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My Experience with My First Pregnancy
Hello, everyone!
As some of you may already know, I had a life-changing experience happen recently by becoming a mommy to a sweet little boy named Kayden! He has changed our world and brought so much joy into our lives. With that said, today I am recalling all three trimesters of pregnancy and spilling all the details of the ups and downs, including what worked for me and what didn't.
With the beginning of pregnancy, there comes the EXCITEMENT! Malick and I were on cloud nine when we found out we were expecting. We couldn't wait to tell our friends and family and announce that we were going to parents. It is definitely a time to remember and cherish. It is something that can't be described in words, and we are blessed to have experienced such a beautiful milestone in life!
If you follow me on Instagram, @farhfromordinary, then you already know my first trimester was filled with nausea and morning sickness. I want to say it started as early as 5 weeks. When I say morning sickness, what I really mean is ALL DAY sickness. The nausea and vomiting were awful, becoming so severe that I would throw up every single day, and it was really affecting my day-to-day life. The first thing that helped me cope with the nausea was eating constant small meals throughout the day. I noticed that when my stomach was empty and I was hungry, the nausea would be worse. I always ate something before getting out of bed, so I always kept snacks like granola bars and crackers in my nightstand. They also came in handy in the middle of the night. I tried everything for relief, including pregnancy lollipops, wrist bands, teas, and more. The only things that gave me relief was ginger ale, small meals, staying hydrated, cold smoothies, wearing loose clothes, ginger chews, and sleeping.
Thinking back, I also remember the first trimester as being the hardest. It was a big adjustment for my body to begin experiencing all of the changes and increases in hormones that it did. Not only did I have constant nausea and vomiting but I also experienced extreme fatigue. I would be so tired that I didn't have any energy left, which made everything feel more challenging.
These are weeks 14-27 and often referred to as the honeymoon phase ; for me, it was exactly that. The second trimester was by far the easiest and where I felt my best throughout pregnancy. We moved into a new home during this time, and I'm so glad this timing worked because if it happened during any other trimester, it would have been much harder for me. I got a lot of my energy back during the second trimester, and it helped me in getting the house together before the baby arrived.
My nausea subsided and I started to have much more of an appetite. My appetite was lighter, as my belly was not as big yet, which made moving around and doing day-to-day activities much easier. My second trimester was also when the pandemic broke out and quarantine was in full effect. That time allowed us to get everything in our home and nursery prepped and ready for Kayden's arrival.
Due to the pandemic, Malick was no longer allowed at my appointments, which was very upsetting because I really wanted him to be there with me. If the pandemic wasn't an issue, we would have gone on our baby moon during the second trimester, too, however, that was cancelled for obvious reasons.
I was very active my second trimester and I would walk about 1.5 miles every day with ease. This exercise helped with leg pain and round ligament pain. The doctor recommended listening to my body and doing what I could, so that's what I did. As far as cravings in the second trimester, I really liked shrimp, pizza, mozzarella sticks, bubble tea, and ice cream. Trust me when I say: whatever you can keep down, eat it!
The final stretch! The third trimester seemed like it went by slowly, possibly because I could not do a lot of the same things that I used to do. At the very beginning of my third trimester, at 29 weeks along, I experienced pre-term labor contractions due to dehydration. One night after vomiting for hours, I started to experience severe abdominal pain. At first, it felt like the round ligament pain I was having all throughout my pregnancy, but Malick and I went to the hospital just to be sure.
At the hospital, the pain was diagnosed as pre-term labor contractions that were two minutes apart and due to dehydration. They gave me an IV and a series of steroid injections, just in case the baby were to come early which luckily wasn't the case. They kept me in the hospital for a few nights to make sure my contractions didn't return, and to continue to monitor the situation. From there on out, I was advised to take it very easy. I stopped taking long walks but tried to stay active with regular daily activity. My cravings did change, and all I wanted were popsicles, ice cream and cold, raw veggies during the final trimester.
All in all, each trimester was very different and that's what I expected after researching and talking to close family and friends. Just make sure to always listen to your body, and to take it easy when you feel like you need to!
Farheen Valliani
Follow me on Instagram
Follow my blog
My name is Farheen and I am a Chicago-based lifestyle blogger, @farhfromordinary. I am a research and development scientist by day, and started my blog as a creative outlook/hobby 6 years ago! My blog shares all aspects of my life through my page with focuses on fashion, home decor, travel, beauty, and now the journey of pregnancy.
