Surviving the First Trimester

So now that I am nicely settled into the second trimester I thought I would give all the first trimester mommies some tips on how to survive this "special" time.

So pull up a chair, grab a barf bag, and read on!

1.  Morning sickness is not ONLY in the morning: I am sure you have heard this 100 times but it is so true. The only times I ever felt sick was immediately upon arrival home after work. Needless to say Max was not too pleased by this. The only times I got to talk to him during the work week was filled with the constant fear that I might throw up all over him. So be prepared to feel sick at any time. Know where the bathrooms are and maybe bring barf bags with you just in case. But don't stress about it too much, this too shall pass.
2. You will be exhausted at all times: I'm not talking about you might feel like a short cat nap but more like you may fall asleep at any moment and your plate full of dinner looks as comfy as your pillow. Ladies this is real; don't pretend like you can still stay out until 1AM partying. You will be lucky to survive the car ride home from work. So stay safe out there and go to sleep whenever you feel like it. You will need your rest once this nugget pops out.
   
   
   
3. Your boobs will try to kill you: This is no joke, I thought, "Duh. They are stretching just like everything else but it can't be that bad". This now makes me laugh like a 60 year old woman watching all the 20 something's wrangle their kids. It will hurt so bad that you will turn into a Gollum like creature screaming "Not my precious!" while covering your boob whenever anything/anyone gets too close. This is perfectly ok. The only thing I can suggest is a slightly tight bra that also fits the new size of the girls comfortably. This will protect your boobs and those dagger like things they call nipples from the outside world.
   
4. You will have to pee constantly: This is NOT only in the third trimester like others will have you believe. Starting like 3 hrs after you find out your body will kick into baby mode and you will be in the bathroom more often than any human should be. Don't get too excited, this isn't because you have an awesome ahead of the curve baby and it's already pushing on your bladder, this is because your body is starting to make the amniotic fluid which means you are creating more blood and other things that produces waste and thus you pee...a lot. So stay hydrated and learn to love your porcelain thrown.
   
5. Get comfortable with farting in front of those you love: This sounds weird but is very true. I thought it was just me and kept apologizing to my husband every time; however I learned through other amazing blogs and some www.thebump.com research that this is completely normal. So ladies LET IT RIP :).
   
6. Eat REASONABLY: There are 1001 websites out there that will make you believe if you eat one bite of deli meat your baby will either turn into a mutant creature with gills or you will kill it from Listeria bacteria. Take a breath. As long as you have stopped doing all those drugs and you are leading a decently healthy lifestyle you will be fine. Women have been having children while eating sandwiches, fish, and even drinking wine for generations. So if you hare craving a hot dog, go for it. The first trimester is about survival. Eat whatever you can keep down and skip what you can't. Once you are past the first trimester you can start worrying about eating vegetables and fruit like it's your job. You will be so hungry anyway that anything will sound delicious.
   
7. Love thy partner: Show your partner in baby crime some love. While they are not going through the special hell, I mean wonderful beautiful experience, that you are going through they are going through their own version. While you are constantly throwing up, they are holding your hair and kissing you. You get to fall asleep (while uncontrollably) at 5:01 after work they are cleaning up dinner, maybe off your face, feeding the dogs/other kids, etc. So show them how much you appreciate it. Say thank you as much as you can, offer to help during your non puking and awake hours. Talk about their day rather than the uncomfortable gross things that are happening to you.
   
   
   
   
   
   Stay strong ladies. The second trimester is close and I promise it gets better. You will be able to feel your baby move in a few months, which makes all this so worth it :).