1st and 2nd Trimester Pregnancy Faves

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Since my pregnancy announcement a few weeks ago, I’ve been wanting to write a follow-up post to share some things I’ve been loving throughout the first trimester. Time has gone by so quickly and I’m already in my 2nd trimester so I’m turning this into a 1st AND 2nd Trimester faves blog post.

Woman smiling with her hands on her hips wearing a white shirt reading mama bird.

Overall, I feel lucky because the first trimester really wasn’t too bad for me. I’ve heard horror stories of women who had terrible food aversions and threw up non-stop so my symptoms feel mild in comparison.

1st Trimester Symptoms

  • Sore + growing boobs: This was probably the first real symptom I experienced. Early on (week 5-10) my boobs were so sore and tender and then they started to feel HUGE.
  • Morning sickness: Week 6-10 I had morning sickness (which lasted all day) almost daily. I basically just felt carsick or hungover, but I never actually threw up. I craved bread and carby things because it seemed like that was the only thing that would ease my stomach.
  • Veggies = meh! My normal foods (things like salads, protein and veggies) weren’t appealing at all. Luckily, I still enjoyed eating eggs so they became my go-to protein option. Somedays I would end up having eggs for breakfast and lunch.
  • Cravings: Instead of craving my typical healthy foods, I wanted all the foods I don’t normally gravitate towards… old fashioned donuts, muffins, fresh baked bread and french fries. Isaac has been loving the “pregnant Brittany” as these are foods he loves to eat. Ha!
  • Dry mouth: I was constantly thirsty and my mouth felt really dry, especially at night. This only lasted about a week or so.
  • So sleepy: I wanted to go to bed super early and there were a couple days that I took 3PM naps. Luckily I have the luxury of working from home. I probably would have fallen asleep at my desk if I worked at an office.
  • Didn’t love coffee as much: I couldn’t drink as much coffee. I still wanted it, but I craved almond milk lattes instead of my usual americano or black coffee. And when I did have coffee I would only finish about half of it, which is totally unlike me. Usually, I’m such a coffee girl.
  • Bloating: Based on the scale, I wasn’t gaining any weight, but my body was definitely changing and I felt really bloated. My high-waisted jeans started to feel really tight and uncomfortable, especially by the end of the day, so I basically lived in yoga pants (the Lululemon Align Pants are my fave) and my one pair of lower/mid-rise jeans from Articles of Society. They’re pretty stretchy and felt really comfortable the whole first trimester.

2nd Trimester Updates

Around week 12 or 13, things started to feel more real because we did the cell-free DNA test and found out that the baby is a girl! We started telling more friends and family and of course on Mother’s Day (week 14) we made the announcement online. At this time, I was rounding a corner with the early pregnancy symptoms and starting to feel much better.

Now, morning sickness has basically subsided completely and my energy has come back as well. So far the big things that I’ve noticed during the 2nd trimester is that my belly is starting to fill out. I feel like my hips have definitely widened and the bump is starting to pop too!

As the weather started to get warmer here in Virginia, I realized quickly that I’d need some summer maternity clothes. I have one pair of shorts from last summer that are stretchy and still work, but I bought some of my first maternity items including a pair of shorts from Target. I also ordered a maternity focused fix from Stitch Fix and ended up really liking three of the five items they sent, so now I have two pairs of maternity shorts and two summery maternity tops! I’m so glad I decided to buy a few items early on because they’re so comfortable.

With the 2nd trimester, I’ve started to feel the “nesting” urge! We got the entire house painted including the nursery, and this past weekend we went ahead and purchased a convertible crib and a glider that also reclines from Pottery Barn Kids. They were having an awesome sale and it was so fun to shop for baby stuff. Everything at Pottery Barn Kids is absolutely adorable… even Isaac was like, “Can we just get everything here?” I wish!

Exercising While Pregnant

Because my symptoms were pretty mild during the first trimester, I stayed consistent with my exercise routine, working out 4-5 times a week doing a variety of different things including walking, barre, yoga, and F45. Overall, I felt really good the whole time.

Since the second trimester started, my belly has been growing, making me feel like I need to do more modifications. To be honest, I’ve been in a little bit of rut trying to figure out what workouts I should be doing. Lately I’ve just been walking and taking barre classes, but I went to my first prenatal yoga class last week too. The class was a little slow and definitely not a workout, but it was relaxing and I loved connecting with the other pregnant women in the class. I haven’t been around a ton of other pregnant women so the group share portion of the class was so awesome.

