Fudgesicle? Yes please!
As you’ve likely already read in my “You Busted What?!” post, pregnancy hasn’t been a bunch of rainbows and butterflies for me. And in terms of nausea, it’s literally been the polar opposite! However, with regards to my pregnancy overall, I’ve managed to avoid many of the more common ailments. Here I’m spilling all the tips and tricks that worked for me.
Please note, before doing/trying ANYTHING, always consult with your doctor. Every person, and every pregnancy, is different. It’s imperative that you always involve and consult your medical care team before trying something new. Ask questions, share your concerns, and work together to find the best fit for you.
Is it hot in here? Or is it just me?- Not gonna lie, my husband would say “honey, it’s hot in any room you’re in” (cue my loving eye roll). But for real, temperature spikes are no joke. I am hot all the time these days which is polar opposite to pre-pregnancy me. To keep my body cool, especially at night, I sleep in shorts and a tank top with a floor fan blowing on me. I also keep the ceiling fan on and the house temp at no higher than 65 at night (most nights). I take lukewarm showers and if I take a bath I bring the floor fan into the bathroom and blow it on me while I soak. I drink a LOT of water throughout the day (at least half my body weight in ounces). Staying hydrated has helped keep me from feeling too hot overall.
Metallic Taste- Yes, it’s a thing. It’s bizarre, but nearly everything starts to taste like metal during the first trimester. Don’t worry, this goes away on it’s own in the second trimester. In the meantime adding lemon to my water helped. I’ve read that acid helps with the metal taste so lemonade, citrus juices, sour candy, and foods dipped in vinegar are known to help— lemon water worked for me.
Fatigue- Y’all, take a nap— and don’t you dare feel guilty about it. I am SO blessed to say that my work is barely a mile from my house. On days where I could barely keep my eyes open in the first trimester, I’d run home and take a 30 minute nap between patients. Ask your partner for help— and again, don’t feel guilty about it. On nights and weekends we have the boys, Casey helps me prioritize a nap time (yes, sometimes I feel like a child saying that). But we both know I’m happier, more alert, and feel better when I get rest. And when someone feels better, they’re more pleasant to be around. It’s not rocket science. I’m incredibly grateful to have a partner that has bounds of energy (even if it drives me nuts sometimes) because it means he can take care of the boys while I have an hour or so to rest. And if they keep their adventures here at the house, I even have earplugs and an eye mask now! Between the earplugs and a floor fan, I’m out like a light in less than 5 minutes and sleep soundly and undisturbed for as long as I set me alarm for! It can seem/feel high maintenance, but self-care is so important. You can’t give to others when you have nothing left to give. Take care of yourself and give yourself rest. It’s okay! My 30 minute-1 hour afternoon naps make all the difference some days.
My boobs hurt- I’ve got nothing on this one. Bottom line, they just hurt. The first few weeks of pregnancy they hurt so bad I’d wake up in the middle of the night in pain. Aside from the whole baby-growing part, my boobs have been the biggest change on my body. Literally. I’ve gone up two sizes and while the pain has been gone for months now, they’re now just in the way and uncomfortable. Can I have my small boobs back now, please?
Heartburn & indigestion- I’ve been told the old wives tale is your baby will have lots of hair if you experience this, and according to our 32 week ultrasound she really does have LOTS of hair. Maybe it’s true. Maybe it’s not. But I’ve definitely had heartburn my whole pregnancy, although I wouldn’t really describe it as heartburn. For me it feels more like my throat is on fire, but my chest is fine. Some things that have helped me are drinking lots of water, sleeping on my left side and on an elevated pillow, and paying attention to what foods increase this feeling (especially in the hours leading up to bed—give yourself time to digest). It’s never been unbearable enough for me to take an antacid.
Constipation- I’d always heard increased fiber and juice (like apple juice) helped with constipation, but my awesome cousin-in-law is a registered dietician and he recommended pear juice and it works fantasticly. I bought organic pear juice and drank a glass each morning while I was taking zofran, and also drank a lot of water (at least half my body weight in ounces each day). I even take two magnesium pills every night (this was recommended by my doctor prior to pregnancy based on a magnesium and zinc deficiency we found after being diagnosed with Hashimoto's—please treat supplements like prescriptions and always consult your doctor first). I haven’t been able to keep down many fiber-enriched foods, but these strategies alone helped tremendously. I may have had days were I did not go as often, which made my belly not feel so good, but I certainly was never officially constipated. I attribute this to being pro-active! Very thankful for that.
Nausea- Considering I’ve been sick the whole pregnancy, I’m not the best advice giver on this. BUT, I have definitely tried many things. Some worked a little, some worked a lot, but whichever route you take, talk to your doctor first. These are the remedies I tried: Unisom & B6 (this took a little of the edge off in the beginning but I had to take it so frequently—including throughout the day— which made me drowsy all the time), Ginger tea and ginger candies (these also helped for a while, but the further I got into my pregnancy the worse the vomiting was and soon even the smell of ginger made me sick, had to ditch these pretty quick), ice cold water with lemon (eventually this made me gag as well so I moved to ice cold orange or lemon-lime gatorade, once I was in the second trimester I was able to go back to water— even room temperature water— and have mainly stuck with this each day. Keep up with your fluids, too little can definitely make you feel nauseous), fudgesicles/fudge pops (yes, you read that right! The coldness really hit the spot and for whatever reason it was the one “food” I could keep down when my nausea got really bad. Because of that they quickly became my go-to for several weeks for all meals/snacks from breakfast to dinner… don’t judge, just pass the fudgesicle), chiropractic care (there is a lot of research to support easing morning sickness through this care, I went once a month through my whole pregnancy), and snacking frequently (I kept cereal or small crackers in my pockets when working at the clinic and took a few bites between each patient, it kept my stomach from feeling too empty which also helped with the nausea). Eventually nothing really worked or alleviated the constant sickness so we tried diclegis (pregnancy approved nausea med) and then later had to move to Zofran (most frequently prescribed for patients going through chemo to prevent vomiting). About halfway through the second trimester I no longer needed the prescription meds around the clock and could go back to more natural methods to maintain the nausea (most days).
