Let me just say that there could not be a more appropriate word to use than “survival” because that was the goal for the first trimester. I’m two days into the second trimester and I’ll say that so far I haven’t had a magical transformation into a beautiful pregnancy unicorn, but maybe it’s coming? A girl can hope. I did find some products that really helped me survive the first 13 weeks of this pregnancy. This whole feeling awful thing was so new to me that I didn’t have any tried and true things to fall back on. However, after trial and error, these were the products that I found to be most helpful along this journey so far. Hopefully, they can help some of you mamas who are also struggling to make it through the day in the 1st trimester.

 

1.Young Living Peppermint Vitality Essential Oil: This stuff was magic for me. I sniffed it straight out of the bottle, put it on my wrists, and even put one drop directly on my tongue when things were really bad. So many anti-nausea products have peppermint oil in them so I just skipped the middle man and went straight for the good stuff. Make sure that if you try this you are buying 100% essential oil, if you aren’t sure read my post on it here or send me a message and I’ll happily help you out!

2.  Alkalime from Young Living: You can buy this as a bottle or pre-portioned stick packets, I prefer the latter. It tastes like sprite but without all of the yucky chemicals. I was using it initially to keep my stomach at a balanced PH level (google the benefits of that, it’s amazing) but it’s also great to soothe the occasional upset stomach. During the first trimester, it helped reduce the intensity of my morning sickness and was great to use in moments when I really was feeling particularly awful. I’ve read really great stuff about this for heartburn toward the middle and end of pregnancy and I had that both times so I’m for sure going to continue to use it! If you’re interested in trying it, send me an email and I’ll get you the hookup!

3. Diffuser with Young Living Grapefruit and Spearmint Essential Oils: I had my diffuser going pretty much all day long with these two oils. I love this particular diffuser because it has the capacity to run for 10 hours, which would keep our huge living area downstairs smelling fresh all day long. These two oils smell amazing together and there’s something about both citrus and mint smells that really help to calm my nausea. Again, you want to make sure you’re getting the good essential oils, for the sake of your diffuser and your health.

4. Pink Stork Morning Sickness Tea: There’s a reason why this stuff has INSANE reviews because it’s so good! I don’t know if it’s just me, but I cannot drink coffee at the beginning of pregnancy (I still don’t want it, wah!) but I love a warm cup of something yummy in the morning. I figure that even if it didn’t help, it would taste good. I was pleasantly surprised on both levels, it totally helped shave off the intensity of my morning sickness and also tastes like really really good! Plus, did I mention that it’s caffeine free? Win, win, win!

5. Pink Stork Prenatal Probiotics: I take probiotics every night because #guthealth is key. Since being pregnant I switched over to these Prenatal Probiotics because they are literally designed for pregnancy.

6. Perrier L’Orange Flavored Sparkling Mineral Water: Just trust me on this one, unless you hate sparkling water (gasp!) then obviously this is not for you. Outside of pregnancy I’m no snob when it comes to soda waters, I’ll take almost any brand and flavor. But for some reason, the soft bubbles of Perrier and the light citrus flavor of the L’Orange (lemon or lime flavor just don’t compare) are the magic combination for me. The bubbles and citrus settle my tummy and since there’s no sugar or additives, it keeps me hydrated which is obviously super important.

7.  Young Living Kid Scents Tender Tush: This may seem like a weird one, but stay with me for a moment. Yes, this is butt balm but it is full of amazing oils that are pure gold for skin health and I want it all over my belly as much as possible! My skin has been so dry and itchy this time around so I know that my stretchmark prone skin needs extra love, so I’m giving my belly the best possible stuff. I use this mostly if I get out of the shower or bath when my skin is extra thirsty because, to be honest, it’s a bit on the pricey side, but still so worth it. I usually will mix it with some coconut oil in my hand to make it stretch a little more. Seriously though, you really can’t beat things like 100% pure lavender, frankincense, royal Hawaiian sandalwood, and a bunch more oils. You take a look at the ingredients for yourself!

8. Young Living’s Tranquil Roll-On: Lavender, Roman Chamomile, and Cedarwood are the Three Musketeer of sleep. Add some coconut oil and you’ve got all of the contents of this pretty little roller bottle. I’m telling you, this stuff knocks me out really good and I feel so confident and comfortable using it while pregnant. I put in on my feet and on my wrists right before bedtime and it’s lights out for mama!

9. Pink Stork Morning Sickness Candy: I shared about these in my stories a little while ago, and I really do love them. for the first couple of months, I could not stand the taste of sugar so I was honestly scared to try these. However, they have such a mild flavor and the ginger and raspberry balance out each other perfectly. Plus they are made only with the best ingredients, just check them out! Oh, and they work too!

10. Kind Healthy Grains Bar in Oats & Honey: These are one of the few things I could always eat without getting sick. Thankfully they are full of healthy whole grains and ingredients that won’t just end up doing you more harm than good. A lot of times I had one right before bed because if I woke up with even the slightest bit of hunger during one of my nightly trips to pee, I was screwed.

11. Ningxia Red from Young Living: No, this is not some sort of fancy pregnancy wine. This is the most powerful antioxidant superfood drink on the market. This stuff is amazing and my whole family drinks 1 oz daily as an immune booster. However, since being pregnant I have been drinking a little more than usual because it has so many incredible health benefits to make up for the fact that I might not be able to eat how I normally would (a healthy well-balanced diet). Google benefits of Ningxia Red or even benefits of the Wolf Berry (one of the main ingredients) and then tell me you don’t want to get this stuff into your body asap!

 

Obviously, these are just the things that worked for me, but I feel like a lot of them are pretty general and hopefully can help some of you mamas reading this! If you want more ideas, go check out what everyone is commenting on my latest Instagram post!