I’m pregnant!
If you follow me on Instagram, you already know, but I wanted to write out my experience from my first trimester for others and for myself to remember.
I wanted to have something for not only myself and my future child, but also to share my experience with others.
Every pregnancy is different and before I was pregnant I tried to prepare and know as much as I could. The truth is, you don’t know what your experience will be like until well, you experience it yourself.
As a weird side note, did you know the first trimester is week 1-14? That doesn’t make sense to me but that’s what my doctor said.
Prepping & Planning
We were definitely trying to get pregnant and we were very lucky to only have to try for 1 month. We didn’t feel “ready” but no one ever feels ready. So if you are waiting to feel it, you won’t. I still feel 16.
*Disclaimer: I never have been on any birth control or hormones. I have only used condoms for protection because with my anxiety I didn’t want to mess with that and my hormones. This is why I think it happened very fast for us.
I’m not saying that we got pregnant super fast because I was taking the Alani Nu Balance supplement but I have heard from other people that it can help. And I was taking it for 4 months consistently before we tried so take that with what you will. Here is a more detailed blog post about my results with Alanu Nu Balance.
Doctor’s Visits and Mental Health
If you know me, you might know I have very severe anxiety and OCD. One of my fears is getting sick and getting sick usually comes with pregnancy. So needless to say, I really didn’t want to get pregnant. My parents never thought I would actually get pregnant. And honestly, neither did I.
I decided to go back to therapy to help get my mind right and maybe get some more tactics in my tool belt. I also met with an OBGYN to get things checked out and have someone I could ask questions and get a game plan before I we actually started trying. This way I knew I already met with someone and she told me what to do once I found out which helped put my mind at ease.
When it comes to my anxiety and OCD, I am very much OCD and like to plan. I say this because people think OCD and think of type A, organized, and orderly people. I am only this way when it comes to my fear.
Finding Out
Since we were trying, I had a feeling I should take a test. it was a few days before my period was supposed to come. I felt slightly off, my boobs hurts, and my lower back hurt, but that is normal for me to feel on and near my period.
I decided just to see.
So when I found out I was pregnant, I didn’t cry with joy, jump up and down, or anything like that. I was freaking out and had a panic attack.
I didn’t believe that the Clear Blue digital test said “Pregnant”. I was in disbelief and didn’t know what to think. Even though we were actively trying, at that moment, I was scared because THIS WAS HAPPENING. I couldn’t change it or take it back. We had to keep going.
I took a video of me finding out and and footage was shaky.
I laid on the bed literally petrified, having a panic attack and waited for Bryan to get home from the store.
I had him go check on the bathroom counter as I kept my eye closed trying to calm myself.
Bryan came out excited, asked to hug me, because you know I was panicking. Then reality set in for him and he was scared too. Haha.
I took another one, but it was the one with the two lines and I couldn’t tell. So we were like, “Okay, maybe not?”
The next morning I took another test and it was also positive. So it was a definite thing.
Symptoms
I didn’t get any real symptoms until 5 weeks, even though it was really 6 weeks and I just didn’t count right.
They calculate how far along you are by the last day of your last period. So I did that but when your get your ultrasound they can give you the correct timeline.
I hit the symptom mark, which usually hits people at 6 weeks through my research, on the first day of my new job…yay.
I felt nauseous and was VERY tired. I called my doctor right away and asked about the medication I could take because I couldn’t remember what it was called.
They recommended 25 mg of B6 4 times a day and 25 mg of Unisom at night. It takes about 2 days to kick in. But of course, ask your doctor and do what you are comfortable with, but I knew ahead of time that I was ok with taking whatever I needed to function, continue with normal life as I could, mainly to keep my anxiety at bay.
I also had a few pregnancy-specific anti-nausea candies but I didn’t end up using them.
Specifically, the classic pregnancy pops and these candies from Walmart you can just pick up or order them from Amazon.
Honestly, I was only ‘nauseous’ from week 6-8 and because I was taking B6 religiously, it wasn’t bad. I just felt really off, tired, and my digestion was off. I was really lucky!
