Prenatal Vitamins & Pregnancy Weight Gain

[creativenikki]

How are you feeling Nikki?

 

Eh, I'm hanging in there.  I manged to eat breakfast today, and I've been nauseated since then.  I haven't found a good way of coping with the nausea yet.  Right now I'm using lemon heads candy, which is far from ideal, but I feel like that's the only thing keeping me from throwing up.  I really really really hope this doesn't stretch on for months, I don't know how I will take it.  

 

It's definitely worse in the mornings for me.  I was able to eat about 1/2 my dinner last night.  Lunch was brutal though and breakfast was non-existent.  I can't really imagine eating lunch today with how I feel right now, but maybe that will change.  

 

I really wonder if my sister felt this bad when she was pregnant.  I haven't asked because I haven't told anyone about the pregnancy.  I'm not sure when I should tell my boss, either. 

 

At least I don't feel as bad today as I did on Sunday and Monday.  That was so awful.  Yesterday and today it's more mild, enough that I'm at work, but it's still far from pleasant.  

[Loulabelle]

Coping with the nausea can be tough but it does end at some point. Keep trying to eat even if it is little amounts, it really does help to try not to have an empty stomach. If you are close enough to your sister you should consider telling her, if she has gone through the same she will know how to support you. As for telling your boss over here in Europe we never do that until after the 12 week scan, I don't know what is customary in the USA.

 

One last thing for tonight, your MS is not likely to go on for months. Normal timelines are for it to be pretty much gone by week 12 latest 16, if you are unlucky and have it all the way through the 9 months you find a way to get by but having it that long is very unusual.  

[creativenikki]

Coping with the nausea can be tough but it does end at some point. Keep trying to eat even if it is little amounts, it really does help to try not to have an empty stomach. If you are close enough to your sister you should consider telling her, if she has gone through the same she will know how to support you. As for telling your boss over here in Europe we never do that until after the 12 week scan, I don't know what is customary in the USA.

 

One last thing for tonight, your MS is not likely to go on for months. Normal timelines are for it to be pretty much gone by week 12 latest 16, if you are unlucky and have it all the way through the 9 months you find a way to get by but having it that long is very unusual.  

 

I thought I was done with nausea, but it has come back again, unfortunately.  I'll be 8 weeks tomorrow though, so hopefully it is on its way out.  

 

Can someone with experience tell me if they felt fatigued their entire pregnancy?  I am SO TIRED!  I've been working out 4 days a week (for only about 20 minutes though) but some days it takes all of my will to do it.  I'm yawning constantly at work and I'm really unfocused.  All I can think about is when I can lay down and sleep next.  

 

On the plus side, I haven't gained any weight yet.  Of course, it's tough to gain weight when you don't really eat... I find I'm mentally hungry all the time, but when it comes time to actually eat, I just can't do it.  I still haven't actually thrown up though.  I usually force myself to eat, but I'm definitely eating smaller quantities than I did pre-pregnancy.  

[Loulabelle]

I was tired all the time even when I wasn't nauseous. It's normal, especially in the first trimester, to feel like that as your body adjusts to being pregnant. It should get better soon for you. Make sure you sleep as much as you can and take care of yourself. 

[creativenikki]

I was tired all the time even when I wasn't nauseous. It's normal, especially in the first trimester, to feel like that as your body adjusts to being pregnant. It should get better soon for you. Make sure you sleep as much as you can and take care of yourself. 

 

So did the fatigue ease up for you in the second trimester?  

 

I am starting to feel depressed because I am so useless around here lately.  I'm just too tired to do anything.  I haven't gone grocery shopping in weeks, I barely clean the house, etc.  Luckily my husband is extremely understanding and picks up the slack.  But, I hate being so tired I can't motivate myself to do anything, even things I know I enjoy.  It's just get up, work out, go to work, come home, sleep, repeat.  I feel like I can't commit to any weekend plans at night because I'll be too tired to do anything.  

 

I'm ready for this pregnancy to end already.  I don't like any of this; I feel like I don't even remember what feeling good physically is like.  

[ShannonM816]

So did the fatigue ease up for you in the second trimester?  

 

I am starting to feel depressed because I am so useless around here lately.  I'm just too tired to do anything.  I haven't gone grocery shopping in weeks, I barely clean the house, etc.  Luckily my husband is extremely understanding and picks up the slack.  But, I hate being so tired I can't motivate myself to do anything, even things I know I enjoy.  It's just get up, work out, go to work, come home, sleep, repeat.  I feel like I can't commit to any weekend plans at night because I'll be too tired to do anything.  

 

I'm ready for this pregnancy to end already.  I don't like any of this; I feel like I don't even remember what feeling good physically is like.  

 

I hesitate to bring this up, because I've never been pregnant, and that may really be the kind of exhaustion others experience early in a pregnancy, but from my experience, that sounds an awful lot like depression (while I haven't been pregnant, I have definitely experienced depression -- the barely able to make yourself get out of bed feeling, and then once you have gotten out of bed, counting down the time until you get to go back to bed, not wanting to do anything, even if you know you'd probably enjoy it -- you just don't have the energy or desire to do it.)

 

While you're pregnant, your hormones are going to be all over the place, so it's understandable that your mood may be down, and certainly growing a tiny human is going to use up your body's store of energy, but please, please talk to a doctor or someone about this, find out if it's truly normal or not, and if it's not, find out if there's anything that might help.  For me, it took a combination of medication and seeing a counselor, but those two things made such a huge difference for me. I know they're not the right answers for everyone, and if they're not right for you, that's fine, but please at least talk to your doctor about this, see what kind of options you have, and keep those options in mind if this persists for very long. I know it's cliché, but this really should be a mostly joyful time in your life, even if you are exhausted and puking every morning.

