First Trimester Nausea Hacks : In the Trenches of Pregnancy {Guest Post}

The first four weeks of pregnancy was a breeze for me. I was elated to finally see a positive sign on a pregnancy test after trying to conceive for more than a year. I even thought that I was going to be one of those lucky ones who doesn’t get morning sickness!

Week five my body said- “I have other plans for you.”

My nausea and queasiness was pretty much all day but worse at night. Dry heaving and gagging happened to me way more often than throwing up. I wouldn’t say one is better than the other, because it’s all miserable. My “morning sickness” wasn’t too bad in the morning if I had food within a half hour after waking.

Protein shakes with a banana seemed to help and I could sneak in a few pieces of spinach or kale into my Nutribullet. Otherwise, veggies were not happening. Looking at a salad repulsed me.

I found I developed a love/hate relationship with food. With each meal the question was, “will this make me feel good or bad today?”

For instance, I had a Baskin Robbins single scoop ice cream sundae one time, and it was fine. The second time, not so much. Throwing up cold ice cream is a weird sensation, although much more pleasant than throwing up say a burrito that you put hot sauce all over. Which reminds me, burritos are best after week 12.

I also found that I wasn’t hungry most of the time, but needed to eat to avoid nausea. This was mentally challenging, as I’ve tried to train my mind for years to only eat when hungry.

Here is what did help me and maybe these 8 tips and tricks can help you too:

1. Bagels with cream cheese are your friend. If you have a gluten allergy, they make gluten free ones. It’s still carbs though, and if you are like me, your body will puff.
2. Some soups are your friend. Tomato basil soup heated up really hot with a ton of saltines is ok.
3. Sparkling water = helpful.
4. Kombucha was good on some days. I drank kombucha every single day before pregnancy. Health-Ade’s Cayenne Cleanse soothed my stomach on two occasions, but otherwise my body just wasn’t craving the sparkling probiotic drink- even ginger flavors. Side note- if you haven’t had kombucha before pregnancy, skip it, because it could have a detoxifying effect. If you drink it all the time, you should be fine. As always, check with your doctor.
5. Mangoes with lime. No idea why, but this was my go-to fruit option. I think the acidity from the limes soothe the stomach, and you can also try a lemon wedge with sugar. It feels weird eating it, but it does help with nausea for a minute.
6. Brushing my teeth was making me gag, so I first tried switching from minty toothpaste to cinnamon. That kind of helped, but not all the way. On some days, I found mouthwash and floss was a better option.
7. Pickles and pregnancy are a real thing! The extra crunchy deli ones are the best.
8. Ginger chews help for about 3 minutes. They are good to keep in your purse. Easy to chew while driving or on the go.

Here is what didn’t work for me. Everyone is different, but maybe some of you can relate:

1. Don’t eat a whole pack of Saltine crackers. This made me feel awful and caused a headache. My doctor advised incorporating protein with carbs if possible to avoid the headaches. Lesson learned- put some cheese or peanut butter on those crackers.
2. Cupcakes won’t make you feel better.
3. Tricking your mind into a placebo effect that the “nausea ends today”, unfortunately doesn’t work. Your body may have other ideas. 
4. Don’t go to a flow yoga class if you feel nauseas because it will make you feel worse. Restorative yoga that is done on the floor could be a better option.
5. If you can, stay away from doing the dishes. Leftovers can be hard to look at too. This is a great excuse for not having to do the dishes!

Lastly, they say nausea is a good sign! Maybe even a sign for a girl. While it’s certainly no fun at the time, it should go away for most people by week 14. Mine went away at the start of the 2nd trimester, and I’m thrilled to say that I am having a girl!

Deanna Goodman is an award winning journalist with a background in news reporting and hosting videos. She and her husband, Jared, live in Oceanside. The launched a healthy beverage company distribution company in 2014 together called Kombucha On Tap, which they compare to having a baby.

They are beyond thrilled to be expecting their first child in December 2017, and have no doubt that they are in for a wild ride.

When Deanne is not running a company or doing freelance journalism, she enjoys beach walks and hikes, sleeping, traveling, movies, Broadway musicals, eating good food, playing with her dog and hanging out with family and friends.