Bébé Chronicles: First Trimester Survival Guide
While I am now 16+ weeks pregnant and well out of the 1st Trimester haze, I remember it well. I have to admit, I did not get that sick. I felt super nauseated and incredibly fatigued - but I never threw up. Yep, sorry to get gross. I was so sure that I would, but it never came. While I never lost my lunch, I did have full days of nonstop nausea and I was so tired that once I fell asleep in a sample chair at Target. As someone who has struggled with nausea since 7th grade, I think I was a bit more prepared for the 1st trimester than other pregnant women. However I was surprised that this nausea felt quite different, and that things that had comforted me in the past no longer did! Every woman is different so what worked for me may not work for you - but when you are feeling sick - you are willing to try anything! So without further ado - here are my tips for surviving that yucky 1st Trimester.
1. Sea Bands
These are not scientifically proven to do anything, but hey, if the placebo effect helps - I will take it! I found sea bands helpful to relieve nausea especially when I was out and about. I think I felt like I had on a layer of protection that eased my anxiety when heading out into less comfortable environments than my bed and couch.
2. Ginger Lozenge
I purchased these Ginger Tummy Drops and found them to be helpful! They taste good and take your mind off the nausea for a little while. I liked to pop one in after a meal to help ease digestion and also get rid of any bad tastes in my mouth.
3. Peppermint & Ginger Tea
For me, I actually didn't drink the tea that much (hot things were pretty unappealing) but I felt soothed by smelling the tea and inhaling the warm steam. The peppermint tea is especially aromatic.
4. Cottage Cheese
When your stomach is empty that is when you actually feel the most sick. But sometimes it is just too hard to eat a full meal. I found that when I started to feel slightly hungry (but not THAT hungry) it was helpful to go eat a few spoonfuls of cottage cheese. The cottage cheese has a good amount of protein that helps fill your stomach.
5. Bags of Cereal
As soon as you wake up it is important to fill your stomach with a little something to help prevent really bad nausea in the morning. I found that having a bag of cheerios by my bed helped a lot. Sometimes I would even wake up in the middle of the night and eat some. I also kept a bag in my purse when I was on the go. I also found rice cakes to be a good snack when on the go.
6. Lavender Candle
The smell of lavender is very soothing and also helps to fill your home with a good aroma. Since your sense of smell gets super strong - it feels like you can smell the trash from the other side of the house. Having a lavender candle burning helped calm me down and forget about the bad smells in the apartment.
7. Lemons
I have always been a lemon addict, but I took it to a whole other level during the 1st trimester. Sometimes I would cut up a lemon and just sniff it - yep pretty weird - but it helped ease my nausea a lot!
8. Ginger Ale
I have always been a fan of Canada Dry for easing stomachaches, and it was no different during the 1st Tri. Something about that drink is comforting to me.
9. Sliced Cucumber with Lemon
I have been eating this snack for years, but during my 1st Tri I was eating it EVERY DAY. I was going through 5+ cucumbers a week! I found that the cool quality of the cucumber was soothing to my stomach and I think the snack also helped to keep me hydrated. If you are up to it, add some avocado or mozzarella to get some more fat and protein in you!
10. Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches
There is something about feeling sick that makes you revert back what comforted your younger self. When most food seemed very unappealing, for some reason a good ol' PB&J actually sounded good. Having peanut butter is actually great too as it has a lot of protein, which will fill your stomach and help you to feel better.
Hope this little list helps you to ease the yuckiness of the 1st Trimester. If you are in the heat of it right now - it will be over soon! And also - sending you love! "Morning sickness" is no joke!
If you have suggestions for how you got through the 1st Trimester be sure to post them in the comments!