Taylor’s Guide to the First Trimester of Pregnancy

Nausea

During my first trimester, the nausea was brutal. It was a vicious cycle of not wanting to eat anything and feeling even sicker for not eating! I was lucky to be home in Los Angeles with my mother during most of my first trimester, and she was a massive help with getting to eat and preparing me simple dishes. Firstly, I found that eating small and often was the best way to avoid intense bouts nausea – having an empty stomach really worsens feeling sick. My midwife says that the first trimester for some is all about “survival,” and that you shouldn’t stress too much about eating a perfect well-rounded diet because for some it is just not possible. Plus, during pregnancy, we want to avoid stress as much as possible.

While I was in LA, I visited the amazing Santa Monica Homeopathic Pharmacy, as I had hit my limit with just how sick I was feeling. They recommended a homeopathic remedy, called Tabacum 200c, which helped immensely. I’m not sure I could have gotten through my first trimester without it! You can find this remedy at any homeopathic store.

Taking prenatal vitamins when you’re feeling incredibly nauseous is not the easiest task. If you’ve taken them before, then you’ll know that they are massive pills – nauseating just to look at! While I was battling sickness, I decided to take chewable gummy prenatal vitamins, which were so easy to take and never upset my stomach. I took the MyKind Organics Prenatal Multi Berry Gummies, which is a wonderful blend of organic whole fruits, and they are free of any processed sugars or syrups. It has all the wonderful ingredients that any other prenatal would have, just so much easier to take.

Skin

I’ve always struggled with skin issues and the few months before getting pregnant, my skin was the clearest it has ever been. Halfway through my first trimester, my skin completely changed. I broke out around my chin, jaw, and nose with eczema and acne – a double-whammy. I’m still currently dealing with both the rash and the acne, but I’m hoping as I get further along that my skin normalizes.

Even though I haven’t cured my skin yet, I have found a few ways to soothe and manage it. I’ve been using Mary Ruth’s Probiotic Topical Spray, which is incredible calming when my skin is particularly red or itchy – amazing if you have any skin issues. I’ve had to cut out a lot of products I used to love, as my skin has become ultra-sensitive. After using a gentle cleanser, my skin has been loving The Organic Pharmacy’s Hyaluronic Acid Serum and their Double Rose Rejuvenating Face Cream. Before I found these two products, almost everything I used irritated my skin.

My body has also become incredible dry – sometimes it feels like no amount of cream or oil could hydrate my skin! I’ve been combining Liha Beauty’s Shea Body Butter with their Organic Idan Oil for serious hydration. The Shea Butter is a wonderful choice if strong smells are bothering you, as it hardly has a scent, and I am just in love with the smell of the Idan Oil’s tuberose flower.

Self-Care

Taking time for oneself is always important, but especially when you’re pregnant. The body is doing so much by supporting both you and the baby, meaning you can burn through energy fairly quick.  While I can’t have hot baths while pregnant, I’ve been loving warm baths full of Epsom salts, which are amazing for easing sore muscles and back pain – both of which I have!

I’ve been trying to focus on relaxing as much as possible when I’m not working, and this has meant less socializing. When I first got pregnant, I gave myself permission to decline social invites if I didn’t truly feel up to it. I felt so incredible fatigued and nauseous during my first trimester, and I knew friends and family would understand later on!

When I was in Los Angeles, I spent a lot of time outside in my garden, and just the fresh air did wonders for my nausea. Sometimes the simplest things, like fresh air and nature are some of the most healing things!

Taylor will be documenting her entire pregnancy journey here on Rêve so stay tuned for more!