First Trimester Faves

TGIT That's right, Thank God it's Tuesday (and not Monday) Got the weirdest feeling this morning, maybe it was just me, but it felt a tad crisp and chilly and I couldn't help but get that giddy feeling I experience when fall is here. Weird since it's May in Florida.....Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I have already started mentally planning Norah's 1st birthday which is in December. I'm crazy I know! Well anywho, on to the task at hand, which is "First Trimester Faves."

First Trimester Faves

1) Prenatal Vitamins: I already mentioned these in my "Pre-Pregnancy Faves," but if you didn't catch that post, I used these vitamins, and loved them. No nausea if you take them on an empty stomach because they are whole food. Worth mentioning too because they also have ingredients that are supposed to help with morning sickness. I was fortunate enough not to experience this, but I'm sure anyone who has can attest to the fact that anything that will help alleviate those symptoms is worth a shot. 

2) Prenatal DHA and Probiotics: I took these specifically (DHA / Probiotics) It does get pricey taking these two and the prenatal I mentioned above, but to me it was a priority, so I just tried to be frugal in other areas, like less expensive maternity clothes and used (washable) baby items. There are many benefits to taking DHA, the most important being healthy fetal brain development. This specific brand also adds vitamin D for bone and mood support, which I liked. Oh probiotics, I could get on a major soap box here and go on and on about how I feel like everyone should be taking these, but instead I will just tell you that since I have been faithfully taking them I honestly can't remember the last time I got sick (and I work in a medical clinic) and that it drastically helped my reflux. If you're interested in learning more about probiotics in general, this podcast is really what got me on the probiotic bandwagon. For pregnancy though, it's extremely important to have a healthy gut, because when your baby passes through the birth canal, he or she will acquire their gut bacteria from you. If you wanna dig deeper into that, this is a great article. If you read that last sentence, and you were thinking, "What about babies that are born via c-section?" Then you should definitely read this, it might seem strange at first but, to me it is such an amazing medical advancement. OK done and moving on!

3) Ginger Tea: As I said above, I was very very fortunate and didn't experience any "morning sickness," but things did get a little weird. I felt overly full after a lot of meals and digestion wise I just didn't feel my normal self during most of my first trimester. Ginger tea really helped sort of ease the weirdness for me. Not that is really matters, but this is the type of ginger tea that I like, it has the strongest flavor, which for some might very well be a deterrent. Luckily I already liked the taste of ginger pre-pregnancy, and during pregnancy, it became a weird craving, so it didn't feel so much like I was taking this as a remedy as it did a little cup of tangy, stomach-settling goodness. It works I promise. 

4) What to Expect App: Not much to say here other than if you wanna know type of fruit or vegetable your baby's size is comparable to, this is your jam. There are a lot of other cool features to this app, and even 5 months postpartum I find this app pretty useful. 

5) Water and more water: I like water, there it is, I just do. I know a lot of people who just don't, and that's fine, but it is soooooo important during and after pregnancy (and all the time really). I don't know if this was just something that happened to me, or if it's universal, but when I quit drinking soda (for the most part), I started craving water, so maybe if you're a soda drinker, try kicking it and seeing if your body starts wanting more water naturally? If not, then just get a big old water bottle, close your eyes, pretend you're in the Sahara and get drinking! Your body will thank you ;)

That's it for my 1st Trimester Faves, if you liked it, then keep an eye out for the next post, "My Second and Third Trimester Faves," which is coming soon. Click here if you missed my "Pre-Pregnancy Faves." Have a great week everyone!