Surviving the first trimester. There are countless Pinterest pins, blog posts, and YouTube videos dedicated to the subject. 

But why?……

Because it can be hard!

Being pregnant, especially for you first-time mama’s out there is no walk in the park. 

Yeah sure, we all have those friends who say

“My first trimester was a breeze!”

But for the vast majority of us, it’s far from easy….. 

When I was pregnant with our son, I remember suffering from nausea, bad appetite, and increased sense of smell, just to name a few.

In today’s blog post, we’re going to cover 7 tips that I think will go a long way in helping you make it through this important transitional time.  

 

7 First Trimester Tips!

1. Maintain or Establish an Exercise Routine

This one is really important. Exercise and moving around does so much good for your body!

You don’t need to go all out. Instead, focus on getting your heart rate up. Maybe go for a brisk walk, hop on the elliptical machine, if it’s warm out go kayaking or for a swim!

Your goal here is to get your heart pumping a little bit. If you happen to break a sweat- even better! Sweating is one of the best ways your body detoxes and gets rid of chemicals and toxins. 

A word of caution though….

You don’t want to overdo it and exercise too much. An important thing to ask yourself before you start exercising while you’re pregnant is…

Did I exercise regularly before I became pregnant?

If yes, then you can continue to exercise at your normal pace for some time yet. But if you hadn’t exercised before you became pregnant, then you’ll want to slowly ease into it. 

Getting daily, routing exercise really helps with two things during your pregnancy

Nausea 

And…

Constipation

These are both very common things for pregnant mamas to have. Even something as simple as getting out for a walk really benefited me. 

When I was nauseous, I would get outside for some fresh air and walk the dog. It not only helped to settle my stomach, but it also cleared my head and kinda helped me “reset”.

If you find yourself stressed and overwhelmed, put on those yogas and get that body moving!   

 

2. Maintain a Balanced Diet 

 

This one was REALLY tough for me, and I know it’s tough for a lot of pregnant ladies out there too! 

Eating healthy can be hard on a normal day, but throw in some pregnancy cravings, and Woah! Look out!

Throughout my entire pregnancy, and especially during my first trimester I craved lots of different foods.

But mainly,

carbs

And LOTS of them…. 

I also ate a lot of ice cream and chocolate.

Ladies, take it from me. This is not the way you want to go. Junk foods can have a negative impact on you and your baby.

Not only does junk food make you feel like crap, and more sleepy- it also doesn’t provide the nutrients that your little nugget needs to grow healthy and strong! It drags you down, and your baby with it. 

It also can affect your state of mind.

I know that when I eat healthier- I feel better!

Some foods to focus on

I don’t want to get too sidetracked on what types of foods to eat. As that will be a whole other blog post sometime soon. However here are some quick things to think about. 

Dark Leafy Greens 

• Kale 
• Spinach
• Broccoli

Just to name a few….

Kale and Spinach are two great superfoods. These are both super-rich in Folate which you and your baby need lots of! Getting natural Folate is WAY better than taking the synthetic version- Folic Acid.

A word of caution- make sure you always buy organic spinach and kale. These two items are consistently on EWG’s Dirty dozen list for pesticide residue. 

If you’ve never heard of the “Dirty Dozen”, EWG is a company that analyzes the food at the grocery store. They come up with a list every year of the top 12 items that contain the most pesticides. 

I highly recommend you print it off and stick it on your refrigerator. That’s what we do.

This helps us to highlight which items absolutely should be bought organic and others that maybe aren’t as important if our budget is tighter that week for groceries.  

If you don’t like dark leafy greens, look for a green smoothie recipe. My husband and I do this often and it really helps us increase our raw, leafy green intake.

The next important thing that you need to ensure you’re getting enough of is….

High-quality proteins

• Chicken
• Beef
• Fish 

These should all be consumed in moderation, keep in mind that we Americans generally eat WAY too much meat. 

Take a moment and look at your dinners this past week, have you been eating meat every night? If so, try switching to just 4 or 5 nights a week. 

There are PLENTY of amazing vegetarian recipes out there that have plenty of good protein in them as well. 

