the (BARE minimum) pregnancy routine: first trimester edition
sometimes it's the bare minimum that counts the most.
Week 6 of pregnancy hit me like a freight train wrapped in a weighted blanket.
One minute I felt normal-ish. The next? Shutdown.
I developed the wildest food aversions. You’ll never know what this feels like unless you’re pregnant. I couldn’t eat the same thing two meals in a row —sometimes not even two bites in a row. Morning sickness that lasted all day. Fatigue for no reason. Constant body itching. And the kind of exhaustion that makes brushing your teeth feel like a win.
So this is not a “glowing goddess pregnancy routine.”
This is the bare minimum survival guide— what actually got me through the first trimester. Share and send this to your first trimester mom friends!
SKINCARE (1.5–2 steps, max)
Here are the life-savers that got the job DONE with minimal effort, because who has energy for even a 3-step routine?!
Lazy Pads – The best all in one pads for when I didn’t even have energy to wash my face. I left this my bedside.
Peach & Lily Ointment – Also always by my bedside to use all over my face and call it a day before bed. Used after wiping with pads.
Medicube Peel-Off Mask – For days when I want to mask but no energy to wash it off.
True Botanicals Oil – 2-3 drop of this hydrates my entire face & neck
Eye Masks - Even the act of having these on made me feel better. There were admittedly days when I used these for 3+ hours straight.
8 hour mask - For days when all you can do it put on a mask for 8 hours straight and do nothing else.
MAKEUP (”I have to look presentable” edition)
On the rare occasions I needed to leave the house or show my face on camera, this was my entire strategy:
SPF + skin tint + skincare hybrid – One step, three jobs. Most days this is all I wore. Another favorite tinted moisturizer with less coverage but no SPF.
My pregnancy glow shortcut - one swipe and I look far more rested than I actually am.
Bacteria fighting face mist – To revive my face (and spirit) mid-day while keeping hormonal breakouts at bay.
Eyeshadow stick – One swipe, instant “I tried.”
Pore blurring primer - This also has a tint so feels like you’re blurring all your skin issues away
Lips were in crisis – Between dehydration and puking:
If my eyebrows were brushed, that was a bonus.
FOOD (aka: all my TCM rules temporarily left the chat)
All the TCM-based advice I’ve preached for years? Out the door.
Hot beverages only? Nope. Low-sugar, blood sugar balancing breakfasts? Absolutely not. Cooked vegetables? Couldn’t even look at them.
A cold, iced orange juice was sometimes the only thing I could tolerate all day. A hot coffee sounded disgusting, but an ice-cold, sugary frappuccino on an empty stomach? Riveting. Ice-cold fruit. Fried foods. Pizza. Even if it gave me immediate nausea.
I couldn’t eat a single vegetable. Even my beloved grilled carrots betrayed me. The betrayal list goes on. Toward the very end of the first trimester, I started craving cold salads and thought: At least this is technically a vegetable.
Everyone kept saying, “Don’t think about nutrition. Just eat what your body can tolerate.” And honestly? That advice saved my sanity.
I actually lost a bit of weight in my first trimester. Now, in my second trimester, I’m back to my original weight and more — because I am hungry every two hours haha. Ravenous 24/7!
MENTAL REFRAME THAT HELPED
I stopped trying to be productive (so hard as a virgo). This is the time you and baby need the most rest. I stopped trying to “do pregnancy right.”
The goal became:
Eat something
Hydrate a little
Do the bare minimum
Rest without guilt
And that was enough.
IF YOU’RE IN YOUR FIRST TRIMESTER READING THIS
You’re not behind. You’re not doing it wrong.
The bare minimum absolutely counts —and sometimes, it’s exactly what your body needs. I am utterly grateful for all the rest I (was forced to get) got during my first trimester.
More soon from the other side 🤍
This is such a refreshing take on first trimester survival. The part about all the TCM rules going out the window really captures how pregnancy just forces you to listen to what your body actually needs inthat moment. I remmeber when my sister went through this, she'd text me at 2am about craving cold fruit after months of preaching warm foods only. Sometimes survival mode teaches us stuff that all the wellness planning cant.