This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure here.
It’s finally happened. You look at the pregnancy test and it’s positive. What an exciting moment!
If you’re anything like me, you start to think about what the future will hold and are excited you’ll be going through this adventure.
And then bam! Suddenly the world starts to seem not so great.
There’s no doubt about it, the first trimester can be really difficult. It was for me but I know others have had it way worse than I did.
In a time when there is so much to look forward to, there are many challenges that seem to want to hold you back.
Here are some symptoms of the first trimester and tips to help you get through it. Know that I am not a doctor. I am just listing out some of the things that helped me.
You’ll have to pee a lot
Unfortunately, this one sticks around throughout the entire pregnancy. At least for me it did (well, it’s still going on for me since I have 2 months to go before my first arrives!).
I had no idea this started so early in pregnancy and had I known, it would have probably been my first indication I was pregnant. But when it comes to women, there are always times when we have to pee more often than others so I just thought it was one of those times.
I was waking up during the night quite often having to go, and this has only gotten worse as the months have worn on.
I look at it as practice for when the baby is waking me up during the night. The only difference now is that I can go back to sleep right away, which I am fully embracing and making sure I don’t take for granted!
There really isn’t a whole lot that you can do to help this (at least as far as I know). A tip that I read is to lean forward when you go. This helps to open things up so you can let out more at one time.
A habit that I have is to drink less so I have to go less, but you hear over and over again how important it is to drink a lot of water when you’re pregnant, so I would not suggest this. Just accept that you may have to go a lot and if you’re on a road trip, make sure whoever you’re with is very supportive of having to stop every so often to go (my husband has been great with this!).
Morning Sickness
Some women get morning sickness that lasts for most of their pregnancy. Other women never experience any at all. I don’t know what causes it for some and not for others.
For me, I had about a 3 or 4 day stretch of it and then an occasional day at other times.
Let me tell you, those 3 or 4 days were not fun. I still had to go to work, and I thought that the slightest move in the wrong direction or too fast would make me have to run to the bathroom.
I was told to eat Saltines, especially before I even got out of bed in the morning, but any food was difficult to get down. And I have never been someone that could eat right when I wake up. But if you’re struggling with morning sickness try having something next to your bed ready for you to eat before you ever get out of it. After all, I did usually feel the worst first thing in the morning.
In the end, what ended up helping me the most was ginger ale. I don’t know why I waited so long to give it a try! As soon as I had some, it did not take long for me to feel better.
I made sure to keep a bottle with me at work, just in case. But really after that first time of taking it I never got back to the miserable days I was experiencing.
If you don’t like ginger ale, there are other ways to get ginger into your system. But if your experience is anything like mine, ginger will be your friend during your first trimester!
Shortness of Breath
Shortness of breath is another symptom I experienced before I knew I was pregnant. I had never known that this was a common symptom. I have dealt with shortness of breath at other times throughout my life so I just chalked it up to that.
If you have shortness of breath in your first trimester, make sure to take it easy. Move slowly and sit down when you need to. If you have a job where you have to stand, I pray you have an understanding boss who will let you sit when you need to.
Fatigue
Wow was I tired during my first trimester! And again, it started before I even knew I was pregnant.
For at least a year before I got pregnant, I was working 2 jobs as well as my blog. I would wake up at 5:00am every morning so I could get some work done outside of my full time job. All of a sudden I was having trouble staying awake that early and kept having to go back to sleep until it was time to get ready for work.
This drove me nuts because I never had many issues before. It turns out it’s because I was pregnant and 9 or 10 hours of sleep wasn’t enough anymore!
If you’re really tired in your first trimester, don’t fight sleep if you can help it. Go to bed early and get as many hours as you can. You will be glad you did!
Lack of Motivation
Along with fatigue, I completely lost my motivation in the first trimester. Suddenly I wanted nothing to do with my blog when before I always looked forward to working on it.
I also had no desire to clean the house, grocery shop, or cook dinner. All I wanted to do was just lay on the couch and watch TV. I’m not even sure how I made it to work everyday!
I felt like this stage was never going to end. I saw moms with their kids and wondered how they were doing it.
But the truth is, this stage will pass. It may not happen quickly, but you will eventually find your motivation again.
In the meantime, give yourself a break when you have to. You’re growing a human! You deserve to be a little “off” and maybe not as ambitious as you normally are.
Related: How To Handle Fatigue And Unmotivation During The First Trimester
Final Thoughts
If you are in your first trimester of pregnancy or hoping to be soon, know that you will make it through! Some women experience these symptoms a lot more than others and some none at all.
Everyone one of us is different. But it will pass. And then when you get to the second trimester, it tends to get a lot easier in my experience. (I’m only a month into my third trimester so I will have to update this post with how that goes for me!)
When it come down to it, don’t be too hard on yourself. Like I said before, you are growing a human. It takes a lot on your body and mind.
And I am still amazed at moms who are pregnant! I kept being so grateful I did not have a kid to look after while feeling the way I did. So pregnant moms – kudos to you!
Have you been pregnant before? What tips do you have to fight these symptoms in the first trimester? What other symptoms did you experience that are not on this list? Please comment below!
Related posts:
8 Surprising Things No One Told Me About The First Trimester – Symptoms And Other Fun Facts
Milkology: The Ultimate Class To Make Breastfeeding A Success
Leave a Reply