It can be pricey, but always try to buy the best quality meat that you can afford. Organic, wild-caught, pasture-raised, grass-fed- you get the idea.

If you reduce your meat consumption to only a few nights a week, it becomes much more feasible to buy higher quality meat anyway! 

What to avoid- or at least greatly minimize consumption

• Anything that’s processed or comes in a crinkly package! 
• Greasy Fast food
• Alcohol 
• Sugar

Avoiding junk food is tough, and I’m not saying you can’t eat a little bit here and there. You have to live too! Find a balance that works for you. 

For me, it’s the 80/20 rule. 80% healthy, and 20% not so much. 

 

3. Nausea help- Ginger and Preggie Pops

 

Alright, nausea is a big thing for so many pregnant women out there- myself included.

The two things that helped me the most were

Ginger candy and  Preggie Pop Drops

Ginger Candy

For those of you who like spicy food- ginger is a great option! Ginger has long been known as a great way to reduce inflammation, and in our case- ease stomach pain and nausea. 

I’ve always bought something like this. They’re low in sugar, have fewer preservatives, and taste great! 

Another option is to make your own ginger candy! My husband LOVES ginger so I’ll be giving this a try. I’ll be sure to link the recipe I used back on this post so you guys can try it if you’d like. 

Preggie Pop Plus

Preggie Pop Drops is a good option if you don’t care for ginger. I always carried a few of these in my purse when out and about and actually prefer them over Ginger Candy. 

They work well and the sugar content isn’t too bad if you limit yourself to just a few a day. 

Preggie Pop Plus even contains vitamin B-6 which is great at helping with nausea. 

These won’t completely “cure” your nausea, but they certainly take the edge off and help you get through the day. 

Pro tip: keeping saltine crackers next to your bedside table can be really beneficial. I did this and ate some every morning to help with nausea as soon as I woke up… even before getting out of bed, so I had something in my stomach. This really did help!

 

4. Drink! Water- And Lots of it!

They say a person can last a few months without food. But without water- it’s just a few days. 

Guys, water is important! It makes up 60% of the human body!

As your body builds and develops your tiny human it needs that water for embryonic fluid, to build tissue, and improve your digestion so your body can feed baby sufficiently 

Water is needed to maintain life, but it’s also needed to build it too. 

You should drink clean water- filtered water. Not out of a plastic bottle. Stick with glass. Plastic bottles contain harmful chemicals that you and your baby don’t need. 

If you do choose to drink from plastic…

Please NEVER leave a plastic water bottle in the sun or heat of your car and then drink from it!! 

How much water to drink?

People often ask

“How much should I drink?”

A good rule of thumb is half your body weight in fluid ounces per day. 

This may seem like a lot, but it’s what your body needs. Water is so important for your own body, but it’s especially important for the little one that’s growing inside of you. 

I’ve also found that when I drink enough water I’m able to stay awake and more alert– so there’s a bonus for you! 

Yes, you’re going to have to pee more often, but you’re pregnant- you’re going to be going to the bathroom a lot anyway. You might as well be hydrated while doing it! 

Many pregnant women complain of constipation. If you’re one of those people, then please make sure you’re following the half your body weight in fluid ounces guideline!

Proper hydration is key in helping to overcome constipation.

 

5. Start Assembling a Team that can Support you

 

Guys this is a really important one. Pregnancy and giving birth is hard, and there’s really no way around that. The best thing you can do is take it one day at a time and build a strong support team around you.

Don’t wait until your third trimester!!!

Find people who can support you and your plan for your pregnancy and birth. You shouldn’t go through this journey alone. Seek out an OB-GYN or midwife who agrees with and will support your birth plan! 

Don’t have a birth plan? Well, you need one! 

Consider using the template we created below. This will really help you- I promise. Having a birth plan is a great way to organize your thoughts. 

For those of you who are wanting a natural birth then you should absolutely do a detailed birth plan.

This template lays out everything you need when it comes to planning your special day and what your preferences are when baby arrives!

You need a professional in your corner who “gets it” and knows what your expectations are. 

