surviving the first trimester…
it’s sometimes crazy for me to believe my body has already done this whole pregnancy and birth thing a couple times before. i find it incredibly fascinating just how different each pregnancy and birth can be from the next, even when it’s the same you and your body each time.
i know i’ve said it before, but i really enjoy being pregnant. granted, i think my pregnancies are pretty easy for the most part as i know many friends and women who are sick for nine months straight or struggle with a lot of health issues during that time. the hardest part with this pregnancy so far for me has been the constant fatigue and tiredness. i can deal with nausea or morning sickness pretty well, but it’s hard for me to function when my energy is gone. i’m out of the first trimester but the fatigue is still here, so we’ll have to see what this tiny baby has in store for his or her mama this round. as my entire family will tell you, i’m no fun to be around when i am tired.
besides the necessary things such as getting on a great prenatal vitamin and finding yourself a doctor or midwife you mesh well with, here’s a little list below of things i find helpful for surviving that first trimester. i know each pregnancy is different, but a few of these things i found helpful while carrying eleanor and samson too, so maybe you will as well.
and help a sister out in the comments if you have found any other magical remedies that are worth noting. i’m sure lots of other women would love to hear your tips. and i’m always hoping for more babies, you know.
to survive your first trimester, you might wanna….
1. put a pillow between your legs when you sleep. i know your tummy isn’t the size of a watermelon just yet (although i am getting there at an impressively faster rate this round… can’t wait to see what i look like come december…) but trust me, it helps. and since it’s best to sleep on your side when you’re expecting, i find that the pillow between my legs helps me get into that habit early on.
2. drink yourself silly with water. but …stop drinking after 7 or 8pm if you can help it so you only have to wake up and run to the bathroom twice during the night instead of four or five times…. (why does our bladder need to be by our uterus again? so fun right?)
3. find a great shea butter for your tummy and start lathering that baby up now! i blogged before about a few of my favorite pregnancy lifesavers and this is the shea butter
4. find yourself some ginger. i didn’t know how much ginger can help with nausea while carrying eleanor and samson, but a girlfriend filled me in this round and it has definitely been helpful. ginger mints, ginger ale, gingersnaps… whatever sounds good that has ginger in it, try it out.
5. get yourself some loose dresses and blouses so you can feel comfortable as that “taco belly” (which my friend joy likes to call it during that first month or two where you just look like you ate a big lunch) continues to grow and give shape.
6. find yourself the best support system you can from the minute you find out you’re expecting (your family, a few close friends, whoever you’re comfortable sharing the news with…). it is thrilling to experience life inside you and i have found it incredibly helpful to have that support straight away from my loved ones. you’ll want to share your exciting updates with someone special, updates like seeing that tiny flutter of a heartbeat on an ultrasound screen as early as 4 or 5 weeks to hearing its fast and strong little beat for the first time a week or two later….it’s all so very special every time, and having my family and friends rooting for the tiny life inside of me, and celebrating with me from the very beginning made it all that more special this time. it will obviously vary greatly from each woman to the next on how and when she wants to share her news, but i’m grateful for the support and love this baby and i have felt from the very beginning. i hope everyone has a loved one to share this experience with from the very first few weeks of finding out your news.
that’s it for now. hooray for pregnancy and babies! hooray for the weekend, too! have a good one!
ps. for those curious, my dress is by sonnet james and shoes are mtng originals. my beaded necklace is from jenloveskev’s instagram necklace sale a few weeks back. eleanor’s hat is from zara (we got it on sale last week in the boys section, it’s still on sale, too!) and both are wearing salt water sandals.
