During my first trimester with both pregnancies, my biggest problem was with nausea. I don't claim to be an expert, and every pregnancy is different, but here are a few items that helped me get through my first trimester this pregnancy that I wish I knew about when I was pregnant with our first baby.
1. Strong Hair Elastics - Mine are the Goody Extra thick Ouchless ones. I kept my hair back for almost the entire first trimester because I had a lot of vomiting, so this is an obvious one.
2. Brita Water Bottle - This has been a life saver. If I drank too much water at a time I would throw up, so if I sipped all day long whenever I could I stayed hydrated enough not to land myself in the hospital. Also, wherever I went I could fill it because there is a filter right inside the bottle. I don't know if this is TMI, but if I was out and happened to throw up, I really wanted to have something to wash my mouth out with.
3. Lip Stain - By Benefit. When I did go out, I chose a lip stain instead of a lipstick. With a lip stain, I could drink my water without having to worry about smudging and reapplying. I also liked it because I can't even tell that I am wearing it whereas lipstick I can.
4. Rejuvenating Aroma blend by
Escents - I am a big fan of this company since I used to work for them and fell in love with the product. I carried this little bottle around with me in case I encountered an offsetting triggering smell like cooked onions, garlic, or bad BO. I suppose this smell might not work for someone else and they could try others, but I would always consult an aromatherapist or sales associate to make sure that the essential oils are
safe for pregnancy.
5. Rejuvenating Body Lotion by Escents - In preparation for some major skin stretching, but too early for the heavy duty stuff. Plus, the heavy duty stuff I use had an offsetting smell. Grapefruit oil is good for promoting circulation too (it is a lymphatic stimulant), in addition to rubbing the cream on the skin as well. Circulation in the skin helps cellular repair, decreases varicose vein development and helps with cellulite.
6. Ginger Candy - I buy mine from Chinese grocery stores, but I've seen a very similar candy sold at health food stores. The candy is soft and sweet with a very strong ginger taste. Ginger helps ward off nausea and I found helped me get a bit of an appetite.
7. Brown Paper Bags - They are cheap, they can be folded into your purse or tucked into your pocket for emergency up chucks. I also breathed inside them if there was a bad smell around me.
8. Stone Wheat Thins - Sometimes a dry cracker is all I could eat. Tasteless, dry crackers. They really helped settle my stomach.
There are lots of other things that I've heard helped women through their first trimesters and they didn't work for either of mine. The one I most commonly hear is peppermint tea. I tried it during my first pregnancy and I still to this day can't drink peppermint tea because I threw up so badly after drinking it. Maybe it was too late? Who knows.
The first trimester is so exciting and it should be! Any little thing that helps should be used and abused. Especially if you are trying to keep the pregnancy on the down low. I was not able to keep either one of my pregnancies a secret from my family because I was so nauseous. I tried taking Diclectin (prescribed by my doctor), but it didn't work unfortunately.
In the grand scheme of things though, the first trimester of pregnancy is just a fraction of the rest of your life. It is temporary and well worth it. It helped having the support of my mom and husband. It helped especially when they reminded me of the sweet little baby that comes at the end of all of this. The second time around, it was also incredible to have Ezra with me every day, distracting me, needing me, and pretending to throw up with me even. His very existence reminded me that all of the sickness is for a wonderful reason. Its so important to try and stay as positive as possible in all stages through pregnancy and postpartum and to surround one's self with things and people that can help one achieve a positive and thankful outlook.
Have you or are you pregnant right now? What little things did you find helpful or find are helping you through the day if you are feeling sick?
