First and Second Trimester Pregnancy Essentials
Holy Moly! I'm less than one week away from my third trimester. How and when did that happen?! As I head into my third trimester, I put together a list of the products I loved and still love using from my first and second trimesters.
First Trimester
I was pretty lucky in my first trimester. My only symptoms were sore, sensitive, and growing breasts, pregnancy bloat, and exhaustion. I had waves of nausea if I overate, but never had "morning sickness" and never came close to vomiting.
Sore and All of the Sudden Ginormous
To help with my sore and growing boobs, I wasted no time getting some larger wireless bras. Ones I could wear to bed, to work and to work out in (which by the way, I didn't work out almost at all my first trimester. I was much too tired).
Am I Showing Already? - Nope That's Just Pregnancy Bloat
I didn't listen to my co-worker soon enough when she told me not to wait to buy some maternity pants. I tried the hair tie trick with some of my regular jeans, but was still uncomfortable most of the day. I finally gave in around week 7-8 and purchased some maternity jeans and leggings. I wish I wouldn't have waited so long. The leggings were terrific! I wore them every weekend and most nights to bed.
The leggings were from Motherhood Maternity. I got eight pairs on clearance since the stores near me were going out of business. My maternity jeans I got from Target. I tried the "Under the Bump" and "Over the Bump" and hands down prefer the "Over the Bump" options. The "Under the Bump" styles were low cut, and I prefer my ass to be covered when I sit down. Ain't no one want to see my thong peeking out the back of my pants. So "Over the Bump" it was! And even 20 weeks later, then fit me perfectly and have stretched to accommodate my growing baby.
Other clothing items I purchased early in my pregnancy were maternity t-shirts, tank tops, and over-sized sweaters. For the t-shirts and tanks, I mostly shopped the maternity sections. I got a few great options from the Isabel Maternity by Ingrid & Isabel line at Target. They don't have ruching on the sides and stretched with your growing bump. I sized up in a few vintage Universal Thread t-shirts and A New Day long-sleeved t-shirts. Both are from Target and both are still staples in my wardrobe now at 27 weeks. For sweaters, I decided I could get away with sizing up to a medium or large, especially since it was winter. We all like to be cozy in the winter.
You're Napping AGAIN?!
I heard the first trimester usually comes with exhaustion, but was not prepared for just how tired I would be. Even after eight-plus hours of uninterrupted sleep, I was ready to put my head down at work only two hours later. When I'd get home, I'd curl up on the couch and crash for thirty minutes. And I was ready to call it a night around 9:00 pm.
I remember my husband coming home from work, and seeing me napping said, "You're napping again?!" Yes, I am napping again. There is sorcery happening in my body, and I'm fucking tired! It also didn't' help that the whole first month of my pregnancy, we were renovating our bathroom. So on top of working, I also had to come home and be somewhat helpful to my husband while he cut and measured and installed various materials.
A few things that helped my napping game (which BTW, I am not a normal napper. At least I wasn't pre-pregnancy. I am now.) was a sleep mask and a white noise machine. Both things are part of my regular sleep routine but came in handy when it was still light outside, and my husband was watching tv in the living room. Oh, and coffee. And yes, I still drank 1-2 cups of coffee a day.
What's Happening in my Body and What Size Fruit or Vegetable is my Adorable baby Now?
My other go tos during my first trimester and items I’ve continued to use during my pregnancy are pregnancy related apps and a journal. I started keeping a journal/planner/to-list a few years ago. I found it helpful during this pregnancy to write down any symptoms I was having, concerns or questions for my doctor appointments, pregnancy milestones, and all the thoughts and feelings I was having about this pregnancy. When I review my journal entries at the end of the month, it is enjoyable to read about his first kicks, when my energy came back and when my belly measurement increased by two inches in only three weeks. I can’t wait to share these memories with him when he is older or to refer back to if we have more children.
I almost immediately downloaded The Bump and Babycenter apps. I love knowing what size/weight baby is each week, what to expect as my body changes or all the various decisions to think through about labor and postpartum. I don't always look at these apps daily, but I do go into them weekly.
