Hello 15 weeks ?? Goodbye First Trimester! I’m feeling so thankful to reach this week & to be feeling so much better! Although this is my third time around with this pregnancy stuff – this time it’s night & day compared to the boys. I don’t know if it’s because: I’m older, pregnant after previous childbirth trauma, pregnant for the first time with an epilepsy disorder, pregnant during a health pandemic – – – or heck – maybe this time it’s just a girl? – – – but this pregnancy has wrecked me: physically & emotionally.
First Pregnancy Symptoms: I felt like I didn’t really have any initial pregnancy symptoms before getting my positive test – except maybe sore boobs! I think I tried to put it off to period coming and didn’t actually think it was a pregnancy symptom at first. A few days after my positive pregnancy test I noticed my sense of smell was intense!! I picked the boys up from school on Valentine’s Day and as soon as the doors opening I was smelling the candy on the kids coming out of school! It was so funny. We also went to the movies and smelling perfumes was making me sick! Looking back on it, before I knew I was pregnant I walked passed some girls in a store and their perfume literally made me feel sick! I was like eww that is some gross perfume. I should have known lol
Strange Dreams: I had some crazy dreams at first & really still do! In the beginning I would wake up sweating from the intensity of my dreams. One dream I had was that we actually had 10 babies – and they came from eggs I laid ??♀️ I also had a dream I was at mass and the eucharist was a dill pickle!
Morning Sickness: Morning sickness was so bad up until about 13 weeks + still comes back at times. I was so exhausted and sick. Eating anything made me sick. I didn’t even have any cravings in the beginning. I had bad food aversion! I didn’t get out of bed until noon most days! I’m truly thankful for the quarantine and homeschooling because I’ve found that if I wake up before 7 am – – ya girl is still so sick! My biggest savor with morning sickness was a) a sweet husband who would let me go back to sleep & take the boys to school for me & b) drinking a sports drink vs water first thing in the AM! My go to is Thirty Drink. You can order it right on Amazon or find at local Kroger stores. It’s a great alternative to Gatorade b/c Thirty Drink is made with natural ingredients. It has no added colors or artificial ingredients. They also taste incredible! All flavors are great, but I love Tangerine Orange ?
Pregnancy Blues/Pregnancy With An Epilepsy Disorder: On top of being sick and exhausted the first trimester – I was very down and blue. It was so strange. I’m not a pessimistic person. I did not feel this way with the boys. I am so excited to be pregnant, but I was so sad and worried constantly. I couldn’t shake this doom and gloom. I was expecting the worst at every appointment. I also really lost interest in things I once loved. I didn’t want to do anything. I turned down lots of events because sometimes I was scared something would happen to baby if I even moved. I had early spotting and that freaked me out! Granted, I do have some legitimate fears this pregnancy. Having epilepsy has brought on some complications & worry. I’ve had to see extra doctors this time around. I’m also scared of Covid-19 & all the stresses it brings (check on your pregnant friends guys – this is tough!). BUT, going into the second trimester I am feeling so much better! I am feeling more positive and I know God had us in his hands. My next ultrasound will be a full anatomy exam checking every inch of baby to make sure all is well. I know that after that appointment I will feel even better.
Finding Out The Gender: Derrek and I were not in agreement on finding out the gender. I did not want to know until babe’s birthday. Derrek on the other hand, he can not even watch a TV show without reading spoilers. He said he had to know! After this quarantine I have come around to finding out the gender. Being cooped up in the house and living a roller coaster of emotions – I think finding out the gender will add even more excitement for us! Give us someone exact to shop for, start picking names, share the news with friends & family!
The first trimester is such a wonderful, but hard time. You truly need a survival kit to give you ease! I honestly could not have made it through without these must have items! This list is short, but sweet! I’m also still loving just about everything through the second trimester & probably will well into my third!
1.Olly Prenatal Vitamins – I loved these gummies b/c they were easy on the tummy the first trimester. My OB did recommend switching to something more well rounded & a pill once sickness went down 2. Humidifier – Closer to the end of the First Trimester I got really bad dry,bloody noses at night (still do) This humidifier has helped a ton & looks really cute in my room with night light settings. It also has a sleep timer and remote. 3. New Underwear (a bigger size for growing uterus) – One of the very first things I had to run out and buy was new underwear! I felt like all of mine were just way too tight on my growing uterus! I was sleeping on Target and found out they have some incredible underwear – I highly recommend the Auden brand!
4. Big Water Bottle – This one is so great! Drinking extra water during pregnancy is so important. I love that this bottle has a screw cap. I also love the straw b/c it makes me drink more than usual! 5. New Bras (growing boobs) – THESE ARE MY NEW FAVORITE BRAS – A MUST BUY! My boobs got huge instantly and were so sore. I needed something new and nice for them. I did size up after reading reviews and got the large/xl size. They have been great bras for everyday wear. They have removable padding I easily take out to wash & then hang dry. I like that the padding inside is one piece vs two (they don’t move or get lost like some bras with removable padding) 10/10 OBSESSED! 6. Body/Pregnancy Pillow – This might not be needed every night in the first trimester – but there were nights my tummy needed support before I had it and wished for one. This one is a great value from Amazon for only 39.99 – I will say when I took removed it from packaging it originally had a strange order – I think because it’s vacuum sealed – after a lysol bath (hi covid-19) and some air – I no longer smell that odor 7. Felt Letter Board – I have about 10 of these boards around my house, but I loved the size of this one. It’s so easy to hold and take weekly bumpdate pictures & also use when baby is here! This brand Felt Like Sharing is so great and nice quality!
8. Tylenol – the headaches are fierce my friend – Tylenol has been my BFF! You also can not take ibuprofen while pregnant – so stock up on the Tylenol! 9. Thirty Drink – I mentioned this healthy sports drink above – it is a great electrolyte option for those morning sickness days 10. Leggings (one size up) – Another one of the first things I ran out to buy. My uterus was growing so fast and I felt like any pressure down there hurt and felt so uncomfy! Maternity leggings are so expensive! I just picked up these affordable $7.00 Target leggings and went up a size. They still fit me now into my second trimester and I love them! It’s a great way to look put together when you don’t even want to wear pants!
I hope if you are finding yourself pregnant in the first trimester these reccomendations can bring you ease – even if you’re farther along in your pregnancy these will help you too I’m sure. Honestly, pregnant or not these are great items to have!!
What are/were your pregnancy must haves?!
Not a physical item – but I mentioned in my previous post as well – I also LOVE The Bump app! We read our weekly updates every Saturday as a family and it warms my heart ♥️
Make sure to read my latest post: How I Told My Husband I’m Pregnant + 9 Ways To Tell Yours
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