My First Trimester Must Haves / Recap

The time has come to talk first trimester!

I've separated this portion of my pregnancy into 4 categories: Pre-Pregnancy - First Month - Second Month - Third Month. I'll try and keep it clean, while inserting a few TMI tidbits I think are beneficial to document. Don't want to scare you off at the start, but it can get A LOT MORE TMI...

"A" for onward.

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Pre-Pregnancy: Trying to Conceive (or as they slang it in the pregnancy world: "TTC")

Without going into many details, Riley and I decided to start trying in March. So, very shortly after my 25th birthday (great gift to me!) I went off my birth control pill.

Since I was eager to be organized and on top of my game, I had started using the "Flo" app on my phone in 2018 to track my period, mood, and more. The app can transform from a period tracker to a pregnancy / TTC tracker with the click of a setting. With enough data and a regular cycle, it can tell you approximate dates that fall into your ovulation range. This is when you are most likely to get pregnant within the month.

There are a bunch of "methods" on how to best get pregnant during your ovulation window, when is best to conceive, what angle, what air temperature (okay I'm kidding on that one...), but here's my take: try, try, and try some more! Without making it into a chore, if you aren't trying at a decent pace, the odds of you getting positive (pun intended) results will be slimmer. That's not to say they'd be impossible, but slimmer.

To physically track my ovulation ('cause apps can only take you so far), I had also purchased a mega pack of ovulation and pregnancy (two different things) strip tests from Amazon. Since at the beginning you have no idea how long you'll be in the TTC game, I would suggest getting a pack of these (50 ovulation tests and 20 pregnancy tests in one box) right at the beginning. They retail for about $30 total.

I had purchased pharmacy-brand ovulation and pregnancy tests and it racked up quite the bill, so I switched to the cheaper alternative FAST. The only thing I kept from my "expensive" test collection was 1 First Response pink dye pregnancy test (I'll let you read up about the magical differences between pink and blue dyes.. *cough* so doesn't matter *cough*) and 1 Clear Blue digital pregnancy test. I decided to keep these for when something showed up positive on the strip tests from Amazon and I wanted a second opinion (or two).

Another thing I started back in March was taking prenatal vitamins. The first kind I gave a try were the First Response Prenatal Multivitamin with Folic Acid (they're gummies!). The only thing that came up in my research of which of the 4937 different kinds of prenatal vitamins should I take was something that has folic acid in it to help prevent neural tube defects. I popped 2 of those suckers a day like they were candy ('cause let's face it, that's what they tasted like).

March cycle came and went...

April cycle came and went...

May cycle came and WOAH HOLY FRICKEN CHEESE AND CRACKS WE'RE PREGNANT!!!!

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First Month: Research, Research, Research

We got our very first positive on June 1st. It was still early enough in the cycle for something to show up on a digital, but the First Response test also came up positive in the same night.

Riley and I were beyond excited and had a full 3/4 day of keeping the news to ourselves before I could get a hold of Hannah and share the news via FaceTime.

The news didn't spread quickly. We were pretty good at keeping it to ourselves until the time was right to share with all our respective circles.

Behind the scenes, we looked into Montreal clinics, hospitals, and more. Finally I found a clinic and hospital that are both close by each other and close to our apartment. We booked our first appointment at the clinic scheduled for July 18th and started to play the waiting game.

We had so much fun discussing how to share the news with everyone and had plenty of time to Pinterest, YouTube, and Google ideas for our very own set of announcements.

I was VERY fortunate to not have any signs of severe morning sickness at this stage... but I was getting more tired and taking naps (so unlike me) on weekends. I was fully prepared to start feeling signs of morning sickness, but it never really hit me in month one. I only felt mild nausea when I hadn't eaten quick enough in the morning.

I ran out of my two bottles of First Response multivitamins so I opted for another pill-form brand called Jamieson Prenatal + DHA All-In-One. These were a little harder to get down and not feel queasy if I didn't have enough food in my stomach, which often I didn't. I was barely able to eat 2 meals a day simply because I wasn't hungry!

