It has been a while since I have been on here, but I am finally back now that I’m feeling much better! We are expecting our third baby to arrive at the end of August, putting me in the second trimester (Yay! I made it!!!).
With my other two pregnancies, I thought “Wow this isn’t bad, I could be pregnant forever!”. And oh boy has this third pregnancy humbled me!
Now, every pregnancy is different, and I know that SO many women have it FAR worse. But personally, this time around was more challenging for me, AND taking care of two toddlers instead of one this time added to that challenge.
My First-Trimester Symptoms:
Constipation
One of the first symptoms I experienced that made me think I might be pregnant was really bad constipation. I was bloated for days and had a hard time going to the bathroom.
All Day Nausea
I’ve had a bit of nausea with my other pregnancies, but this time it was INTENSE. I couldn’t function normally because of how nauseous I was feeling. Everything sounded and smelled bad. It also didn’t end after the morning. I felt it from the moment I woke up until I fell asleep.
Pregnancy Blues
Something I haven’t experienced before during my previous pregnancies is a low mood and low motivation. While I don’t know that I would call it depression, prenatal depression does occur in every seven to ten pregnant women. It’s just crazy that we don’t hear about it much!
Fatigue
The fatigue this time around was on another level! It was difficult to get off the couch or do anything. Just the idea of leaving the house with 2 toddlers was too much.
I was SO thankful for grocery delivery services!!
Heartburn
Now that I am in my second trimester, most of my symptoms have disappeared, except the heartburn. It usually kicks in around 5 pm every evening.
Click HERE if you would like to check out my pregnancy Spring & Summer capsule favorites!
With stronger symptoms this pregnancy, AND having two toddlers to take care of, I searched extensively for tips and hacks that would help me get through this time.
I have tried many different things but these are the top tips that have helped me THE MOST in the first trimester:
DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor, midwife, or any type of health care professional. These are just things I’ve tried that have helped me, that just may help you too!
1. Go To Bed Early, or Take a Nap with your Toddler
Your body is working over time, especially in the first trimester. That is why sleep is so important! I have noticed that if I did not sleep well, my pregnancy symptoms were heightened.
Every night I would try to be in bed around 8 pm, and if I wasn’t I saw a huge difference the next day!
My 3-year-old no longer takes naps, but sometimes I would try to lie down and close my eyes while he had some screen time. I wasn’t fully asleep but at least I had some time to rest.
2. Drink PLENTY of Water
You may notice that you are a little more thirsty than usual when you are pregnant. That’s because you really need that extra h20! Drinking enough water will help with constipation and nausea, AND will help you avoid extra unnecessary weight gain later on!
3. Eat Enough Protein
At the beginning of my pregnancy, I would stick to eating mostly bland carbs (because that’s the only thing I thought I could stomach). However, I was soon hungry again, and with that came intense nausea. I then read about how eating more protein can actually help you feel full longer which will keep the nausea at bay for longer.
I started focusing on eating more protein, things like eggs, protein bars, and yogurt. This was honestly game-changing when it came to my nausea and even helped with my energy a bit!
4. Give Yourself Grace
This can be hard to do if you are someone who feels like you NEED to get certain things done (laundry, meals, cleaning, grocery shopping, etc.).
It’s important to remember that this time is SHORT and your body is doing ALOT even if you are simply resting.
It’s OKAY to let certain things go for a little while.
I had to come to terms with a messier home, more screen time, and less outings. And guess what..? We are now passed that short season and we all ended up just fine not getting everything done!
5. Utilize Screen Time
Because my 3-year-old no longer naps, the only way I could get him to be quiet and get some rest myself was by having screen time.
This goes along with giving yourself more grace. If you need some downtime and the only way to get it is by allowing a bit more screen time, don’t beat yourself up about it ( I know I did in the beginning!)
6. Give Your Toddler More Grace
I think we sometimes underestimate how well our children can sense things. Although a toddler may not fully understand what is going on, he/or she can sense if you are not feeling your usual self. They can also be thrown off if a routine changes (which can happen when you are not up to doing something you would normally do).
Expect there to be more big feelings, and remember that big changes are coming their way too. They need that grace during this time!
7. Simplify Meals
This can look different for different people. It can look like enjoying more takeout, going to Chick-fil-A, using ready-made ingredients in your meals, etc.
For me, that meant making easy dishes that I could just throw together or doing frozen store-bought meals from Costco. I would often make meals with rotisserie chicken and store-bought sauces. I also tried to make more so that we can have leftovers for dinner the next day.
My favorite easy meal to make for dinner was lasagna with Trader Joe’s marinara and ready-to-bake lasagna noodles. All I had to do was assemble and pop into the oven.
8. Encourage Independence
This can be a good time to show your toddler how to do certain things by themselves. During my first trimester, I wanted going out the door to be a bit easier so I figured it was a good opportunity to teach my 3-year-old how to put on his boots, coat, and hat. I am so grateful that he can do this by himself now because it makes going out just a bit less chaotic and overwhelming.
9. Prepare for Your Day the Night Before
These are some things I like to do the night before to have a smoother day:
◦ Clean the kitchen
◦ Plan breakfast
◦ Plan dinner
◦ Lay out my clothes
◦ Lay out my children’s clothes
◦ Fill up my water bottle
◦ Take out my vitamins
◦ Make a to-do list of things that NEED to get done