Second Trimester
The week or so before I hit my second trimester, my boobs started hurting less, bloat turned into an actual baby bump, and my energy returned, which was much appreciated. I started working out again since I did very little during my first trimester. I got back into using my fitness app and taking walks around our neighborhood. However, with the fun of announcing our pregnancy, other symptoms started popping up. Along came the start of uncomfortable sleeping, acid reflux and the dreaded heartburn, and a belly that is very much in the way now when it comes to bending over.
You Want Me to Sleep How?
I'm usually a back sleeper, so reading all the articles and warnings about how it's safer to sleep on your side during the last half of your pregnancy, put a damper on my quality sleep. I could fall asleep on my side but always ended up on my back. Now that my uterus was growing and heavier, sleeping on my back meant my limbs were pins and needles after only an hour or two. And I worried about harming the baby by crushing my vena cava (apparently some really important vein) while sleeping on my back. Also, it just became less comfortable to sleep on my back.
I know most people swear by a full-body pregnancy pillow to help with side sleeping due to the addition of a new belly. So I tried one out but hated it. Pre-pregnancy, I already slept with quite a few pillows to support my neck and hip alignment. Trying to add the body-sized pillow into the mix just didn’t work. Luckily, I found a smaller pregnancy wedge to add in with all my other sleep assistance pillows. And it's been amazing! Not only do I use it when I sleep on my side, but I also use it under my side/back when I inevitably roll onto my back at some point in the night. That wedge keeps me propped up just enough, so my limbs don't fall asleep and gives me some peace of mind that I'm not suffocating my baby by crushing that vein. Irrational fears, I know. I loved this wedge so much that I ordered a second one. So now I have one on either side of me so I can switch sides easily and always have one close to my back. The cost of both pillows combined is only $30, which is much cheaper than a fancy U-shaped or C-shaped full body option.
It Burns, There's a Lump in My Throat, and Do I Have COVID-19?
Spoiler Alert! I do not have the Coronavirus. At least not yet, and hopefully not at all. But I do have acid reflux, and it's uncomfortable. I've had acid reflux before very mildly and very randomly. And usually, it was more of burping and a dry cough. But now my symptoms also include heartburn and the feeling of a lump in my throat, usually around bedtime. The culprits, I’ve deduced, are coffee, chocolate, spicy or saucy foods, onion, and garlic, all my favorite things to consume. How can you have pizza or Italian food without sauce, onion, and garlic?? It's a good thing I ate plenty of chocolate and drank tons of coffee during the first 20ish weeks of pregnancy because as soon as I hit week twenty-one, the fun was over.
Coffee wasn't as hard to limit as I thought it would be. It helped that my energy was back, and I was only drinking one cup about four days a week. I easily made the switch to green tea instead. And now that I have gestational diabetes (more on that in a future post) and working from home with limited access to candy, it wasn't hard to forgo the chocolate either. But especially now that I was self-quarantining and had gestational diabetes and am making all my meals from scratch, how the heck was I going to make yummy, healthier meals without garlic, onions, and tomatoes? The truth is, I can't. I try my best not to put as much of those things into recipes, but at the end of the day, the acid reflux and heartburn are much less now that coffee and chocolate are out of my diet, so taking some TUMS or ginger tea usually does the trick. Also, having an adjustable bed is a godsend for acid reflux. It quiets my dry cough, which is generally worse at night and lets gravity help with the acid and my digestion.
If you don't have an adjustable bed, I highly suggest you get one, especially if you have any sort of asthma or bronchial spasms or lower back pain or acid reflux. We purchased ours before all this pregnancy business since I also have bronchial spasms from about November - March when the weather is either turning or cold. My husband and I opted for a split mattress model so I can elevate while he sleeps flat. I can relieve some of my symptoms, and he isn't kept awake by my hacking cough.
It Can't Possibly Stretch Anymore, Please Tie My Shoes, and It's Sooo Heavy
Once I hit my second trimester, I started growing, and it hasn't stopped. The most noticeable growth happened between weeks 20 - 23. My belly circumference increased two inches in just three weeks. Starting around week twenty, it was like I could FEEEL the skin around my mid-section stretching. And there was much less room in my midsection. I would have to sit up straighter to make room for internal organs or lay on the couch instead of sitting while watching tv.
