Style
Lifestyle, Motherhood
After losing our last baby, Paul and I were really nervous about this pregnancy. When we saw that little plus sign on the test again, we smiled, hugged, then gave each other this look immediately after. A look that suggests “What if we lose this baby, too?….”
I’m currently in my second trimester and everything is “going to plan” so I thought I’d share with all of the expecting momma’s out there my experience with first trimester symptoms/tips in my third pregnancy.
My First Trimester – The Good Stuff:
Fertility – So many of my friends struggle with infertility and I’ve seen the impact it leaves on a family (especially a woman). I’ve cried with them, held them, and said nothing, because there is nothing helpful to say except I’m here for you. If you struggle with infertility, know that it might be because God has chosen a specific baby for you to adopt or foster. When he was making certain babies, he was thinking of you. I also cannot pretend to know how you feel or what you are going through. All I can do is pray, and that I will do.
This post is not to garner sympathy. The first trimester is difficult and exacerbated by the fact pregnant women hide it from the world due to the risk of miscarriage. Simultaneously, I don’t want to complain because it is a blessing and is an extremely sensitive topic. So yes, I’m more than grateful that Paul and I have the ability to get pregnant and we don’t ever take that for granted.
Health – We heard our unborn baby’s heart beating. There is no sweeter sound to a pregnant momma than that. It took the nurse about 8 minutes to find it (which seems like an eternity) but it was strong and fast! I was so relieved that I let out a big sigh and started tearing up. It meant so much more now. I was lying on the bed, in the same room, with the same doctor who told me that our last baby had gone to be with Jesus. A lot of you know exactly what I’m talking about.
Activity – He/she is an “active” little baby. These were the nurse’s words, not ours. I have to agree because I can already feel the baby kicking. Even though it’s so soon, our baby is a mover! He/she must be lying on a nerve because the kicks feel like a combination of a punch and nerve pain. Audri’s movements were interesting and strong, but this baby is quick and his/her kicks feel like electric currents in my stomach!
My First Trimester – The Bad Stuff:
Sickness – Wow, I felt terrible during this trimester. I can’t even explain it. Every time I ate or looked at broccoli, I vomited. I was nauseous and had the hot/cold chills all of the time so I was never comfortable. I didn’t want to take medicine for it because I was afraid it would hurt the baby. I would gag at the weirdest things! Food sounded awful (except for pizza, pears, and salt and vinegar chips), but I desperately wanted to eat my mother-in-law’s pear/raspberry soap! hahaha I didn’t, don’t worry.
Exhaustion – Audri, poor thing, was so confused why the only game I wanted to play with her was “cuddle in momma’s bed” haha! I once woke up from a nap to see her sitting by my bed playing with her toys in the dark just so she could be near me. 🙁 Talk about mom guilt! It seriously took every ounce of energy to get up, work, clean, cook, help Audri with homework, take care of the dog, run errands, take a shower, etc.
Depression – I didn’t struggle with this during my first trimester with Audri. I was very excited and pretty carefree about the whole thing. I wanted to take baby bump pictures and hang out with family and friends. This time around, I was the polar opposite. I didn’t feel like myself at all. Nothing I normally enjoyed sounded fun and I isolated as much as possible. There were days where I barely spoke to anyone, let alone laughed or poured into my people. Apparently, some women get this way during pregnancy because of the hormonal shift. My neurochemistry was off completely. Needless to say, I’m grateful to be back! 🙂
Anxiety – If I had light spotting or a slight pain, I grew nervous. I called my doctor to ask questions (more often than I’d like to admit). I checked my baby app a million times a day and read every article on pregnancy they had to offer. I made sure I was following the rules to a tee. I didn’t have an ounce of caffeine and restricted my diet like crazy (except for that entire cheese pizza I ate walking around Ikea). I had to constantly pray that God would calm my spirit so that baby didn’t feel my tension and stress.
Hair – My hair falls out now. Actually – now that I’m typing this – I’m wondering if that’s because I dyed my hair back to a brunette instead of the black color I was rocking for a few months?! I don’t know. Did your hair fall out during pregnancy? Let a girl know!
Acne – I have more pimples than I did when I was 13. When one disappears, a new one pops up. Thanks, hormones! My skincare routine helps a lot though. If I weren’t washing my face with this stuff, my skin would revolt against me so much worse. You can see what nontoxic facial products I use every day right here.
Extra mucus – I’m constantly having to spit out mucus and I can’t hear very well. My ears are clogged and it feels like I’m on an airplane. I wake myself up at night choking on extra mucus and have to spit it out and blow my nose. It’s really attractive…
Every pregnancy is different, but I wanted to share what helped me with the difficult parts of the first trimester. Here’s a few below!
First Trimester Tips
- Stay hydrated by infusing your water bottle with mint or lemon.
- Force yourself to eat veggies, salads, yogurt, etc.
- Get a pregnancy pillow for sleeping. I suggest this organic option.
- Sip caffeine free ginger tea and eat saltines if nothing else stays down.
- Use a belly cream or bar for itchy skin. I use this every night.
- Don’t take your prenatal vitamins without food.
- Prep meals while you feel okay, so that when you don’t, you can easily grab a snack.
- Infuse essential oils while you cook – especially meat.
- Keep lemon essential oil in your purse and sniff it every time you get nauseous.
Thank you for stopping by!