I made the mistake of not going with my gut and went to an OB-GYN office that I ended up not exactly liking. Their methods and beliefs of how to prepare for and deliver my baby didn’t match up with mine. 

This made things more challenging than they needed to be when it came time for me to give birth. 

Remember, these professionals work for you. You’re hiring them to do a job. If you don’t like what they’re doing- fire them and find someone else! That doesn’t make you a bad person or a failure. 

 You’re the mother and in charge of the situation- not the other way around. 

Yes, they’re professionals and are there to advise you. But at the end of the day, it’s your decision. 

Once you have a professional who you trust, and whose values align with yours– don’t stop there! Find more people to add to your support team. Friends and family are great and can be a tremendous help. Both during pregnancy and after birth. 

My family lived across the state, but luckily my inlaws were right down the road from us. They were HUGE when it came time to come home from the hospital and take care of baby. 

Perhaps you should consider a doula!

Doulas can be a wonderful help, during and after pregnancy. We hired some doulas and they were invaluable to us especially those first few weeks after birth.

From how to breastfeed, to bathing, or anything in-between- I’d highly recommend having one in your corner.   

Guys, caring for a little one is a 24-hour 7-days a week job. It can wear on you after a while- so find a team who can help share that load with you. Don’t go at it alone!

My last piece of advice when assembling your team is – don’t wait! Do not wait to start bringing your team together. I know that you’re in the first trimester and your big day seems so far off. 

But I’m here to tell you….

It’ll be here before you know it! 

So start now- you’ll thank yourself later. 

 

6. Listen to your body

Now to me, this is an interesting one and one that I often pushed aside and ignored until I learned how important it was. 

The human body is an amazing creation, but it needs constant upkeep and maintenance- just like your baby will after they’re born!

When my husband studied natural health and healing he learned that the body has an innate intelligence. 

Our bodies know best. 

It knows what it needs, and what to do with the materials that you give it. Like clean food, water, and a good night’s rest.

You may feel extra fatigued in the first trimester. I’m normally a night owl and found myself literally falling asleep at 7 or 8 pm. 

Our bodies have the ability to build a tiny human- all on their own! Stop and think about how amazing that is. 

What I’m trying to say is that….

• When you’re tired- get some sleep! Preferably 7-9 hours per day. 

• If you’re hungry- eat some good healthy food!

• When you’re thirsty- make sure you drink half your body weight in ounces of water per day.

• If you feel stiff and lethargic get out and get some exercise. 

Don’t fight it, listen to your body… it knows best!  

Now, more than ever because your body is going through some incredible changes. Especially for you first-time mamas out there. This is all new to both you and your body. So pay special attention and give your body what it needs so that it can support you and your baby.

 

7. Don’t be too hard on yourself! 

 

This last tip I think is probably the most important…. 

Mama’s we’re not perfect, we’re only human. 

Maybe you ate a ton of junk food and feel guilty, or maybe you set goals for yourself that you aren’t accomplishing. 

Guys- you aren’t alone- we all fail sometimes. 

But we cannot get down and beat ourselves up! This is something that I know many of you do, including myself. 

Resist the temptation, because the minute you get down and start beating yourself up, it becomes so much harder to pull yourself up. 

Your pregnancy is going to have so many ups and downs. And guess what? Raising kids you’ll experience the same ebb and flow of emotions. 

Take it one day at a time, and when you fail- tell yourself you’ll get back up and try again tomorrow. 

This is also where having a great support team around you as we mentioned earlier really comes in handy.   

You are literally made for this- you can do it! 

To sum it all up- your first trimester will be tough at times. But remember, your body was built for pregnancy! You can do this!

It probably all seems really overwhelming- and that’s totally normal! Remember to break it down piece by piece and work your plan through day by day. 

Remember to…

1. Exercise 
2. Eat Healthy
3. Combat nausea with Ginger and Preggie Pops
4. Drink lots of water
5. Assemble your team to support you
6. Listen to your body and what it needs
7. And most importantly, don’t be too hard on yourself

If you can do these things, you’ll make it through your first trimester just fine. After a while, you may even surprise yourself and wish you could go back and do it all over again!