I've got four vases of daffodils in my house as reminders of the 70 degree weather we had last weekend. It got below freezing two nights ago so I bundled Sebastian and together we trekked through our frozen backyard and cut the daffodils that had drooped or were just about to bloom. Two vases are meant for our neighbors and the other two are for us to enjoy. The crocus and magnolia blooms are going to have to fend for themselves.
I've been enjoying my daily doses of first trimester nausea this last week and a half. I didn't have this kind with Sebastian that I can remember so there are a number of things I'm learning about my body and the best way to make it through the day.
#1 - Don't let the tank reach empty. I've started keeping saltines and water by my bed like all the books say, only I have to make sure I've got plenty for Sebastian. I woke up the other day to the sound of crunching at my night stand and there he was, enjoying his morning snack.
#2 - Do what you can when you can. Since my cold is gone, I've got about an hours worth of energy back in my afternoons. Instead of spending it online while Sebastian slept today, I tackled the laundry, dirty bathroom, and kitchen counter. And then I had to sit down for an hour.
#3 - Pay attention to the cravings. They say you crave things because your body needs something and I've found this especially to be true during pregnancy. I couldn't get enough citrus or avacados during my last few months with Sebastian and I can't get enough chicken or swiss cheese now. My doula in Seattle made sure I was getting more protein than I was used to with Sebastian and had me keeping all kinds of charts. So now when I want a high protein snack, I make sure it's a healthy one.
#4 - They say walking helps nausea. Who does that work for!
#5 - Get plenty of sleep. Yes, I do need to be told. I've started caving in around 11:00 p.m. instead of the usual 12:00 a.m. and can tell it's helped me feel better in the mornings. I fell asleep on the couch yesterday without meaning to. I'm sure it's the first of many times.
#6 - Avoid the 'eating for two' mentality. I subscribed to this method with Sebastian just because I didn't have any fear of the consequences. Having to deal with those last ten lbs. for the last two and a half years has been a great motivator this time around. I've been quite successful with this thanks to the constant nausea. It makes it hard for much to sound good.
So far this has included apples, pears, bananas, whole grain cereal, cheese, natural yogurt, peanuts, chicken, rice, ginger tea, sliced bell peppers, salads, and the daily slice of sourdough bread for good measure. I'm sure I'll have to work harder on this as the months go by and I'm really thankful that Taco Bell no longer carries those Chili Cheese burritos that got me through my first trimester last time.
I've been taking the Mama's Bliss nausea tablets and drinking ginger tea to see if that helps but so far I haven't noticed much improvement. If anyone has any magic tricks that worked for them, please pass them on. One can only plant herself on the couch for so many hours a day.
I hope your Spring weather has arrived or at least showing signs that it's near. I'll be back later this week with some non-pregnancy related hapennings.
53 comments:
Oh dear, I feel for you. I'm almost to the end of my second trimester and had horrible horrible morning sickness in my first, (and am still on meds to keep things under control.)
Powerade worked really well for me. I couldn't keep water down. Actually, Root Beer was also wonderful, because once I could get one big burp, I'd feel better for a while. :)
While corn chips (fritos) probably aren't the best, that ended up being my lifesaver for a while. The salty/crunchy helped me eat other foods afterwards.
Hope this phase passes quickly. I've come to terms that I'll be on Zofran (for nausea) till I deliver. It's funny though, this is the worst my body has ever felt, but the happiest my spirits have ever been! It's my first (a boy!) and I never knew what havoc it would wreak on my body, loosing 20 pounds in the 1st trimester. But even after spending hours on the bathroom floor, laying there with a smile on my face! So funny. Congrats to you!
For the nausea try peppermint tea (or gum or aromatherapy) and also make sure you're getting plenty of B12!
I'm so excited for you!
i am dealing with the same thing right now, our due dates are close:). the constant nausea is annoying. i will try the peppermint tea, thanks for posting about this, i will have to check back to see what others say. right now nothing is working and i am constantly feeling like someone is pulling on my tounge:) yekkkk.
good luck with everything :)
have a most wonderful spring day.
Rachel and Jessica, I have found these to be a life saver when it comes to nausea.
http://www.sea-band.com/seaband.htm
You can find them at walmart near the pharmacy and they cost between $7-$10.
I use them when I need to work on my laptop for long work road trips. It has a little plastic "bead" the presses into a pressure point on your wrist. They really really help.
