First Trimester of Pregnancy: What to expect, what helped and what I wish I'd known

Updated: April 2026

Written by Meg — mom of three (ages 5, 3, and 1) in Atlanta. I've been through the first trimester three times — including one during COVID and one while chasing two toddlers. Here's the honest version of what helped. 🫶

Just found out you're pregnant and not sure what to expect in the first trimester? This covers everything — prenatal vitamins, what to do about skincare and beauty products, morning sickness relief that actually worked for me, the pregnancy resources I trust, and my biggest advice for protecting your peace during those early weeks. Real talk from someone who survived the first trimester three times.

First trimester energy: equal parts exhausted and obsessively Googling things I definitely should not be Googling. 😂

My favorite sources.

There is SO much information out there these days! For a newly pregnant mom, it can feel overwhelming and at times, downright scary. If you tend to be anxious like me, you probably want to stay away from Google during this time. It's basically like how WebMD makes you think you have cancer when you have a headache, but on crack. This is why you pick an OBGYN you trust - call or message them if you have concerns. Step. Away. From. The Google.

Here are the things that I found helpful and informative without freaking me out. Everyone is different, so consider how much information you really want or need during this time.

• Apps: What to Expect, The Bump - to track baby's development

• IG accounts: Moms on Call, Taking Cara Babies, Karrie Locher, prenatalnutritionist, ProfEmilyOster

• Books: Moms on Call, Expecting Better by Emily Oster, Bringing up Bebe

  • 📌 More recs can be found on my books board 📌

  • I personally did not want to read too much about the medical side of things. I started reading "What to Expect When You're Expecting" and found that it put ideas into my head of what could go wrong, which was not the headspace I needed to be in. You may find peace in knowing more about the medical things - it's really personal preference!

Prenatal essentials.

• Prenatal vitamin. I used the Ritual prenatal for my first two pregnancies and Perelel for my third. Talk to your doctor and you can get a prescription if you are overwhelmed by all of the OTC choices. The best prenatal is the one you will actually take daily, according to my doctor!

  • Some things to look for: folic acid and iron, Vitamin D and calcium. Talk to your doctor about your specific needs in a prenatal if you have other medical conditions especially.

• Skincare/hair/makeup. If you’re like me, you will find yourself searching “XYZ item safe for pregnancy” constantly...

  • For skincare, you really can use most things but you really want to avoid retinol and a few other ingredients during this time. Check out Jordan Harper's pregnancy skincare recommendations. I used many of these products (Papaya Enzyme Cleanser, Overachiever, Barefaced Toning Pads) before, during and after pregnancy and am still using them today!

  • For sunscreen I love Elta (and the tinted version) and for my body I used SunBum mineral sunscreen. Sunscreen is especially tricky for preggos - double check before using, especially the spray ones. Same goes for bug spray.

  • Most of my pre-pregnancy makeup and other beauty products were fine to keep using but it’s worth checking! I did get some “clean” makeup from Typology that I love and still use but I didn’t do a complete overhaul of everything.

• Positive vibes. I'm so serious about this one. The first trimester can feel like you're just holding your breath, waiting for bad news or for something to happen. If I can give any advice on this, it would be to expect good things. Instead of worrying about what could go wrong or thinking you can "jinx it" by getting excited, try to focus on the fact that you are pregnant. Right now. Talk to your baby. They can't hear you yet but they're in there, mama. Put out all the good vibes and try not to stress. Worrying will not help and this is one thing that is entirely out of your control. Talk to your partner, friends, family, therapist, whoever, if you need help here.

  • I started writing in my baby book and it really did help it feel more real and exciting.

• Sharing the news. This is entirely up to you and your partner and you should not feel pressured to share this news any sooner than you wish. For my first, we were bursting with excitement after the at home tests (I took about six!) and excitedly shared the news with our families immediately. This was before I even went into the doctor's office to confirm the pregnancy was viable, which I didn't realize at the time was pretty naïve on our part. We were lucky and all was fine but with our second we waited a bit longer to share the news, once we had the first ultrasound.

  • A rule of thumb I've heard is to only share the news with those who you'd feel comfortable telling if anything were to happen in those early weeks of pregnancy. Do what feels right to you! For me, I knew I would need support if anything were to happen, so I told my family and closest friends, and held off to announce more widely until the second trimester.

• A "good for you, not for me" attitude. This is probably an essential for motherhood in general but once you start telling people that you're pregnant, without fail you start getting TONS of unsolicited advice and opinions. It will likely be coming from a good place (Facebook mom group trolls aside), but that still doesn't mean you need to take all the advice you receive. Mine included, by the way.

  • Get comfortable with the idea that what works for someone else may not work for you, and vice versa. And there's nothing personal about that. I found that women my mom's generation often tried to offer advice that is now outdated (i.e. you can't eat shellfish while you're pregnant or that you shouldn't lift weights). It was awkward at first but I had to learn how to politely push back - usually citing my doctor's advice on the subject or some of the stats I learned from Emily Oster. This is great practice for all the fun conversations you'll have once baby arrives and everyone wants to tell you what you should be doing 🙃

Side effect relief.

• Morning sickness: for me the key was having protein and carbs together (peanut butter sandwiches, cheese and crackers, egg wraps). Some other things I had constantly were fruit, Powerade or sparkling water, saltine crackers, Goldfish, soups with bread, preggie pops/Sour Patch candy

  • Man is this tough! Hang in there, mama. You can talk to your OB and try Vitamin B6 and Unisom at night, this helped at least a little for me. If it's unmanageable, talk to your doctor about whether a prescription may be in order. I got Zofran during my last pregnancy and it truly saved me. Vomiting and keeping up with two toddlers while working full time was NOT IT, SIS.

