Pregnancy Recap
Early Pregnancy Symptoms
When I found out I was pregnant, I told Abe right away. I wasn’t able to keep such big news to myself. Some of my earliest symptoms were a change in appetite and taste. Sweets which I normally love, just did not sound appetizing. I also remember going to one of my favorite restaurants, and the food was so disappointing. It didn’t taste the same, and I now know as this pregnancy has progressed, I’ve noticed the same thing over and over again. Food I love will sound delicious, but when I have it, it just doesn’t taste the same. I also got a cold within the first couple of weeks of pregnancy. I rarely get colds, but when you are pregnant your immune system is suppressed. Breast tenderness also started pretty early on in my pregnancy and got so painful!
First Trimester
Starting at week six, nausea started to kick in. It was really tough to manage. Although it continued well into the second trimester, I’m grateful it did not come with a lot of vomiting. I did find things that helped with the nausea, but nothing that completely took it away. Things that helped were:
- Wearing Sea Bands
- Supplements: Magnesium and this Vitamin B12/B6 combo each morning
- Food that helped soothe my stomach: Peppermint (occasionally helped), Ginger (occasionally helped), eating regular meals, and listening to what my body craved.
In the first trimester, I also began to get indigestion. I LOVE spicy food and after having a delicious, spicy, red curry, I had horrible indigestion. I realized it was due to pregnancy and digestion slowing down so I avoided spicy food since then.
To help prepare my body for pregnancy, labor, and postpartum, I began to see a Physical Therapist regularly. This was so helpful throughout my whole pregnancy!
Second Trimester
During my second trimester, nausea and indigestion continued. Indigestion got worse and it was really hard to pinpoint what caused it. Eating more frequent meals, and avoiding spicy foods and sugar did help. I tried digestive enzymes, ox bile, and HCL, but nothing seemed to take it away.
In my second trimester, I began to get chiropractic care. I specifically chose a Webster-certified chiropractor. Studies show getting Webster-certified chiropractic care throughout pregnancy can help with babies’ position and shorten the duration of labor, not to mention help the mother with any aches and pains that come with growing a human!
As far as supplements, I took Beef Liver, Magnesium Citrate, Magnesium Glycinate, a probiotic, and a high-quality pre-natal throughout my pregnancy.
Third Trimester
In the third trimester, I began to develop carpal tunnel. I had never heard of this being a symptom of pregnancy, but it happens to so many women! My hands would fall asleep and become numb and painful when I went to bed at night. This made sleeping really difficult. Thankfully, my PT had some exercises for me to try and also suggested wrist braces. These made a huge difference. I also began getting acupuncture weekly and continuing chiropractic care. The combination of all these things made the carpal tunnel much more bearable!
Thankfully the nausea mostly went away in my third trimester. Indigestion did not, but I did learn to live with it.
I also found out I had low hemoglobin during the third trimester. I had to get eight iron infusions at the hospital. This was definitely not convenient, but I’m grateful that the infusions, along with supplementing beef liver, spirulina, and cod liver oil brought my hemoglobin back up.
Recap
Although pregnancy had its challenges…nausea, indigestion, carpal tunnel, etc. I am so grateful for a healthy pregnancy. I didn’t have any major complications and physically felt very good my entire pregnancy! I did not have a lot of aches or pains, was able to stay active throughout, and genuinely enjoyed being pregnant. Feeling baby’s movements was an amazing, miraculous feeling. It has truly been an honor to carry my baby and bring life into the world.
