Morning Sickness Archives

Weight gain during the first trimester can be the most troublesome because there really shouldn’t be much weight gained. Aside from a few pounds of water weight, baby is not causing much extra weight at all, yet the first trimester is the hardest for me to eat healthy and exercise. I’ve recently just started feeling better at 12 weeks pregnant, and I gained about 5lbs. Techincally you don’t need to gain much more than 5lbs in the first trimester, but without some of my little tricks I’ve learned after 4 pregnancies now, I’d be closer to 10lbs. I literally just eat and sleep for weeks. I went from eating healthy and running about 4 miles every morning, to eating, sitting, sleeping and eating more. The first trimester, I find myself so sedated and sick feeling, yet so hungry and needing food ALL THE TIME. If you aren’t aware of your eating habits, the whole situation can be very discouraging. I promise I have some tips that will help you feel better about eating all the food and not exercising at all.

How much weight should you gain in the first trimester?

It’s recommended that you gain around 3-4lbs in the first trimester. There isn’t a real need to gain weight during this time because baby doesn’t really weigh anything. There is your expanding uterus, and some extra water, but that’s about it. If you focus on just this point, the whole process of gaining weight can feel frustrating.

How long does the first trimester neausea last?

I think I’ve Googled this every pregnancy. You are probably feeling funny around 6 or 7 weeks, and the peak of the HCG is at about 8-9 weeks. Weeks 9 and 10 were not fun for me either, then I started to come out of it around 11 weeks. That’s when the HCG hormone is leveling out, and you should be leveled out around 13 weeks. I have had pregnancies where I didn’t feel better until 13-14 weeks. If you make it to 10 weeks, just know you are getting close to the end! Just knowing the curve of the hormone levels really helped me stay motivated and survive.

How I Survive Morning Sickness (All Day Sickness)

What to focus on, to control weight gain during the first trimester:

Total weight gain for your pregnancy:

First thing you need to do is remember that you have a long way to go, and just because you gain more than recommended in the first trimester, doesn’t mean you will gain too much in your whole pregnancy. Most of the time, like me, if you gain more weight during your first trimester it is because of the exhaustion and icky feelings. Food makes me feel better, and it might for you too. Because the first trimester is such a survival mode, once you get to the second trimester, you can get back to eating healthier! I can barely eat fruit during the first trimester, and I know I’m starting to feel better when I can eat fruit again. I also keep reminding myself the second trimester is my chance to get healthy again and fix my habits. Usually, this works really well.

My Favorite Foods and Meals For Morning Sickness

Total calories for the day:

I’ve found that by writing down what I’m eating, I realize I’m not eating as much as I feel like I’m eating. Because I eat so healthy most of the time, when I start eating toast, chips, nachos, creamy soups, pastas and foods that are way off my norm, my head can play tricks on me. If you do this, you will realize you aren’t eating a million calories, even though you might feel like it. Mentally, this really helped me!! I saw that what I wanted to eat, didn’t add up to as many calories as I thought it would, and I stayed within a calorie zone, still eating what made me feel better. This is a game-changer mentally!! You will be able to relax and not stress out too much.

Stay as active as possible when you feel the best:

I have evening sickness, so I would do my best to be “active” in the morning. This might be taking my boys to the park, going on a walk or just cleaning around the house. Anything to keep moving for as long as possible, because I knew I’d be laying around later in the day. Maybe you feel terrible in the morning, so you can add some activity in the evening.

Try chewing gum:

This is actually really helpful, especially if it is a minty gum. I found that once I started eating, I had a hard time stopping. I just wanted to eat everything. If I popped some gum after a meal, I could take a break from eating without feeling neauseaus. I was basically chewing gum all the time and numerous pieces in an hour. As soon as the flavor wears off, it doesn’t work, so I had to keep the pieces fresh. Kinda weird, but it worked!