As some of you may already know, I had a life-changing experience happen recently by becoming a mommy to a sweet little boy named Kayden! He has changed our world and brought so much joy into our lives. With that said, today I am recalling all three trimesters of pregnancy and spilling all the details of the ups and downs, including what worked for me and what didn't.
First trimester:
With the beginning of pregnancy, there comes the EXCITEMENT! Malick and I were on cloud nine when we found out we were expecting. We couldn't wait to tell our friends and family and announce that we were going to parents. It is definitely a time to remember and cherish. It is something that can't be described in words, and we are blessed to have experienced such a beautiful milestone in life!
If you follow me on Instagram, @farhfromordinary, then you already know my first trimester was filled with nausea and morning sickness. I want to say it started as early as 5 weeks. When I say morning sickness, what I really mean is ALL DAY sickness. The nausea and vomiting were awful, becoming so severe that I would throw up every single day, and it was really affecting my day-to-day life. The first thing that helped me cope with the nausea was eating constant small meals throughout the day. I noticed that when my stomach was empty and I was hungry, the nausea would be worse. I always ate something before getting out of bed, so I always kept snacks like granola bars and crackers in my nightstand. They also came in handy in the middle of the night. I tried everything for relief, including pregnancy lollipops, wrist bands, teas, and more. The only things that gave me relief was ginger ale, small meals, staying hydrated, cold smoothies, wearing loose clothes, ginger chews, and sleeping.
Thinking back, I also remember the first trimester as being the hardest. It was a big adjustment for my body to begin experiencing all of the changes and increases in hormones that it did. Not only did I have constant nausea and vomiting but I also experienced extreme fatigue. I would be so tired that I didn't have any energy left, which made everything feel more challenging.
Second trimester:
These are weeks 14-27 and often referred to as the honeymoon phase ; for me, it was exactly that. The second trimester was by far the easiest and where I felt my best throughout pregnancy. We moved into a new home during this time, and I'm so glad this timing worked because if it happened during any other trimester, it would have been much harder for me. I got a lot of my energy back during the second trimester, and it helped me in getting the house together before the baby arrived.
My nausea subsided and I started to have much more of an appetite. My appetite was lighter, as my belly was not as big yet, which made moving around and doing day-to-day activities much easier. My second trimester was also when the pandemic broke out and quarantine was in full effect. That time allowed us to get everything in our home and nursery prepped and ready for Kayden's arrival.
Due to the pandemic, Malick was no longer allowed at my appointments, which was very upsetting because I really wanted him to be there with me. If the pandemic wasn't an issue, we would have gone on our baby moon during the second trimester, too, however, that was cancelled for obvious reasons.
I was very active my second trimester and I would walk about 1.5 miles every day with ease. This exercise helped with leg pain and round ligament pain. The doctor recommended listening to my body and doing what I could, so that's what I did. As far as cravings in the second trimester, I really liked shrimp, pizza, mozzarella sticks, bubble tea, and ice cream. Trust me when I say: whatever you can keep down, eat it!
Third trimester:
The final stretch! The third trimester seemed like it went by slowly, possibly because I could not do a lot of the same things that I used to do. At the very beginning of my third trimester, at 29 weeks along, I experienced pre-term labor contractions due to dehydration. One night after vomiting for hours, I started to experience severe abdominal pain. At first, it felt like the round ligament pain I was having all throughout my pregnancy, but Malick and I went to the hospital just to be sure.
At the hospital, the pain was diagnosed as pre-term labor contractions that were two minutes apart and due to dehydration. They gave me an IV and a series of steroid injections, just in case the baby were to come early which luckily wasn't the case. They kept me in the hospital for a few nights to make sure my contractions didn't return, and to continue to monitor the situation. From there on out, I was advised to take it very easy. I stopped taking long walks but tried to stay active with regular daily activity. My cravings did change, and all I wanted were popsicles, ice cream and cold, raw veggies during the final trimester.
All in all, each trimester was very different and that's what I expected after researching and talking to close family and friends. Just make sure to always listen to your body, and to take it easy when you feel like you need to!
About the author:
Farheen Valliani
Follow me on Instagram
Follow my blog
My name is Farheen and I am a Chicago-based lifestyle blogger, @farhfromordinary. I am a research and development scientist by day, and started my blog as a creative outlook/hobby 6 years ago! My blog shares all aspects of my life through my page with focuses on fashion, home decor, travel, beauty, and now the journey of pregnancy.