First Trimester Wellness Tips

Hi again! I wasn’t planning on documenting too much of my pregnancy just because I didn’t want this to turn BYOK into a MOM blog. Not that there is ANYTHING wrong with Mom blogs – but I wanted this blog to be applicable to EVERYONE.

However, so many of you reached out and asked what prenatals I take,  what I take for nausea (which it took me FOREVER to figure it out, naturally I got it under control and then it naturally went away anyway- go figure!), where I shop for maternity clothes, etc. So I figured I would do a round up after every trimester with my go to’s!

This is my first pregnancy so of course I am NO expert. I am merely just relaying what works for me. But I think it is work sharing. I was VERY NAUSEAS, very tired and very hormonal. But I have a healthy babe so no complaints here. But I did manage a few hacks so let’s jump into the 8 staples of my first trimester of pregnancy.

1. 1. Mama Wellness Book: Best $15 I have EVER SPENT. This book lays out so much helpful information for the pregnant mama. A week by week guide so you are NOT overwhelmed but definitely informed of your body’s changes and your baby’s health and growth. It outlines all the tests you undergo during pregnancy, birth center v. hospital, what a doula is, recipes and more. It gives you all the options that you want to KNOW about. This book is a MUST READ.

1. 1. Ovia Pregnancy: I downloaded this free app right away because I loved the features of the Ovia period tracker. There are so many apps out there but I liked this one because 1- You limit the information you share with the app and 2- Every week it tells you how big your baby is compared to a food item. So for example, at 19 weeks my baby was the size of a tomato. HOW CUTE!

1. 1. Prenatals:Honest Company + Alive are my go to’s. I did a lot of research when it came to prenatals. I was also taking them a year before we started “trying” just because I wanted my body to be ready and full of the vitamins that it needed to create a strong healthy little one. I like the Honest Company Whole Food non-gmo prenatals and Honest Company DHA. However, this regime consists of 5 pills a day. So on days I felt nausea, I reached for the Alive prenatals which were gummies and so easy to digest. DHA is SUPER important as it aids in the baby’s brain and eye development. I ended signing up for a monthly subscription with Honest because it was less expensive and it was something that I needed daily.

1. 1. Ginger Chews: Gin Gin’s from Trader Joe’s or Amazon helped ease the never ending morning sickness I suffered from.

1. 1. Body Balm: I started off using Honest Company body balm which I definitely enjoyed. I also used BIO-oil which was recommended to me. Personally, I enjoy Tanna Beauty Body Balm the best. I can’t attest to what prevents stretch marks and the like just yet, but it definitely left my skin the most moisturized!

1. 1. Nutrition Plan: I worked with Megan of The Nutrition Addiction on a pregnancy meal plan. Not so much for weight concerns but more so because I wanted to make sure I was nuturing my baby with all the right nutrients. I want my meals to be completely rounded out with all nutrients that my baby needs to grow. She created a two week custom meal plan with recipes, grocery lists and tips and it has been beyond helpful!

1. 1. Jolene: Adventures of a Junk Food Queen: I just couldn’t help myself but I purchased my baby its first book. Because mama is always spoiling it. And how fitting it was a health related book.

1. 1. Sarah Beth Prenatal Yoga: There are SO MANY youtube videos for prenatal yoga out there but hands down my favorite are the Sarah Beth videos. She is gentle yet has strong sequences and she gives you enough time to adjust (once you have a bump you WILL understand!). I am actually in contract with her for her to come on my podcast YESSSSSS! So hopefully that will be in the works soon. But yoga really helped a lot of the back pain I was having. I took about 2 weeks off from working out – out of pure laziness not for any other reason – and I was in SO MUCH PAIN. I went back to yoga and it was an instant healing. What can I say, baby LOVES yoga. I also went to a prenatal yoga class in person which I LOVED. It was fun to meet other mama’s. I just haven’t been able to make them work with my schedule right now.

1. 1. Coffee Alternatives: There is a lot of conflicting information regarding this one. According to the March of Dimes, pregnant women should limit their intake to 12 oz cup of coffee a day. My personal rule of thumb is if I need coffee, I have it. If I wake up feeling energized, I don’t and I reach for an alternative. That way on days when I need a little more than I should have, I don’t feel guilty. It all balances out. Some coffee alternatives include Tumeric Lattes, Matcha Lattes, and Mushroom Coffee. The main concern in coffee is the caffeine intake, so I still watch how much I am consuming for these other options as well. I have also read and I personally feel comfortable using MCT oil during pregnancy. This helps me stay awake and alert and I literally put this in EVERYTHING. So that was also lifesaver.

1. 1. Shopping for Mama! My go to places for maternity clothes have included ASOS, Sexy Mama Maternity, GAP, and Old Navy. I’ve also been on Poshmark searching for some deals. Also, Sexy Mama Maternity always has some good deals if you keep an eye on their instagram stories! Let me know if you have any go-to’s.

1. 1. Probiotics. WHAT THE HECK. No one EVER told me your digestion is slow AF during pregnancy. It’s a real thing. I never had a problem and now I’m like wait – no kombucha and my digestion sucks? Yep, so now I incorporate probiotics whenever I can. My go to snack is goodbelly yogurt shots and fruits like pinapple, HU Kitchen Chocolate and Coconut Cult Yogurt (TONS OF PROBIOTICS), and of course just take an old fashion pregnancy probiotic. I like Garden of Life pregnancy probiotics.

1. NESTING. It’s real. If you haven’t done so already, toss your toxic cleaners (refer to this list for some good house cleaners), swap your detergent (here’s why), rid your house of toxic candles (use cocochantel or the simmer company instead), and make sure the air you breath INSIDE your house is CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN. (House plant tips in case you were looking for some clean air plants!).

I hope you found this first trimester list helpful and interesting! Of course feel free to drop any questions below!

DISCLOSURE: I am not a doctor. I always listen to my body and do whats best for ME. Always consult a doctor and listen to your own body if you aren’t sure what to do. For example, I did not feel comfortable drinking kombucha so early on in my pregnancy. So I skipped it. I know others who have continuously drank it throughout first trimester. No judgement from me. Just sharing what I have done + my journey.

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