Sipping on a protein smoothie:

I found that sipping on a smoothie was a great way to help myself get in more vitamins and protein. I would slowly drink it, or eat it with a spoon, and it was very comforting. I of course use this protein powder and the pregnancy blend will be out soon. It has the needed folate that is really important for the first trimester, as well as other essential vitmains! Low sugar and high in protein too! Because it lasted longer that way, I felt more satisfied. I liked blueberry smoothies or banana peanut butter smooothies. I LOVE salty in the first trimester, so the banana peanut butter really worked the best most of the time.

Lay down before eating:

Sometimes the neausea tricked me into thinking I needed to eat something. If I layed down to close my eyes, I would actually realize I felt a lot better just resting. Sometimes if I gave myself 15 minutes to rest, I could make it a little longer without eating – again. My struggle was obviously just wanting to shove food in my face all the time.

I finally made it through the first trimester, with three kids, and I am not totally sure how I did it. The past few weeks have been a complete blurr, where I was in a real fog, but it does pass. Just take it one day at a time. Make sure you are taking a good prenatal, and be sure to read my tips to sooth neausea.

Keep Reading

Morning sickness, or all-day sickness in my case, can cause some intense cravings and food aversions. One meal sounds amazing one minute, then tastes disgusting the next. I’ve put together some of my favorite morning-sickness foods and meals, plus I have a recipe for the best morning sickness smoothie to help you eat something that actually helps you feel better.

This is my fourth pregnancy, so I’ve been around the block a few times with pregnancy naseaus. As I write this, I am 9 weeks in, and at the height of the fatigue and nausea. If you’ve ever seen a chart of the HCG levels during the first trimester, you will see that the HCG spikes about 8-9 weeks, then slowly dips down as you get closer to 12 weeks. I am literally counting down the days until I feel better, as I eat these same few meals over and over again.

I have an in-depth post on how I manage the morning sickness with tea, supplements and more, but here are a few quick tips to remember:

Eat SMALL, frequent meals. If you feel like you are eating something every hour, no big deal. When your stomach goes empty, and for whatever reason the HCG hormone makes it feel empty fast, the neausa gets worse.
Sip on tea. I list some of my favorites, but a mint tea or peach/ginger tea work really well for me.
Chew on gum in between snacks. I’ve found this to be so helpful during school pick up and drop off, when I don’t want to be stuffing my face in front of ther parents.
Don’t worry too much about weight gain. If you try to skip meals, or force yourself to eat vegetables, you can end up making yourself feel worse. This is a time when it is okay to put the diet on the back seat, and survive. I will have some tips soon on how to NOT gain a million pounds in the first trimester.

Okay, with those quick tips, let’s get into the best foods for morning sickness.

My favorite foods for morning sickness:

Oatmeal:

There is something so comforting and satisfying with oatmeal. I do quick oats and make it in the microwave. I add some Stevia and almond milk, or a little creamer and slowly eat it. Oatmeal is one of those super powerful carbohydrates that offer a lot of nutrients, but still have the comforting affect. With a bland taste, is shouldn’t cause too much upset. During the first trimester, I can barely get down fruits or veggies (which is the opposite of how I eat normally), but sometimes I can add some peanut butter and banana to the oatmeal. Oatmeal can help with constipation too, which is common during the first trimester.

Banana Protein Shake:

Sipping on a smooth, creamy, peanut butter banana shake really helps me. This one has a green color to it becuase I made it with my Bump Dust Protein Powder which is specifically formulated for pregnant mamas in need of nutrition. There are so many superfoods like spinach, blueberries, spirulina and chlorella, it has a green color. Green is always a good color in terms of nutrition. This protein shake also helps me get in my folate (not folic acid!), during the first trimester, and gives me a boost of vitamin B12, which can help with the intense fatigue. The recipe is so simple, and I promise it tastes amazing.

Stop Morning Sickness Smoothie

This yummy smoothie for morning sickness will help ease your tummy, as well as nourish your body and baby.

