My First Trimester Essentials

This week, I'm officially in my third trimester of pregnancy. Today I'm headed to my OB/GYN office for a sonogram (hope baby will show his face this time!) and blood glucose test (wish me luck!). The last six months have flown by, so I wanted to take the time today to share some of the items that were lifesavers for me when I was a newly expectant mother!

In my medicine cabinet:

• Prenatal vitamin + DHA - I started taking prenatal vitamins as soon as we decided to have a baby. Depending on the type you buy, you might have to take DHA separately. A lot of women have trouble swallowing their vitamins in the first trimester due to morning sickness - I found that taking mine at night helped.

• Vitamin B6 - My OB/GYN recommends this vitamin along with half a Unisom for nausea in the first trimester. I stuck with only the vitamin because I was worried about what a sleeping pill might do to me at work!

• Tums - A first through third trimester essential for me! Heartburn has been a constant for me during pregnancy - it's caused by higher levels of estrogen and other hormones which relax the esophagus. Later in pregnancy, it can indicate that baby will have a lot of hair, which makes sense since he has my genetics!

• Preggie Pop Drops - These sour candies are great for nausea, and since they look like lozenges they were something I could use at work before I'd announced my pregnancy.

Keeping track of baby:

• What to Expect When You're Expecting - The most classic pregnancy book there is, and the first one I read. Some women don't like it because they think the tone is patronizing or it gives them anxiety about what could go wrong, but I treated it more as a general guide than a Bible and liked knowing the medical reasons why I was experiencing certain symptoms.

• Ovia app - There are a lot of pregnancy apps out there, and I chose Ovia because it had a lot of positive reviews. If you know a pregnant woman who tells you what size fruit or vegetable her little one compares to each week, chances are she uses Ovia. One of my favorite features are the weekly videos featuring a pregnant Ovia staffer.

In my closet:

• Pull-on jeans - One of my first maternity clothes purchases, I found these Jessica Simpson jeans on sale at Motherhood Maternity and liked the under-belly style for early pregnancy - they look just like my favorite skinny jeans.

• Waterfall cardigans - First trimester camouflage! I lived in flowy cardigans before letting people know I was pregnant. I get most of mine from discount sites like GroopDealz and Pick Your Plum.

• Ingrid + Isabel Bellaband - There's a certain phase of pregnancy where the hair tie trick no longer works and maternity trousers are still a little too roomy, and that's where a belly band comes to the rescue - I used it to wear my pre-pregnancy pants unbuttoned and unzipped, then to keep the maternity pants my friend handed down to me feeling snug until my bump had grown to fill them.

On my vanity:

• Burt's Bees blemish stick - During my first trimester, I still had some cystic acne from time to time, and not being able to use topical acne treatments because of the chemicals had me really bummed - I usually swear by benzoyl peroxide. I was skeptical of an herbal acne medication, but this stuff dries up pimples fast, and I probably won't go back to chemical formulas!

• Attitude Blooming Belly foaming cleanser - Knowing that whatever went on my skin could also go through my skin and into baby's body made me very conscious about my daily beauty regimen. I still use Fresh's soy face cleanser in the morning shower with my Clarisonic, and replaced my nighttime cleaner with this formula specifically for expectant mamas.