The first trimester poses something new with each week. The two-week wait presents great anticipation of finding out whether you have been part of the miracle of conception, as well as, the opportunity to strengthen your patience. In week three and four you begin to realize that your body is certainly not your own. As your blood volume begins to increase your heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory rate all tend to also increase, which left me exhausted and out of breath. It is amazing how nature has a way of slowing down even the busiest of all the bees. Then, come the GI (gastrointestinal or belly) woes. Bloating, indigestion and the beloved “morning” sickness all of which can be attributed to the hormones that are bouncing around like Flubber. My biggest woe has certainly been “morning” sickness, which for me has been 24/7 nausea. I am very grateful that everything has stayed down, because we know every nutrient counts. I’d love to take a moment to share my tried and true tips for nausea.
The Do’s and Do Not’s of Morning Sickness
- Do take 60-100mg of extra vitamin B6 everyday.
- Do get your hands on ginger chews and ginger tea.
- Do have your own stash of seltzer water and salty snacks on your person at all times…in your purse, car, desk, bag and table next to your bed.
- Do get fresh air. For me, there was nothing like taking a walk around the block.
- Do try a cold cloth on your forehead and back of neck.
- Do stay hydrated with ice cold water.
- Do purchase Seabands…they rock.
- Don’t eat really fatty or smelly foods. The high fat foods take a long time to digest which delay transit time. Smelly foods (spicy foods, fish, etc) can trigger the nausea center in your brain, which usually doesn’t end well.
- Don’t become constipated. If you can help to keep that train running you will prevent the intestinal traffic jam that can cause a nasty back-up. Focus on whole grains and fruits and vegetables that you can tolerate.
- Don’t eat foods that don’t sound good. Food aversions are odd to me. Foods you love can quickly become foods that you cannot even think twice about. Don’t force it, save them for later because this too shall pass.
- Don’t wait until you are hungry to eat. Establish a meal pattern, such as every 2-3 hours. An empty stomach is not your friend.
Alright, thank you for entertaining my list. Hopefully, some of you find it helpful. Onto a few more woes and wishes. During week 8, my nausea began to subside, which was scary for me because up until that point that’s how I knew I was not alone. My greatest fear at this point remains miscarriage. So, I am highly cognoscente of my signs and symptoms. This fear only escalated during week 9, this is a warning that if you’re grossed out by lady talk skip on to the next paragraph. During week 9, I started spotting. It is really frightening to bleed during pregnancy, because I immediately think Aunt Flow has come for a visit and she doesn’t visit pregnant folks. I called my docs and they assured me that as long as it is not accompanied by cramping or back pain and does not increase in flow that everything is alright. I’ve heard a variety of reasons for bleeding during pregnancy, including:
- Implantation
- Placenta Formation and Attachment
- Blood clots created during placenta formation
- Bursting of blood vessels
- Uterine growth and contractions
My plan is to keep a close eye on things and make a follow-up to ensure that everything is alright, so please be praying for this.
My greatest wish at this point is to make it to 32-34 weeks miscarriage free because I know at that point my babies have the best chance of a handicap free life. I also hope and pray that I can create the ideal environment in my belly for their growth and development.
All of these woes and wishes, hit me pretty hard on the way to work yesterday. Then, I was blessed by a song on the radio; “I need you now, how many times” by Plumb. Amazing song and exactly what I needed to hear. I hope it inspires you, too!
Written by: Cassie Vanderwall
Bump 2 Bab[y]ies 