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Now that I have entered my third trimester, the first feels so long ago. While I am sure there are things I am forgetting, I still remember a lot of those first-trimester symptoms. These are my experiences only. Every single mother-to-be will feel different. If you are hoping to be expecting, don’t get upset or discouraged if you feel none of these things. I would advise you to be careful reading these posts, so you don’t trick yourself into feeling things you don’t in hope. I certainly did.
I will be sharing any tips that I have for alleviating these as well. Again, remember that what works for one person might not work for another.
Breast Pain
This was the first sign, and the reason I was very confident that my test would show up positive. I woke up one morning about a week before my period, and my breasts hurt so badly and were swollen. While I would typically get a bit of tenderness on my period, this was too early and too intense. The pain also did not go away within a couple of days. It didn’t stop until after I was in the second trimester, even.
Coping
The best thing I can tell you for this is to find a good bra. Something that will be supportive, but not too tight. I also enjoyed a gentle massage, especially when paired with the hot water of the shower.
Side note: It is never too early to start moisturizing to help reduce stretch marks. My breasts received my very first shortly after reaching the second trimester.
Nausea
I was nauseous well into my second trimester. This is not normal, so don’t be alarmed, but eating was a challenge. Nothing sounded good, and still doesn’t for that matter. I had a hard time eating in the morning and would often go to work on an empty stomach. Something that never happened before.
Coping
It took a bit of time, but I eventually learned what I could eat more easily than other things. For me, it was easier to get cold down than hot. I basically survived on fruit, enjoying the freshness of it. I drank a lot of protein shakes (until I threw one up) as well as smoothies and plain whole milk. Smoothies were especially helpful because I could hide good-for-me foods that I didn’t want to eat, such as yogurt, protein powder, and avocados. They are a wonderful way to get a lot of good nutrients and calories without having to chew. I also enjoyed protein balls throughout the day to keep something in my stomach.
Don’t be afraid to try things you do not typically enjoy. I am not normally a pineapple fan, but I got one for my husband and took a bite while cutting it up one day. I think I ate half of it right there, and the other half the next day.
When things were really bad and I couldn’t get anything down, I would suck on some ginger candy or stomach-settling drops. I also found that keeping my mouth clean helped as well. Using a mildly minty toothpaste made brushing easier.
Exhaustion
This one was a struggle for me. I am normally a get-up-and-go early riser, and couldn’t have told you the last time I took a nap. That changed very quickly with pregnancy. I dreaded my alarm going off in the morning and pushed it back as far as I could get away with. I would be in need of a nap come 10, and would lie on the couch for hours watching YouTube videos, doing nothing else. These events are all unheard of in my life. Even if I do sit on the couch to watch a video, I am at least crocheting while doing so.
Coping
Girl, take the nap. Become a certified couch potato. Your body is doing amazingly complex things in creating a whole new person with all new organs and systems that have to be made. It takes a lot of work. I do recommend gentle movement, such as a walk or yoga, to help boost energy levels even if you can’t find the energy (or breath) to do your usual workout.
While eating is a challenge, as discussed above, eat as much protein as you can and minimize the carbs and sugar, where possible, to help fuel your body.
Eczema
I have been battling hand eczema for over three years now, and the first trimester did not help. My fingers hurt very badly and were so swollen that I couldn’t get my wedding rings on. There were a couple of times that I woke up in the night and my hands felt like they were on fire. I had to go and hold a bag of frozen food to help.
Coping
I did so many things to try to help. I finally broke down and bought some cotton gloves that I could lather my hands up with lotion and then petroleum jelly to sleep. I got serious about always wearing rubber gloves when doing dishes.
The thing I think that helped the most was starting to use tallow. I made my own tallow soap (which I happen to sell here), and due to the nature of my work, was able to use it more instead of the usual public restroom soap. I also made tallow lotion, which has helped tremendously. I noticed that while we were on vacation and I was out in public more, using not-so-great soap, and not moisturizing with the tallow, my hands got much worse than they had been.
Vomiting
Never before have I praised the Lord for throwing up. After my miscarriage, I was so excited the first time I did so, as it is believed to be a sign of a healthy pregnancy. I was not an excessive vomiter, thankfully, and had a mix of losing food as well as only bile.
Coping
Thank God for a healthy pregnancy. Brush your teeth and slowly sip some water. Other than that, my tips are the same as they were for dealing with nausea (see above).
Insomnia
Almost immediately, I was unable to make it through the night without a bathroom break. I woke up every night between 12 and 2, and wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep. This was after taking two hours to go to sleep in the first place.
Coping
I tried melatonin, and it helped me fall asleep initially, but not stay that way. At about 24 weeks, I discovered Magnesium. This has been a game-changer. I sleep so much better now. I take the recommended dosage before bed and sleep beautifully.
Breakouts
My face has never been clearer than while I have been pregnant, but my neck and shoulders have never been worse. Particularly in the first trimester. It was another one of the early symptoms that I experienced that indicated to me that I might be pregnant.
Coping
Breakouts in these places have never been a big problem for me before, so I never focused on washing them before like I would my face. I started to make sure I was giving them a good scrub with both my face wash and body soap. It is hard to say with some things if it actually is what helped or if the hormones changed, but things cleared up pretty quickly.
I hope this post was helpful for you and that you are able to find some remedies for your symptoms! If you experienced anything different or found other ways to cope that I did not try, please share in a comment so we can all help each other!
Did you know I sell soap?
Check out my homemade tallow soap on Etsy!