Your Pregnancy Essentials – Trimester by Trimester

Tips & Products For A Peachy Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a nine month long rollercoaster of experiences, emotions and endless questions – especially the first time around. What do I need during my pregnancy? When do I start applying stretch mark cream? Where can I get maternity clothes from and the list goes on. Searching for your answer online or asking friends often leads to lists of contradictory answers! In an attempt to make your pregnancy a little easier, I’ve put together this list of pregnancy essentials by Trimester, which I hope you will find useful! Most of these items are also available through Mama’s Box. Simply subscribe and you’ll get these items delivered to your doorstep monthly- Yay!

Your First Trimester

Congratulations! You’re going to be a mama! Along with those butterflies in your tummy you might also experience some nausea and bloating, so here’s the list of items you’ll need to get you through your first trimester.

Nausea relief
Most expecting women experience nausea to one extend or the other during their pregnancy and require some kind of nausea relief. Try to keep a stack of rice cakes or dry biscuits next to your bed to eat first thing in the morning – before the nausea kicks in. Ginger tea may also work. Find what works best for you. My personal tip is try NOT to think about it too much. If you feel nausea kicking in, try to distract yourself with something (watching Facebook videos usually did the trick for me). It’s not scientifically proven anywhere but it got me through both pregnancies!

A Good Book
Yes the Internet is great for doing our research but sometimes you’ll only find the scariest of things you wish you never came across about being pregnant or in labor. That’s why I highly recommend a good book to stick by and my favorite is “What to Expect when Your Expecting” available at Kinokuniya or Borders. Maybe you can get hubby to do a little reading in it too!

Stretch Mark Cream
It’s never too early to start applying stretch mark cream! Many studies show that stretch marks are genetic, so if your own mom has them you are more likely to get them too, but applying creams regularly during your pregnancy helps reduce and delay their appearance. It also helps with the any tummy itching you may experience in your second and third trimester. I would recommend starting with Palmer’s Stretch Mark Cream available at most pharmacies and grocery stores. As your pregnancy progresses combine it with Palmer’s Body Butter and remember to use them regularly and include bust and thigh area during the application. Guided me through both pregnancies stretch mark free!

The Extender
I still remember being only 8 weeks pregnant but feeling like I was 5 months pregnant – I was VERY bloated. None of my pants fit well and there was no way I was going buy maternity pants this early on (especially since we hadn’t even announced our pregnancy). That’s when I wish I had known about the Belly Belt! The belly belt allows you to wear your normal clothes a little longer during your pregnancy. It comes with various different buttons and extenders so that you can use it on pretty much all your pants, trousers, shorts and skirts. TIP: The belly belt can be used post delivery as well, when you are trying to fit into your pre-baby jeans a little faster! Available upon request through Mama’s Box or on Mumzworld.com

Pregnancy Journal
This might not seem like a pregnancy essential especially compared to stretch mark creams or nausea relief but at the end of the these life changing months, you’ll be glad to have some sort of memory book. Believe me, these 3 trimesters will be some of the most memorable of your life and it would be amazing to have something to help remember these days. I personally love the Belly Book sourced from the U.S. and available as part of Mama’s Box but you can find a variety of journals at Borders and Kinokuniya as well. Why not also buy a set of Pregnancy Milestone Cards to mark each milestone of your pregnancy, snap a photo and treasure it in your pregnancy journal.

Your Second Trimester

Yay – You made it through your first trimester! Many call the second trimester the honeymoon period of your pregnancy. So besides booking yourself a much needed baby moon, here are some second trimester must haves.

Tummy Band (Belly Band)
When you first start showing, maternity pants are too big and your regular pants are too tight. That’s when some kind of tummy band is needed – slip it over your unbuttoned pants or your maternity pants to make them fit better and provide a little more comfort! I personally also loved using it under my shirts to make them look a little longer. I used the Fertile Mind Bando through out (available through Mama’s Box or Mumzworld.com). Other options are available in Destination Maternity.
TIP: Post delivery it may be tempting to throw store all maternity items at the VERY back of your closet, but hold on to the Bando- it can be used as a boob tube or to cover your tummy when you need to lift up your top during breastfeeding!