  • Have a snack with a little sugar before napping if you find your blood sugar drops while you’re sleeping and you wake up feeling bad! Stash some crackers by your bed so you can have a little something in your stomach before getting up. Snacks on snacks on snacks.

  • Do not feel bad about giving into your cravings! I ate Papa Johns and Zaxby’s way more than I felt like I should, but in the end FED IS BEST should apply to mamas too. If that’s all that sounds good, eat it and try to get some nutrients in when you’re feeling better.

  • Check out the @prenatalnutritionist, she has some great free info about this with suggestions for what to eat each trimester.

• Constipation: with my doctor’s okay, I took Metamucil fiber supplements to keep things regular. This helped with the bloating in my first trimester especially but I kept taking them as needed throughout my pregnancy.

  • My sister, affectionally referred to here as Nurse Alex (she's an NP) found the Squatty Potty to help a TON with this during her pregnancy, so I of course had to get them too. They work and we now have one in every bathroom of our house.

• Stretch marks: whatever you’re going to do for prevention, start making it a part of your routine at the end of your first trimester. I have tried BioOil, Burts Bees belly balm and Sheeps8 Organics Belly Serum and I couldn't make out much of a difference among any of them, honestly. Think the key is just to keep using something and it doesn't reaaaally matter what.

• Dandruff: gross but this is a common one and I definitely had it. I saw mixed things online about Head & Shoulders during pregnancy and wanted to be cautious so I got a natural/clean scalp serum instead. It also helps to blow dry your hair, or at least your scalp, vs. air drying.

  • I'm obsessed with Mane Addicts and found their advice on haircare during pregnancy super helpful. Basically, keep things as clean and chemical free as possible!

My biggest advice for the first trimester.

Listen to your body! If you’re tired, rest. If you’re hungry, eat. You’re growing a human! Do whatever you need to do to feel comfortable and give yourself grace. And most importantly, protect your peace during this time. If something is going to add to your anxiety, it's okay to pull the pregnancy card and opt out. And bring snacks with you everywhere - eating often and staying hydrated really helps. Hang in there, I promise this part will be over soon and you really will forget how miserable you feel now. I am living proof that I now have three babies even though I was COMPLETELY MIS my first trimester all three times.

FAQ

What should I do as soon as I find out I'm pregnant? Call your OBGYN to confirm and schedule your first appointment. Start a prenatal vitamin if you haven't already — folic acid is especially critical in these very early weeks. Download a pregnancy tracking app (What to Expect or The Bump are both great). And then try to put the phone down and step away from Google — it will send you down anxiety spirals fast. Trust your medical team and call them with concerns instead.

What are the worst first trimester symptoms and how do you deal with them? Morning sickness is the big one — and it's not just mornings. What helped me most was always having protein and carbs together (peanut butter crackers, cheese and crackers, egg wraps), keeping snacks by my bed to eat before getting up, and staying really well hydrated. Preggie pops and Sour Patch candy genuinely helped with nausea too. If it's unmanageable talk to your doctor about Vitamin B6 and Unisom at night or a prescription — I got Zofran with baby #3 and it was a lifesaver.

What skincare ingredients should I avoid during pregnancy? The main one to stop immediately is retinol — avoid all retinoids during pregnancy. Also check your sunscreen (especially sprays), bug spray, and any supplements or medications. Most other skincare is fine but worth checking. I loved Jordan Harper's pregnancy skincare guide and continued using her Papaya Enzyme Cleanser, Overachiever serum, and Toning Pads throughout all three pregnancies.

What prenatal vitamin should I take? The best prenatal is the one you'll actually take every day — my doctor said this every time. I used Ritual for my first two pregnancies and Perelel for my third (they do trimester-specific formulas which made sense to me). If you're overwhelmed by options or have specific health needs, ask your doctor about a prescription prenatal.

When should I tell people I'm pregnant? This is entirely personal. A common guideline is to tell only people you'd want support from if something went wrong — which usually means close family and friends in the first trimester, and wider announcement after the first ultrasound or into the second trimester. We told our families immediately with baby #1 before I even had a confirmation ultrasound, which in hindsight was a bit naïve. We waited a little longer with baby #2. Do what feels right for you.

What are the best pregnancy books and resources? My favorites: Expecting Better by Emily Oster (data-driven, calm, cuts through the fear), Moms on Call (for what's coming with the newborn), and Bringing Up Bébé. For Instagram, I love Moms on Call, Taking Cara Babies, Karrie Locher and @prenatalnutritionist. I'd steer clear of What to Expect When You're Expecting if you're anxious — it put too many scary ideas in my head.

How do I deal with pregnancy constipation? Metamucil fiber supplements were a game changer for me — with my doctor's OK I took them throughout pregnancy. Also get a Squatty Potty — my sister the nurse practitioner swears by it and I now have one in every bathroom. Stay hydrated and keep moving as much as you feel comfortable.

→ See my second trimester guide — what changes and what to prepare for here

→ See my third trimester guide and how to prepare for labor here

→ How to prepare for labor and delivery here

→ Hospital bag checklist — what to pack and what to expect here

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Your friendly reminder that this blog is not medical advice! This blog is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if they seek medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment for you or your family.

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