Pregnancy.... thoughts

[Kalika]

Ok, so, those of you who have read my posts know that I'm about 8 weeks pregnant. :)

But... I had a few questions, that no amount of books or websites or anything like that seem to be able to answer, even the doc says its "normal" - so I'm going to ask those of you here. (Don't you feel lucky??)

In the evenings, and all day on the weekends - I feel like crap. I mean, I don't have the typical "morning sickness" that others talk about - I don't actually get sick - I just feel sick.

Has anyone else experienced this? What did you do to make yourself feel better? I get tired of "resting" and want to move around!

I don't know if during the week, during the day, I am just able to put it out of my mind because I HAVE to go to work, or if my body is just programmed to only be affected on the weekends because I don't absolutely have to do anything... or what it is. But its frustrating, so I wondered if anyone else has gone through the same thing.

Also, I have been getting frequent headaches (also "normal") and was wondering if anyone had any "natural" suggestions to help ease these, or even prevent them, that wouldn't be harmful to the baby.

[Llewyth]

Rest as much as you can, because you need it. Listen to what your body is telling you. Don't try to go all super womany, because first things you'll know is you'll get post partum depression. Go with your gut feeling.

I used to feel blech all the time too. Not morning sickness; just general PMSiness. I suggest you take some rasberry leaf tea and some stinging nettle tea. It helped me tons for getting rid of the icky tired feeling. Plus it made everything pregnancy so much easier it was like night and day!

[Haruka2077]

I felt the same way for the first 2 or 3 months, just sick and tired all the time but not actually throwing up or anything. I don't have any advice but I know how you feel.

[djmixon]

Lavender for the headaches. . .oil rubbed on your temples or your big toes. . particularly the tip of your big toes.

As for feeling sick all the time. . .been there. My first had me sick all the time. I could hardly raise my head without being nauseated. It passes, but it feels like it goes on forever. Back then they had the salt-free/aspirin free Alka Seltzer. . .maybe some club soda or some flat 7Up would work.

Get your rest and take care.

Blessings,
Donna

[soilsigh aingeal]

First, Congratulations!

I had the sick feeling to through my second trimester, I was so let down when I past my 13th week and I still felt sick all the time. Find something that will make your belly stop hurting, usually some kind of food or candy, find it and use it. I hear that peppermint is good for it. That gives me migraines though so it was out the window for me, my "cure" was sour candy. I always had it with me. They also have those "preggie pops" I never tried them but I know people who did use them and they worked for them. I recently saw them in Babies r Us.

For the headaches, I agree with djmixon, lavender. Also, try chewing gum.

You'll *know* if something's not "normal" hang in there :hugz:

[Bec_W]

I'm about 9 weeks pregnant and I feel bad at night. Eating used to help, not eating makes it worse. I feel full and bloated and just generally uncomfortable. I've been getting headaches too, though not as bad as the ones I used to get so I've been trying to ignore them and not take anything. I'm a lot of help aren't I? You could try cold compresses for your headaches, they work for some people but not for others.

[Aowyn]

Iwas in your boat this time last year, congratulations and my sympathies as well. If you can find one get a lavender eye pillow, besides smelling really good the one a friend gave me was super good at helping me fall off to sleep. Sleep is your friend my dear I know its a pain in the ass but you will be missing it in about 7 months actually prolly a little sooner when you get to the ginormous belly stage and can't seem to get comfy no matter what you do. If you have any video games that you have been meaning to finish I suggest you do so now because they will be sitting once your little one arrives (they might help take your mind off the achiness as well) good luck.
:colorful:

[Kalika]

I'm about 9 weeks pregnant and I feel bad at night. Eating used to help, not eating makes it worse. I feel full and bloated and just generally uncomfortable. I've been getting headaches too, though not as bad as the ones I used to get so I've been trying to ignore them and not take anything. I'm a lot of help aren't I? You could try cold compresses for your headaches, they work for some people but not for others.
Hey, we'd have to be due pretty close together! :) My date is March 2nd as of right now, what's yours??



Iwas in your boat this time last year, congratulations and my sympathies as well. If you can find one get a lavender eye pillow, besides smelling really good the one a friend gave me was super good at helping me fall off to sleep. Sleep is your friend my dear I know its a pain in the ass but you will be missing it in about 7 months actually prolly a little sooner when you get to the ginormous belly stage and can't seem to get comfy no matter what you do. If you have any video games that you have been meaning to finish I suggest you do so now because they will be sitting once your little one arrives (they might help take your mind off the achiness as well) good luck.


