1st Trimester
1 week to 12 weeks – is week 1 to the end of the 12th week
If you haven’t had the chance to read my previous blog post: How We Found Out We Are Pregnant – you can check out that blog post here! I share how early we found out and how I told my husband, Manuel!
Now – let’s get right into it. When I hit my 5-week mark, the nausea and vomiting began in full effect and unfortunately stuck around for a lot longer than many experience. For most women, if they experience morning sickness – it typically subsides at the end of the first trimester. I, unfortunately, had severe morning sickness until I was about 22 to 23 weeks along. BUT, don’t worry – my doctor said this is not common, so you may not have it this long.
In my first trimester alone, I had 3 emergency doctor visits to get IV hydration because I couldn’t even keep water and crackers down. I went in every 1.5 weeks for the IV hydration, they really did help me for the few days following but unfortunately, since the nausea didn’t subside I had to keep going in for more. I also want to mention that I hate needles and never thought I would ‘like’ getting the IV, but I would do anything to find some relief. Nothing felt worse at the time than dry heaving on an empty stomach and being dehydrated.
To be honest – looking back at this time, it was really tough on me. Not just physically but emotionally. I was having a hard time understanding and accepting why I was so sick and why I couldn’t eat anything or even get out of bed. I remember at my first and third appointment my OB/GYN sharing that she never wanted me to feel like I was out of options. She shared that if something wasn’t working, we will try something else until we find a solution or at least some relief for me. Hearing that from her made me feel so good, there is nothing worse than having a doctor who you feel isn’t there for you. If you have a doctor who simply says ‘well we’ve tried everything’ or ‘it’s just part of the journey’ – then I recommend finding yourself a new one who will advocate for you and help you find something that will work for you. This journey can be tough and you never want to have to feel like your always having to fight to get some help or relief. Now – let’s get into the recommendations my OB gave me for morning sickness.
My doctor recommended I take B6 and Unisom (over the counter) to help with nausea but unfortunately, it didn’t help me (below are the dosage info she shared with me). I tried this for 2 weeks. At 7 weeks, they had me try Reglan (prescribed) and unfortunately this also did not help me. Since these were pills and I was vomiting every day, they just didn’t work for me (probably because I wasn’t able to keep them down!).
I came in for my 3rd IV hydration and my doctor shared there was one more medicine she can prescribe but she typically didn’t like to prescribe it until 10 weeks but since I haven’t been able to keep anything down and had lost 18 lbs she decided to give it to me at 9 weeks. (Please consult with your doctor on if they think this is the right medication for you.)
I was hesitant to start Zofran (prescribed – pill: dissolves in your mouth), but after talking with my doctor and outweighing the pros and cons I decided to take it to try and give the baby some hydration and nutrients that I was severely lacking. To my surprise, this worked immediately! It was literally my holy grail and the only medication that helped me stop vomiting. I still woke up nauseous (typical morning sickness) but I built a regimen in the morning to take it and get a kick start to my day. It worked great for 2-3 weeks, but little did I know that the side effects would soon catch up to me. (Why do things have to come with side effects?? ugh!)
So this may be TMI, but we’re all friends here and if you’ve ever been pregnant there’s a 90% chance you’ve experienced this too. Constipation. Not regular constipation either, it’s crazy how bad it can get when pregnant. Especially when you’re taking a medication that can make it severely worse. So what I learned is that during pregnancy, your body’s metabolism and whole digestive system slow down due to the surge in hormones and this is the ultimate culprit in experiencing constipation and of course if you experience nausea and vomiting (aka dehydration) this makes matters even worse.
So after a visit to the emergency clinic, I was told to stop taking Zofran because this was making matters worse. In an effort to not have myself vomiting and dealing with constipation, I lowered my dosage to once a day instead of 3 times before stopping fully. My OB approved. I won’t go much in detail about constipation (although it was terrible, please please try and stay hydrated if you can prevent it when pregnant. I wouldn’t wish this pain or experience on anyone), but at a high level, I dealt with severe constipation for about 6-8 weeks. I tried all the medications and remedies recommended by doctors and nothing helped until I tried a mineral enema. I will be sharing all the resource my midwife shared with me that she shared was safe for me to try – as always please check with your doctor first.
