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Surviving the First Trimester

photography akron ohio

So I don’t know about you, but I will be the first to admit that the first trimester is HARD. Pregnancy is HARD. Going through loss and IVF has made me have a special appreciation for this pregnancy, but that doesn’t make me immune to admitting the challenges that come with carrying a child.

I always thought I would be one of those ladies that LOVES being pregnant. I mean, it’s my JOB to love baby bumps. I’m around them every single day. But no one can prepare you for the aches and pains, the nausea, the constipation and the boredom.

So I’ve put together a little list of things that I absolutely could not have lived without! If you are early on in your pregnancy, I hope some of my suggestions are helpful to you too!

***I am not a doctor, so always check with your health care professional before using anything new during your pregnancy***

Honey Nut Cheerios

I had all these grand plans of eating super healthy during this pregnancy and being fit. You know… that goals I think all women have for themselves in general, but especially during pregnancy. Well…naseua hit full force, and let me tell you, you will eat ANYTHING that sounds good at all. In my case, it was honey nut cheerios. No matter how bad I felt, I could always eat a bowl of cheerios.

Body Butter

I always thought your boobs grew toward the end of pregnancy. HAHAHAHA, silly girl. Mine grew SEVERAL cup sizes within the first month. All that stretching made my skin incredibly itchy. So this body butter by Hope Soap (a local company that donates a bar of soap to the homeless with every purchase) was the perfect (good smelling, to boot) solution!

HUGE water bottle

You’ve probably heard how much water you’re supposed to drink while pregnant. It’s a LOT. And for me, it was a constant challange to drink enough. So I went to Target to find the BIGGEST water bottle they had with a straw, and this was the winner! Drink 2 of these bad boys a day and you’re good to go!!!

Lemons

This one really goes with drinking enough water. I have never been one to have a lot of thirst, and plain water is difficult for me to feel motivated to drink. So I kept lemons on hand, sliced one up each morning (be sure to wash thoroughly) and put in my big water jug and it really helped drink more!

Preggie Pops

Target also sells these! I struggled with nausea especially if I was starting to get at all hungry. So I would keep these in my purse and if I was overdue for a snack but out and about and couldn’t grab anything, these really came in handy.

Microwavable Heating Pad

Bloating. Cramps. Uterine stretching. Sound familiar? This little heating pad was never far from my side. The perfect size to lay across my aching low back or aching front.

Gin Gins

Similar to the preggie pops, these little candies were a lifesaver for when I would be nauseous. And ginger is known for it’s belly healing powers. These were also great as a palate cleansers versus the preggie pops that tasted very overly sweet to me at times. These didn’t leave any after taste in my mouth.

Metamucil

The hormone progesterone supports the uterine lining providing the ideal environment for your growing embryo. It does a LOT of other things too: like slow down your digestion. You know what happens when you’re taking forever to digest? You get HELLA constipated. Of all of the uncomfortable early pregnancy symptoms, this one takes the cake. You can add fiber naturally by eating lots of dark leafy greens and other high fiber fruits and veggies. I tried all those ways, nothing helped, so a fiber supplement was the way to go for me.

Epsom Salts

Warm baths were my other saving grace during the first trimester. After a  long day on my feet, bending over posing newborns and fighting with my lighting equipment, I would draw a nice warm bath and put a cup or two of epsom salt in the bath. It helped so much and made my skin feel great too!

Nintendo Switch

You might be thinking this is a strange pregnancy must have – but hear me out. I was in my first trimester during the winter months. And let me tell you, the boredom is REAL. You’re nauseous so you don’t want to go out and eat anything. You can’t go out for drinks. And when the weather is bad, you can’t go for walks or hang out at the park either. I got to the point that re-watching all the series on Netflix was unbearable. So the Nintendo Switch really came in handy. We played games like Mario Kart and Mario Oddessy which really helped pass the time! 10/10 would recommend!

photography akron ohio

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