Here are 15 Pregnancy Essentials you need for every trimester of your pregnancy. From vitamins to bras to shoes, we’ve covered it all!

You’ve just realized you’re pregnant – congratulations! You’ve got an exciting nine months ahead, as you prepare to meet the little person who’s going to change your life for the better.

Since your body now has the all-important task of growing a new life, it’s going to go through many changes, some of which may surprise you! You can check out our post on all the pregnancy symptoms you can expect in each trimester, so you can stay informed.

As you can imagine, each trimester will bring with it a new set of challenges, all of which are part of the package. However, you don’t have to suffer through it – there are many little things that can make life a lot easier for you throughout this journey, and none of them cost a bomb! So here are 15 pregnancy essentials you need for every trimester, and which you’ll thank us for later!

15 Pregnancy Essentials for Every Trimester

First Trimester Pregnancy Essentials

The first trimester is usually the most exciting, chaotic and uncomfortable – quite a combination! You’re starting to experience many new kinds of discomfort as your body enters baby-making mode. Morning sickness, tender breasts, fatigue, irritability and frequent urination are just some of what women deal with in the first three months. Here are a few pregnancy essentials that can make this challenging time easier.

1. Pregnancy App

When you’re starting your pregnancy, it can be a time of confusion, so it helps to have a pregnancy app to contain all your information and let you know what to expect. Pregnancy apps give you information for every week of your pregnancy, offer tips for uncomfortable symptoms and also help you keep track of appointments.

2. Prenatal Vitamins

You may think that it’s better to get all your nutrients from food, but the truth is that it’s very difficult to get everything your baby needs from our modern diet. Your nutrient needs have increased now, which is why most doctors will prescribe a prenatal vitamin. It can offset some of the nutrition lost through vomiting, and ensure your baby grows and develops normally. Most prenatal vitamins include a combination of folic acid, calcium and iron.

3. Morning Sickness Tea/Drops

Morning sickness is one of the most common problems during the first trimester, affecting around 70% of women.  Every woman experiences different levels of nausea and morning sickness, and it can completely ruin their day. If this is a problem for you, you may benefit from special teas for morning sickness, or some ginger drops. These will help calm your stomach and keep some food down.

4. Moisturizer

Even though you don’t have much of a belly now, your skin will start stretching soon, leading to dryness and itchiness. It helps to start a moisturizing routine right now, so your skin will always be hydrated and you won’t have any issues as it stretches. Apply moisturizer on both the face and body and do so right after a bath so it gets absorbed well. Avoid creams and lotions with ingredients like retinols, retinoids, salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxid eor hydroquinone.

5. Bra Extenders

It is natural for you to start experiencing some tenderness and discomfort in your breasts, and you may notice that your existing bras have become tight. If you were already wearing them on the last hook, there may not be any space to move to, but it’s too early to buy maternity bras yet. Instead, what you can do to temporarily fix the problem is to use a bra extender, which will increase the length of your band. Cup sizes usually don’t change at this stage, so you don’t have to worry about that.

Second Trimester Pregnancy Essentials

The second trimester is often the easiest of the three since you’ve more or less settled into a routine and the discomforts of the first trimester have eased. However, you are now visibly pregnant, and your growing size brings with it its own challenges, which these pregnancy essentials should help counter.

6. Body Pillow

As the shape of your body changes, it starts to get difficult to find a proper sleeping position. You’re advised not to sleep on your back from now on, so this is another thing to consider. A good solution, in this case, is the body pillow or pregnancy pillow, which has been designed to support your belly, hips and back in a side-lying position. Body pillows can be of different shapes like a U-shape or C-shape, and you can choose one that suits you best.

7. Supportive Underwear

Your hack of using a breast extender probably worked in the first trimester, but not anymore! By now, your cup sizes have also increased, which means you need new maternity bras which offer good support to prevent sagging in the future. It is best to avoid bras that have wires and to go for good quality bras that have support built into the design. If you like, you can also consider getting nursing bras, which you can continue to use after delivery. At the same time, consider getting good panties that have a good stretch to accommodate your growing belly and don’t irritate your skin.

8. Comfortable Footwear

Many women don’t know this, but your feet also increase in size as you go through pregnancy. Your feet will swell, and since your center of gravity shifts, you also need added balance and support when walking. So when buying shoes during pregnancy, choose comfort and stability above all else, and go a size up if you need to. If you think you need extra support, you can also use inserts for your heel or arches.

