First Trimester Woes and Finding Relief

You’ve peed on the stick, it was positive! Congratulations! You have exactly 2 days until it hits you. And by “it” I mean the morning sickness. And by “morning sickness” I mean all-day sickness. Unless you are in the fortunate 15% of moms who do not experience nausea during pregnancy.

If you’re in the first trimester or have been pregnant before, you know that nausea isn’t the only unpleasant symptom that can show up in early pregnancy. Cramping, sore breasts, headaches, body aches and nausea are all common symptoms that you may experience! It isn’t uncommon for some people to think they have an especially lost-lasting flu bug only to discover that they’re actually pregnant. 

What can a girl do under these conditions though? Will this be your life for the next 6 weeks or more? I’m not going to lie, it’s possible. BUT I’m going to share with you some self care exercises and practices that just might lessen the weight of that possibility and make you feel a little more like yourself. 

Nausea:

There are a lot of things out there that claim to work to ease this plague, but do they actually work? Or are they a waste of money or at the very least, just a placebo effect? Here are a few non-gimmicky things that a lot of moms swear by for relief:

• Eat small, frequent meals

• Drink ginger tea

• Drink lemon water

• Suck on peppermint candies

• Stay hydrated

• Munch on ice chips

• Smell/diffuse essential oils (use your judgement on this one. Some oils are not safe to use during pregnancy.)

Cramping:

So cramping in early pregnancy is totally normal and not always a sign of something being wrong. However, I will put in this disclaimer - if you feel like something is not right, call your OB. Normal mild cramping can be caused by implantation, dehydration or your uterus just growing, however if the cramping is severe, it could be because of ectopic pregnancy (when the egg implants in the fallopian tubes instead of the uterine lining) or even a UTI. Please use your judgement!

If you’ve called your OB or midwife and all is well, but you are still experiencing cramps, here are a few things you can do to lessen them.

• Take a warm bath with epsom salts (not too hot! Under 100 degrees is recommended)

• Do some restorative prenatal yoga. 

• Again, with the ginger tea - it has properties that are especially helpful for cramping.

Sore breasts:

Congrats - your pregnancy boobs have arrived! But you’ve had to establish a solid “Look. Don’t touch” policy for your partner, but even looking hurts.

What can you do about it?

• Warm or cool compresses - some like warm, some like cool. Find what feels good.

• Exercise - If you’ve been active leading  up to your pregnancy and your OB has given you the go-ahead, you can - and should - continue your regular routine. But if you were not that active before, check in with your provider first. A less strenuous routine such as yoga or a low-impact workout might be a great place to start. Plus, being active during pregnancy has its benefits when it comes to labor. 

• Diet changes. I’m not going to tell you to make drastic changes to your diet during pregnancy, but some people find that cutting out or limiting dairy, sugar or caffeine can make a difference in breast tenderness and even nausea. 

Headaches:

Headaches fall in a similar warning category as cramping. They are normal and can be caused by the shift in hormones during early pregnancy, but they can also be because of underlying symptoms such as blood pressure troubles. So if in doubt, call your care provider! 

But if all is well - just like with the cramping - and you need some relief, here are a few things you can try:

1. Check your posture - As your body changes and you may be not feeling like yourself, you might find that you are sitting a lot more than before. This may cause your posture to take a hit. Make time each day to check in with your body, do a full body scan to release tension and realign yourself to your best posture.

2. See a Webster certified chiropractor

3. Accupressure - Here is a tutorial that shows you which points are safe to use during pregnancy.

This is obviously not an exhaustive list of symptoms nor remedies, but my goal is that it gives you hope that you do not have to feel miserable through your first trimester, you can have a little control over how you feel in your own body and it helps you know that you are not alone in your concerns.