my first trimester essentials

The first trimester was one of the most beautiful, emotional and transformative times of my life... It was also very overwhelming with so many new experiences all happening at once...

My dreams had finally came true and then I suddenly I discovered a whole new set of fears and worries.
I had a huge news and yet it needed to stay a secret between my husband and I for two and a half months. 
I never felt more womanly and certainly did not feel my most beautiful. 
I'd never been more motivated to be healthy, but all I wanted to eat was cheese and carbs.
I felt amazed at my body's capability, but out of control of my body as well.

It's an awesome new experience and what I took away from it is that you just gotta do what works best for YOU. That said, My Essentials for the First Trimester are as follows...

Bagels! Or simple/heavy carb of your choice!
I don't know where this rumour about pregnant ladies eating saltine crackers to ease their upset stomach started but IT DOESN'T WORK. It doesn't take a genius to realize crackers are like the easiest thing to barf up. What worked for me 80% of the time was to eat an Everything Bagel (I started buying these when I saw they are higher in folic acid!) toasted with a piece of real full-fat cheddar cheese (calcium!) every morning within an hour of waking. Sometimes it came up but, more often than not, it stayed put and kept me full.

Stretchy pants. 
If you have an office job and/or spend a good portion of the day sitting, you'll want to make sure your pants aren't going to be digging into into you... Not because you have a bump at this point (you probably won't) but because you will get bloated! And since, sweatpants aren't office-appropriate, pants with a comfortable waistband (I spent like $40 on mine and they're the kind that don't really need to be ironed - bonus!) in maybe a size-up, will help get you through the workday in comfort.

Makeup
I was more tired than I'd ever known before. I could sleep 9 hours one night and then pass out from exhaustion the next day at 7pm. It was unreal... And then add constant nausea and unpredictable, unrelenting vomiting to the mix and it's only natural I started to take on a grey, zombie-esque pallor. Enter my old friend make-up... Concealer will do wonders for the bags under your eyes. Rosey pink blush will restore colour to your cheeks. Waterproof mascara (ditch the eyeliner) will be able to hold up to the watery eyes caused by vomiting. Those three items alone will help you look like your normal self - even when you don't feel like it.

The Snoogle. Or any body pillow really.
This is a bit of a luxury item but, as a former tummy-sleeper, I decided to invest in a Snoogle to help me get into the habit of sleeping on my side! It's a bit overpriced ($80) but I asked for it as a birthday gift and sewed my own flannel pillowcase ($5) to make it extra cosy. I also love using it to prop myself upright for the hour or so I read before going to bed.

Pregnancy Journal
While you're keeping this big secret a secret it's nice to have something to record your thoughts, feelings, cravings, aversions and changes as they change week-by-week. 

Anyway, like I said, just do whatever makes YOU feel good until you made it to Week 14!