1 Sccop Bump Dust Protein Powder
1 medium banana
3 tbsp oats (I just use quick oats)
3 tbsp Peanut butter powder (or 1 tbs reg. peanut butter)
4 big ice cubes
1/2 cup milk of choice

Add all ingredients to blender except the peanut butter powder. Put your peanut butter flour into a small bowl, and slowly add a few teaspoons of water at a time to get a nice, creamy peanut butter. Once you have a creamy peanut butter, scoop into the blend to blend all together. If you want to add a little extra peanut butter on top, go for it. If your tummy doesn't want the peanut butter, skip and do plain banana. It is still really good.

Protein Cereal:

Cereal is an amazing, easy-to-eat snack for the first trimester, but many cereals are filled with sugar and carbs and don’t do a lot for you except taste good. I found The Cereal School, and I was really happy with the taste and texture. I have only tried the peanut butter, and I have a couple more flavors on the way to see which one is the best. I definitely recommend trying them to help you stay healthy, yet still eat cereal! What I love is that they have so many flavors to choose from, so you can really ease those cravings!

Dave’s Killer White Bread Done Right:

I have found plain toast to be super helpful, so I choose a better white bread for the toast. Toast is easy to digest, has a very comforting taste, and sometimes it is all you can stomach. Grabbing a better white bread can sometimes really help with your blood sugar levels, so they don’t fall fast and leave you feeling queasy again. If you can stomach a heartier bread, I highly recommend this bread because the sprouted wheat is so much better for you. And because the first trimester is so exhausting, I highly recommend just using Amazon Prime or the Whole Foods Delivery if you are close by. You can grab all the healthy stuff (with your Prime discount to make Whole Foods cheaper!!) and stay resting on the couch. I literally have NO ENERGY for grocery shopping now.

Crackers:

Crackers are seriously a life-saver. I like a bland, salty cracker like saltines, but for some reason I also love white cheddar cheeze its. These aren’t the healthiest, but I just don’t go over board on them, and they really help. I keep a small bag of crackers in my purse, so I can munch on them if needed. Find a cracker you love, and just go for it. Some crackers in between meals, or every few minutes isn’t going to kill you.

Scrambled Eggs (plain):

I can tolerate plain scrambled eggs mid-morning. I actually love them with just some salt, and eggs are high in B vitamins which help with nausea! Sometimes I scramble a couple eggs and put it on a piece of toast. It is so good. I highly recommend trying to get some scrambled eggs down because the protein will help keep your stomach from emptying so fast, and the B vitamins (especially vitamin B 6), have been shown to help with neausea.

Soup:

A nice, comforting soup is really helpful for me. I have been loving the Progresso Light Creamy Chicken Noodle. It has a creamy texture, with the bland noodles and chicken that sits well on my stomach. I can actually eat this for breakfast sometimes because it just feels so good with a few crackers. I get the light versions so I can eat more. Sometimes I just want to keep eating and eating…There are more options of soup on Amazon, and I also get cravings for minestrone soup, tomato soup, and clam chowder of all things.

Chips (Pop Chips):

These have always been my favorite, and I love that they are light and airy, as well as giving a lot of salt and crunch. The plain salted chips do really well for me, as well as the sour cream and cheddar. I literally love them ten times more during pregnancy, and I have found them to really keep my tummy at ease. A good chip can go a long way, just like a cracker. But, these chips are lighter in calories and texture, so you can really eat a ton of them without feeling like a complete disaster in terms of your diet.

These are the top 8 foods I eat to help me feel better from morning sickness.

In all honesty, I try to get down some apples, a light salad or veggies in my eggs, but it doesn’t happen much. I eat the same things over and over again, and as long as you are taking a great prenatal (here are the best choices!), then your body and baby will be just fine.This is the one I take, and I HIGHLY recommend it for nausea because it is specifically formulated with a minty aftertaste, and much easier to digest than any prenatal I’ve tried. I’ve tried a lot in my pregnancies now, and luckily since my first pregnancy over 7 years ago, prenatal vitamins have come a very long way.

Keep Reading