How to Prepare for The First Trimester
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Photo Source: LoveJanine
Now, before you start congratulating me, no, I am not pregnant. But, my friend Lauren is. She recently found out that she and her husband were expecting their fourth child. What fun! For those of you who experience morning sickness and an otherwise rough first trimester, “what fun” might not be the first words off your lips. But, truly, a new baby is a wonderful blessing. Here, Lauren offers some suggestions for the first weeks of pregnancy and how to enjoy this phase of “life as MOM.”
Morning Sickness.
Just the phrase brings on feelings of nausea, doesn’t it? I’m currently pregnant with our fourth little one, and I have yet to escape all-day sickness while pregnant.
I’ll be honest: With my #2 and #3 babies I absolutely dreaded the thoughts of being so sick. How was I going to cope? Who was going to take care of my other children while I camped on the couch? Was my family going to eat canned soup for 12 straight weeks? How was I possibly going to make it through the day?
But I decided I was going to make a deliberate effort to change my attitude with this pregnancy. If God was gracious enough to bless us with this little one, certainly I could work hard on my attitude, right? So while praying about my attitude one morning, I had this thought: I can be prepared this time.
Be Prepared
Prepared? What a concept! I was only 5 weeks pregnant and I knew my morning sickness would probably not hit full swing for another week. So I busily made a list of ways I could help myself and my family through this not-so-easy time.
Here are the highlights:
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Photo source: carabou
I deep cleaned my house. My top priority during the first trimester is clean bathrooms. There is nothing worse than being sick in a yucky bathroom, so I made sure those were absolutely spotless. I also ensured my floors were mopped extremely well. It could very well be weeks before they would be touched again!
I washed every article of clothing and bedding we owned. Again, I wasn’t sure when I would get to changing sheets or washing items like bathroom/kitchen rugs. So my washing machine ran for 5 days straight.
I stocked my freezer. Thankfully, I participate monthly in FishMama’s Freezer Cooking Days so I already had a few dishes in my freezer. I needed more than just a couple of meals, so for two hard days I cooked and stocked my freezer. I knew there would be evenings where either I didn’t want to cook or I didn’t want to eat – but my family would! Freezer cooking was essential during this season.
I didn’t schedule any extra commitments. We didn’t have play dates, and I didn’t volunteer for any extra commitments at church. I know that sounds like a not-so-fun mom, but it didn’t seem fair to commit myself to anything outside of my home when I could hardly manage the inside of my home.
I made sure there was plenty for my children to do. I got a few new puzzles, books, crayons, coloring books, paint-by-numbers, and glue sticks. I wanted my children to have some different activities than the ones that they were used to. New activities seem to hold their attention a little longer.
And the best thing I did before the morning sickness arrived:
I worked on my attitude. This was single-handedly the best thing I did to prepare myself and my family. I decided up front that I would not let myself dive into the “oh woe is me, I’m just so sick” mode. It is a privilege to carry a baby and one I don’t take lightly. I was completely elated to be pregnant again, and I didn’t want a poor attitude to mask that.
I did eventually have morning sickness set in around 6 weeks. But honestly, it really wasn’t as bad this time. The actual nausea and fatigue were just as severe as prior pregnancies. But being prepared? It completely saved my sanity and helped my family in tremendous ways. It made all of the difference!
How do you prepare for the fatigue and morning sickness of early pregnancy?
— Lauren Hill is the Mama behind Mama’s Laundry Talk. She couldn’t be more thrilled about having a new little one join their household in November 2010!
I’m currently 12 weeks pregnant with our 6th and was thoroughly prepared for morning sickness to hit at week 6, as it’s always worked like clock-work with children 1-5. I FULLY stocked the freezer with meals (breakfast and dinner) and snacks (tons of muffins, bars, etc.). Well, needless to say the one time I was prepared was the one time morning sickness never really hit hard. I’m thankful for the preparations and lack of morning sickness, but I can’t help but laugh at the whole situation! 🙂
@Alex Hall,
Well, God definitely has a sense of humor!
What a great post to find this morning…..after one of the hardest days being pregnant ever.
I was ready as can be for pregnancies #1-#4, but we lost those last two. (We have two beautiful girls.) So when we got pregnant the 5th time, I didn’t take it on. I didn’t think about it; I didn’t prepare for it; I didn’t have hope.
I’m not out of the woods but everything is looking good so far. And I feel sick as a dog….praise the Lord. But I’m paying for my lack of preparation. And my attitude is stinky, hormonal, afraid, and sometimes angry. I could be doing better.