Food Aversions and Meals
I didn’t noticed food aversions but I definitely HATE certain smells, like meat cooking, and tortilla chips and salty things tasted very off. Which is weird bc normally I love salty snacks.
Towards week 10 and forward I was craving more sweet things every night. But chocolate sweet, not gummy fruity sweet.
I would eat Smart Sweet candies every night prior to pregnancy but for awhile they sounded disgusting!
While I was nauseous I only wanted toast, french fries, and toaster waffles. Oh and rice with veggies towards the end.
I didn’t start drinking flavored water, my Zevias, or Celcius’s until week 11 because water w/ fruity just didn’t sound good at all.
Ohhhh a big one…..Diet Coke tastes awful to me! What is happening?! It tastes like chemicals….is this normal? Diet Coke is my weakness, or at least it was.
I started eating normal week 10. By normal I mean eating fruits, veggies, protein, and 3 meals a day. I actually crave veggies and fruit.
But I am also hungrier and eating more calories than I would prior to pregnancy so that was and still is a major adjustment.
Medication
Now, I talked to my OBGYN prior to finding out I was pregnant so I knew if I could take my anxiety medication and what to do if was nauseous and the options.
I only take 20 mg of Celexa so my doctor said mental health is important when pregnant with everything going on. She said there would be little to no side effects with my dosage. They only potential side effect could be withdrawal once the baby is delivered, but she has never seen it.
Once again, ask your doctor what is the best option for you!
The only other medication I have been taking is sometimes Tylenol if my body hurts or have a headache.
Prenatal Vitamins
I asked around before I was pregnant what prenatal vitamin people recommended any EVERYONE said to get a gummy. It’s probably because when you are feeling sick the last thing you want to do is swallow a nasty pill.
I got these gummies and I like them (I would just pick them up at Walmart instead of order), but one of my ‘food aversions’ for only 4 weeks was like artificial fruit flavoring. So I would have to eat my gummies and then right away brush my teeth.
Anxiety
Just the thought of pregnancy would give me anxiety.
At the beginning of this year (2021) I knew we were going to try, I had anxiety attacks and many panic attacks. It was all I could think about, at night my mind would race thinking about the worst possible outcomes.
I knew I needed to have not only a lady doctor (OBGYN), but also a mental doctor to help me through it. So I got a therapist to help me mentally prepare and work on some tactics.
However, since I’ve been pregnant, I haven’t had like any anxiety about it. It’s crazy!
With anxiety, we worry about the what if and the worst possible outcome. If the unwanted outcome happens, most of the time, it’s not as bad as we build it up in our minds.
When I was feeling nauseous, I just accepted it but wasn’t freaking out. It’s weird. And I was very, very lucky that I didn’t experience really bad sickness which was a blessing.
Caffeine
I LOVE caffeine! Especially energy drinks. I was so tired during week 6-8 I really wanted one but I couldn’t even think about them with out gaging.
I drink the Celsius ones and of course, they are fruity but I couldn’t stand the taste or even the thought. I started drinking them again around week 10-11.
Most things online say you can drink 200 mg of caffeine so I don’t see a problem with them. I never asked my doctor but I also don’t ask my doctor about many things.
Body Changes
I was so bloated I thought there was a bump but there wasn’t anything until week 14.
I have gained about 5-6 pounds and lost much of my muscle because I was on the couch for a month and eating bread.
From week 10-13 I just ate what I wanted to because I couldn’t really eat much for a month, but still tried to choose healthy options. I did get a little carried away with the treats but that’s ok.
Week 13- now (I’m finishing this post at the beginning of my 15th week) I am craving healthy foods, salads, fruit, and feeling good so I chose those healthy treat options. IE instead of a cookie, I chose a tastier protein bar. Usually one that has a little more sugar and less protein than I would normally choose.
Even though we are pregnant, we still need to be healthy and choose nutrients for us and the baby. But you do what you want, it’s your body and your pregancy.
Overall, I’m very lucky that I am having the experience I am because some people have it way worse.
If you are worried about pregnancy and trying to prepare for it, honestly, you can’t. You just have to get pregnant and see how your body reacts to it. Which was my biggest problem and worry. So if you are feeling the same way, you aren’t alone.