I understand some may be thinking ‘why is she sharing this then?’ – well there was wayyyyy too many nights where Manuel and I were at our wit ends on trying to find remedies to help me find some relief. All the advice nurses wouldn’t give me any real advise because I am pregnant and wanted me to consult with my OB and when you’re calling at midnight – you typically can’t get help till the following day. So if you’re reading this and in hopes of trying to find some relief, I hope this can help you! (You got this, and although I know it feels like it won’t – it will pass and you will get through this!)
Disclaimer: Of course, please don’t use what I did as medical advice always consult with your doctor first. I am sharing all this information because when I was going through it, I felt so alone because I couldn’t find relief, I felt miserable, and I couldn’t find anything online that was similar to my experience. I want my experience to be a resource for you – so you know, you have options!
Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy Management Tips for Patients Symptoms of Hyperemesis (Morning Sickness)
Hyperemesis usually starts in the second or third month of pregnancy. Although symptoms of hyperemesis gravidarium are like “morning sickness”, they are much more severe. Frequent and persistent vomiting can cause dehydration and weight loss.
Symptoms of dehydration include: urinating less often, dark yellow urine, feeling dizzy when standing up, and weight loss. Here are some tips found to be beneficial in managing morning sickness:
- Lifestyle Changes Take it easy…avoid sudden movements.
- Rise slowly from chair or bed.
- Steer clear of environmental factors that might upset your stomach like strong smells, stuffy rooms, hot environments, physical motion like driving, offending loud noises.
- If you can, get help with meal preparations.
- Rest after meals, try sitting up in a chair for about an hour after meals
- Do not brush teeth after eating
- Wear loose clothing
Tips for taking medications:
- Take your prenatal vitamins and folic acid at bedtime with a snack
- Space medication times throughout the day
- Taking medication outside of meal times if you find eating often triggers vomiting.
Diet Tips:
- Solids Choose small frequent meals or snacks throughout the day.
- Try dry foods such as crackers before rising from bed in the AM Eat when you feel your best, not necessarily set times of the day.
- Have something to eat as soon as you feel hungry or even before.
- Small frequent meals high in protein or easily digested starches work well. Examples: toast, crackers, pretzels, rice, potatoes, oatmeal, baked or broiled skinless chicken, low-fat yogurt, fruits, and vegetables that are soft or bland.
- Fruits high in water content like watermelon or grapes are great choices, especially chilled. They have natural sugar and water to help you stay hydrated and energized.
- Smell fresh lemon, mint or orange
- Avoid foods that are fried, greasy, spicy, acidic, and highly sweet or have strong odor.
Fluids: Staying hydrated decreases nausea.
- Hot weather or illness will increase your body’s demand for more fluids.
- Keep fluid intake up through the day.
- Small frequent sips of fluids seem to be tolerated better than large volumes.
- Try drinking fluids between meals, not with solid foods.
- Clear, chilled beverages are tolerated best – lemonade, ginger-ale, diluted fruit juice, weak tea, sports drinks, or clear soup.
- Popsicles are also a good choice.
- Avoid coffee
Non-pharmacological therapies:
- Ginger, can use raw ginger in tea, ginger syrup (found in health food stores), ginger lollipops or hard candy or ginger powder supplement of 250 mg capsules, take 1 capsule four times/day.
- Acupressure & acupuncture (P6 point)
- Wrist bands for motion sickness (avail at most pharmacies)
- Hypnosis or psychotherapy may be helpful especially if anxiety is identified.
Over the counter medicines:
- Vitamin B6: take 25-50 mg orally every six to eight hours, up to 200 mg per day
- Doxylamine (brand names: Unisom or Good Sense Sleep Aid) One-half of the 25 mg tablet. It can make you sleepy.
- Diphenhydramine (brand name: Benadryl) – 25 to 50 mg can be taken orally every four to six hours. It can make you sleepy.
- Meclizine (brand name: Dramamine) – 25 mg can be taken orally every four to six hours. It can make you sleepy.
