First Trimester Must Haves & Things To Do
The first trimester can be quite an overwhelming one, with a sudden change in hormones your body will be all over the place and you may have no idea what to expect. Here are a few things I found were must haves in the first trimester and things you should be considering or starting to do.
Must Haves:
*Anti-Sickness Acupressure Bands (Sea Bands/Mama Bands)
- Wether they work or not they are something I used to try and help with the sickness I was experiencing. I had really bad sickness and found that these helped with the motion sickness I would experience. I brought mine from Amazon for roughly £7.
* Fresh Lemon and Ginger in the Fridge
- These were a must have for me, wether it was adding them to ice water, tea or just sucking on them, they would instantly alleviate any nausea and help keep sickness at bay.
*Sick Bags/Bowls handy
- I found that the sickness would hit me in a sudden wave, no matter where I was or what I was doing. There would often be times where I would be out and have to use dog bags to be sick as pulling over or finding a toilet was just not possible. When you have to be sick, you have to do it right away!
*Packs of tissues and Gum
- Help freshen up after you have been sick!
*Anti Sickness Tablets (See GP)
- These were a must have for me. I was on two different types of tablets from my GP to be able to cope and help keep down solids and fluids. I highly advise seeing your GP and not using counter remedies, as there are many different types of medications you should avoid in pregnancy.
*Comfy Clothes
-Although you may not be putting on much weight yet or growing a bump, normal clothes may not seem as comfortable any more. You may not feel very well for most of the first trimester, so being as comfortable as possible is a must.
*Pregnancy App (Ovia)
- I started using this app from day one to start tracking my pregnancy. There was quite a few that I used and I found this one the most helpful and interesting, with its many different features and information, I found this one was most suited to me.
*Pregnancy Book
- This is something optional, but advisable. I would recommend reading as much information as possible, to get a better understand of what to expect in pregnancy. These are also useful for partners too and helps them to get involved.
*New Bras
- This was something I needed right away as I noticed my boobs started to grow very quickly and almost instantly. You boobs will be really sore and tender at this stage and having a good fitted bra is best.
Things To Do:
* Go to your GP
- This is really important to do as soon as possible. Your GP will confirm your pregnancy and make a record on your health notes. They may also send you for blood work to check you are healthy and for any deficiencies that may hinder your babies growth.
*Consider your hospital/healthcare provider
- Wether this is something you do through your GP or by yourself, researching what hospital you would like to go to is key as this is the place that you will attend for all your antenatal appointments and eventually have your baby at. Check if they provide all the options you would like in labour. Are they easy to get to? Can they accommodate any health needs you may have? etc. Some hospitals are in high demand and require early referrals if you are out of their jurisdiction.
*Start taking Folic Acid
- This is recommended by all health care professionals, to help with your babies growth and getting the key nutrition it needs at this fundamental time of development. I started taking this from the day I starting trying to conceive. You can find this in most pharmacies and online, such as Amazon. Make sure you are only taking the recommended dosage of 400 micrograms daily.
*Take it easy
- Even through you don't have that heavy bump weighing you down yet, it is still important to start taking it easy in the first trimester as too much stress on your body can cause complications in your babies growth and even lead to miscarriage. No Heavy Lifting!
*Stock up on soups, plain and easy to eat foods
- When I was really sick I didn't even want to leave the house, so having a good supply of soups and foods that I could tolerate was essential.
*Avoid dying your hair
- This is something I have read a lot about avoiding in the first trimester. Apparently due to the change in hormones your body may react differently to the dye and the chemicals when in contact with your skin may have harmful affects on your baby.
*Read up on what to expect and foods to avoid
- It is always good to have an idea of what to expect in the first trimester, this can help reduce any panic you may have if you start to experience different symptoms and how to handle them. Also researching what foods to avoid is vital as this is the fundamental time of your babies development and some foods have harmful bacterias/ingredients which can lead to complications or miscarriage. The Ovia Pregnancy app has a huge list of foods to avoid and symptom checker.
*Consider who and how to tell about your pregnancy
- You may want to keep it quiet or you may want to shout it to the world. Who and how you announce your pregnancy to is totally up to you. Telling your partner should be the first on your list, the sooner they know, the sooner they can help you and understand any changed you may be experiencing. It is often advised to wait until 12 weeks, when you have your first scan to announce your pregnancy to everyone. This is to ensure that your baby is developing properly and there are no major complications with the pregnancy and to ensure you haven't experienced a miscarriage. By 12 weeks the rate of miscarrying reduces significantly.
