Surviving the First Trimester

pregnant mom with baby shoes on her belly

The first trimester is a JOURNEY! I am pregnant with our third baby. Now that I am in my thirties, seeing those two pink lines took over a year of trying before we were blessed with another little one. As always, finding out I was pregnant was a flood of emotions from joy to fear to cautious optimism. Like clockwork, morning sickness AKA all day sickness came with a vengeance. This pregnancy, I was throwing up 8+ times a day. I’m not even exaggerating! Here are my tips and tricks to surviving the first trimester:

Be Honest with Your People. As much as we like to think we are super moms, it is ok to be upfront about our limitations with family, friends, and co-workers. Not being able to function at the same level as your non-pregnant self is normal and understandable. Communicating and setting expectations in your relationships is imperative during this stage of pregnancy in particular.

Call Your Doctor! One of the best things you can do for yourself is to call your doctor if you are worried about anything during pregnancy. Their job is to be there to support you throughout your pregnancy. After trying a few different nausea medications, they were finally able to get me on some medications to ease the severity of the nausea and vomiting. I went from throwing up constantly to throwing up once or twice a day. This was a game changer for my quality of life. They also made a fantastic suggestion to visit Clark Integrated Medical Clinics for an IV with Zofran. I had no clue how dehydrated and weak I was until I was able to get the boost of fluids. This was significantly less expensive than going to the ER for fluids like I’ve had to do in the past.

Snacks Gave Me Life. Smaller meals and snacks help to keep the nausea at bay. Keeping something on your stomach throughout the day really helps even if it seems counterintuitive.

Peppermints and Jolly Ranchers: I found sucking on peppermints and jolly ranchers helped with the nausea as well!

Accept Help from Those that Love You. If there was ever a time to lean on those that love you, this is it. It’s ok to ask for help when you are in survival mode.

Let It Be. There is no way to go around this stage of pregnancy, you just have to get through it. Whatever reaction you have to the hard is understandable. Love yourself the best you can.

There are so many tips and tricks to combat the early symptoms of pregnancy, but the ones above were the most helpful for me! If you are in the throws of the first trimester, this too shall pass. All your feelings are valid. I see you and am you!

Emily Beatmann
Emily is a Louisiana native born in Shreveport, Louisiana. She went to UL Lafayette and earned a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations in 2012. It was here that she fell in love with her husband, Jude, and the city of Lafayette. On the weekends, you will find Emily at a festival, the farmer’s market, enjoying a Mardi Gras parade, or eating at one of the many delicious restaurants in Acadiana. Emily and Jude have two children named Mia (9), Patrick (4.), and Violet (4 months.) She is a Marketing Director by day and mom by night! Emily has a passion for reading, Harry Potter, theatre, coffee, wine, spreading financial literacy, her friends, and family.