Hi Rachel! I just found out that my husband and I are expecting :) the nausea is... terrible. It's our first, and I'm not sure what to expect, so this post helped me a lot! I got some cranberry flavored ginger ale and it's been okay. I haven't been throwing up yet, just feeling like I'm on the verge of it. Post more of your mommy secrets! I need 'em! :)
I never found anything that actually helped with my nausea...I was sick for the first HALF of this pregnancy...just until I started feeling consistent daily movement from the babe to ease my worries, you know?
Randomethics,
Your story is definitely giving me some perspective! I appreciate that. And congratulations!
Jessica and Cindy J,
We'll have to keep an eye on each other and share stories. Congrats!
Michelle and Bria,
I'm trying it all!
I also used the Sea Bands. I'm not sure how well they worked with the pregnancy nausea, but they worked WONDERS on my cruise. They may have worked on my nausea some, but I wasn't willing to take them off to test it out!
I also used Zophran, which was hell to take b/c of the orange flavor, but once I could just suck it up and do it {without gagging & throwing it up} then I felt better. I will warn you though, make sure you have GOOD insurance before you go askin for them, they are $50 per pill!!! They BETTER work, huh?
Good luck with the rest of it! "This too, shall pass". :)
Oh yeah, like Amber said Zophran can be expensive. But I asked for the generic and it's only $10 for two weeks worth for most insurances. :) Mine doesn't taste like orange though thank goodness!
I craved Blueberry Poptarts with my first one. Ate 2 a day for my whole 3rd trimester. After my son was born I got my daily Poptart for my afternoon snack out of habit. I took one bite and thought yuck and haven't had another one in the last 8 years. Weird!!
I'm not any help really...I was on Zophran for the entirety of my pregnancy with Colin. He's worth it though!! ;) And the nice part is that I weigh less than I did before I got pregnant with him. :) :) haha
I hope the yucky morning sickness passes for you soon!
And don't feel too badly for those moments spent on the couch, you deserve them! :)
Charin
unisom & B6, taken together. seriously helps!!
I'm at the end of my 1st trimester. I have all day morning sickness. Reed's Ginger Brew (which we get at Trader Joes or Whole Foods, but I'm sure you could get from any health foods store) has a higher ginger content than ginger ale so that might help. Sour mints/candies are worth trying too. Good luck! I know everyone says this stage passes quickly..but being in my 13th week, it's not coming quickly enough!
Natural ways:
-Deep breathing may help, as well as relaxation exercises
-A protein snack before bed will help low blood sugar in the morning
-Get up slowly out of bed
-Take a walk everyday
-Sea bands (as mentioned before!!) on both wrists for acupressure points
-Anise, dried peach tree leaves, fennel seed, red raspberry or ginger teas
-A teaspoon of cider vinegar in a cup of warm water
-Infusion of ginger root
-Smelling ground ginger
-Increase iron rich foods in your diet
-Ipecacuana 6X three times daily for 5 days
-Nux Vomica 6X
-Slippery Elm tablets, two before each meal
-Aromatherapy: lavender, rose, or chamomile for a massage oil
Good luck girl, hang in there. :)
Root beer or red raspberry leaf tea! RRLtea is AWESOME for pregnancy--here is a blog post about it (not my blog)http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2009/01/homemade-pregnancy-tea.html
If you don't want to make it at home, I was able to find some at Whole Foods.
Also, sucking on a candy cane or peppermint--don't know the reason, it just helps!!
I sympathize, while still wondering why they called it 'morning sickness' as mine lasted all day for the first 6 months with both of my two.
Lemon drops/lemon ice. The sour flavor helped me tremendously, I have no idea, just that it worked. And all of my friends that tried it for their nausea said it worked for them too.
Hope it helps or that you find something that does!
Avocados are one of my favorite things.
In my college nutrition class, I learned that ginger alleviates nauseau. I make this Carrot Ginger soup that worked wonders for a friend who had ALL Day sickness. The first thing she could eat weeks after finding out the news.
Sometimes it's difficult to know how much ginger a product actually contains even if it says it contains ginger and has ginger flavor.
I hope you feel better soon. I haven't found anything that has helped. The only thing that kind of works is to not let myself get to the point of getting too hungry. Once my stomach is growling I know I'm going to feel ill in the next few minutes. Can't wait for this to wear off for the both of us! I want my energy back :)
That's so weird! I took Zofran for my nausea during chemo, but I didn't know that used for morning sickness! It really did help and the pills are tiny. They did leave an aftertaste on my tongue, so I always took it with something flavored.