Round ligament pain/Backaches/SI pain- These are common pains during pregnancy. I only experienced SI pain ONCE during my first trimester. I mentioned it to my doctor and she recommended specific stretches (that she showed me in-office), chiropractic care, drinking lots of water, and staying active. As mentioned above I’ve received chiropractic care through my entire pregnancy. I went once a month and Dr. Alex (Achieve Balance Chiropractic) provided pregnancy-approved adjustments and tips for stretching and moving. The first week of every month I’d go to Achieve Balance AND get a massage! Prenatal massages have been my self-care treat each month during pregnancy. And finally, I stayed active with a training plan from Expecting and Empowered. The creators, sisters Amy & Krystle, developed pregnancy and postpartum exercise programs that follow the weekly timeline of a women’s pregnancy specific to the changes that occur in her body. Krystle is a physical therapist that specializes in women’s health so together she and Amy provide proper modifications and corrective exercises to not only keep you active and prepare you for child birth (pregnancy guides) but to also get you to a place where you are healed, comfortable, and regaining strength (postpartum guides). Each set of exercises includes flexibility, pelvic floor exercises, and resistance training (done in HITT style). Between these guides, quality care by my chiropractor, and massage, I have experienced NO major joint or ligament pains! I sleep well through the night (minus getting up to pee, of course) and don’t have much of that pregnancy waddle (even now, at 38 weeks)!
Pregnancy Brain- I was convinced I’d be the exception to the rule on this one. I’ve always had a very good memory especially for details in conversations or at events. But low and behold, halfway through my second trimester I found myself forgetting things I used to remember with ease. I really don’t know what helps with this aside from being very diligent about writing down details and appointments directly into my planner. I’ve also tried to be better about telling Casey things I need to do so he can help remind me. Now that we’re just a week away from meeting our little girl though, we’re both more forgetful than ever. We literally both left the house this weekend without our phones. Silver lining— If I went into labor he was at least already with me… Not-so-silver lining— we’d have no way to contact anyone else to let them know what was happening! Hoping this one gets better after birth.
Leg Cramps- Fluids, fluids, fluids. I’ve been very diligent my entire pregnancy about drinking at least half my body weight (in ounces) each day. On occasion I’ll add some electrolytes to the mix but most days I stick exclusively to water. I put bananas in my smoothies, eat avocados/guacamole with plantain chips, sweet potatoes, and even drink a small glass of milk each morning (each of these foods can help with muscle cramping, the only one I actually did daily/consistently was drink milk). Another bonus, Casey has been diligent about rubbing my feet and calves in the evenings when we’ve settled in for the night. We started this at the beginning of my third trimester and I’m convinced its helped with preventing cramping. I’ve only had leg cramps a couple times during my whole pregnancy (during that first big stretch when waking up first thing in the morning) but they each lasted mere seconds and I didn’t think much about it.
Edema- I personally believe fluids have been the key on this one as well since I haven’t experienced any swelling in my face, hands, ankles, or feet. I’ve been able to wear my rings and same shoes through my whole pregnancy. Every now and then my fingers swell, and while my face is rounder from gaining weight, the only actual swelling I’ve experienced can always be traced back to not drinking enough water and too much salt intake during that particular day.
Itchy Belly/Stretch Marks- This one is easy! Again, WATER!! Aside from pushing fluids, I’ve been diligent about using Countermarch Adaptive Body Moisturizer on my belly through my whole pregnancy. Not only have I not experienced itching, but my belly doesn’t have a single stretch mark! My only regret is that I didn’t request help from Casey when it got too hard for me to reach my legs as well. The only areas on my body that have developed stretch marks are my inner thighs (ugh, eye roll). But, I recently started using the Baby Daily Protective Balm each morning after I get out of the shower (beginning at 37 weeks) and I can already see a difference (less purply in color and a reduction in overall appearance of the marks). I can’t wait to see what it does over time. Another product I found is by the company Attitude-Live Consciously. Their products, like Beautycounter, are also EWG verified and they have specific lines designed for mommas and babies. I found their Natural Stretch Oil and used it over the summer (alternating each day with the Countermatch). The only problem was that once I ran out of the oil, I couldn’t re-order because it was out-of-stock for more than 4 months. Sigh. It’s back in stock now and I would still recommend it, I just didn’t feel the need to order it anymore. Instead, while it was sold out, I discovered the Calendula Baby Body Cream from the baby line and alternated this cream with the Countermatch lotion instead. Both work amazing and have the slightest scent of almond!
Well— There it is— the tips and tricks that worked for me. Ultimately, please remember that everyone is different and no pregnancy is the same, this is merely my experience. Be sure to consult with your doctor and care team on any aches and pains you’re experiencing and get their suggestions as to what to try before jumping into something on your own. Discuss a game plan to find what works best for you. Then, stop by the store and grab some fudgesicles momma, you deserve a special treat!
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