How I Survived the First Trimester of Pregnancy

Today, I want to talk about how I survived the first trimester of this pregnancy. I’m going on 15 weeks pregnant, and I’m so glad that the first three months of pregnancy are behind me! Not only because I was scared that I wouldn’t make it to trimester two because of my low progesterone levels but because I was so sick from week 6 through 13. All pregnancies are different and for me these two months consisted of all day nausea. Why do they call it morning sickness? It should be called I feel like shit queasy all day. Anyway, I had nausea and overwhelming fatigue. One of the upsides to being disgusted by all the food? I lost 8lbs! I was happy about that because this time I was about 20lbs heavier than the beginning of my first pregnancy and no one wants to gain more weight that needed.

Dollar Store Pregnancy Tests Don’t Lie!

Peppermint: I remember my first trimester with Ji, my boss bought me peppermint candy and tea, and I’m glad I remembered that it did help alleviate nausea. It’s been especially helpful in the morning to put something warm inside my tummy and help with the morning sickness.

Ginger Drinks: Might be TMI but I did have gas. Everyone was already commenting on how I was already showing. I was showing alright. I was showing all that trapped gas! Gas can be painful, and there were times where I could barely move from the cramping going on inside my stomach. I found it helpful to drink a few sips of cold ginger ale with my lunch or dinner. You might want to step outside because you will be burping loudly in no time. Another drink that I enjoyed  is the Ginger and Greens Smoothie from Jamba Juice. It tastes like apples and lemonade. Yum!

Saltines: I carried a pack in my purse. I don’t usually a big carry a big bag, but I had to stash my pregnancy gear somewhere. I didn’t want to eat anything, but I found it to be worse to go on an empty stomach. A handful of these crackers every hour or so helped ease my symptoms.

Sour Food:  I didn’t necessarily crave anything yet, but one of the things I could stomach were jolly ranchers, salty snacks or fruit with lemon and Tajin. Yumm!

I slept when my toddler slept: My house isn’t exactly spotless, but I do like it to appear (keyword is appear) tidy. I can’t function unless it’s “clean” and end up getting anxiety if I’m in a messy house. Well, I had to put myself in an IDGAF mind-set. I spent most of my day working on my laptop while laying on my couch because I have to work. The dirty dishes, messy rooms, and the mountain of laundry had to wait for the hubby to help me with. I usually get to my housework when Ji is napping but instead I napped with her. I don’t even think it was an option because even I didn’t decide to nap with her, I’m pretty sure I would have knocked out even if I was standing up and Ji would have to revive me or something. I was SO sleepy!

Fresh Air: Although I wanted to sleep all day and just lay on my couch, I found it very helpful to leave the house. Get out, take walk, get some fresh air, go on a stay-cation.  Keep your mind busy. I found that the more I stayed home and thought about how disgusted I was the worst I felt. It was almost as if it was out of sight out of mind.

Took a weekend trip to Palm Springs. Drink of choice? A salty virgin margarita! So good!

Ask for help!: As helpful as my husband is, I couldn’t expect him to work all day and then come home to clean, make dinner, take Ji a bath and everything else in between. We ate a lot of take-out, and I just didn’t think it was healthy for my toddler or any of us to be eating fast-food almost every day. My mom lives just a few doors down so I asked if she could cook bigger batches a few days a week so that we could eat home-made meals. She works a lot too, and I didn’t expect her to say no, but if she did, I was prepared to ask another family member. As embarrassing as it may be, I need to take care of my body and starving myself all day because I just couldn’t prep the food myself and eating greasy food was just not an option anymore. We all have someone we can count on! Ask for help!

Home made food!

My energy levels are almost back to normal, and I’m excited that the easiest trimester will be during the Summer. It’s time to shop for some cute maternity clothes and enjoy this pregnancy!

I would love to hear how you have coped with the first trimester! Oh, and the last trimester. I’m not looking forward to that one! 

-Ruby