Hello Ladies!
Realizing as I am already at the half-way point of my pregnancy, I wanted to take time to reflect on the 1st trimester and all the things I learned about my body during this major adjustment of growing a baby. (Shoutout to Rita, for saying one of my favorite quotes “No wonder why you are tired, you are growing a Super Hero!”)
In truth, ladies, we forget how amazing our bodies really are and being pregnant has been a wake up call to all the things I take for granted about my body.
And now, let’s jump into some of the symptoms and random patterns that changed during my 1st trimester:
Fatigue-I am warning those who plan to have babies, BE READY, cause the fatigue really zapped my energy for those first few months of pregnancy. Looking back from the 2nd trimester, it truly felt like I was in a “sleep coma”. The motivation to wake up early was not there, yet, I had all the motivation to go to bed early. Standard bedtime was 8pm, which felt like midnight.
I felt guilty for wanting to go to bed early and nap, which, now looking back, is exactly what my body needed. So, for those of you who get too stressed out about getting behind on projects, I encourage you to pace yourself. Every pregnancy is different but allow yourself room to rest properly and ask for more help from your support system. I am very grateful I have a very supportive husband who definitely helped with grocery shopping, preparing raw meat(cause that would trigger nausea), dishes and taking care of our puppy, Marty.
Sleep Patterns-Learning from other mother’s, I did expect to have to use the bathroom A LOT, so that wasn’t too surprising. However, it was frustrating those first few weeks to adjust to the new rhythm of waking up 1-2x at night to go, but now, just a part of the nightly zombie routine.
Nausea–The typical pregnancy symptom, Nausea, thankfully for me, was manageable. There were only a handful of days, I felt really sick but highly recommend ginger + Vitamin B6 nausea chews since those really helped me out (see image below). Here’s a fun confession, my weird nausea trigger was my toothbrush, especially in the mornings, I would gag EVERY TIME before brushing my teeth. It is really odd and embarrassing but I now have met other moms who had the same issue. I discovered it is always helpful to talk about your symptoms with other moms, since this made me feel less crazy.
Meal prep/planning-Completely out the window since different days you crave different things. It was hard to plan ahead and so I had some basic easy items, like PB&J sandwiches that were simple to eat and did not cause any issues. Another important lesson to curb nausea was snacking/eating about every 2-3 hours, otherwise I would get very nauseous. Especially if I started off hungry and did not have a snack on me, it was a strange combination of hunger and nausea.
Constipation-Ladies, fiber really is your best friend. I was once a
“Regular gal” but that all changed with the baby disrupting all my body’s normal routines. Despite being diligent on eating a decent amount of fruits and veggies, I definitely have had to step it up.
*I can’t emphasize this enough–prioritize your fruits and veggies because it will catch up to you when you are pregnant. Overnight oats and blueberries have been my morning go to since they helped keep things moving, plus, very simple prep overnight.
Oral Health—The strangest most unexpected symptom was inflamed gums/ bleeding gums. My dentist warned me ahead of time about this and even despite brushing my teeth and flossing, some mornings you wake up and your gums are extremely inflamed. So, best thing to do is just keep maintaining your oral hygiene. Thankfully, this has only been a handful of days, but no less it still was a weird pregnancy symptom.
Reflection
That wraps up the most common first trimester pregnancy symptoms. As I am now in my 2nd trimester, getting back into a rhythm and maintaining a routine is becoming a priority again. By no means am I perfect, but embracing real-good food, exercise, and stretching(all about pelvic floor health, but we will discuss later). Plus, I am leaving more space for proper rest during the week and weekend, yes, naps are still great!
I hope as you read this, no matter what season of life you are in, reflect on how you can care BEST for your body NOW. Regardless, if you don’t care to have kids, planning, pregnant or already do, make sure to take time to find a rhythm of life that fits for you in each of those stages. Take time to nurture your body, soul and mind so that you can be equipped to adjust to various seasons that life brings.
My encouragement is to stop taking your body for granted and steward it well. The days I eat great, exercise and rest, I feel most equipped to care for those around me.
So, the reflection question of the week is WHAT habits/rhythms equip you to care for those around you?
Cheers to a new week and prioritizing your health!
Sierra