First Trimester Pregnancy Sickness: What’s Actually Going On?
Personally, I found the term “morning sickness” unfair.
Because it doesn't just disappear after the morning. It can be there all morning, afternoon, evening and sometimes right through the night.
So who the hell came up with the term morning sickness? Probably a man.
The nausea. The dizziness. The feeling like you can't concentrate on anything.
All while you're trying to hide it from your friends and colleagues because apparently there's this weird rule that you're not supposed to tell anyone you're pregnant before 12 weeks.
Which, conveniently, is around the time when you're often feeling pretty fucking rough.
And that brings me to something I realised when I was pregnant:
There was A LOT of shit I didn't know about pregnancy, birth and parenthood.
I only really started learning about my body and hormones in my late 20s, after coming off hormonal contraception and getting to know my menstrual cycle.
I found it fascinating.
There were certain points in my cycle where I'd have loads of energy and want to do everything, and other times where I'd feel more tired and introverted.
Once I understood what was going on, I could actually work with my body instead of against it.
And I found the same thing when I started learning about pregnancy.
So what's actually going on during the first trimester?
Your body is doing A LOT.
The first trimester is a massive period of growth and change. Your hormones are shifting, your body is adapting to pregnancy and those tiny first cells are multiplying incredibly quickly.
By the end of the first trimester, your baby is around 5–6cm long and has already developed the basic structures that will continue to grow and mature throughout the rest of pregnancy.
Basically, your body has been absolutely flat out behind the scenes.
And understanding that actually gave me some comfort when I had pregnancy sickness.
I wasn't being dramatic.
I wasn't just being crap at coping.
My body was doing a massive job.
What can help with first trimester pregnancy sickness?
There isn't one magic thing that works for everyone. Unfortunately, you might have to have a bit of trial and error to figure out what works for you.
A few things you could try:
Ginger - I like chopping up fresh ginger and adding it to boiling water to make ginger tea. Some people swear by ginger biscuits too.
Rest when you need it - I know this isn't always easy, especially if you're working or you've already got kids. But if your body is telling you to slow down, listen to it where you can. Cancel the plans. Have the nap. Get into bed early.
Keep hydrated - Classic advice for basically every pregnancy problem, I know. But keeping your fluids up is important, especially if you're being sick.
Eat whatever you can actually stomach - Strong smells and flavours can become unbearable, so if you can only manage plain toast, cereal, crackers or whatever else sounds vaguely edible right now, don't beat yourself up about it.
And if you're struggling to keep food or fluids down, or your sickness is stopping you from doing your normal day-to-day stuff, speak to your midwife or GP. You don't just have to put up with it.
Why do we get pregnancy sickness anyway?
This is the bit I found really interesting.
I recently read in Rachel Reed's book Reclaiming Childbirth as a Rite of Passage about one evolutionary explanation for nausea and food aversions during pregnancy.
The idea is that they could help reduce our exposure to potentially harmful substances during early pregnancy, when the developing embryo is particularly vulnerable.
It's an evolutionary theory rather than a definite explanation, but I found this so interesting.
Pregnancy turned me into a massive birth nerd
I found the science behind pregnancy and birth FASCINATING when I was pregnant.
And that interest definitely didn't stop after I gave birth.
I'm now a massive birth nerd and love learning about how our bodies, hormones and brains all work during pregnancy and birth.
It's also a huge part of why I started teaching hypnobirthing in Glasgow.
Because I don't think you need to know every single thing about pregnancy and birth.
But I do think there's something really empowering about understanding what's happening in your body, knowing your options and feeling like you actually have a say in what happens to you.
If you're a pregnant Glasgow girl and want to learn more about your body, birth and your options, you can join me at my next free hypnobirthing taster session.
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