With this being my third pregnancy, I thought I’d be well versed in what to expect. But I soon learnt that each pregnancy is very different. With the twins, I breezed through the first trimester, having a few food aversions and very little nausea. With Henry, I experienced a little more nausea, but it was manageable and I could still eat a variety of foods. I never actually got physically sick with either pregnancies, and besides being tired, it was an easy first couple of months.
This time around, I was expecting more of the same. What happened instead when I hit the six week mark was severe nausea and vomiting that lasted from the moment I woke until the moment I fell asleep. The list of foods I had aversions to quickly grew until the only things that I was able to eat were apples and chips – the two foods I could actually stomach, and even then I sometimes couldn’t keep them down. I was retching or being sick around 6 times a day. Retching was possibly even worse than being sick, there was nothing to bring up to provide some relief. I lost around 10lbs in two weeks, and didn’t leave the house for the duration, being too ill to move. My days were spent lying on the sofa focusing on breathing through the nausea, and running to the bathroom. Anything and everything caused me to be sick – changing Henry’s dirty nappies, the many food commercials on TV, the sight of Henry’s food, and the time he chewed up a pancake and then spat it out (!)
The start of my sickness frustratingly coincided with Matt starting work in the US after a two week break, so we wasn’t able to take time off to help out with Henry. I was alone in a new country with no means of help or respite. It wasn’t the wonderful introduction to America that I’d imagined. Poor Henry spent a lot of time watching TV, as I just couldn’t engage with him as I usually would. Then there were the times I’d would be bent over the toilet and he’d run over with a toy, asking me to play, not understanding why I wasn’t able to.
I agreed to have my blood tested for everything they mentioned, without giving it a second thought, so it came as a shock when our obstetrician told me I was a carrier for cystic fibrosis. We were advised to get Matt tested too to see if he was also a carrier. If he was, our baby would have a 1 in 4 chance of having the life shortening disease, and we would be referred to genetic counsellors to discuss next steps. It was an anxious wait for Matt’s blood test results, but thankfully, they came back negative, allowing us to have one less thing to worry about.
Overall, not the most enjoyable first trimester, but an appreciated one, as I’m so thankful to blessed with another pregnancy. Much to my relief, the second trimester has been a lot more manageable, and I’ll be back soon with a pregnancy update and gender reveal!
Glad the sickness and nausea has eased off a bit now! I was exactly the same as you, couldn't eat and spent my time being sick and staying in bed, it's so awful. You look so beautiful in the above picture, hope your second trimester is more fun for you! xx
Sorry to hear you were so sick Amy but glad you're feeling a bit better now. Looking forward to reading more updates & finding out the gender of your baby! So exciting! xo
It's great to hear that you are feeling a bit better! I can't wait to read more updates, I don't know why I just find reading this sort of post so interesting as you are never really told about all the "side-effects" (if that is even the right word) of pregnancy.
I'm so excited for you and really looking forward to following your pregnancy story – although sorry to hear the first stage hasn't been too much fun! You and I were pregnant at the same time (I think Henry is about a month older than Teddy) so your new pregnancy has made me feel very nostalgic as I enjoyed the majority of my pregnancy, although I do remember the spirit-crushing nausea; I also focused on the fact that it was a positive sign for the development of the baby. I have everything crossed for you and I look forward to the next update xx
Had the same experience during my first trimester. Happy to hear that you're feeling better, I know the feeling.
I've been following your past pregnancy stories and looking forward to following this one! Wishing for your and the baby's good health! xx
<3 Alex // http://www.lexidoodledoo.com
I'm sorry to hear that your first few months of pregnancy have been difficult, but glad to hear you're feeling better! I hope you can start to enjoy it more and get excited for the arrival of your little one 🙂
Lauren
http://en.emoi-emoi.com/
Seems like you are doing really well now and I really hope the rest of your pregnancy is more pleasant. Good luck with it all and enjoy the next couple of months when you feel the baby move and it just seems so much more real xx
Ah morning sickness is so awful, I could barely move when pregnant with Tiger. I threw up all day. I'm so pleased your feeling better x