That perfect pair of pants
Every pregnant women needs to buy a pair or two of comfy and stylish maternity pants. With this weather you’re looking for something light and stretch so it can (here it comes) stretch with you. For the list of places to start looking in check the Sassy Mama directory of pregnancy stores . My favorite pair, which I wore through both pregnancies, was from H&M Maternity. For tops don’t limit yourself to maternity stores. You’ll be able to find something in most stores – look for a loose fitting cut and buy it a size or two bigger.

Bra Extenders
Small in size but big impact! If you’re bras are starting to feel a little tight and you don’t quite feel ready to move on to the maternity and nursing bras, then these bra extenders are just what you are looking for! You can find them in different colours and sizes and can be hooked on to the back of your bra to provide a little more comfort.

Annabel Karmel’s Eating for Two Recipe Book
What to eat? What to avoid? Do I really need to eat for TWO and how do I avoid putting on TOO much weight? I remember having had a million ‘food’ related questions during my pregnancy! Annabel Karmel’s Eating for Two recipe book was perfect for answering these, explaining what is healthy and what to avoid and proving some inspiration through her recipes! If you were hoping to eat cake throughout your pregnancy guilt free you might want to skip the next few lines- you don’t actually need to eat for two. You don’t even need to really increase your food intake until you are in your third trimester – and even then the increase is what is equivalent to a banana and a cup of milk extra per day. Available in Kinokuniya, Jashanmal Book stores or upon request in Mama’s Box.

Body Pillow
Some mamas-to-be swear by it, others never use it. I personally was worried about where I would store such a large pillow post delivery and never ended up needing or buying one. My tip is to try to make yourself comfortable with your own pillows first. Lie down on your side and place one in between your knees and one underneath your tummy. Some mamas-to-be even use their husbands as a maternity pillow (it works, try it!). If that doesn’t work for you– then definitely go out and choose the one that suits you best! Some maternity pillows can also be used for the baby post delivery. You can find a range in Babyshop stores or Mothercare. For a smaller alternative Mybestfriend pregnancy sleep wedge pillow can also provide much needed sleep comfort and is available at Babysouk.com 

Your Third Trimester

You’re nearly there! By now you are probably consumed by what to buy for the baby from bassinets to nursery decoration – but don’t forget to take care of your self too. Here’s the list of your third and final trimester maternity must haves!

Good maternity tights
Don’t be surprised if you reach a point in your pregnancy where you no longer want to wear pants. That’s when you’ll need the perfect maternity tights – look for something thin without being see-through and that can be pulled above your tummy. My favorite were the Fertile Mind Softtights – they can also be worn the first few weeks post delivery. You can find a wide selection on mumzworld.com, blushandbloom.com, KLynn Lingerie, Destination Maternity or Smitten.

Maternity Bras
Each expecting woman is different – however at one point you may feel that your bras (even with the extenders) are becoming too tight. That’s when it makes sense to purchase maternity bras, which can also serve as nursing bras. Start with buying one or two – see if this cut suits you before buying more. You can find a range of maternity bras at Klynn Lingerie stores. They also do free bra fittings. It is important to get fitted regularly as your bra size changes often in the last few months and wearing the wrong size can lead to milk duct infections. 

Lansinoh Nipple Cream
This tip is a life savior, so listen up Mamas! Nipple cream can already be applied from your eightyh or ninth month. This will help soften the area and make breastfeeding a little easier and hopefully less painful! Also in your last few months try to avoid applying soap on that area during shower as it causes some dryness. I would highly recommend Lansinoh HPA Lanolin Nipple Cream, it is easy to apply and doesn’t need to be washed off before breastfeeding. I used to order from the U.S. It is now also available upon request in your Mama’s Box. If you prefer an alternative Babyshop stocks up on Medala Purelan nipple cream.

Comfortable shoes – probably a size bigger!
Not exactly my idea of shoe shopping – but you’ll need a pair of comfortable shoes. My feet were so swollen in the last few weeks that somehow I felt lucky I couldn’t see them. Birkenstock are a great choice, orthopaedic comfortable, great for indoor, outdoors and during your hospital stay.