My First Trimester Survival Guide:
For Morning Sickness/Nauseous Moments...
One
of the biggest fears/worries I had about pregnancy was dealing with
morning sickness. I admittedly turn into a big baby when I'm not feeling
well. So I knew, after discovering I was pregnant, that this was not
something I wanted to leave to chance. Therefore, I set out one day on a
mission to accumulate as many morning sickness remedies I knew of, or
could find. I got ginger chews, crystallized ginger, ginger ale, sea
bands, mints, preggie pop drops, throw up bags (just in case) and more.
These are the top 4 things I found to be the most effective and what I
actually ended up using when those nauseous moments hit.
These
things are amazing if you are someone who is dealing with that gaggy
feeling. Whenever I feel even slightly nauseous, I feel like my gag
reflex just automatically activates. If this happened, all I had to do
was pop one of these bad boys in my mouth and that feeling was instantly
gone. It must have something to do with the sourness. All I know is,
these things seriously help. I ordered a 3 pack off of Amazon (63 drops in
total). I used them when needed throughout my first trimester and did
end up going through most all of them. I always keep 3 on hand, just in
case that feeling ever hits...they're like a security blanket to me. (I
do have to note that these drops did give me one weird side effect. They
would make my teeth, where I would rest the drop in my mouth, extremely
sensitive for a couple days. I originally thought this was just a
general pregnancy symptom, but finally discovered it would only occur
when I used the drops. Still, the benefits far outweighed this drawback
in my opinion...and I'm really not sure many people would experience
this side effect...it was weird!)
While
I was very fortunate that I really did not end up having to deal with
much morning sickness or nausea at all, there was one morning in
particular I remember waking up with that horrible hungover/morning
sickness feeling. I laid in bed so uncomfortable for hours, until I
suddenly recalled that I had bought these sea bands off of Amazon. I
went and grabbed them, put them on and popped a Preggie Pop Drop in my
mouth. The pop drop gave me some instant relief, and after a while, the
sea bands kicked in and I felt much better. I was able to get out of bed
and move on with my day. I ended up using these several times in the
weeks when I was most susceptible to having nauseous phases of the day. I
would put them on between 5-6pm because I always seemed to get
nauseated at that time of the day. Some days, I would just wear them all
day long, and they always did help. If you are someone who is
struggling to get through the work day while dealing with nausea, I
would recommend giving these a try!
3
common woes of a pregnant woman: trying to avoid caffeine, trying to
avoid artificial sugars, and nausea. Zevia Ginger Ale solves all three.
While I am not huge on drinking soda anyways, whenever I do get a
craving for it, I try to make it Zevia. It's a zero calorie soda with no
sugar and no artificial sweeteners. It's just a much healthier way to
consume soda, if you must. Plus a lot of the flavors are also
caffeine-free. My doctor recommended ginger ale for nausea, so I went
and bought a 6-pack of the Zevia one. It has been helpful for settling
an upset stomach, and has helped curb my craving for soda (which seems
to be stronger since I've been pregnant.) They also have a Ginger-Root
Beer that's delicious and helpful as well!
4. Oranges
Constipation will happen. Oranges will help. We will just leave that at that. (If you're like me, you might be craving them anyway!)
Don't Leave Home Without...
Just a couple things I recommend carrying with you at all times (or not leaving home without)
5. Starbucks tumbler (filled with ice water)
Okay,
well the tumbler is not actually what you need to have. It's actually
what's inside it that matters...which should be water! It is especially
important during pregnancy to remain hydrated throughout the day. While I
normally have no problem consuming half my body weight in ounces of
water a day, it's been a little trickier for me during this first
trimester. (Especially if I'm feeling less than great.) I just happened
to have this tumbler and tried using it one day. For some reason, it
made it a lot easier for me to get the water in throughout the day.
Maybe it's the straw? Plus, it makes me feel glam to carry around a
Starbucks cup...hah. If you're leaving the house, throwing a water
bottle in your purse is completely acceptable!
6. Kind Bars (or other small snacks)
This
is one of my biggest survival tips! I went through a phase during my
first trimester where I would get nauseous feeling if I hadn't eaten
anything in the past few hours. I always stuck a Kind Bar (my fave) in
my purse whenever I would go somewhere and became really comfortable
pulling it out in the middle of a store and eating it while I shopped
around. (Better than spewing on their floor!) Other small snacks like
string cheese work too.
7. Kleenex Slim Packs
Another
common symptom during pregnancy is becoming especially snotty. Not in
the stuck-up sense...I'm talking about actual snot. I've never used
Kleenex so much in my life, aside from having a severe cold. My nose
seems likes it's always running. And if it's not running, it's all
stuffed up. I always make sure I have a pack in my purse and they always
come in handy. (Except when you're in church, feeling so stuffed up you
can't breath, and not wanting to obnoxiously blow your nose in the
middle of mass)
8. Makeup
This is the one I recommend not leaving home
without. With the major fatigue that comes along with the first
trimester, you're gonna need it! (Especially if you're still trying to
hide your pregnancy.) I know for those first few weeks after finding
out, I felt so tired all the time, that I just looked like a hot mess
all the time. My husband would always comment on how tired/drained I looked (thanks
dear...making me feel great about myself!) haha. I decided I had to step up the makeup game a little. Biggest tip
for this: get a highlighting concealer for your under eye area to wake
up those eyes!
For The Comfort of Home
My most essential items for being comfy, cozy and content during the first trimester.
9. Sleep
Not
much to explain here. Just do it whenever you need to and whenever you
can during the first trimester. Might as well enjoy it now before baby
comes!
I
feel like I basically lived in these things throughout my entire first
trimester. Pregnancy bloat is a serious thing, and it makes wearing your
regular clothes so uncomfortable. And one of my biggest concerns at all
times during this trimester has been being as comfortable as possible,
whenever possible. The second I get home for the day, my jeans are
ripped off and these bad boys get pulled on. They are just so, so
comfortable. Even if you're not pregnant, do yourself a favor and get a
pair.
11. WTE Support Group
This
is actually probably my #1 item for survival during the first
trimester. The way I found my group was through the What To Expect (When
You're Expecting) iPhone app. When you get the app, they automatically
place you in a group with other expecting mothers who are due the same
month as you. You could just use this app and that discussion board as
your support group. But after a few days, one of the ladies on there
offered to create a secret/private Facebook group for all of us, so we
could see each others' faces and have a little more personal way of
connecting. If you gave your email, you received an invitation and we
all joined from there. My group was WTE September 2015 Babies. That
group was wonderful, but as more and more people began to join, and
pregnancy hormones started to rise...there seemed to be a few too many people
there and a little bit of friction. So, we broke off into our own
smaller groups, based off of what week we were due. I was in Cherry
Babies because I was due the first week of September. So now I have
found my home with the Cherry Babies group. This group has seriously
been the most helpful thing to me throughout this trimester. Anytime I
have a question, I can quickly ask on there and get an answer from an
experienced momma, who I trust. We share our highs and our lows. We are
all truly there to support each other, and are honestly developing
friendships that will last long after our pregnancies will. I really
think the ladies near my area will all end up getting together with our
babies for play dates, etc. This group was especially helpful before we
were able to share our news with family and friends. It's so hard to
have such a big thing happening in your life, and not be able to talk
about it with your loved ones. Having these ladies to talk to during
this time was what got me through.
12. Your favorite TV Series
For
those days when you're feeling super fatigued and not so great, utilize
the "I'm pregnant" excuse and cozy up on the couch with your favorite
show for the day. I've gone through the entire Gilmore Girls series
during this first trimester (not a surprising pick for those who know
me!)
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