One of the birthday presents Hannah got me this year was Jenny McCarthy's "Belly Laughs". I read through that book like my life depended on it in a short 2-day span. It's a great book and I'd highly recommend. I purchased an equivalent for Riley called "Dude You're Gonna Be A Dad" and he is taking his time reading it. We shared our findings with each other whenever something interesting came up in either of our reads.

I also had dipped into the classic "What to Expect When You're Expecting" book, but mine is actually my mom's copy aka the OG version and I think a few things have changed since then... I got a bit tired of reading "smoking is bad during pregnancy" (uh... duh?) and learning about all the things that can go wrong. It was not a pleasant experience for an over-analyzer like me. However, it is a classic for a reason and some people swear by it. I guess you shouldn't knock it 'til you try it!

Every week, Riley and I would watch the convenient "What to Expect When You're Expecting" YouTube videos that give you 2-3 minutes of information that is applicable at that week in the pregnancy. They keep them a lot lighter than the book... everything is cute and happy and exiting which is more the vibe I needed in the first months. We look forward to watching our weekly video before falling asleep when I hit a new week (tracked on my Flo app).

Speaking of YouTube, I've watched countless pregnancy-related vlogs, what's in my hospital bag, first trimester must-haves, essentials videos, and more. I'm so nosy and curious to see what other moms / moms-to-be are doing, packing, planning, etc. This has given me a lot of confidence in my own planning and choices throughout the pregnancy and the trend has carried on into the second trimester (spoiler alert) since I still watch these videos like crazy.

I started a pregnancy journal to document all the big milestones. It's a beautiful black Moleskin journal (another birthday gift from Hannah) that is perfect to carry around for moments of inspiration. I have to admit, I didn't write every day throughout the beginning stages since not much was going on! Once things start picking up speed and I have more appointments, I feel like it'll have a direct effect on the frequency at which I pick up my pen.

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Second Month: SOS I'm Burning Up & Puking On the Side of the Road

Oh the joy of experiencing morning sickness in a heat wave. Pure bliss! I know it's never bliss regardless of the season, but for a Winter baby like moi, it was all the more difficult to cope with.

I started feeling the effect of morning sickness mid-July. It made for some interesting and challenging bus rides to work every day and resourceful hunting for places where pedestrians wouldn't see me throw up bile and my one soda cracker I could get down before 8:30am. Livin' the hard life...

We had our first appointment at the clinic on July 18th where we met our doctor (I was so excited that the luck of the draw gave me a female doctor!). It was here that we heard the baby's heart beat for the first time. Nothing "beats" it folks... It was an incredible feeling. Our doctor was super nice and explained the next steps to us very clearly and answered any and all of the questions we had at that point. I've never been in a prenatal clinic before nor have I been around that many pregnant ladies. It was a weird feeling to be one of them!

Riley and I decided to start a Baby Pool via babyhunch.com so our friends and families (those who knew already) could start putting in their guesses for the baby's sex, birth date, hair colour, eye colour, weight, length, first letter of their name, and more. Our goal is to have 50 guesses before the baby is born to make it interesting! It's only for bragging rights, but I think I'll give a little prize to whomever scores highest once all the polls have been closed with the true facts.

At the end of July, I went in to the hospital for the first time to set up my file and take my initial blood and urine tests. They have a super efficient system in the waiting room and it barely took any time for us to get called and for them to take my blood. The urine test was a challenge since I DID NOT HAVE TO PEE AT ALL. I was chugging water to try and make the process easier, but I had to fill so many cups!! I finally did my thing and Riley and I got out of there. I was almost traumatized of how hard it was for me to pee (on command) since at home I am constantly running to the bathroom to do just that.

The end of July was also when I decided to tell my work colleagues about the pregnancy. I had been struggling to keep it a secret since I was feeling so sick in the mornings and tired in the afternoons. To my surprise, no one had suspected that I was in fact pregnant! I guess I was better than I thought at keeping it a secret physically.