When to contact my doctor? You vomit more than 3 times in a day especially if you also have fever or pain. If your fluid intake and retention is less than 2 cups (16 oz) in the past 12 hours. If vomiting has caused you to lose more than 2 lbs. If you are unable to hold down medication. If your urine color becomes intense or dark yellow. Call immediately if you are vomiting blood. Call 911 anytime you think you need emergency care, for example you pass out (lose consciousness).
Disclaimer: Of course, please don’t use what I did as medical advice always consult with your doctor first. I am sharing all this information because when I was going through it, I felt so alone because I couldn’t find relief, I felt miserable, and I couldn’t find anything online that was similar to my experience. I want my experience to be a resource for you – so you know, you have options!
Constipation remedies & recommendations from my certified midwife:
CONSTIPATION & BLOATING10-40% of women experience this during pregnancy. Remedies to try:
- Drink enough fluids (100oz per day or more)
- Eat more fiber-rich foods with high fiber-to-carbohydrate content:- avocados- cup lentils- blackberries- raspberries- coconut flour- chia seeds (1 tablespoon per 8 oz water)- cauliflower- cooked cabbage- asparagus- almonds- unsweetened Cocoa powder
- If you’re skimming on fat – start eating some more! A low fat diet can result in constipation. Adding 1 Tbsp of coconut oil to your breakfast can trigger a morning bowel movement.
- Squat to poop (positioning definitely can help. Use a foot stool (like Squatty Potty) – you can use this for your toddler later on:)
- Consider Magnesium Citrate supplements and a probiotic
- Avoid calcium and iron supplements, unless medically indicated.
- Staying active and moderate exercise that you’re used to doing is another great way to relieve constipation and bloating.
- Try hot liquids (hot water with a squeeze of lemon is perfect) in the morning and brisk walks after a hot drink. Walking generally helps to stimulate your bowels.
You may try fiber supplements, such as Citrucel, Metamucil, FiberCOn, but don’t forget to drink 8-10 glasses of water per day, too! In very difficult situations, you may try stool softeners, such as docusate sodium (COLACE) 50-100 mg 1-2 x/day or a mild laxative, such as Senokot 1 tab at bedtime, or you can use a combination or stool softener + laxative called PERI COLACE, or use Milk of Magnesia at night time. Warning this stuff was realllly hard for me to drink – but I was already having trouble keeping things down.
Also, 400-600 mg magnesium citrate before bed, or up to 600 mg magnesium citrate twice daily until it starts working, which should be in just a few days after starting it. If your stools get on the looser side, drop back a dose – the proper dose is one that gives you a healthy, soft but firm stool daily.
Generally, increasing the fiber in your diet is a good idea! All dried fruits, especially prunes and prune juice help; whole grains, bran cereals or muffins, uncooked veggies (well-chewed), I recommend also a daily dose of 3 tablespoons of CHIA SEEDS mixed in juice, water, yogurt, or whatever you like to drink (it’s great with coconut milk – turns into a nice pudding). You can try flaxseeds or flaxseed meal (2 tbs daily w/ water).
Everything from the disclaimers and below are all recommendations from my OB/GYN and Certified Midwife. I hope that it can help you find some relief if you are in need of it. If you are going through this right now, I know it feels like it won’t but it will pass just keep trying your best and don’t ever feel like you are out of options. Take care mama, you got this!
I am currently nearing the end of my second trimester. Although many of these symptoms carried over to my second trimester, I also experienced a whole set of new challenges. Next week I hope to get into sharing more about my gallbladder and tailbone (sciatic nerve) journey. I am also working on gathering some Fat-free and Low-fat recipes that helped me (surprisingly, these are hard to find and you don’t realize how much fat (trans-fat, saturated fat, etc.) is in everything. Anywho, stay tuned for those posts! If my health permits, I hope to keep these rolling out every one to two weeks.
Thank you for being here. I know this isn’t the most glamourous content but it’s real-life for me these past few months and in the case, anyone else experiences a similar pregnancy I want you to know you are not alone.
XO, Claudia
1st Trimester
1 week to 12 weeks – Blog post is LIVE!
2nd Trimester
13 weeks to 26 weeks – Coming next week, be sure to subscribe to my blog to be notified first when it goes live!
3rd Trimester
27 weeks to 40 weeks – Coming soon!
