for you and your nausea is really affecting your ability to eat and function specially after the first trimester of pregnancy, consult your doctor for medication.

During my first pregnancy, I used medication until I was 22 weeks pregnant. During this pregnancy, I hardly ever had nausea and I when I did, the ginger really helped.

Prenatal Vitamins

If there is one thing you should definitely get in this list is a good prenatal vitamin. In a perfect scenario, they should make up your pre-conception checklist as most doctors recommend starting them at least 4 weeks before conceiving.

But there are times that a baby is a surprise and you have to start taking the prenatal vitamins in your first trimester.

I’ve taken the Nature Made prenatal vitamins during my pregnancies and I really like them. They are widely available and affordable.

Water Bottle

Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate!

One of the most confusing symptoms of the first trimester is that you start peeing more frequently. Like every two minutes! And you will be asking why, since you are only 6-8 weeks along!

Well with all that peeing comes dehydration. And if you are feeling nausea to boot, then dehydration makes things worse. It’s a vicious circle.

That is why is so important to drink at least 32 oz of water everyday. This bottle not only keeps you drinking, but also serves as motivation of why you should drink more water everyday and during postpartum.

Good Moisturizer and Body Oil

Finally, the holy grail of skin care for new moms. Whatever you choose, cream or oil (I use both) you should start your skin care now to prevent or minimize those stretch marks or just the overall itchiness that will happen as your skin starts to stretch.

Lather it on deliberately everyday. You will not regret it.

If you have sensitive skin or are having a hard time with smells (fragrance), then try this moisturizing cream. I use it on my son’s sensitive skin, and now on mine as well.

Stretch Band for Jeans

If you are fit, you might not starting showing until your second trimester, but bloating will make your jeans feel super tight and you might not be able to close it.

However, you might be too early in your pregnancy to want to go shopping for maternity jeans. So in that in-between period, that is when these bands come in handy.

Now in full disclosure, although I have friends that rave about them, I never actually used them. Even during my first pregnancy when I was in better shape, my belly felt so sore, the last thing I wanted was to fit into jeans, but if you don’t have that problem, then this is the way to go!

These are my 1st Trimester Pregnancy Must Haves for New Moms! Let me know in the comments what products were essential for you during pregnancy!

If you enjoyed this post you might like these other parenting post:

Or these updates from my first pregnancy!

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This website contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and participant in other programs, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.