Okay so now that you’re up to speed with how things have been going over the past couple months, here are some of the things I’ve been loving lately:

All the Drinks + Lots of Lemon

  • Suja Lemon Love and Ginger Love Drinks: I’ve always really liked Suja’s Lemon Love. It’s made with fresh lemon juice and stevia so it tastes like a healthy lemonade. During the first trimester, I spotted the Ginger Love version and became hooked. I kept the fridge stocked and would have a few sips of the Ginger Love almost every day, especially when I was dealing with the morning sickness. They sell a Lemon and Ginger Love variety pack on Amazon.
  • Lemons: Right along with the Suja juices, I started to crave lemons, so I’d buy a big bag and add fresh lemon juice to my water. I also read that sucking on lemons helps with nausea and morning sickness so I did that quite a bit during the first trimester too.
  • Sparkling Coconut Water: A friend recently told me about sparkling coconut water and I found the Vita Coco brand at Whole Foods and Kroger and I’m hooked. It has more flavor than regular sparkling water so it’s the perfect mocktail. These drinks also don’t have added sugar (just a bit of sugar from the fruit) or a ton of calories (each drink is only 25 calories). Plus, the coconut water provides electrolytes. I brought a couple with me to the pool for Memorial Day and sipped them while our friends were drinking cocktails and I didn’t feel left out at all. My faves in order: Lemon Ginger, Pineapple Passionfruit, and Grapefruit. If you’re not pregnant, the sparkling coconut water would make a great summery mixer. 😉

Supplements & Such

  • Prenatal Vitamins: While we were trying to get pregnant, I started taking the Garden of Life gummy prenatal vitamins, but ultimately decided to go with regular vitamins (non-gummy) for my pregnancy. I’ve been using New Chapter perfect prenatal vitamins and love them. I’m also taking the Nordic Naturals prenatal DHA supplement. I purchase both through Thrive Market.
  • Natural Calm lemon magnesium: I’ve been taking this at night a couple days a week to help with stress, sleeping, and constipation.
  • Zoe Belly Oil: I use this on my belly every night to help prevent stretch marks. It’s super hydrating, but not too thick so it spreads pretty easily and doesn’t leave my skin feeling greasy.
  • Earth Mama Belly Butter: This butter is more of a lotion instead of an oil, so I like using it in the morning on my belly. I also put it on my lower back and thighs… trying to keep my skin really hydrated to prevent those stretch marks.

Maternity Clothes

I only have a few maternity items so far! I know I’ll be needing to buy more soon, but for now I’ve been making it work with a few maternity pieces, some new non-maternity bump friendly pieces, and a few stretchy items from my current wardrobe. Here are my go-tos:

  • Articles of Society Sarah Skinny Jeans: I wore these almost daily during my first trimester. They’re a lower rise than most of my jeans.
  • Lululemon Align pants: Legit my favorite leggings ever! They’re high-waisted so they kind of pull everything in, but they’re also super stretchy and soft so they are super duper comfy. I have two pairs of the 28″ (which are the longer ones) in my normal size (one in black and one in a mauve color called figue) and I just bought a pair of the align crops in one size bigger because they were on sale. They’re purple and so cute!
  • Ingrid & Isabel Maternity Shorts from Target: They’re cuffed, the perfect length, and I like that they have side panels instead of the over the belly band.
  • Maternity Swimsuit – I also bought a cute maternity swimsuit, but I haven’t worn it yet. We’re going to Grand Cayman next week so I’m sure I’ll be rocking it there!
  • Stitch Fix – I received a maternity fix from Stitch Fix and ended up keeping three things — a pair of white shorts and two summery tops! I’m wearing the white shorts as I’m writing this.

That’s all I have for now! Let me know in the comments if this update was insightful or helpful at all. I will keep doing them if they’re interesting to you!

About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

More about Brittany
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7 Comments

  1. Hi Brittany, I’m in my first trimester and everything you said about food preferences and how your feeling resonated with me. I’m a natural chef and typically eat healthfully but have been craving muffins and so much bread since becoming pregnant. It’s reassuring to hear a nutritionist is having the same feelings!

    1. Oh girl, you are not alone. I’ve heard this same sentiment from so many healthy women. Congrats on your pregnancy. <3

  2. Hi Brittany,

    Congrats on baby girl! I am currently 15 weeks and feel like you were writing about my first and second trimester symptoms- my experience has been very similar thus far! I hope the rest of your pregnancy is smooth sailing as well- I’m excited to follow along!

    -Jess

  3. I really enjoyed reading your reflections! I am currently 18.5 weeks pregnant and I have had such a similar experience (except I had extreme morning sickness through the entire 1st trimester). My normal veggie-heavy diet came to a screeching halt until this week, when I have finally started to eat normally again! I have enjoyed “Spindrift” sparking water which infused with real fruit juice and NO “natural” flavors. I’ll have to try the VitaCoco! I look forward to reading more of your posts!!