First Trimester Recap: the Naps, the Nausea, the Anxiety
I wanted to take a minute to say thank you to everyone who shared warm wishes and congratulations on the announcement of our pregnancy! It truly feels surreal experiencing it all for myself after working with thousands of women going through it. If you’ve been a patient of mine or an open member of this community, I’m sending a special thank you to you–whether you realize it or not, your experiences helped shape the way I care for other women and now experience pregnancy myself.
I also want to acknowledge those of you who are in a different season. A season of hope, of loss, or of something else altogether. I have cried, celebrated, and am still in seasons of waiting with both patients and friends alike. If this content does not serve you, please know I am in your corner and understand if you need to revisit this platform at another time. I am and always will be cheering you on.
The (rare but awful) Nausea
To be honest, I was really afraid of being sick my first trimester and in general during pregnancy. I’m a nauseous person at baseline– we’re talking car sickness, move too fast and get sick, just a really sensitive stomach overall. Also, as a CNM, I’m often exposed to strong smells that can be triggering and also required to stay up during weird hours of the night. I am happy to report that despite my fears, I really didn’t suffer from nausea or vomiting with the exception of a couple days post call.
On those days, I found it most helpful to eat every 2-3 hours which is *so* hard when you feel nauseous. I found comfort in peanut butter with crackers and stabilizing my blood sugar which meant not going too long in between snacks/meals and making sure I got adequate protein at each snack/meal. I know, I know, you’re probably thinking anything BUT protein as that can be a huge food aversion but i’m not necessarily talking meat. I found it much easier to get my protein in through protein smoothies, peanut butter and crackers, nuts, and egg sandwiches on my bad days. Sleep was also essential to helping me on those days which makes sense why my couple of bad days were post call when I didn’t get much sleep at all the night before. Lastly, the ½ a tablet of Unisom at night paired with 25mg of Vitamin B6 was a liiiiife saver in helping me not feel bad the following day. This is basically a DIY version of Diclegis, an anti-nausea medication, that is much more affordable but can give the same relief. Remember, before starting a new medication or supplement make sure to talk with your own provider.
The Naps
The symptoms I did experience regularly and severely were fatigue, bloating, and irritability.
I always knew first trimester fatigue was like none other but experiencing it for myself was truly next level. I found myself taking more naps than I ever have previously as a “non-napper” and trying to hold my eyes open every day at 2 o clock. It was *so* strong. And to be honest, I was frustrated with myself because I needed to be doing all. the. things. that I was used to doing but I ultimately had a heart check with myself and realized the obvious– that growing a human was my biggest and most important responsibility.
Things that helped me most were frequent naps, daily walks or exercise and adequate water and protein intake. It was nearly impossible for me to start a walk or workout when I felt so tired but every time I did, I felt so much better after and found that I was able to sleep more restoratively on those nights (thanks to my Oura data!)
I knew I could thank progesterone for the bloating and irritability I was experiencing but knowing where it came from made it no easier to deal with. My poor husband probably got the brunt of the irritability because I was trying to keep my cover with everyone else in the early weeks of pregnancy. Thankfully he was understanding and tried to help the best he could! As far as the bloating went, I tried to optimize my digestion by making sure I was drinking enough water, moving daily, and eating fiber rich foods like chia seeds and flaxseed meal which I easily included in my smoothies. Although these practices helped, It wasn’t until 11 weeks that I finally felt some relief from all the bloating.
The Anxiety
From an emotional standpoint, I was anxious up until my first ultrasound which I had at 6 weeks. After seeing the heartbeat with my own eyes, I knew the statistics and the chance that I would miscarriage significantly decreased. However, It didn’t stop me from worrying about our baby and hoping and praying every day that our little one was still growing healthily. I think with this being our first pregnancy, I really guarded my heart, as excited as I was, knowing all the possibilities. I didn’t tell anyone outside of my family throughout the first trimester as that’s what I was most comfortable with. It was a special experience to keep the news coveted with my husband but also isolating at times when I wanted to share my anxieties with friends. I often get asked when the best time to share your pregnancy news is and I truly think it’s an individualized decision that depends on so many factors and can even change with each pregnancy.
Throughout pregnancy so far, working as a CNM has been a double edged sword. I feel incredibly empowered knowing the information I do and at the same time, I sometimes think that I know “too much” leading to anxieties of all the “what if” scenarios. I’ve found peace in focusing on the facts of what is true and not what could be as well as openly talking about my anxieties to my husband. As someone who relies on my faith, I’ve also found peace in prayer and God’s provision.
Overall, I have really enjoyed pregnancy and its symptoms because it’s something I’ve always wanted to experience. I know the discomforts are temporary and will pale in comparison to the joy of meeting our baby. I’m hopeful to stay feeling well and healthy throughout the rest of pregnancy and hope that if you find yourself experiencing some of these symptoms, these tips may help you too.
With love,