[Loulabelle]

Nikki, how you are feeling is totally normal. I remember having to drag myself out of bed in the morning, barely functioning all day at work then collapsing in a heap on the sofa exhausted every evening. Think about what your body is doing, it's making a baby! Since you got pregnant your body has worked harder than it ever has before; it's creating your baby's life support system making a placenta and all those new blood vessels, your hormones have and continue to adjust to pregnancy and your blood volume has increased up to 50%. All that is like running a marathon every day! So don't beat yourself up about feeling useless, you are doing amazing things right now so it's time to give yourself a break, lean on your husband, ask for help and sleep as much as you can. The exhaustion will get better! The first trimester is the hardest, you will soon start feeling like you have more energy. That pregnancy glow everyone talks about, it only comes later. 

 

Shannon is right that feeling like this can make you feel depressed, take her advice and talk to your Dr for reassurance. I think though that as most people don't announce pregnancies until after the 12 week scan this first stage is not talked about much so comes as a surprise to first time mums that is can be difficult. 

 

If you need to chat send me a PM. 

So did the fatigue ease up for you in the second trimester?  

 

I am starting to feel depressed because I am so useless around here lately.  I'm just too tired to do anything.  I haven't gone grocery shopping in weeks, I barely clean the house, etc.  Luckily my husband is extremely understanding and picks up the slack.  But, I hate being so tired I can't motivate myself to do anything, even things I know I enjoy.  It's just get up, work out, go to work, come home, sleep, repeat.  I feel like I can't commit to any weekend plans at night because I'll be too tired to do anything.  

 

I'm ready for this pregnancy to end already.  I don't like any of this; I feel like I don't even remember what feeling good physically is like.  

[creativenikki]

Nikki, how you are feeling is totally normal. I remember having to drag myself out of bed in the morning, barely functioning all day at work then collapsing in a heap on the sofa exhausted every evening. Think about what your body is doing, it's making a baby! Since you got pregnant your body has worked harder than it ever has before; it's creating your baby's life support system making a placenta and all those new blood vessels, your hormones have and continue to adjust to pregnancy and your blood volume has increased up to 50%. All that is like running a marathon every day! So don't beat yourself up about feeling useless, you are doing amazing things right now so it's time to give yourself a break, lean on your husband, ask for help and sleep as much as you can. The exhaustion will get better! The first trimester is the hardest, you will soon start feeling like you have more energy. That pregnancy glow everyone talks about, it only comes later. 

 

Shannon is right that feeling like this can make you feel depressed, take her advice and talk to your Dr for reassurance. I think though that as most people don't announce pregnancies until after the 12 week scan this first stage is not talked about much so comes as a surprise to first time mums that is can be difficult. 

 

If you need to chat send me a PM. 

 

Thanks!  I am pretty sure what I'm feeling is normal pregnancy stuff.  My mood goes up and down.  I tend to feel best in the late morning/early afternoon (which is ironic since I'm at work then and I've hated my job for forever).  The fatigue really is overwhelming right now.   At the moment, I feel fine though.  I cannot wait for these first 12 weeks to pass.  I want to enjoy pregnancy.  I hate not being able to tell anyone, but I just feel like it's too early.  

 

I don't know if others have dealt with this, but here's my thinking.  On one hand, I really want to tell people about my pregnancy.  Then they'd probably understand why I am so tired and why I don't want to go out drinking.  Plus, there are some things I'd just like to talk about (like my husband's absolutely terrible taste in names!!) but I can't since I haven't announced the pregnancy.  On the other, it seems like once people know you are pregnant, that is all they want to talk about.  You're suddenly just a baby vessel instead of a full person with other thoughts and interests.  Of course I'm excited about the pregnancy and everything, but I'm also still interested in other things and those things just seem like they cease to exist.  That's how my family has reacted to my sister and cousin, anyway.  

 

In any event, it seems like the fatigue is setting in again.  Time to day dream about being able to sleep when I go home...

[creativenikki]

I hesitate to bring this up, because I've never been pregnant, and that may really be the kind of exhaustion others experience early in a pregnancy, but from my experience, that sounds an awful lot like depression (while I haven't been pregnant, I have definitely experienced depression -- the barely able to make yourself get out of bed feeling, and then once you have gotten out of bed, counting down the time until you get to go back to bed, not wanting to do anything, even if you know you'd probably enjoy it -- you just don't have the energy or desire to do it.)

 

While you're pregnant, your hormones are going to be all over the place, so it's understandable that your mood may be down, and certainly growing a tiny human is going to use up your body's store of energy, but please, please talk to a doctor or someone about this, find out if it's truly normal or not, and if it's not, find out if there's anything that might help.  For me, it took a combination of medication and seeing a counselor, but those two things made such a huge difference for me. I know they're not the right answers for everyone, and if they're not right for you, that's fine, but please at least talk to your doctor about this, see what kind of options you have, and keep those options in mind if this persists for very long. I know it's cliché, but this really should be a mostly joyful time in your life, even if you are exhausted and puking every morning.

 

I'll definitely ask at my next appointment, but I have a feeling this is pretty normal.  I've been depressed before, so I know the feelings all too well.  I think the major difference right now is that I simply don't have the energy to go to the store, even though I want to and I think I'd enjoy it.  When I'm depressed, I don't really have the desire to go at all even though I'm physically able.  If that makes any sense.  

 

I just feel guilty because I'm not getting nearly as much done as I normally do.  I'm usually a really productive person and the past few weeks I've accomplished almost nothing beyond the bare minimum.