6 Ways To Get Through A Hard First Trimester

Guys. I'm not gonna lie. The first 4 months were REALLY hard. I am SO thankful that I started feeling better!  September was my golden month thank God!!
This pregnancy I was sicker than the previous two. I was pretty sick with the first 2, but mostly just nausea and exhaustion. This time, I had that x2, headaches a lot, feeling like I had the flu non-stop, feeling like I can't breathe, dizziness and just mentally, not myself. Not to mention it was like 100+ here for months which didn't help. That topped with being sick 3 times with never-ending virus' or colds over the summer....it hasn't been fun.
So it was quiet over here as my days consisted of work, working out and then going to bed. I have a really hard time with being confined inside of a house for days on end. But that is exactly what life has consisted of during those months. Just survival mode. The only thing that gave me any life was working out. Even when I was exhausted and feeling like I may puke, I tried my very hardest to workout as much as possible because it was the one thing that made me feel just a little bit like myself.  My eating habits went to hell. I was eating pretty much NOTHING that I used to eat. Which probably also made me feel less like myself. The thought of eating vegetables or meals that I used to love, made me want to hurl. I only wanted to eat carbs, carbs and more carbs. I even drank a root beer! The first soda I've had in over 4 years!!! Pregnancy can be brutal. Literally taking your life and just flipping it completely upside down. Not everyone experiences this but some of us do, right?  I've always said and I will say it again, I am not one that enjoys pregnancy that much and I don't feel guilty for saying so. I am SO thankful and feel blessed that I can carry babies and have had no fertility issues. I think it's amazing what your body can do! There are parts that I do enjoy, I say that as I am sitting here feeling her kick like crazy. Those little moves from inside my stomach I love!!  But there is really only a small portion of time that I truly feel good and enjoy being pregnant. And it is NOT the first trimester, I can assure you that! I am not a fun person to be around for the first 3-4 months. In fact, I don't feel like much of a person at all.  I just have really rough first trimesters. So I thought maybe if anyone else out there is going through this mentally and physically exhausting time, that I would share some things that have helped me.

Here are my personal tips for getting through a rough first trimester.

1. Just eat what you want. But try to keep it in moderation. I literally threw out my meal planning altogether after throwing away like 4 meals that I could not stomach. lol. The cravings or aversions can be REAL so just eat what you can and what you want. Just try not to overeat. That can make you feel worse anyway. This was hard for me because I get what they call nausea-hunger. If I'm eating I don't' feel as nauseous but as soon as I'm done eating, the nausea sets back in. Which makes me want to eat non-stop. I have gained 18 lbs at 24 weeks. This is the most that I've gained at this stage with any of my kids!!  Most always in the second trimester, this tapers off whether you are sick non-stop and can't eat (I lost weight with Scarlett in the first couple months) or whether you were like me this time around and eating was just a hot mess. Now that I am feeling a little better, I am eating better.

2. Work out. My God you can be exhausted during this time! But TRY, TRY, TRY to get in even a 10 min workout if you can. Obviously this only applies to women that are allowed to workout. I've read it can give you more energy to workout as well. I mean, anything is worth a shot! Also, it is counter-balancing the food that you may be eating that isn't so good for you. (in my case anyhow)  I just felt really down the entire first trimester. Those hormones mess with you big time and I found myself feeling moody or depressed a lot. It didn't help that I was sitting in my bed or the couch for days. So working out was my one escape from the torture that I felt like was happening to me. It really did help me to feel less down. I kept track and it seemed to be a pattern that on the days that I did workout, I didn't feel grumpy the next day. If you have no energy to work-out, get outside and take a walk.


3. Try different things. People suggest all sorts of things to try. Preggie Pops, ginger, vitamin B6, Unisom etc etc. Not everything works. And in my case, sometimes nothing works. But some days, certain things did work so I went with them. Vitamin B6 vitamins seemed to make me more sick and ginger as well. Anything ice cold was the only thing that seemed to give me a little relief. That and bananas. So try diff things and see what works for you.

4. Rely on family and friends if you can. I don't have either here in TX but Ty has been my saving grace while I was on my deathbed lol. He took over all the cooking, most of the cleaning, kid's baths, bedtimes and helping more on his own with the kids. Ask for help because it's hard and sometimes you just need some help. I have zero guilt in letting him take over for awhile since my body was doing triple the amount of work that I could ever do not pregnant on any given day.

5. Just know it's going to suck but it won't last forever.
This is basically what it comes down to. With Scarlett I was a little sick. Maxwell a little more sick. And this one, the worst sickness yet. You never know how you will feel. Each person and pregnancy is so different! In my experience, all the old wives tales and things that studies show were opposite. They say morning sickness is more prominent with girls but I was sicker with Maxwell than I was with Scarlett. I was carrying low and prominent, textbook boy style. 90% of people said that they thought I was having a boy when I was pregnant with Scarlett and this baby girl seems to be the same. With Maxwell, I was more round and carried higher like they say girls are carried. There is no way to tell how you will feel or what will happen but just know, sometimes you get a rough pregnancy and it sucks. It won't last forever. Generally it ends after the first trimester or soon into the second trimester. So just look for that light at the end of the tunnel and do the best you can. Rest. Try to be easy on yourself. And maybe book a pedicure or a facial....anything to pamper yourself when you are feeling your worst. You aren't alone! There are so many women out there going through the same thing and it won't last forever.


6. Look forward to the good times ahead. This is hard to do when you feel like crap. I used to try my hardest to think about when I get to hold the new baby. I envisioned the kids meeting her for the first time and all the new adventures that we will bring all 3 of our little ones on! These moments helped a little to forget the temporary struggles and see the big picture. The big picture is that you are blessed to be carrying a baby and some women are praying for the sickness you are going through, just to hold a little baby like you will soon do! Sending lots of love to anyone out there going through a rough time during their pregnancy with whatever it is you are going through. Again, you are not alone.