The first trimester is one of the most exciting things a person can experience. You are in the process of creating a new life! With that new life come changes that can be very dramatic. Fatigue and exhaustion, irritability, and the ever so famous, “morning sickness” (that can actually be all day long and even carry over into the night) are all basically inevitable in the first trimester. The good news is that you’re not alone and there are some things you can do for relief!
In my experience, these are some things that helped me get through my first trimester of pregnancy:
- A loving partner/support system: Someone who understood that I simply did not have the energy to move at times, nausea that made eating very difficult, and the willingness to pick up the slack at home. Letting my coworkers know early on was helpful so they could understand what I was going through.
- Sea Bands: These anti-nausea wrist bands use pressure points to help relieve nausea naturally rather than taking a prescription medication. This helped a lot in controlling my nausea.
- Vitamin B6: This is a vitamin supplement known to help with nausea. I took it three times a day to reduce nausea.
- Unisom: At my first OBGYN visit, they suggested a sleep aid that acts as anti-nausea. I take half right before I go to bed, then set an alarm for 3:00 am and take the second half to help me get through my mornings.
- Saltine crackers: I found eating right before getting up and out of bed to be super helpful. Nausea can be due to an empty stomach and when you are nauseous, eating anything can seem impossible. Try to eat a few saltine crackers just to get something in your stomach.
- Water: Hydration is another key to helping with nausea and energy levels.
- Not eating too much: When you over eat, you can increase your feeling of nausea and even cause you to toss your cookies. Trying to eat smaller portions and snacking several times throughout the day is the way to go.
- Stay away from greasy and spicy foods: These are known irritants to the stomach and can make nausea worse. As much as I love my 4-star chicken Pad Thai, I had to leave it behind in my first trimester.
- Laying on your left side: This puts your body at an anatomical position that is helpful to make your stomach feel better. It is a more soothing position and due to the placement of the stomach, helps to put it as ease as opposed to laying on the right side.
- Cold food: When it comes to nausea and an upset stomach, colder foods tend to be more soothing to the stomach. Try to stick to foods that are cooler as opposed to hot soups or meals. This makes it easier to even attempt to eat. Cold foods tend to smell less, which is another factor when having difficulty eating.
- Sleep: Get plenty of sleep and rest during your first trimester. There is a lot happening and your body needs the rest to be able to process all of the new changes that come along with growing a human!
- Do not worry: At this point in your pregnancy, it isn’t super important if you are losing weight or not able to eat the healthiest foods. The baby is taking everything it needs from you already. Just make sure you are taking a prenatal vitamin to get the folic acid and other vitamins to assist in your diet. Keep in mind that it is okay if you lose a little weight, only eat applesauce and saltines, or even just fruit snacks.
As the second trimester approaches these symptoms should all subside and get better. Just keep in mind that it is good to have these symptoms, you are pregnant after all! Every time I was puking, I couldn’t help but smile because I knew it was the little life inside of me making me toss my cookies. Of course always speak with your OBGYN and health care provider about any implementations to your routine to make sure they are right for you to help with the symptoms of the first trimester. You are one step closer to meeting your precious little one, hang in there!