Things that really helped me get through this month were the following:

-AIR CONDITIONING (in the car, at work, in stores, but not at home.. since we didn't have any)

-My Yeti cup that kept my ice water cold all day and helped keep me hydrated in the intense heat

-Ginger Ale for those rough days

-Soda crackers aka my breakfast of choice

-Lifesavers' peppermints

-Ginger Chews

-Peppermint tea consumed on ice and/or in AC only... hahah

-Riley ('cause let's face it he's a prince to put up with my heat attacks and complaints)

I also found it really helpful to start a pregnancy duotang planner with all my appointment slips, information leaflets, and invoices. Having everything in one central location keeps me organized. I also put the main appointment dates in my planner. Right now, they're easy to keep track of since there's only about 1 a month to log. Later on in the pregnancy, it may get more confusing as the frequency increases. I'd suggest starting this sooner rather than later before it gets overwhelming!

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Third Month: Let's Tell the World!

At the very beginning of August, we did our prenatal testing. We chose to do them in our clinic (private) since we wanted the results as fast as possible. Due to my age, we would have been fine to go through the public system, but what can I say, I'm impatient!

It was at that appointment that we got to SEE our baby for the very first time!! It was so cute to see its little heart beat and the movements. We even got some pictures and video clips sent to us by email! I had no idea they would do that for us, so it was a pleasant surprise. Immediately, we shared the pictures with our close friends and family who were already in on our growing clan.

Once we received news from the prenatal testing lab that Riley and I were low risk for any chromosome abnormalities, we decided it was about time we told the world: aka make our pregnancy announcement on Instagram & Facebook.

I had purchased a cute newborn onesie from Etsy for the occasion:

We were immediately showered with a collection of congrats texts, phone calls, and messages. I was so excited to no longer be carrying the secret alongside the growing baby! ;)

August also brought another major life change to our world: we moved! Our quaint one-bedroom apartment wasn't going to cut it for our next 2-5 year plan. An upgrade to a larger place was due even before we found out we were pregnant, so we signed on for a steal of a deal three-bedroom apartment on our same street.

Get this: we moved entirely on foot! Riley was a COMPLETE CHAMPION in the couple of weeks we moved. He took charge and made over 100 trips back and forth to our old and new places. I was beyond impressed with how hard he worked to help get us in on time. We had some help from friends along the way and had A LOT of cleaning to do before we called it quits. I'm happy to say we are officially moved in and already envisioning how a baby is going to fit so perfectly into our new space.

I splurged on a pregnancy pillow and have not looked back since. I got mine at Winners and adjusted to it right away. I'd been tossing and turning often in my first trimester with my belly barely popping yet. With the pillow, I've had such an easier time sleeping and have the support my back needs. I wouldn't say this is a "must", but definitely a "nice-to-have".

At the end of August, I got into full swing brainstorming baby shower dates and ideas with my core girlfriends from high school: Hannah, Emily & Heidi. Pinterest is my LIFE now and there are so many great ideas to discover! The hard part is picking the best ones for you and your lifestyle.

I started using Bio-Oil & Occitaine's raw shea butter on my growing bump. I already had a few stretch marks pre-pregnancy so I know I'll be susceptible to them if I'm not careful. I've been experiencing changes in my hair texture as well. It seems to be a lot thicker recently and is curling / waving naturally.

Riley blessed me with a bunch of Lush products, face masks, and a pair of Thyme Maternity leggings for our one-year wedding anniversary. I've been treating myself to baths and relaxation sessions about once a week. I'm truly spoiled by my husband and am so grateful for all that he does for me on a daily basis. Shout out to dads.

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If you made it this far, wow. True reader right there!

I admit, I had to take plenty of breaks when writing this lengthy post hence why it's coming out a week late. I plan on repeating this process (minus the major writing procrastination 'til the end of the trimester) two more times to log what happens in #2 and #3.

Until then,

- Amanda the Mom-2-B

#baby #firsttrimester