My First Trimester

Pregnancy plans were put on hold which was a blessing in disguise because I was deeply affected by COVID with my work in nursing home and it was our first year as a married couple. We learned A LOT about ourselves during lockdowns, COVID spikes, unemployment, the breakdown of the healthcare system, the quietness of NYC, and the importance of being with the ones we love. 

March 2021 rolls around, I’m still working with COVID patients but things are looking better; the patients are recovering faster, the symptoms are more mild and at this point, I’m fully vaccinated against the SARS-COV2 virus. By the end of the month, I missed my period and my pregnancy journey begins. 

Because I have a regular period, I knew I was pregnant as soon as my period was more than 3-days late. Sure enough on day 5 of my missed period, I had a positive pregnancy test. I was pretty shocked despite the fact that we were NTNP (not trying, not preventing). 

My first weeks of pregnancy were pretty uneventful despite the occasional bloating, constipation and the extreme fatigue but I felt otherwise okay. I scheduled my first prenatal appointment and even started a pregnancy journal…I was starting to think I would have a blissful pregnancy journey. When I turned 9-weeks (to the day exactly), everything changed; the nausea was awful, soon I started having morning sickness (and day and night sickness), my appetite was minimal, and I felt like an alien had taken over my body. 

At first the morning sickness and nausea seemed manageable by eating small meals throughout the day and staying hydrated but it eventually became a nuisance that was impacting my ability to function. I called my midwife and she prescribed Vitamin B6 to be taken twice a day and Unisom sleep tablets to be taken at night. She recommended I try the B6 first and see if that was enough; within 2 days, the nausea had significantly improved and I was vomiting less. The nausea finally disappeared by the end of week of 16 (so 2-weeks into my second trimester) but now a new fun symptom was back in full force: constipation. 

With some trial and error, I found that my winning combination to treat the awful constipation was taking Colace tablets twice daily and Milk of Magnesia every other night along with making sure I was hydrated. Now I’m in the middle of my second trimester and I finally feel like myself again just MORE hungry. (Disclaimer: Check with your OB/GYN or primary care physician for recommendations on safe over the counter medications to treat pregnancy symptoms.)

In my first trimester, I had 2 prenatal visits along with nuchal translucency ultrasound at the hospital. This ultrasound revealed that our baby has my husband’s big schnoz (poor kid!). Additionally, I opted for the genetic testing, MaterniT21 PLUS, which screened for genetic disorders and revealed the gender of the baby; it’s a GIRL! The cost of the genetic testing was not covered fully by my insurance however the cost was subsidized by taking a 30-minute questionnaire with the genetics company that created the test. The genetic testing was most important to me because I had worked with COVID patients for a year and although I was vaccinated against COVID-19, the research on the impact of the virus (and vaccine) on pregnancy and fetus development is currently minimal.

After having such a draining first trimester, I question if I would want to do that again but only time will tell if I’ll be blessed to be pregnant a second time around. It’s crazy to think of all the happenings in your body to grow a baby, sometimes I don’t believe it until I see the baby moving during my ultrasound appointments. It’s mind blowing! For now, I’m just enjoying the bliss of the second trimester which includes eating again and increased energy levels along with planning for the arrival of our baby girl. 

Below are some of the items that helped me during the first trimester: 

– Trader Joe’s Gingermints: I tried various anti-nausea candies and chews but they were either too sugary or left a weird aftertaste. Besides the occasional pieces of dehydrated ginger, these gingermints from Trader Joe’s were my go-to. The taste is subtle and they don’t leave a weird residue once it’s melted. 

– Necklace Fan: I’m someone who is perpetually cold but pregnancy hormones made me feel like I was burning up even on the coldest days. Some nights after sleeping in just a top and underwear with the AC blasting, I would still wake up soaked in sweat. For some temporary relief, this necklace fan helped cooled me down whether it was on the subway or even when I was working with a patient in a warm room. I still carry it with me daily because if I get too overheated, I will throw up. #attractive

– Motion Sickness Bracelets: I ordered these bracelets off Amazon when I got desperate, they definitely helped with my nausea that was more motion related but not so much with my morning sickness. I’m on my feet for 8-hours a day along with my commute so I think there was only so much these acupuncture wristbands could do. I would’ve loved to have had a real acupuncture appointment to help with nausea but I could barely function once my work day was done. The one time that I did try to go to see my acupuncturist, my pregnancy brain was in full force because I misread the MetroNorth schedule so I missed my train and then also switched platforms 4-times because I literally couldn’t process how to get home. 

– Palmar’s Massage Lotion for Stretch Marks: Truth be told, I didn’t gain a single pound in my first trimester because I was barely keeping food down but for some reason my skin around my abdomen felt like it was expanding and extremely dry. I picked up this Palmar’s lotion and religiously applied it to my stomach, breasts and hips. Towards the end of my first trimester, I switched to BioOil because I found that my skin needed more hydration as I was spending more time in the sun and outdoors.

– S’well Water Bottle: Thank God for ice chips! Because I was literally an oven in my first trimester, all my drinks had to be ice cold. My S’well water bottle would keep my water and ice chips cold during the workday without having to be refrigerated. I try to drink two full bottles during my workday and then I keep a different water bottle with me when I’m home.

– What to Expect When You’re Expecting: If you’re an anxious person, I do NOT recommend that you partake on pregnancy message boards. There’s A LOT of information on the message boards (sometimes, incorrect information) and it can become overwhelming. I found that reading a simple pregnancy book (What to Expect When You’re Expecting) gave me the information that I needed in a concise and approachable manner that made it easier to comprehend and incorporate into my new life. I do browse the message boards for things like nursery inspiration or registry tips but I leave the medical advice to the professionals.

– Ritual Prenatal Vitamins: These vitamins have been in my health regime since my wedding after trying various brands that either had an awful aftertaste or upset my stomach. Ritual Prenatal Vitamins are vegan and citrus essenced which make them easy to take and pretty to look at. For $15 off your first Ritual order, here’s a referral code. 

I hope this post and list were helpful! Feel free to drop any advice for my second and third trimester below.