The
first trimester of pregnancy is always my most difficult. With my first born
son I lost 15 lbs the first trimester and was sick all the time. With my second
son I lost 10 lbs in 4 days and had to go to the emergency room to get
rehydrated and put on an anti nausea medication. Now with baby number three on
the way I am counting down the days until the first trimester is over and I can
start to feel normal again.
As of
today I am 11 weeks and 2 days. The light at the end of the first trimester
tunnel is fast approaching and I cannot wait to see the other end. Being sick
is not fun… let alone being constantly sick with two little ones. At least my
boys are somewhat sympathetic.
When
mommy gets sick my youngest will pretend to get sick too. It is a little weird,
but very sweet that he is trying to mimic mommy… Even the less flattering
actions. My oldest did this when I was pregnant last time around. They both
know that mommy is exhausted all the time – because oh my goodness is first
trimester tiring {was I this exhausted with the last two, I forget}. They will
snuggle with me and even take a nap with me… most some of the time.
They
are both having a hard time with the whole “no picking up anything weighing
more than 20lbs” advice my doctor has given me. As they are both well over 20
lbs and love being picked up and carried, I understand their frustration. They
are also having a hard time NOT treating mom like their own personal jungle
gym. I am having a hard time not picking them up, so at least we are all struggling
together.
When I
was pregnant with my first born no one was allowed to talk about food around
me. I could look at pictures; I just couldn’t stomach people talking about it.
This time it is more the smells of things that have me heading to the powder
room. I can smell everything. I have the most ridiculously acute sense of smell
when I am pregnant. Seriously, I could do without this little superpower.
This is
starting to feel like whining. So let me share some things that have worked for
me.
-
If you have morning sickness and something just sounds good EAT IT! Usually that is your body telling you what its craving. It will probably be the only thing that will sit well in your stomach. Right now I am eating a ton of protein.
- Snack throughout the day. When I forget to eat that is when I start to feel woozy and nauseas. I have found that if I snack a little throughout the day I am less likely to get sick.
- Drink a lot of fluids. I am partial to water, but if I am feeling sick and water won’t stay down I will have a glass of Sprite and then switch over to water. Staying hydrated is important.
- Sleep whenever possible. If you are tired and ready for bed at 7pm, go to sleep. My husband thinks that I am crazy for going to bed at 7pm, but I wake up the next day feeling so much better. During the first trimester I try to nap whenever the kids nap too… sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn’t.
- Take things easy after meals. Everything I have ever read tells you not to lay down after you eat, but it is really one of the only things that helps my stomach settle down.
Everyone
is different and every pregnancy is different. What works for me may not work
for you. The only thing that worked for me with my second pregnancy was anti-nausea
medication. I have heard great thing about sea-bands and pregnancy pops, but
have never tried either so I cannot recommend them.
Some
people are blessed with their pregnancies and never experience morning sickness.
I am entirely way too envious of these people. Some people have to deal with
morning sickness throughout the entire duration of their pregnancies {you have
my deepest sympathies if you fall in this category}. My morning sickness
usually only last the duration of the first trimester, but it lasts all day
long every day. It is morning sickness, afternoon sickness, and evening
sickness all rolled into 12 long weeks of feeling terrible.
Have
you experienced morning sickness? What worked/didn’t work for you?
