Hi everyone! A few weeks ago I shared the exciting news that we are pregnant! Baby C is expected next February. While we are of course beyond thrilled this first trimester was not easy. As promised I will be sharing a recap of some of the highlights and struggles we’ve encountered so far.

Struggles

• Hyperemesis Gravidarum: Yup, that fancy word for severe morning sickness (what Kate Middleton experienced all 3 of her pregnancies). My morning sickness started before I even hit 6 weeks and continued to get worse. I eventually had to take leave from work and receive IV treatments. Luckily I have improved and am continuing to get better.
• Fear: I am for sure a “worrier” and from the minute I found out I starting to overthink everything and try to plan everything (which I should know by now can’t be done). Luckily because I was so sick I had little time to think about how nervous and anxious I am about becoming a mom but I still have my moments.

Highlights

• Seeing the Baby: We had our first ultrasound at 9 weeks. The baby didn’t look like anything more than a small blob but it was still exciting to see it and watch the flutter of its heart beat.
• Hearing the Heartbeat: Around 11 weeks I had to go in last minute because I had been so sick. The doctor used the fetal doppler to pick up the baby’s heartbeat. It was so exciting to hear that subtle and steady sound assuring that the baby was doing well.
• Family/Friends: The handful of people who knew during the first trimester were SO helpful and supportive. Our friends and family continuously checked in to see how we were doing, brought over meals & helped with house work (since I was too sick to cook/clean), and my mom and brothers even came down to go to an IV appointment with me. Andrew was so wonderful and supportive during the weeks that I was sick and I am so lucky to have him by my side through this!

Dealing with Hyperemesis Gravidarum

For weeks I was fighting a battle with severe nausea and vomiting that I just couldn’t win. I tried EVERYTHING-teas, ginger chews, cola syrup, queasy pops, sea-bands, etc in addition to several different medication prescribed by my doctor. Nothing seemed to work. I finally got to the point where I just couldn’t go about my normal activities. Unless I was laying down with my eyes closed I was absolutely miserable. I finally decided to take leave from work until this phase passed.

Luckily with the end of the first trimester came a little relief. I still have nauseous spells throughout the day but I am able to go about my usual routine (for the most part) with a few bad days here and there. Nothing truly helped the nausea during the past 10 weeks but there were a few things that helped.

Sparkling Water: I struggled to stay hydrated and for some reason plain water was very hard on my stomach so Andrew brought home some flavored sparkling water. It was so much easier for me to drink and I was finally able to get some fluids in my system.

Peppermint Tea: One of the natural remedies for nausea is peppermint tea. I started drinking this from day one. While it didn’t necessarily help it was soothing to my stomach. And since the herbal tea is caffeine free and my stomach could tolerate it it was another good way to get fluids.

Ginger Essential Oil: So many people suggested eating ginger and while I tried it didn’t help at all. One of Andrew’s friends sent home DoTerra’s Ginger Oil for me to try. I would diffuse a few drops in my DoTerra diffuser at work during the day. It would help settle some of my queasiness occasionally.

IV Treatments: This was the BIG one and main thing that truly helped. I received a few IV treatments. It was a combination of medication and fluids to help re-hydrate me and ensure that I was keeping medicine down. After receiving regular treatments I finally started to feel better.

I can’t believe I am already a third of the way through this pregnancy. I’m anxious to see this little baby grow over the next few months and cannot wait to meet him/her next year!

Here’s to hoping that the second trimester is much more pleasant than the first!