Must Haves:
*Anti-Sickness Acupressure Bands (Sea Bands/Mama Bands)
- Wether they work or not they are something I used to try and help with the sickness I was experiencing. I had really bad sickness and found that these helped with the motion sickness I would experience. I brought mine from Amazon for roughly £7.
* Fresh Lemon and Ginger in the Fridge
- These were a must have for me, wether it was adding them to ice water, tea or just sucking on them, they would instantly alleviate any nausea and help keep sickness at bay.
*Sick Bags/Bowls handy
- I found that the sickness would hit me in a sudden wave, no matter where I was or what I was doing. There would often be times where I would be out and have to use dog bags to be sick as pulling over or finding a toilet was just not possible. When you have to be sick, you have to do it right away!
*Packs of tissues and Gum
- Help freshen up after you have been sick!
*Anti Sickness Tablets (See GP)
- These were a must have for me. I was on two different types of tablets from my GP to be able to cope and help keep down solids and fluids. I highly advise seeing your GP and not using counter remedies, as there are many different types of medications you should avoid in pregnancy.
*Comfy Clothes
-Although you may not be putting on much weight yet or growing a bump, normal clothes may not seem as comfortable any more. You may not feel very well for most of the first trimester, so being as comfortable as possible is a must.
*Pregnancy App (Ovia)
- I started using this app from day one to start tracking my pregnancy. There was quite a few that I used and I found this one the most helpful and interesting, with its many different features and information, I found this one was most suited to me.
*Pregnancy Book
- This is something optional, but advisable. I would recommend reading as much information as possible, to get a better understand of what to expect in pregnancy. These are also useful for partners too and helps them to get involved.
*New Bras
- This was something I needed right away as I noticed my boobs started to grow very quickly and almost instantly. You boobs will be really sore and tender at this stage and having a good fitted bra is best.
Things To Do:
* Go to your GP
- This is really important to do as soon as possible. Your GP will confirm your pregnancy and make a record on your health notes. They may also send you for blood work to check you are healthy and for any deficiencies that may hinder your babies growth.
*Consider your hospital/healthcare provider
- Wether this is something you do through your GP or by yourself, researching what hospital you would like to go to is key as this is the place that you will attend for all your antenatal appointments and eventually have your baby at. Check if they provide all the options you would like in labour. Are they easy to get to? Can they accommodate any health needs you may have? etc. Some hospitals are in high demand and require early referrals if you are out of their jurisdiction.
*Start taking Folic Acid
- This is recommended by all health care professionals, to help with your babies growth and getting the key nutrition it needs at this fundamental time of development. I started taking this from the day I starting trying to conceive. You can find this in most pharmacies and online, such as Amazon. Make sure you are only taking the recommended dosage of 400 micrograms daily.
*Take it easy
- Even through you don't have that heavy bump weighing you down yet, it is still important to start taking it easy in the first trimester as too much stress on your body can cause complications in your babies growth and even lead to miscarriage. No Heavy Lifting!
*Stock up on soups, plain and easy to eat foods
- When I was really sick I didn't even want to leave the house, so having a good supply of soups and foods that I could tolerate was essential.
*Avoid dying your hair
- This is something I have read a lot about avoiding in the first trimester. Apparently due to the change in hormones your body may react differently to the dye and the chemicals when in contact with your skin may have harmful affects on your baby.
*Read up on what to expect and foods to avoid
- It is always good to have an idea of what to expect in the first trimester, this can help reduce any panic you may have if you start to experience different symptoms and how to handle them. Also researching what foods to avoid is vital as this is the fundamental time of your babies development and some foods have harmful bacterias/ingredients which can lead to complications or miscarriage. The Ovia Pregnancy app has a huge list of foods to avoid and symptom checker.
*Consider who and how to tell about your pregnancy
- You may want to keep it quiet or you may want to shout it to the world. Who and how you announce your pregnancy to is totally up to you. Telling your partner should be the first on your list, the sooner they know, the sooner they can help you and understand any changed you may be experiencing. It is often advised to wait until 12 weeks, when you have your first scan to announce your pregnancy to everyone. This is to ensure that your baby is developing properly and there are no major complications with the pregnancy and to ensure you haven't experienced a miscarriage. By 12 weeks the rate of miscarrying reduces significantly.
