Oh man, the first trimester was rough! I felt so horrible almost every day until I hit 14 weeks. Now, the cramps are mostly gone and I have a lot of my energy back! Praises!! I read through some posts like these and took a few recommendations from other people to try to make it through. If you’re newly pregnant and feeling rough, I hope this helps!!

Heating pad animal – A heating pad like this one has been crucial to snuggle up with to soothe cramps and indigestion pains. A normal heating pad would be fine, but I love these stuffed animals because I can prop it up under my belly as I sleep on my side to help with digestion. I had the lambie in France but it didn’t make the weight cut for the suitcase home, so I’ve been borrowing my mom’s hippo. It doesn’t just heat your tummy, it will make you smile. 🙂

Probiotics – This kind is the best. I wish I had started taking them sooner, but since my prenatal vitamin had probiotics in it, I didn’t feel the need to double up. But after having terrible indigestion for so long, I finally looked at the bottle and saw how few cultures were in it compared to a separate probiotic. Probiotics have always made a huge difference for me, and this brand is by far the best (I’ve tried at least 4 or 5 others). They are now part of my daily regimen.

Lactaid and Tums – Enough said.

Aerie leggings and bralette – Around 7 weeks, I already knew I needed some comfier clothes. I know I’m in the minority, but I am not a leggings person – I never felt like they were warm enough in Blacksburg, and people don’t wear leggings in Paris unless they’re working out, so I only had one pair that I wore occasionally. Well, that bloating started early, and pretty soon I needed something more forgiving than jeans! I headed to Aerie and found THE MOST BUTTERY LEGGINGS EVER. I went 2 sizes up from my normal size (1 size up because Aerie sizing is made for teens/pre-teens, and another size up so they wouldn’t be tight around my waist at all) which was perfect. I wore these practically every day for the next 5 weeks, no joke!

I also found this perfect bralette, which is so smooth and seamless, and feels like air but is still somehow very supportive. Basically I don’t think I will ever wear another bra, pregnant or not, but I could not have gotten through the early weeks without this one.

Sherpa blanket – When I bought those items from Aerie, my purchase came with a free Sherpa blankie (similar, another option). The colors weren’t my style (Whit hates it), but it is SO SOFT. I immediately knew it would not be leaving my side until the second trimester. Any blanket will do when you’re feeling chilly, but when you feel so sick every day, it’s nice to have something soft and sweet that makes you feel comforted too. It became my little security blanket, and was the perfect thing to take on our long holiday trips in the car and at other people’s houses where you want something that feels like home. If I hadn’t gotten the free Aerie blanket, I would’ve considered splurging on a Barefoot Dreams blanket. Maybe next pregnancy. 😉

Friends dvds – When I was feeling poorly but still well enough to stay awake, I plowed through Friends. So glad I hadn’t watched it in a couple years so it felt fresh again!

Absolutely Gluten Free Flatbread Crackers – One thing that kinda sucks about being gluten free is that everyone tells you to eat crackers to ward off nausea… but there is no real gluten-free alternative to a saltine or Ritz. I found these flatbread crackers and was happy with how mild they were. They’re pretty bland (they still taste good – just no wacky seasonings) and are soft enough that they melt in your mouth a little bit. At the height of my nausea, these worked perfectly when I needed to eat SOMETHING but nothing really sounded appetizing.

Chips – Loads and loads of chips. They were my “cracker,” haha!

Outshine Fruit Popsicles – These are my favorite popsicles that taste real and aren’t loaded with artificial stuff. These really helped me, especially at night, to ease my nausea and give me a little appetite. Alternating between the lime and strawberry/raspberry was great for how I was feeling!

(In case this is helpful to you, other meals that worked for me included: baked potato, macaroni with butter and a mix of Parmesan and shredded cheddar cheese, pizza, Honey Nut Cheerios, chili, hamburgers, pizza bagels, grilled cheese, yogurt, peanut butter sandwich, avocado toast. Making a kid? Eat like a kid.)

Maternity jeans – I finally bought these maternity jeans and wish I had gotten them at week 6 or 8!! I spent the whole first trimester wearing loose-fitting leggings or with my pants unbuttoned (I used the hairband trick too) – with all the bloating and indigestion and cramping, I just couldn’t stand to have anything tight around my waist. These maternity jeans fit like regular Gap jeans, only they have a little elastic on the sides of the waistband so you have a little extra stretch. When I tried them on, I felt SO relieved to feel normal and cute again, and not have air flowing through the gap between my pants button! I love how flattering they are and that you can’t see or feel the elastic at all with a shirt covering it up.

Also, my best friend, couch. I couldn’t do it without you!!