Spilling the beans on our THIRD pregnancy and as I have officially moved through the First Trimester and am reflecting back on just how GOOD I actually felt.
Spoiler alert: this pregnancy has been soooo much more smooth sailing compared to my first two. Why? I have some thoughts. I believe a big part has to do with how I supported my body preconception, and now during pregnancy. In this blog post I’ll be sharing my personal holistic habits for supporting my body in this special time, in hopes that it will help you in your own journey into motherhood.
Preconception Planning: The Impact
I outlined in my last blog post what leading up to pregnancy looked like. I truly believe this set the foundation for a healthy, feel-good pregnancy. Which is saying A LOT having two other littles at home and running a private practice as a working mama, too.
Scientifically, we know that our body pulls from energy stores and nutrients consumed the three months prior to pregnancy. I was incredibly intentional those three months leading up to conception, and truly think this made a HUGE difference.
That Positive Test
As someone who closely tracks my menstrual cycle each month, I knew when it did not come it was time to take a test. I was feeling more fatigued than usual. Nothing crazy, but as someone who typically pops right out of bed in the morning and almost always takes the morning shift with the kiddos, I certainly was feeling an urge to sleep in more. So it allllll made sense when my cycle did not come, and I took a test immediately. (Side note: we absolutely intended to get pregnant, so this was not a “surprise pregnancy” – but you never know if / when those little pink lines will pop up, even if “trying to conceive”.)
Needless to say, I was overcome with emotion seeing that positive test. Our oldest two kiddos were in another room playing, and I could hear their sweet voices as I saw the two pink lines immediately appear. Yep, I still have the “old school” packet that doesn’t visibly read: Pregnant or Not Pregnant. There’s something about that suspense!
Well, cue the happy tears! Seeing that positive test makes allll the emotions flow. Seriously. Whew!
First Trimester Symptoms: Fatigue
Out of any common symptoms women experience that first trimester, this is certainly one that has been consistent for me. Guess what? It makes sense! Our body is growing a NEW HUMAN with cells rapidly developing from day one.
Fatigue is our body’s way of telling us to lean in to rest. In fact, I kind of enjoy this aspect of the first trimester. How often do we have a solid, valid reason for taking a nap? For sleeping in? For simply pausing and taking time to sloooowwwww down. The First Trimester certainly does this for me, and it felt so good to know I was doing exactly what my body needed by actually taking a step back from business (which, let me tell you, is HARD for me to do!).
Another beautiful aspect of leaning in to rest is it give your body space to do all the hard work it needs to do this First Trimester! Sometimes, additional symptoms in that first 12 weeks can come on from over-doing it. This leads to dehydration which can lead to nausea, vomiting, more fatigue and becomes a viscous cycle.
So, if you can do anything to support yourself in the first third of pregnancy – lean into REST.
First Trimester Symptoms: Nausea and Food Aversions
Now, I had zero nausea this time around. None. However, I learned some tricks in my first two pregnancies that certainly helped keep this at bay this time around.
- Eat smaller, more frequent amounts throughout the day.
- Prioritize protein. Legit every meal or snack, make sure there is protein.
- Collagen powder each morning to stabilize blood glucose and get that added protein punch during a meal I was not as great at consuming protein within.
- Nutrient dense foods – If I couldn’t stomach cooking with them, then supplementing.
- Supplements: This Prenatal (daily) and this desiccated beef liver (2-3x/week).
- Electrolytes. These help get the water where it needs to go. Hydration is huuuuuge for avoiding nausea, so staying ahead of it with these packs daily truly helped. I love LMNT packets because of the easy on-the-go convenience. They also have no sugar, no food dyes and no extra gunk. Mega win.
^ Those are allll things I did proactively this time around without experiencing nausea or any form of morning sickness.
In pregnancies one and two, I had episodes of vomiting all over myself at very inconvenient times. I had morning sickness every day. So if this is you, I’ve been there, too. Ugh. It’s ROUGH.
During times of extreme nausea and food aversions in prior pregnancies, here’s what seemed to help me:
- Peppermint tea, literally drank alllll day at work to keep the nausea at bay
- Avoiding spicy foods (including curry, though your girl loves a good curry)
- Ginger snaps to suck on throughout day
- Acupressure bracelets for road trips
- Carbs. This was the only thing that sounded good. Though, please pair it with a protein. Speaking from experience this time around, it makes a big difference.
- Surrender to what sounds good food-wise. The aversions will go away, and you can rest assured your body and baby are pulling from the good food you put into your body ahead of pregnancy. Having this peace of mind can help make these tough weeks a little less stressful.
First Trimester Symptoms: Mood & Emotions
There are a lot of hormone changes during pregnancy, particularly in this First Trimester, which can lead to significant mood swings. I certainly experienced this in my first two pregnancies and could go from one emotion then drastically to another at the slightest stressor.
This time around – on theme – it’s been completely different. I have not had any big mood swings. I feel calm. Don’t get me wrong, I’m by no means perfect nor always zen. BUT – I feel emotionally stable and in control of my emotions, which is not something I could have said for the First Trimester experience the first two times around. It’s also worth noting that I’m taking care of two other littles at home. So there is a lot of stimulation. It could be very easy to feel overwhelmed, yet somehow I do not. I am trusting my body and this process and giving so much gratitude for an intentional preconception planning that I truly feel is impacting how this pregnancy is feeling.
Stress is also a contributing factor to mood, emotions and mental health. I am certainly thankful to be in a professional position where my career brings me so. much. joy. It is no longer a constant source of stress. It’s a passion outlet. This certainly has positively impacted my mental health during this time-frame, too.
Reflections
Finally, journaling can be so helpful to put pen to paper on what you are feeling – whether you are having a positive or negative experience at the moment. You will look back on this time and learn from it. It can be so challenging in the thick of it, but when that baby is in your arms it makes every moment of discomfort worth it. So, journaling this experience in whatever way feels aligned for you can be an incredibly helpful tool.
I love my 5 Minute Everyday journal. I’m in year 4 of 5 for this one and have thoroughly enjoyed looking up to past years and reflecting on that time. For instance, my last pregnancy was documented about 2 years ago. It’s neat to see that and reflect on both similarities and differences. The way this journal is laid out, you have a page per day of the year, with space to document for each of the 5 years. So fun. I write in mine each evening before bed, which can also help with restful sleep to get those thoughts out of your head before you head hits the pillow.
Alongside this, finding time for prayer and meditation. Having moments of stillness to truly sit with the impact of what is happening in your body and life can be extremely powerful and calming. Practicing gratitude alongside this, and documenting these thoughts and prayers in your journal can be incredibly intentional and soothing as well.
Okay, okay…so what would I put in my First Trimester Survival Kit?
I LOVE this question. Here’s you gooooo:
- Full Well Prenatal (DRKAYLA for 20% off)
- Desiccated Beef Liver (DRKAYLA for 10% off)
- Grass-Fed Collagen Powder (DRKAYLA for 10% off)
- Drink LMNT Electrolyte Packs
- Peppermint Tea
- Ginger Chews
- 5 Minute Everyday Journal
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PS: Any specific questions, comments, posts you want me to cover, questions you have, etc.?! I am alllll ears and would truly LOVE to hear from you in the comments below. The more specific, the better! I personally love reading other people’s pregnancy/motherhood perspectives, and am so excited to share this journey to BB #3 with you – both personally and professionally.
Can’t wait to see your comments/thoughts/recommendations come through. Grateful you are here; let’s dive into all this together!
