Surviving and Thriving in Your First Trimester
Average Read Time: 8-9 minutes
You’re pregnant! Congratulations! This is a monumental milestone in your life, one that is filled with many emotions. It’s also one that’s filled with lots of new changes to grapple with. There’s so much information being thrown at you and so much for you to navigate.
(Photo to the left is when my close friend told me she was pregnant during her first trimester!)
On top of that, you may be hearing all about the first trimester and pregnancy of everyone you’ve ever met! Some had nausea, some could go running every day, some were thrilled and some struggled with the loss of their body autonomy. You’re trying to find your own way through all of the stories, and all of the emotions, questions and ideas that they bring up for you.
Or maybe you haven’t yet shared your pregnancy with anyone! And yet the internet seems to know that you’re pregnant and your social media feeds are filled all of a sudden with suggestions from “experts”.
On top of THAT, you might start to experience some signs and symptoms of pregnancy. Maybe your favorite food suddenly becomes disgusting, maybe smells all of a sudden make you feel nauseous. Maybe you have morning sickness.. But wait, it’s throughout the night, not just in the morning! Headaches, constipation, and heartburn are all common to experience throughout pregnancy. They are mostly caused by changes to your hormones - did you know that at 10 weeks pregnant, you start to develop your placenta, which will be responsible for producing progesterone, estrogen and relaxin, hormones necessary for your body to function AND for you to grow your baby!
With everything that’s changing, I want to offer some suggestions, resources and ideas for how to adjust during this first trimester. I hope you find it helpful! Curious to learn more? Click here to connect :)
General recommendations:
If possible, rest when you can. I know in 2026 that seems like an impossible task, but remember that rest can look a wide variety of ways, and vary from person to person! I can’t nap, but I do find a lot of rest lying 10 minutes with my feet up a wall! What brought you rest before pregnancy? Start there! Then try out a few different ways to give yourself short rests throughout the day. (I recognize in the capitalist society that we live in, rest is a precious commodity. I hope you find ways to take care of yourself as you survive in this system, and I’m here to help you get creative if you need help subverting the system.)
Water! With electrolytes! I highly recommend adding in additional hydration to your daily routine. Electrolytes are essential for balancing the fluids in your cells, which can help with maintaining adequate hydration and making sure our bodies are well nourished. Many electrolyte powders come with added sugars, so I recommend finding one that balances sugar and electrolytes. While I LOVE a red gatorade, drinking one daily may be more detrimental than helpful! Coconut water is a great way to naturally supplement electrolytes into your diet. (Side note: in labor, get the sugared powders! Those added calories provide the energy you need to labor and deliver your babe!).
A general recommendation I give to all humans is to find out if acupuncture is within your insurance or budget. Acupuncture is healing not only for pregnancy, but for many physical and mental needs. When pregnant, make sure you find an acupuncturist who specializes in care for pregnant folks, and be clear about how far along you are. The points they use may change depending on the point you are in your pregnancy. Acupuncture can provide support for a wide variety of symptoms you may be experiencing, from fatigue to morning sickness to anxiety.
Morning Sickness Help:
Lots of small snacks - making sure your stomach isn’t empty can really help with morning sickness! Experts recommend eating high protein snacks, such as nuts, jerky, string cheese, etc. to help settle the stomach throughout the day. I don’t like telling people what to eat, so if a snack isn’t high protein, but you love it… eat it! I also recommend keeping snacks by your bed - when you get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, have a snack! That way you have something in your stomach when you wake up in the morning.
Ginger - this has been a remedy for nausea for many thousands of years, so take advantage! I recommend ginger tea, ginger chews, or adding ginger into soup broths!
Peppermint - another ancient remedy, peppermint can help settle the stomach. Try tea, smelling essential oils, or chewing fresh mint.
Acupressure points - there are different acupressure points to use to relieve nausea in labor (many of you may use the point in between your thumb and index finger, but this is also a cervical opener, so please avoid it until week 37!). I’m not an acupressure expert, so I’ll send you here for two points I recommend to use throughout your pregnancy. There are also acupressure bands that can work - there are many great recommendations, but clients of mine have had great success with the Frida brand.
Alcohol wipes - I learned this from a nurse early in my doula days! The alcohol wipes that you’d use to clean a wound are also great for nausea! Rip open the packet and smell. It can usually help ease the sensations of the nausea until they pass on their own.
Books:
Nurture by Erica Chidi - this is a comprehensive and inclusive overview of what to expect in each trimester of pregnancy. It’s organized by trimester with helpful tips, tools, questions and reflections to help you connect to your pregnancy as it changes over the course of 9+ months. I appreciate how it’s organized, because it allows you to chunk the information - just read the first trimester information, and then stop! When you get to your second trimester, you can pick the book back up.
Nine Golden Months by Heng Ou - This is part-cookbook/part-guidance, a book that captures Traditional Chinese Medicine practices to support pregnant people through food. Heng Ou is a thoughtful writer who presents information not as prescriptive, but as suggestive, so that readers feel like they can pick and choose what feels most helpful for them.
Podcasts:
Evidence Based Birth - This is a fabulous resource with podcasts and articles that compile what the latest research is saying about all things pregnancy and birth! Below are a few episodes I recommend for the first trimester.
This is just a place to start! Pregnancy is a long journey, one that is unique to each person. You deserve to figure out what works for you to thrive throughout. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to support you by clicking here!
Citations:
Cornerstone Childbirth Educator Training: https://www.cornerstonedoulatrainings.com/
Please note, I am not a trained medical professional. The tips above are suggestions, but please reach out to your medical provider with any questions or concerns.