I have ongoing tummy problems and I often have an upset stomach, so I really can relate... Things that have helped my stomach include:
* soda water with a splash of juice (cran-raspberry is my favorite!)
* Pretzels... eat the salt off first and then eat the pretzel.
* Sniffing peppermint scented things when I'm fighting the actual vomit urge. Take big deep breaths of the scent... I sniff toothpaste, my Peppermint Dr. Bronners soap and a special chapstick. Clove scented things also work well for me.
* I dissolve a 1/2 tsp of baking soda in a small glass of water... if you can get over the funky taste, it really does help.
* Like you, I keep a snack pack in my night stand. It has small bags of pretzels, shelled pistachios, dried cherries, a granola bar, some dark chocolate, and crackers in it. Those snack sized ziplocs are heaven sent!
I'm so glad to hear that things are going well -- even if you feel crappy....you're having a baby!!!
Life is good, right? :]
I love reading your stories.. hearing the sounds of Sabastian chewing on crackers at your bedside was cute.
These are all great suggestions and I am going to look at a few at a time. I do hope this post can come across to everyone as an update on how life has been for me these last few weeks and not any real complaining.
I appreciate how special this pregnancy is and how one of my best friends would love to feel every day of nausea just to be able to carry her own child and so I know that I should continue to be thankful no matter how my days play out.
Most of all, I love that we can share our stories to help each other make it through.
Thanks!
Oh morning sickness is the worst thing in the world, well almost.
I tried eating some crackers before getting out of bed in the morning, sipping on sweet drinks and these ginger bears: http://www.buderimginger.com/consumer_info/search_results_details.asp?intCode=59.
Unfortunately I don't think any one thing helps and you have to find what works for you. Hopefully it'll be over soon :)
i had bad morning sickness with my daughter the 1st trimester. what worked for me you mentioned in your notes. I kept food with me constantly. Although all i wanted to eat was crackers, fruits and salads. I bought those sugar snap peas (in the bag in the produce dept) and kept them with me at all times. I was working at the time and had a long commute and had them in the car with me-what a lifesaver! :)so just eat eat eat- whatever sounds good! i lost 7 pounds that first 12 weeks.
Good Luck and heres to a happy and healthy 9months! ~Dianna
oh and one more thing- i know its not good for you. But Diet Coke worked wonders on my nausea too. I tried all the caffeine free drinks, but Coke was it. maybe one of those mcdonalds fountain drinks you are so fond of! :) chikfila has diet coke that is caffeine free too!
:) Dianna
Oh man! Doesn't sound like a lot of fun! haha But I'm sure it's still pretty exciting. Hope you're not too extremely busy and get some time to relax!
swiss cheese and chicken??
my grandma and my mom make "swiss cheese chicken" for sunday dinner sometimes and it's my sisters favorite. [i'm a vegetarian so i just take their word for it.]
do you want the recipe??
Boy, I'd love to hear what some of those high protein snacks are that your dula recommends! Also, how did you end up with a dula in Seattle? That's where I live!
We have lots of daffodils and crocuses poking their heads out over here in southern IL but it's still cold!
Good luck with all the preggers business. That's so exciting though :)
Liz V,
Yes! I'd love the recipe. How random that your family makes it as a meal!
In the PacificNW,
I can't remember if we just googled it or what but our doula was fantastic. We started a few weeks later than we should've but she worked with us to cover all of the material with three sessions in her home. She wasn't able to be at the birth, which I wish she had been, but her direction gave me a lot of courage going into it.
Her name was Kathleen Nelson but I'm not sure if she's still practicing. Good luck with your search.
so sorry about the nasuea :[ i was sick until month 6 with my son. root beer always seemed to help me. and i ALWAYS had a bag of trail mix near me (peanuts = protein!) i think you are right though...the greatest trick is to not let your stomach get completely empty. good luck! it'll be over before you know it.
I do feel for you Rachel.
I had all day/all night sickness with my two right up until I gave birth. I can remember pushing and throwing up into a pan. When I see movies with ladies giving birth with lipstick on, I don't know if I should laugh or cry.
I loved ice. I would munch on it all day.
hi, the thing that helped me when i was pregnant with my son was eating rich tea biscuits the moment i woke up, i had to eat them lying down, so i kept them by the bed, and another was sucking lemon sherbets. xx
Im sorry to hear about your morning sickness Rachel - I can't imagine how that feels!