And my skin was getting tighter. One thing I started doing early on, maybe around weeks twelve or thirteen is lotioning up my mid-section. It feels so good to rub oil and lotion on your tight, itchy expanding belly. And so far, it's doing the trick. No signs of stretch marks yet (even though I’m sure they are coming). And even though I know stretch marks have more to do with genetics than a self-care routine, I'll choose to believe me rubbing oil on my bump two or three times a day is helping. And anyway, it feels so good.
I also noticed somewhere around weeks 20-23 that it was harder to bend over to put on my sneakers. The dress code in my small office is pretty casual, so usually, I wear running shoes to work. There was one morning I remember trying to put my shoes on and tie them, and it was so uncomfortable. I tried sitting down to do it, and that was almost worst. I asked my husband to tie my sneakers, and he laughed at me and said, "No." I think he thought I was dramatic at the time, but I was so annoyed he wouldn't do me a solid.
So I went scouring the place to find everything, a.k.a. Amazon, and came across a wonderful invention called Hickies. They are plastic things that go into the lace holes of your shoes. You can configure them to make shoes looser or tighter, but the best part is there is no tying of laces. Once you have them adjusted to your liking, you just slip your feet in and be on your way. I tried one pair to see if I liked them and then purchased a second pair for my indoor workout shoes. Take that, hubby! Don't need you no mo'.
Again around this magical time of weeks 20-23, I realized walking was becoming uncomfortable instead of relaxing. My belly would tighten if I walked too fast. I already felt like I was walking at the pace of a snail, and I wasn't sure I could walk much slower. I also started getting an achy feeling in my pelvis. During one of my walks, my belly started to tighten, but I was determined to keep walking. So I put my hands under my belly and lifted it for the remainder of my walk. . By the time I got back, my arms felt like they had a workout. I knew I had gained weight, but I didn't realize how much that belly contributed to the pounds.
Thankfully, during one of my many trips to Motherhood Maternity in the early stages of my pregnancy, I purchased a belly support band. I wasn't sure at the time I would ever use it or need it, but it was a reasonable price, so I figured better safe than sorry. And I'm happy I purchased it. It wasn't until a week or two ago that I remembered I had it. I was skeptical it would work, but to my surprise, it has helped when I go on walks. I no longer have contractions that last the entire walk, and my pelvis doesn't hurt. Since walking seems to be the only way I can get out for some fresh air these days that support belt has become a lifesaver.
Drinking ALL the Water and Preparing for Labor
A few other honorable mentions from my second trimester. The first is my ginormous water bottle. It's a 64-ounce beast that has measurements and time reminders to drink all the water. Staying hydrated has helped me stave off leg cramps, swelling, caffeine headaches from giving up coffee, and I'm pretty sure it has also helped my stretching skin. I purchased one for work and then quickly bought another to keep at home. I try to drink between 80-100 oz of water a day, and this water bottle keeps me hitting that target. I take one with me everywhere and have had multiple compliments and questions. I heard about it from a YouTuber I watch, Olivia Zapo. If you are pregnant or a new mama, go check out her channel. I've purchased quite a few things from watching her videos (pregnancy and non-pregnancy) and haven't been disappointed yet.
The second is the Birth Hour podcast. Now that I'm on the other side of this pregnancy, I've become obsessed with labor stories. I stumbled across this podcast and enjoy listening to an episode here and there. There are a ton of episodes, so I usually go through and pick one that has an interesting title or seems relevant to how I think I want to labor. Most episodes are an hour or less, and it's so interesting to hear how each birth is so different. I've come away with some useful resources, book recommendations, and some yes's and no ways for my own birth plan. Definitely worth checking out if you enjoy listening to podcasts and are pregnant or a mom.
My last second trimester essential is YouTube. When my energy came back around week thirteen, I knew I wanted to get back into working out. The fitness app I was using pre-pregnancy had a few prenatal workouts, but I quickly become bored of the same ten routines. So I searched YouTube, and there are so many free prenatal workout videos available, from yoga and stretching to strength training to barre and pilates. It's helped me stay motivated to workout and has plenty of options depending on what I'm feeling that day.
I also still use all the clothes, apps, and journal I used in my first trimester and will continue to use them, plus the items mentioned from my second trimester, into my third trimester.