9. Maternity Clothes

It isn’t just your inner wear that needs to be changed, your clothes will need an upsize too! Your chest and abdomen have expanded, and it’s unlikely that your old clothes fit, unless they’re already quite loose. When buying maternity clothes at this stage, go for good quality fabrics with some stretch, so you can continue to wear them throughout your pregnancy and beyond. Choose softer silhouettes rather than too-tailored cuts, which can look misshapen as your body changes. Dresses may feel more comfortable than pants at this point.

10. Belly Support Belt

As your abdomen grows, you start experiencing back pain, as the muscles in the back and hip strain to support the added weight. This can also make your posture worse, which can lead to imbalance and even falls. You can avoid all this by using a belly support belt or a pregnancy belt. This is a broad belt that has many bands to offer some support to your lower abdomen, so your back and hips don’t have to work so hard. This is great if you spend a large part of the day on your feet, and helps you stay active without pain.

11. Hot Water Bottle

It is common to have aches and pains in different parts of the body, especially the back, hips and legs, since these take the brunt of your growing belly. A hot water bottle can help ease the pain but be sure to never place it directly on your abdomen. You can get yourself an electrically heated pad, which is more convenient to use and safer as it doesn’t require you to boil water yourself.

Third Trimester Pregnancy Essentials

You’re on the last leg of your pregnancy and this is when things are heating up! While the second trimester was rather uneventful, you’ll find that you are getting much bigger these days, and it’s becoming more difficult to move, sleep or do anything at all! Here are a few pregnancy essentials that can make life easier in the third trimester.

12. Antacids

As you enter your third trimester, your uterus expands and puts pressure on the stomach, causing acidity and reflux. This can leave an unpleasant taste in your mouth and also prevent you from eating certain foods. An easy fix is to use an antacid that is safe for pregnancy. Check with your doctor and ask for an antacid that’s perfect for you.

13. Compression Socks

Swollen feet are common during the third trimester, and it can also cause cramps in your legs. A pair of compression socks can offer good support to the lower legs and feet, and relieve some of the swelling and pain. These are must-haves if you spend a great deal of your day on your feet, and your feet will thank you for them.

14. Exercise Ball

Your body is getting ready for childbirth, and as a part of this, many of the ligaments and muscles around the pelvis are beginning to stretch to allow the baby to pass through. This can cause a lot of pain, and your muscles can feel stretched. It helps to sit on an exercise ball and roll your hips lightly on it. It can also strengthen your core and improve your posture, so you have an easier time during delivery.

15. Panty Liners

With your increasing estrogen levels and blood volume, you may have more vaginal discharge at this stage. It may be a bother to keep changing your underwear, so panty liners are a better solution. They will absorb any moisture, keeping you clean and dry. Choose soft and unscented varieties so you don’t end up with any irritation.

5 Pregnancy Good-to Haves

Besides pregnancy essentials, these are a few things that you may like to have during pregnancy, but which aren’t exactly must-haves.

1. Pregnancy Journal

Pregnancy is a time that’s a rollercoaster of emotions, and having a journal to jot down your thoughts helps you process your feelings better. A well-designed pregnancy journal will also have space for you to enter all information related to your pregnancy and childbirth, including appointments, shopping lists, baby names and more.

2. Pregnancy Milestone Cards

Whether you have plans to hold a pregnancy photoshoot or not, these pregnancy milestone cards are great to document your entire pregnancy and show how exactly your bump grew over the months. It’s a beautiful way to record the journey and look back on it later.

3. Sipper Bottle

Pregnancy is a time when you need to up your water intake, throughout all the trimesters. While you can always get a glass and bottle, it helps to have a sipper bottle dedicated for your use, so you can track exactly how much water you are drinking in a day.

4. Netflix Subscription

Yes, you’re going to be tired a lot, and you’ll be spending quite a bit of time by yourself as you become too exhausted to go out with friends or to movies and events. Keep yourself entertained with a Netflix subscription so you can watch your favorite TV shows or movies from the comfort of your own home.

5. Audiobook Subscription

If movies aren’t your thing, or you want something else to add some variety, try an audiobook subscription. Most popular books are now available as audiobooks, and you can listen to them as you go about your day without feeling bored.

Please use this list of pregnancy essentials as a guide – it is not a list set in stone! You need to analyze your situation and see what applies to you, and get just that. Remember that you’re only going to be pregnant for nine months, so you don’t want to overspend and be left with a load of clutter after the baby arrives!