Yeah... video games... good idea! I can sit on the couch and do that. :p


First, Congratulations!

I had the sick feeling to through my second trimester, I was so let down when I past my 13th week and I still felt sick all the time. Find something that will make your belly stop hurting, usually some kind of food or candy, find it and use it. I hear that peppermint is good for it. That gives me migraines though so it was out the window for me, my "cure" was sour candy. I always had it with me. They also have those "preggie pops" I never tried them but I know people who did use them and they worked for them. I recently saw them in Babies r Us.

For the headaches, I agree with djmixon, lavender. Also, try chewing gum.

You'll *know* if something's not "normal" hang in there

Thank you. :)
I've been craving sweets... moreso than usual. And I can eat/drink the weirdest things together, and its so good. Makes my SO gag, so its kinda funny. Like cheese and carrots and orange juice. :lol:

Lavender for the headaches. . .oil rubbed on your temples or your big toes. . particularly the tip of your big toes.

As for feeling sick all the time. . .been there. My first had me sick all the time. I could hardly raise my head without being nauseated. It passes, but it feels like it goes on forever. Back then they had the salt-free/aspirin free Alka Seltzer. . .maybe some club soda or some flat 7Up would work.

Get your rest and take care.

Blessings,
Donna

I dunno about the flat 7 up deal.. the thought makes me go "Icky" but maybe its worth a shot! I've heard others say that flat soda works well for them. :) Hopefully only have to deal w/ another month or so... here's hoping things look up after this anyways!!

I felt the same way for the first 2 or 3 months, just sick and tired all the time but not actually throwing up or anything. I don't have any advice but I know how you feel.

:hugz: Thanks!

Rest as much as you can, because you need it. Listen to what your body is telling you. Don't try to go all super womany, because first things you'll know is you'll get post partum depression. Go with your gut feeling.

I used to feel blech all the time too. Not morning sickness; just general PMSiness. I suggest you take some rasberry leaf tea and some stinging nettle tea. It helped me tons for getting rid of the icky tired feeling. Plus it made everything pregnancy so much easier it was like night and day!

Is it OK to drink herbal teas? Alot of things I have read say to steer clear of herbal teas, and even green tea....

[Llewyth]

Is it OK to drink herbal teas? Alot of things I have read say to steer clear of herbal teas, and even green tea....

Some are, some aren't. Rasberry and nettles are fine and make a huge difference in helping with your particular problems. I have a diploma in phytotherapy BTW and I had one pregnancy no herbs and one pregnancy with. I wouldn't do another without herbs!

[Temair]

This may sound conterintuitive, but have you tried exercising in the evenings and on weekends to pep yourself up a bit? Nothing fancy, just go for a walk in the cool evening air. It can work wonders. Too much rest can bring about the same symptoms as not enough rest, so examine your sleep schedule carefully. Do you go to bed at the same time every night, weekends too? Do you get up at the same time every morning, weekends too? I'm sure by now you know how many hours of sleep are ideal for you - mine happens to be about 7 hours a night. When I was pregnant, it was 9. But I felt yucky all day if I slept for 12 or 13 hours a day, too. Set a regular sleep schedule for yourself and you will find your body is more cooperative.

I strongly recommend raspberry leaf and nettles also. For my fourth child, my midwife recommended nettles to prevent some problems I had had with previous deliveries, and it worked beautifully. If I have any more children, I will definitely drink nettle leaf tea again. I am fortunate in that two of the three midwives at my hospital are very knowledgable in herbs. I don't know about the third. I also know that my community is a bit more progressive when it comes to medicine and religion, etc. Seek out someone knowledgeable and get their advice on what herbs to take. Definitely stay away from pennyroyal and tansy. Those are the two I know of off the top of my head.

From _The Green Witch Herbal_ by Barbara Griggs:
"If you suffer from regular bouts of nausea, take one of the following simple remedies to help relieve it. But it is important, too, to try and work out just what is causing the nausea: alcohol, nicotine, and the caffeine in tea, coffee, and cola drinks are obvious suspects. Eliminate food additives, as far as possible, particularly coloring and artificial sweeteners. Better still, try to avoid processed foods. On mornings when nausea is severe, recall what you ate for dinner the night before or during the day. If necessary, take extra B-complex.
"Chamomile, peppermint, or linden flower tea can all be useful; add a touch of grated ginger root to enhance the effect.
"Fennel seed tea is excellent for both menstrual and pregnancy problems. Pour 2 cupfuls of boiling water over a teaspoon of the crushed seeds, infuse covered for 10 minutes."

