18 weeks…halfway there (Almost in a normal pregnancy, but in my case, probably halfway. More on that later)…it’s taken me 18 weeks to write this blog. Partially, because I wanted it to be special, but mostly because for about 8 of those weeks, I was so sick I couldn’t even look at a computer screen.
The purpose of this blog is to give an update on the past four months of my life. Along with a few pregnancy tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way. I’ve set up the blog in a timeline format and added the tips in here and there.
What I REALLY want to focus on is severe morning sickness in the first trimester and what’s helped and hurt. And of course this wouldn’t be a jackietroum.com blog without some maternity fashion sprinkled in!
6 weeks
- The nausea starts. I’m talking, sun up till sundown and then some.
- This time around the nausea actually started later than with Archie! When I was pregnant with Archie, I found out I was pregnant because I woke up sick at four weeks pregnant.
- THOUGHTS: I’M NEVER DOING THIS AGAIN
With this pregnancy, I tried to mentally tell myself I would not get sick. I tried every trick in the book and when it didn’t work, I became so frustrated with myself. It’s a tough headspace when you wake up each day without your health. Here I was, finding out this beautiful-miracle-news and it was overshadowed by severe morning sickness. Waking up feeling ready to just go back to sleep again. The immense guilt of struggling to be able to take care of a two year old. Pacing back and fourth debating if I was sick enough to run to the bathroom. Being sick 2-3 times a day. Sleeping upright. Not being able to stomach water. It was a serious struggle. I remember telling Matt how different I felt this time around. How much more severe and strong the symptoms were. I tried everything. I mean, every concoction, potion and lotion out there. I’m leaving my tips below because most work not just for pregnancy nausea, but for general nausea as well.
Nausea Tips & Tricks
- Zofran – this is an anti-nausea medication that can be prescribed by your physician. Really, the only thing that has truly helped me. I’m still taking it daily during the afternoon and evenings. With all medication during pregnancy, weigh your pros vs. cons. Of course, I’m not a medical doctor (so talk with them first), but it’s approved by the CDC for severe pregnancy sickness. For me, not taking it was causing more harm than anything.
- Unisom & Vitamin B6 – I take this before bed to get me through the night. Splitting your dose of vitamin b6 during the day is known to help with nausea as well.
- An Empty Stomach Is a No-No – An empty stomach is the point of no return. I found not letting myself get to this point helps me stay on top of the nausea. Some nights I woke up starving at 2 a.m. and went downstairs and had a banana. On those nights, I woke up feeling better than I would if I didn’t wake up to eat anything.
- Bubbles/Ginger – Ginger never really worked, but I felt the bubbles in the ginger ale did. Go for a sparkling water if you can’t stomach regular water.
- Balance Carbs with a Protein – For the most part, I could stomach anything bland like a cracker or pretzel or bagel. Trust me, it works better if you add a protein to that carb! I would have aversions to meat so that was out of the question for protein, but cream cheese on a bagel or peanut butter on a cracker is super helpful. Try it if you can stomach it.
- Sour/Lemon – Sour candies and lemon water help. Try the pregnancy pop drops on Amazon!
- Sea Bands – These work similarly to accupuncture. They’re bands you place on pressure points on your wrist to help relieve nausea.
- Baby Booster Prenatal Protein – Didn’t work for me, but I’ve heard it work wonders for others! Great way to get your protein in especially if you have aversions to meat.
- Fresh Air – Getting outside (weather depending) really helped. Parking outside in a beach chair or leaving my window open at night while I slept really worked wonders.
- Give Yourself Grace – Being at home on the couch is anxiety inducing for me and I’m sure it is for others too. Pregnant or not, listen to your body and give it what it needs when it needs it.
- Distractions – Chasing after a two year old honestly helped me not dwell on the nausea symptoms. Maybe because I HAD to be on. I’m not sure, I’m sure it’s psychological (lol).
9 Weeks
- It’s different for everyone, but typically between 8-9 weeks is your first OB appt. Expect bloodwork and possibly an ultrasound.
- You can opt to have bloodwork drawn for gender and genetic testing as well (which we did).
- I know it seems like a long time to wait, but trust me the wait is worth it!
- Waiting those 8-9 weeks you possibly are able to see your baby for the first time and hear a heartbeat.
- This is when we heard the words: “Welp, this explains a lot. You’ve got two in there.”
- This is when you’ll schedule a few more appts. including a 12 week ultrasound and your anatomy scan (usually around 20 weeks).
- THOUGHTS: OVERWHELMED. So happy I could cry. SO scared. One newborn is hard – how do you handle two? Are they healthy?! We need two cribs. MY NAUSEA FELT JUSTIFIED. Double the baby, double the hormones, double the symptoms.
12 Weeks
- Another ultrasound – even better than the first!
- You will typically have your bloodwork back from your 9 week appointment. Here we found out we had a 96.6% chance of our twins being 1 boy and 1 girl.
- THOUGHTS: girl?! I can’t even fathom it! I’ve always envisioned myself being a boy Mom!
15 Weeks
- the nausea begins to subside.
- the bump POPS.
- THOUGHTS: Looks like I need to go shopping.
I spent quite a bit on maternity clothes last pregnancy. A good amount from Target and Old Navy. Guess what, I didn’t like most of it and never wore it again. This time around, I’m not buying as much, but I am investing a bit more. I wear my hatch jumpsuit 2-3 times a week and my Lululemon super high rise align leggings are worn on repeat. I just purchased one extra pair of leggings and I plan on alternating between the two. I’m excited to get the Abercrombie maternity jeans (I’ll probably wind up with 1-2 pairs and call it a day) and the new mini Uggs will be a saving grace when it comes to going up half a size in shoe (for me, this lingered for the first year postpartum and then I went back to my regular size shoe) and swollen feet. I’ve found one good steal from Old Navy – a ribbed dress that’s technically not in the maternity section! Leaving maternity staples below!
16 Weeks
- With twins, you’re technically not considered high risk, but “higher risk” pregnancy than with just one.
- From here on out, I’ll be getting ultrasounds every 4 weeks.
- Ultrasound Tech: “Nope there’s definitely two boys in here.”
- THOUGHTS: Good thing I haven’t bought a single ribbon or bow yet! I’ve also had my fill of surprises this pregnancy.
Do you have any pregnancy stories? Any nausea tips? Leave them below!