The REAL First Trimester: What They Don’t Tell You
So here’s the deal. It seems to me, at least, that all anyone can talk about when it comes to your first trimester is the morning sickness. Ohhhh, the dreaded morning sickness that takes over your life. And, well, first things first, first trimester nausea does NOT limit itself to mornings. If you’re anything like me, first trimester nausea greatly preferred late afternoons and evenings, hot showers, and any car ride that lasted over 30 minutes (Ever thrown up while driving before? It’s the epitome of multitasking, trust me).
So moving on. The ugly stepchildren of first trimester misery. That’s what I’m really here to talk about. And for the record, everyone has a different experience and this was mine. Also, my symptoms diminished to just about nothing like clockwork on week 12 day 6. Like clockwork, I tell you. So all I have to share is the only 3 months I’ve ever been pregnant. That being said, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to get it all out there. So here we go.
Fatigue Did you ever get mono as a kid? You know, that “kissing disease” or whatever they called it. Yeah, that one. Pregnancy is a bit like mono. Forget about staying up to watch your favorite television show or going out on the town all night with your friends. And your weekends will be cut in half because you’ll spend 12-15 hours sleeping each night, accompanied by 2-3 hours of napping each afternoon. If you work long hours and have a long commute like I did, forget about it. All you’re worth by the time you get home each night is some thrown-together dinner and maybe a shower. Also, it should be noted that working out is very difficult simply because you have no energy to do so. The one rule I learned early on was that when my body was tired, I really just needed to close my eyes.
Breakouts Well, these go away after awhile, but I was 2 seconds away from calling the dermatologist before we found out I was pregnant. I guess it makes sense- your hormones are all whacked. I changed my skincare routine completely, added in a super good moisturizer, and things are much better.
That weird taste Ok, so, usually if you have a bad taste in your mouth all you have to do is brush your teeth and it’ll go away. Not this taste. I lived with a constant metallic taste in my mouth and the only way to temporarily get rid of it was these tea tree mints from Trader Joe’s (thanks for the recommendation, mom).
The girls are so sore Yup. And they grow beautifully (two cup sizes for my little girls!). And that belly butter you’ve bought for your expanding midsection…. best to lather them up, too. The key, I realized, was soft shirts. All of those screenprint tees you have lying around aren’t comfy on your sensitive girls. Give them a break with soft, quality cotton. These shirts are the best.
Mood swings I did pretty good, I think, with these. I cried at the drop of a hat about everything and if I stayed awake too late at night, all I did was bark at my husband. They key here is to stay hydrated, well fed, and rested.
Cramps Not everyone gets these but I got them on and off and let me tell you, there’s nothing like them to worry you silly. The triage nurse at my OB’s office got very used to my panicked phone calls. Each time they came, I was convinced I was losing my little peanut. She always told me to drink a ton of water and rest. And to remember that my body was growing. Oh, yeah, duh. The water helped the most.
Stinky Smells Oh my gosh. COFFEE! Just awful. AWFUL. Made me gag walking near a Starbucks let alone into a coffee shop. On the plus side, I never worried about wanting too much caffeine each day. You will find something you used to love completely repulsive. It’s okay. It happens to the best of us. I didn’t figure out a way around this one. Just avoid those bad smells.
Cravings I can’t tell you for sure what my real craving was. Probably doughnuts. Alex bought me doughnut holes every Sunday morning. It’s glorious. I also strangely ate a lot of pb&j saltine cracker sandwiches. And smoothies. Loved an afternoon smoothie. Here’s the thing: if you crave it, eat a little bit of it. Or a lot, if it is something healthy. Eat what sounds good. If you’re concerned at all about intaking a well-balanced diet, your diet will be just fine. Don’t fret if you really want a scoop or two of ice cream now and then. And since there’s not too much folic acid to be found in gummy bears, take your prenatal daily!
Sinuses To be fair, I already have sinus problems. But apparently they can get pretty bad when you are pregnant. I ended up with a sinus infection during my 8th week. So much fun, let me tell you. There’s barely any medicines you can take and I ended up just filling my antibiotic prescription because Tylenol and Nasonex can only do so much. This goes along with the breakouts, but keep a humidifier by your bed. It’s helped me a lot since the week 8 debacle.
So there it is. The real first trimester. Growing a kid isn’t for wimps, let me tell you. And I can give you my tips and tricks, but everyone is going to be different. This is just what worked for me.
Here’s my tips for the second trimester and the third trimester, as well.