It also says that morning sickness can be a signal that your liver functionis defective, possibly because of a deficiency in B-complex vitamins, and it can be "a symptom of excessive acidity in the system: if you crave acidic - but alkalizing - fruits such as lemon or grapefruit, or sour foods such as sauerkraut, this is almost certainly true for you. Reduce your intake of acid-forming foods such as white flour (whole grains are much less acid-forming); white sugar, and sugary foods such as cakes, cookies, and soft drinks. Eat fish rather than meat, fruit, and plenty of fresh vegetables. Umeboshi plums, sold in health-food stores that stock macrobiotic foods, are very alkalizing - and very sour! Chew them, or simmer them in bancha tea and sip the tea. Seaweeds are also highly alkalizing.
"Chew plenty of fresh sesame seeds, too; they are rich in nutrients vital to pregnant women, and alkalizing mineral salts. Add them to the muesli you soak overnight for breakfast. Instead of plain salt - which may give rise to fluid retention - use gomasio, the salt-and-sesame mix sold in health food stores." Page 129

Sorry this is so long, but I wanted to share the info.

[Valkie]

rassberry leaf tea is also suppose to be great for milk production after birth.

I also had the constant tired, icky, drained symptoms. I couldn't get the energy up to do the simplest house chores... it just all around sucks. I found that carbs helped alot, and an empty stomache is the worst. Having a lot of small meals, rather than 3 big ones helps too. I also felt tons better if I spent more time outside... something about the fresh air and sunshine I guess. Rest often, but be sure to get some excercize in. Your body needs time to adjust to the changes that it's going through but you don't want your muscles to get weak. I had to force myself to do it for months, but it's still needed.

[Amethyst Rose]

Everyone's had some great advice. Try eating smaller meals, no processed food...lots of fruits and veggies. Candied ginger can help with your stomach. I felt yucky throughout the day until I was 9 weeks along...the only think that seemed to help me was to never get an empty stomach.

As for headaches, I had them too, but at the time I was in the Caribbean and there were no natural remedies available for me. My OB there said that tylenol is safe to take during pregnancy.

Herbal teas.... the nurse that taught my Prenatal class said that raspberry leaf, chamomile and green leaf tea is fine for pregnancy. Stay away from black or blue cohosh and licorish root.

[FlyingBear]

Absolutely listen to your body. Get as much rest as you can and drink a lot of water!

For me, I took red raspberry leaf, red clover tops and evening primose oil. I also swam constantly and got chiropractic care two-three times a week.

[Hærfest Leah]

You will feel crummy lots of times during your pregnancy. With my 1st I felt sick lots and never actually did get sick. This time I drank apple cinnamon lipton hot teas and those helped on the quesiness lots. For the headaches, it is safe for you to take tylenol. I had them bad this time and mostly tylenol didn't work, the OB says there nothing you can do but go in and them to give you something more but you have to do that every time that you just have to bear them. I am 25 weeks with our second and the exhaustion has set back in. I feel you .

[purplefaery]

I think you are right about just putting it out of your mind and only being sick on the weekend. I did the same thing with all three of mine and the more i did on the weeked the better i felt. first off the baby is used to being jostled around during the week andmay feel uneasy when its not on the weekend causeing you to feel nausiated. also the more you move the easier labor will be. as for the sick feeling i found that cutting up a lemon and carrying it around in a sealed container worked wonders. when i started feeling really sick i just tookit out and took a whiff of the citrus smell and it calmed my stomach. works with throwing up to. a friend of mine tried it with oranges and said it worked better than the lemons for her so try something citrisy and see if that helps.

[Autumn]

Generally morning sickness, when it's mild, is simply the body's response to the extra hormones and in most women it eases as the hormones change into the second trimester. When you feel punk eat, but beware of too many fluids with a meal, drink your water in between meals. also beware of fatty things...in many cases they may make you feel woozie. If it's so mild you can ignore it at work you might want to try the sea bands, follow the directions carefully and congradulations on becoming a mommy!

[Kalika]

Thank you for all the wonderful advice! :)

I bought some "pregnancy tea" last night that has both nettle and raspberry in it, so I'm hoping that will help some.

I made myself get up and around and do some housework yesterday... and I did feel a little better - its just getting motivated to get up... :p