How I got through first trimester pregnancy sickness

I am well into my second trimester now (19 weeks) & feeling SO much better, but I was pretty sick almost my entire first semester. I scoured the internet and asked everyone I knew questions about what they used to make them feel better in the 1st trimester. I found some of these options through trial & error, and some through recommendations. I am going to give a quick run-down of what helped make the 1st trimester bearable for me. Keep in mind, I was still VERY sick, but these things helped.
(disclaimer: I am not a doctor & this is not medical advice. Seek out your doctor if you have questions during pregnancy.)

  1. Seabands
    I used these in my first pregnancy and in fact, I’m just stopped wearing these at 19 weeks. I wanted to make good & sure that I wasn’t nauseous anymore before I stop wearing them constantly! I wear them at all times during the day & take them off when I’m sleeping.
    The way they work is they have a small hard bead that sits on your wrist at your acupressure points & this pressure is supposed to relieve nausea/motion sickness,etc. They are quite tight when you first start wearing them, but they loosen up and get more comfortable with wear.
  2. Magnesium Oil
    I also used this in my first pregnancy, more towards my 3rd trimester for restless legs. I was told by my doctor this time around that magnesium (taken orally or topically) can help with nausea so I began using it in my first trimester this time around. I would spray the back of my legs & bottoms of my feet in the mornings after showering & before bed each night. Call it a placebo, but I swear this really helped me. I could feel a difference in my nausea when I did use it vs. forgetting to use it.
  3. Vitamin B-6
    If you’ve ever had any type of severe nausea, I’m sure your OB has recommended a combination of Unisom & B6 to help. Well, I tried this & it definitely seemed to help, but the Unisom made me so drowsy & unable to function the next day. I slept great with it, but it was SO hard to get up in the morning & I felt so out of it. This was not ideal with a 3 year old to take care of, so my doctor suggested just the B6 which helped tremendously!
  4. Epsom Salts
    Something I am doing in this pregnancy that I didn’t do even once last pregnancy is taking baths. At least weekly, sometimes more, I soak in the tub with some epsom salts to help ease the soreness from being pregnant. The round ligament pain, the sciatic pain, etc starts to build up & a nice relaxing bath always seems to help!
  5. Eye Mask
    I had quite a few headaches in my first trimester & this eye mask (which I keep in the freezer for maximum effect) seemed to help take the edge off. For whatever reason most of my headaches were behind my eyes & made me sensitive to light so the coolness & the blocking of light really helped. It was like an instant relief as soon as I put this on.
  6. Belly Butter
    I swear by this belly butter. It’s all I used in my first pregnancy on my growing bump and I got no stretch marks there. I know people say stretch marks are genetic but I’m not sure I believe that because I didn’t even think to put it on my thighs & butt & I got stretch marks in those places, but not even one on my stomach where I applied this daily. I am using it again this time around, in all the places I may be apt to get them! (side note: this belly butter IS a little greasy if you’re not into that. But I feel the greasiness helps it soak into the skin & my belly has never been itchy when I use it, which I know is a common complaint of pregnancy.)
  7. Bath Thermometer
    With all the baths I’ve been taking, I wanted the peace of mind that I wasn’t getting the water too hot for the baby (because normally I love a HOT bath!), so I got this bath thermometer. I generally keep it under 102* & I never feel lightheaded or like it’s too much.

    Other things that helped that I can’t link to are:
  8. Mint Lifesavers
    I would suck on these after throwing up or when I just couldn’t get a bad taste out of my mouth.
  9. Spearmint Gum
    I used gum for much of the same reason as above, or for chewing under my mask (wearing a mask has made me very nauseous).
  10. Gatorade
    There was a period of time when I couldn’t keep water down for whatever reason, so gatorade is what kept me hydrated. My husband would also bring me a small glass of gatorade before I got out of bed in the morning to go with my bedside crackers so I’d have something in my stomach before getting up.
  11. Buttery Round Crackers
    I know that a lot of people recommend saltines & I did eat those for awhile, but they tasted way too salty for me, so these are what I used as my “bedside crackers”. I would eat a few before I got up in the morning (along with my gatorade), and I would keep them in my purse or near me to have something in my stomach when feeling sick.

I am well into my second trimester now & feeling so much better, so there is hope! I hope that if you’re reading this, some of these things give you relief & you’re on your way to feeling better soon! ❤

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