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Dealing With First Trimester Symptoms: Nausea and Fatigue

Bymollieshea11

We were so excited when we found out we were pregnant again! Especially after having gone through so much to get pregnant the first time. We were pleasantly surprised to not have to go through fertility treatments this time. But as excited and grateful as we are, it doesn’t make the first trimester symptoms any easier.

The excitement of finding out we are pregnant! Before the first trimester symptoms kicked in.

I would like to be VERY clear! I am incredibly grateful for this pregnancy and would take the nausea/vomiting/and fatigue every day if it means we have a healthy baby.

Some people are blessed and don’t get any of these nasty symptoms, or at least get to avoid the nausea and vomiting. But most of us (they say anywhere from 50%-90%) deal with some sort of nausea. And the really *lucky* ones are diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum (only about 2% of pregnancies) which is when you can’t keep anything down, it’s serious and needs to be addressed by your doctor.

First Trimester Symptoms: Nausea

This has been the worst symptom for me, in both of my pregnancies. I’m just coming to the end of my first trimester, and it’s just starting to ease up. Here is what I have found helps me the most!

Helpful Tips
  1. Eating protein in the morning- Sometimes I really have to force myself to do this, but if I eat eggs for breakfast I tend to feel better the rest of the day. Adding good healthy fat like avocado is also helpful.
  2. Brushing my teeth often- I brush my teeth after every meal and usually a few times in between when I’m pregnant, just to get rid of any after taste.
  3. Snacking- not letting myself get too hungry is a big help. They say having small meals every two hours is better than the traditional three meals a day.
  4. Smoothies- my latest obsession! With really tart fruit! I usually add some protein powder to make it a little more substantial. Smoothies are great especially if you’re having a hard time dealing with different smells.
  5. Super sour candy- sour punch straws are my favorite. The more sour the better! Preggie Pops are good too, but I usually want something more sour.
  6. Mints- to get rid of any weird tastes.
  7. Avoiding things that are really sweet- I think this has something to do with balancing your blood sugar. The same reason having protein and fat is more helpful.
  8. Diffuser- I’ve been using a diffuser with lavender and peppermint and it takes the edge off.
Medicines
  1. Unisom (doxyalamine not diphenhydramine) and B6.
  2. Reglan
  3. Phenergan
  4. Zofran

*Two through four are prescription only* These you need to talk to your doctor about. I have taken both Phenergan and Zofran. My personal preference when I have to take one is Zofran, only because Phenergan makes me sleepy.

The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends trying B6 (10-25mg) every 8 hours on its own. If that doesn’t help, then add Unisom (25mg) at night.

***If you are not able to keep anything down, please call your doctor!***

First Trimester Symptoms: Fatigue

The fatigue that comes in the first trimester is no joke! It’s like no matter how much or how well you sleep you’re still tired. But it makes sense, because you are growing an actual human. That takes a lot of energy. Plus, you need to watch your caffeine intake. And some people struggle with insomnia during pregnancy, not to mention you have to get up 500 times in the night to pee. No wonder it’s exhausting!

Here is what helped me:
  1. Going to bed earlier- obvious, but you really want to get as much sleep as you can.
  2. Get what you need to get done early. The afternoons were especially difficult for me, and if something didn’t get done in the morning, chances are it wasn’t happening. This is when crockpot meals are super helpful (if you can handle the smell of something cooking all day…)
  3. Excercise! This one really helps, as much as you don’t feel like doing anything, it makes a huge difference if you get moving!
  4. Nap! With my first pregnancy I napped a lot more than with this one. For the obvious reason that I wasn’t taking care of a toddler. But I still try to sneak one in every now and then. I know for those of you working full time this is tough, but even a quick Power Nap on your lunch break would be helpful.
  5. Caffeine. Especially if you were having caffeine before you got pregnant, going cold turkey is no good! You just have to be careful not to exceed the recommended limit, which is 200mg per day.

The difficult first trimester symptoms are bitter sweet. They can be absolutely miserable, but at the same time it typically means that your body is doing what it needs to to support the pregnancy. And the good news is that for most women it gets better when you enter the second trimester, what I like to call the sweet spot. I’m just about a week shy of that, and I can’t wait!

Do you have any other tips or tricks to help with these symptoms? Let me know!

Thanks for being here!!

We’ve got this!

xx, Mollie

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