Let me first start out by saying that everyone single woman has a different experience throughout pregnancy, but there seems to be two types of women in their first trimester, the one who is working out, eating normal and totally has no idea she is pregnant and then there is the woman who is super sick the entire first trimester. Can you guess which woman I am?????
If you guessed super sick the entire first trimester, then you guessed correct. Everyone’s bodies react differently, whether they have actual vomiting during morning sickness, (which can actually happen at any time during the day not just the morning,) vomiting only when certain foods or odors set them off, or just feeling sick 24/7 with no actual vomiting.
The first four weeks I didn’t even know I was pregnant. I was in no pain, no bloating and had no food aversions or odor issues. I had no idea what was to come for month two! I ended up so tired, nauseated and sick that I was pretty much in bed from weeks four though weeks nine. I could only eat whole wheat toast with butter and was lucky if I even got that in me. Sometimes I felt so sick I could barely watch television in bed. It was me, my eye mask, water and my pajamas in the dark. Thank goodness I had my puppy for snuggles. She spent most days in bed with me to make sure I was okay.
From weeks nine through twelve I was finally able to digest a few more minimal items like a bagel with cream cheese, cereal and an English muffin. Even those items were hard to eat, but I did my best just to get something in my stomach. By nine weeks I couldn’t stand to be in my bed anymore, so my husband blew up a platform queen air mattress in our living room. I would go from my bed to the air mattress every day. I was honestly lucky I could even walk down the steps. I wasn’t going for car rides; I didn’t go to the grocery store and I couldn’t even walk the pup with him! It was really nice being in a brighter room though, finally able to watch television and just have a slight change in pace from my bed.
I lived a fashionable first trimester in my slippers with leggings and t-shirt with a hoodie almost every day, kidding, but really. I hydrated as much as possible and loved having two cups of hot water with lemon every night before bed. I couldn’t cook my husband dinner, (thank goodness he was really good at following directions since I am normally the chef), cereal was always a go to or English muffins. Not sure why, but I loved them with cream cheese with everything but the bagel seasoning on them or just some butter. I sadly could not even eat eggs to get protein. The only food that actually made me vomit both times I tried it was PICKLES!!! I was so upset because I truly love them and everyone always tells me how pickles are a craving for pregnant women…..well not me!
When I was about 13 years old, my best friend and I were eating ice cream on our way into the grocery store. We went up to the deli counter to order our favorite tub of pickles. The gentleman laughed at us and asked if we were pregnant. We both looked at each other very confused and kept eating our ice cream. He said you know pregnant women crave pickles and ice cream! Neither of us had ever heard that, but honestly why would we have. I am not sure why that always stuck with me, but I was sad when I had to give up pickles!
Like I said before, every person experiences different symptoms, especially in the first trimester when your body is in shock as it begins to grow your little Bien. The only thing I can say is listen to your body, give it whatever it needs. If that means no working out, only eating specific foods and resting, then listen and do accordingly! Remember you are woman, you are amazing and you can do this!
“A baby fills a place in your heart that you never knew was empty.” –Anonymous