Your photos of the daffodils are beautiful! I took a bunch for my 82year old Nan to remind her that spring is coming soon - she finds winter long and difficult, so hopefully they will cheer her ^__^
Love reading your blog, loves Amy x
Great flowers! It has been in the 70s all week, and then last night we got five inches of snow!! I know it looks dorky, but you might want to try sea sick arm bands. I rocked them the first four months I was pregnant and really noticed a difference in the nausea. They look like little sweat bands that you wear around your wrist and have little balls that hit certain pressure points. And I know this sounds silly, but I could throw up ten times and then go eat some fries from wendy's and be just fine. We called Wendy's fries my "miracle food" when I was pregnant. Congratulations again!
I've heard really good things about Preggie Pops- http://www.threelollies.com/
I want that chair. :)
Hope you feel better soon and the nausea passes quickly!
tina
hey there..
For nausea I used to cut a lemon in wedges and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and eat like you would eat oranges..
just a couple of tasting would do the trick somewhat..
hope it helps!
best of luck!
hey there little mama...man your post just made me feel your pain...I threw up day and night for nine months straight with all four of my girls....the thing that helped me??? pretzels....:) kind of the same idea as the saltines I think but much tastier!! I tried EVERYTHING and this is all the advice I can really offer that made any difference....
and you did notice that I had this four times and four girls right?? *wink*---i'm just sayin............
good luck sweetie!! HANG IN THERE!! It's so tough but so worth it :)
I also experienced a lot of nausea when i was expecting. The midwives in Sweden recommend car-sickness pills for that, and believe it or not, it works. And it's not bad for the baby, at least not the once we take here in Sweden.
Hope you feel better soon!
I feel for you. I threw up my entire pregnancy. I was prescribed Zofran, but only took it when I absolutely had too. It works but is a category B for pregnancy. Inquire about it, if it gets to bad. Most insurance doesnt cover it, as its extremely expensive.
Sierra Mist worked for me some of the time. On the days, everything came up McDonalds Chicken Nuggets were the only thing I could keep down.
Flat club soda and saltines is my best advice.
Peppermint works wonders for nausea [I know. I've had stomach problems for years now.]. Just make sure that's it's made with actual peppermint oil and not artifical flavoring. Orbit peppermint gum has saved me many times when I've felt sick at work.
Pretzels were far better for me than saltines. I still have chronic morning sickness even when I'm not pregnant (I know cruel, right). So I feel your pain more than you know. I carry pretzels and peppermint candies with me everywhere.
I don't think you're complaining at all with this post. You are just sharing what life is like for you lately. I had to laugh though when you mentioned hearing your son munching by your bedside.
Blessings to you...
Congrats on your pregnancy Rachel :)
I don't have children but my sister has 3 and she swore by Gatorade. I think it's the electrolytes or something?
Anyways, a friend of mine was having a lot of nausea in the early parts of her pregnancy and I told her about the Gatorate and it has worked really well for her too!
Oh, I feel you I was sick the first 5 months. I lost 15 pounds. Not good.
I just bought those mommy pops and sucked on nasty ginger . lol
on cravings; not sure what my body was telling me when I craved meat pies (well, we are in Australia!) or ham and cheese croissants...
But this post has been a nice trip down memory lane!
Do you think the fact that you feel different to when you were pregnant with Sebastian that maybe this ones a girl? ;)
Hard candy helps me out with morning sickness. Jolly Ranchers were my go to with my first child, and are again. :) Lemon drops are great too! Hope it helps! And good job on eating healthy! I'm trying a little harder this time around too. :)
Just wondering where you get your clipboards? I like those better that the ones with the big silver clip. Thanks!!!!
These are all great!
Smauge, I've entertained the notion that since this time around it's been so much MORE, that it might be a girl, but I'm trying not to wander off in that direction to soon. :)
Lacey, I got my clipboards at Wal-Mart in November for $1 each. I'm not sure if they still carry them but check in the office supplies section.
I just officially passed the first trimester mark, and can safely say that almonds and lemonade got me through it! I am feeling so much less *pukey* these days. I found that on my worst days I was letting too much time pass between snacks and/or meals and not drinking enough water. Raw almonds are great healthy protein, I highly recommend them. :) Good luck, the first tri will be over before you know it!
I'm sure you've heard it before, but chewing gum has always helped me. Good luck!:)
when i had first trimester nausea it was mainly in the afternoon, and pretty much related to how tired i was. rest was the key for me. tried a billion things like mint tea, ginger tea, eating small, healthy snacks between meals, but seriously: if i was tired, i'd feel sick! so simple.
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