Thanks for letting me pour out. It is a demonstration how you have a ministry through your blog. (If you have enough on your plate, don’t take on my emotional burden.)
@Shelah Miller,
Shelah, I feel for you!!! We have been blessed with 2 beautiful boys and lost a baby in Dec 09. Devastating to say the least! I am now 5 months pregnant with a little girl and feel blessed! However, having experienced a loss has changed everything for me!! I have had moments of complete fear and anxiety and the anger, oh the anger. So, not my character!!
The only thing that has brought me complete comfort is my relationship with God. I am starting to see His Glory even in the loss of our child.
I did not prepare our home for this pregnancy, but the OP is correct, a lot of it is about attitude. And I needed that reminder!!
But I am slowly starting to prepare for the birth so that we will have plenty of food stocked and clean floors when the time comes!!
Blessings
Oh, Shelah. You know my story, right? Sometimes I think God let me walk that walk so that I could understand other women on the same path. (Though I know He had lots of reasons.) I lost three babies in 11 months and I was a wreck by the end of it. Will be praying for you! God is good, and I’m so thankful that you are “sick as a dog.” Praise God! 😉
And, you’re not an emotional burden….
Thanks so much ladies.
Excellent advice!
When I was pragnant with baby #5, I was sick almost the entire pregnancy! It was awful. I wish I had the motivation and thought ahead of time that you did!
And you’re right, it always hits at the 6 week mark….
I am going to share this link with my Facebook followers!
I am pregnant and just found out I am having a girl! Yay! Now we’ll have two boys and two girls.
I have very difficult morning sickness and did all these same things at the beginning of my last couple of pregnancies. But, as time wore on and the sickness did not relent, it was hard to keep a good attitude, even though that was my plan. The unexpected always happens and our family got the flu while I was in morning sickness, found ourselves house shopping, lost my grandmother, and preparing for a big move and a home purchase, etc.
Being prepared does help, but if your sickness is bad, all you can do is survive. With my third pregnancy my parents paid for a mother’s helper to come once a week and it was such a huge blessing!
Here is a thread I wrote on Morning, Noon, and Night Sickness that I’ve recently, and very thankfully, come out!
http://faithfulhomemaking.blogspot.com/search/label/Morning-Noon-Night%20Sickness
Fantastic advice!! Words to live by. Hopefully, one day Hubby will decide he’s ready for number 3 and I can put your words to the test 🙂
Such great advice! All that nesting before the nausea hits has to make that season go much smoother.
I had hyperemesis for the entire first trimester and into the second with my first and now second pregnancies—I wish that I had realized that I was pregnant before the hyperemesis set in with the second, because I would have definitely tried to be more prepared. But, as it would happen, we thought that I had food poisoning for 2 days before we realized that I was pregnant with baby #2. Ah, well.:)
I’m nearing the end of the first trimester myself – just a few more weeks! I don’t have morning sickness that badly, just a constant, ever present nauseous feeling, but it’s enough to render me completely ineffective some days. I didn’t do all the advance cleaning and prep that you did, still am able to keep it up as long as I do it in the morning (evening is when my m/s hits), but I DO have to work on my attitude. On a daily basis. 🙂 Remembering to be grateful when you feel like junk is hard work.
@Anne,
Amen and amen.
It’s a daily, constant effort to keep a good attitude for me. Please don’t think from my post that I have it all together in the attitude department. I definitely don’t! It just (shamefully) took me 4 pregnancies to finally figure out what a big piece of it attitude is.
Congrats on your pregnancy 🙂
-Lauren
I’m 31 weeks pregnant, also with #4 and I took all of the same steps to prepare!! I made sure our pantry was stocked with lots of quick and easy breakfasts and lunch options as well as the prepared dinners in the freezer. I was also soo blessed, at that time my husband had the option of flexible hours and he was able to switch his work schedule to an evening shift. He was home most of the day to help out with the kids and went into work later in the afternoon. I just had to do dinner and bedtime and then I was off duty. It made a huge difference and was his greatest gift to me!!
@Allison,
Congrats to you on #4! Isn’t it great how you learn how to do things ‘better’ with each pregnancy?!
I only wish I had known with my first!
-Lauren
Great post! I just entered my second trimester a week ago and have been incredibly blessed to not have been sick once. I suppose I was just one of the lucky ones. I loved these tips though! I especially loved the idea about the freezer cooking as last night we grabbed pizza as I was so exhausted I barely moved the whole day! They say in your 2nd Tri that you receive some renewed energy so I hope to pack away some meals for those days when I’m too pooped to cook. Thanks for the wonderful tips and congratulations to Lauren on her pregnancy!