My Top Pregnancy Must-Haves By Trimester

Hey there, expecting mama! 🙂 I’m so glad you’ve stumbled across my space today. If you’re looking for pregnancy essentials, must-haves, tips, and more, you’re in the right place!

I am currently in my third trimester as I’m expecting my second baby and now that I have pretty much gone through two pregnancies, I have really found pregnancy must-haves that have been essential for me. While every mama and pregnancy is different, I thought it might be helpful for me to share my favorite pregnancy must-haves recommendations with you.

I’m breaking down my pregnancy must-haves by trimester for you, since some items, I only used for a short time, etc. Anyway, I hope you have a beautiful pregnancy and find all the comfort and relief you need. Pregnancy can be a rollercoaster of a ride for sure! You’ve got this, mama.

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MY TOP PREGNANCY MUST-HAVES BY TRIMESTER

– FIRST TRIMESTER ESSENTIALS –

1. SEA-BANDS – Sea-bands were a lifesaver for me in both of my pregnancies. With my first, I didn’t try them until I was 9 weeks pregnant and I was kicking myself for not trying them sooner. During this pregnancy, I started to experience nausea around 5 weeks, so I brought out my sea-bands right away. They definitely helped my nausea stay at bay more than anything else that I’ve tried.

2. PRENATAL VITAMINS – Prenatal vitamins are definitely essential for every trimester. Some find taking prenatal vitamins hard in the first trimester due to nausea and morning sickness. Something that helped me was taking my prenatal at night rather than in the morning since I had experienced most nausea and morning sickness in the mornings.

3. UNISOM SLEEP TABS – First-trimester insomnia is so real and I have experienced it both pregnancies. Unisom Sleep Tabs have been for helping me fall asleep faster on the nights where I find it’s impossible. As always, ask your midwife/OB for approval before using any medication.

4. BEING GENTLE WITH YOURSELF – While this is not a tangible essential and might be harder to do if you already have kids, being gentle with yourself and having grace for yourself is huge. Once I knew that right when I woke up in the morning that the morning sickness would hit, I made it a priority for me to wake up slowly. Thankfully, I had the support of my husband to help me through this since we have a wild toddler.

– SECOND TRIMESTER ESSENTIALS –

5. BLANQI MATERNITY LEGGINGS – When I was pregnant with my first, I tried looking for affordable maternity leggings but I never found any that fit well – they all were too loose at the ankles. I didn’t want to splurge. This time around, I decided to splurge on the BLANQI Maternity Leggings after seeing many of my friends rave about them. After wearing my first pair the first day, I was hooked and placed an order for another pair. These are over-the-belly maternity leggings and they have incredible compression and support for your growing baby bump. WORTH THE SPLURGE.

Washing tip: Wash inside out cold and lay flat to dry. This prevents piling.

6. HEATING PAD – At around 15 weeks, my lower back and pelvic aches started up. Ever since my heating pad has been one of my top essentials this pregnancy. It’s definitely used daily – it’s a BFF, for sure!

7. KT TAPE – I used KT tape often as a dancer growing up but I never thought about KT tape for pregnancy until SpiderTech Tape reached out to me. They have pre-cut KT tape specifically for pregnancy and it has many benefits. For me, it has helped with lower back pain and some pelvic pain relief. I can notice the difference right away when I wear it.

8. MEMORY FOAM CLUSTER PILLOW – Many mamas love their pregnancy pillows but I never felt that they were for me. I toss and turn a lot when I sleep and I’m not a huge snuggler. I also don’t do well when I’m really warm. I definitely still needed extra support, so I use a memory foam cluster pillow. These are my favorite kinds of pillows! I used them each. pregnancy – simply placed in between my knees during sleep. It helps relieve back and pelvic pain for me.

9. PANTY LINERS – One of the not-so-fun things about pregnancy is the increase in vaginal discharge. Yep, bleh. I highly recommend having panty liners on hand and changing them out regularly throughout the day. It’s much cleaner and more convenient than changing your underwear multiple times a day.

10. PALMER’S STRETCH MARK PRODUCTS – While stretch marks essentially come down to genetics, it’s still important to tend to your skin during pregnancy because your skin goes through a lot. These products keep your skin hydrated and nourished. I didn’t get any stretch marks with my first until I went into labor and even then, they were small and faded quite quickly in the first few months postpartum. I firmly believe I didn’t get covered (like many of my family members) because I had a dedicated self-care routine. My favorite stretch mark products that I used from the first trimester and on were Palmer’s Skin Therapy Oil and their Massage Lotion for Stretch Marks.

– THIRD TRIMESTER ESSENTIALS –

11. MATERNITY SUPPORT BELT – My pelvic pain and pressure are all the more this second pregnancy, so I’m constantly looking to provide some relief. I’ll switch on and off from wearing the KT tape I mentioned earlier to some days wearing this maternity support belt. I only wear this belt at home. It provides support for my bump and definitely relieves some pressure, but it can get a bit uncomfortable to wear after a few hours.

12. TUMS – Heartburn seems to creep up on me during the third trimester. With my first, it was awful at night. This pregnancy, it’s not as bad (so far) but I always have TUMS on my nightstand.

13. BIRTHING BALL – A birthing ball is a MUST! Oh my gosh, it was a savior for me during my first pregnancy and is all the more this second time around. Just sitting on the birthing ball without doing any kind of bouncing or movement provides me instant pain relief. Plus, spending time doing gentle exercises on the birthing ball encourages the baby to get in (or stay in) proper positioning to prepare for birth. The birthing ball is absolutely essential for me in the third trimester and during labor.

14. EPSOM SALTS BATH – I love taking baths when I have the energy to do so, haha. Epsom salts baths have been hugely helpful to me in providing relief for all my aches and pains. Epsom salts help to soothe sore muscles (leg cramps, back pain, etc.) and it also aids in reducing stress. This is currently one of my favorites – Dr. Teals Epsom Salts Eucalyptus & Spearmint. So refreshing!

15. RED RASPBERRY LEAF TEA – Red Raspberry Leaf tea has many benefits for pregnant mamas. It can help strengthen the uterus and pelvic area and studies have shown that it can help shorten labor and reduce complications during birth. I started drinking it in my mid-third trimester with my first but I started drinking it at 30 weeks this pregnancy. Always discuss with your midwife or OB before use.

I personally enjoy these labor prep teas: Pink Stork Labor Prep and Earth Mama Raspberry Leaf tea.

Note: Red Raspberry Leaf tea does NOT induce labor! It simply prepares your uterus for labor and birth.

16. INA MAY’S GUIDE TO CHILDBIRTH – It’s my dream to have an unmedicated birth and I’m praying this birth will be that for me. I almost achieved that with my daughter but I ended up being diagnosed with preeclampsia during labor and was convinced to get the epidural (which barely worked and caused further complications). During this pregnancy, I wanted to educate myself even more about my body, my rights, and what I need to prepare to achieve my dream birth. Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth has been an incredible read so far!

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