I found out I was pregnant right around the 4 week mark. The biggest indicator was missing my period. I was about a week late which wasn't normal for my cycle, so two days before Shane's 33rd birthday I decided to take a pregnancy test. To be honest, I really didn't think it was going to come back positive. I thought the stress and change of being home and in quarantine was maybe causing my hormones to fluctuate, buttttt... as we all know, I was clearly wrong, ha!
Weeks 4-7
Throughout weeks 4 and 5 I still felt pretty normal. I looked bloated and I had an insane appetite but other than that, things weren't too different. Week 6 was when I started to notice the biggest change in symptoms. I felt insanely exhausted, to the point where some days I couldn't do anything at all outside of a workout because the workout took every last ounce of energy out of me for the day. I also experienced extreme nausea during week 6 that lasted all day long, food aversions, weird cravings and excess saliva. I also started waking up at 6:00 AM on the dot on my own - goodbye to sleeping in. Week 7 looked about the same as week 6 without as intense of cravings. I was still craving things, but not as intensely. My eating habits have done a total 180. Those of you who know me, or who have spent significant time following my blog, know that I am big on eating healthy and actually enjoy finding healthy recipes and things to eat. Well, that has pretty much gone out the window so far. I am craving nothing but carbs and savory things and have probably doubled my daily carb intake. Foods I have loved and eaten for years make me want to gag at the moment, and the only thing that seems to settle the nausea are bagels and bread. I've struggled with this because my body type does not thrive off a high carb diet. I've spent years building muscle, toning, eating healthy and focusing on fueling my body with nutritious choices so it feels very unlike myself, but then again - pregnancy is a beautiful thing and I have to remind myself that I am blessed to be able to carry a healthy baby!
Weeks 8-11
Week 8 was still full of nausea, exhaustion, carb cravings, food aversions, and honestly - probably the toughest week for me so far. I wasn't able to workout a single day during this week, and spent most of it in my bed. I may or may not have had a slight meltdown born out of exhaustion and hormones and the fear of never getting some relief from the nausea, but Shane has been nothing short of an angel and really made me feel loved and supported when I needed it most. I also began to show a slight bump this week and my elastic waistband on my Lululemon tracker shorts were beginning to pull! Week 9 we went to the beach with a couple of our friends, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I actually felt the most like myself. I think the distraction really helped take my mind off of things which maybe eased up the nausea as well. I still experienced food aversions, especially towards meat, but I noticed if it was already cooked and in front of me I could manage to eat it and be okay with it. It was more the thought of meats and eggs that made me want to gag than it was actually eating it. I was able to do a few light workouts this week as well, although I'm out of breathe like I just ran a marathon after a mere walk down the beach, but nonetheless - i'll take it! Week 10 I experienced a couple days of the nausea and fatigue again but overall, things were looking on the up and up. Week 11 has been pretty good! I added a vitamin B complex supplement at the recommendations of my doctors which has helped my energy levels tremendously. I'm also finally sleeping better at night with less frequent trips to the bathroom, and am slowly starting to add back in some of the healthier foods I've loved for years without the gag effect. My diet is still so far from what it has been for so many years, but I feel hopeful that things will become more familiar for me in the second trimester.
We are so incredibly excited for this new chapter! Baby is dancing around nonstop, rubbing his/her face with both arms and hands and kicking it's legs all over the place. I think it's safe to say baby is as happy as a clam in there! Shane has only been able to attend 1 doctors visit with me so far due to COVID19 but we are hoping our clinic will start to consider support guests soon. Seeing our child on the ultrasound screen together and hearing the heart beat (176 the first time, 171 the second time) was by far the most surreal experience I've ever had in my entire life and filled my heart with more joy than I know how to describe. Here's to the next 28 weeks, we can't wait to meet you little Been!
SHOP THE POST:
