Surviving the First Trimester with a Little One

Those two pink lines are game changing. When we first saw them with Bug, we were beyond ecstatic. And very nervous. This was a new thing for us. Something we had never gone through before. A new chapter was opening. 

image source: Wikipedia

Fast forward 18 months later, two more pink lines appear. We are once again ecstatic and so excited! Bug was going to be a big sister! But we weren't nearly as nervous as we were the first time around. Unfortunately, those two pink lines didn't last and we lost our precious babe. We weren't going to give up hope and so we decided to keep trying.

The next month...two more pink lines show up on that stick! This time the emotions were raw. There was so much excitement and so much anxiety all wrapped up in those lines. So much anxiety in fact, that it took me a week to tell the hubs and even longer to share with my family. We were very cautious with our excitement. 

Weeks continued and my pregnancy progressed. With this progression came the beloved exhaustion and morning sickness - or should I say, all day sickness. At least that's how it was for me. It was brutal. Having a little one to chase around did not help the situation. 

Here are a few things that got me through my first trimester (and beyond...because it's taken forever to get over the morning sickness and get my energy back):

• Nap when baby naps: Sound familiar? It holds true for being pregnant with a little one. If you have the opportunity to nap, take it! The chores can wait, it is important for you to get that sleep in!
• Accept help: Sound familiar once again? I'm very blessed that my parents live not too far away. On my sickest of days, I was able to call them and they could come over and play with Bug for a little while to help me get over it.
• Don't be ashamed of medicine: I personally hate taking medicine for anything. It's just who I am. But when I was offered Zofran, I jumped at the chance. It helped me a lot. Running after Bug is already hard, it's even harder when you're pregnant.

Most importantly...

• Give yourself grace: Don't beat yourself up over the little things. It's okay to let it slide! You are now pulling triple duty: taking care of your little one running around, taking care of growing your baby, and taking care of you. Your body, mind, and spirit are being pulled three different ways. It's okay to let things go every once in a while and to turn down events and invitations as well.

I hope this helps anybody out there going through pregnancy again. I'm finally (at 22 weeks) starting to feel like myself. But it's moments that are few and far between. It doesn't help that Bug isn't sleep well at night now and is extra, extra clingy (which I have read can be a pregnancy side effect). I'm doing my best to enjoy every minute of this pregnancy just like I did with Bug, and I know that I'm very blessed that this little boy is happy and healthy and cooking just as he should be!

Now to get a certain Bug back to sleep (see what I mean? It's 9:30 and she's still not asleep right now...but at least she's not coughing!)