Monday, December 3, 2012

First Trimester and the joys of morning sickness…

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.


I am tired and achy and constantly sick, because contrary to popular belief by those who have never had children, morning sickness is not something that takes place in the wee hours of the morning and dissipates around 9am. At least this is not how “morning sickness” works for me. I am sick all day long; morning, noon, and night. It comes in waves and NOTHING sounds appetizing. Sights, sounds, and smells can set it off.


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?


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