I had dreams of being the most perfect pregnant lady ever. You know, the one who gets dressed in a cute outfit every day, whose skin GLOWS, and who has the cutest bump without any added weight anywhere else? (I verbally laughed while writing this).

After about 4 days of knowing that I was pregnant- I was overtaken with nausea and fatigue... Nobody warned me about these first-trimester woes so I'm here to help anyone and everyone I can.

If you are feeling disgusting 100% of the time, you are not alone. I was blown away by the amount of women who went through the same thing, and honestly, nothing can prepare you for it. But I did find some tricks that worked for me and I want to share them with you! (for my first pregnancy I was nauseous from 7-16 weeks and my second one hit even harder from 5-20 weeks)

1. Eat often. The second you start to feel hungry is when the nausea will consume you. So keep snacks handy and eat even when you don't want to. *Also, eat whatever the heck you want because it's hard, and nobody needs the pressure of a perfect diet.

2. Eat protein. This took me about 4 weeks to figure out, but as soon as I started to eat the protein (and I mean literally gag it down because all types of protein were absolutely repulsive), I felt so much better.

3. Essential Oils: Specifically, Ginger essential oil is an amazing natural remedy for nausea and morning sickness. Essential Oils like ginger can be diffused into the air with a diffuser, or rubbed onto pressure points on your forehead and wrists, or even rubbed directly on your stomach to improve nausea! I also carried around Lemon essential oil because just a sniff of it could make the gagging go away. *Make sure you are buying quality oils or they truly won't do the job- my favorite is Young Living.

4. Take prenatal vitamins at night. For the first few weeks, I dreaded this so much. I took 3 prenatal pills, vitamin D and DHA, and those 5 pills were the death of me. They left me feeling disgusting and barely able to drift off to sleep.

5. Keep snacks by your bed. I had Pringles, Goldfish, and Cheerios all on my makeshift nightstand so that if I woke up in the middle of the night, I had snacks, and as soon as I opened my eyes for the day, I would grab a handful.

6. Distract yourself. Whether it was during the day, I distracted myself with friends or events, and at night, I distracted myself with binge-watching Vampire Diaries. If I tried to just fall asleep lying there, it would feel like I was floating away in the waves and would surely vomit up my vitamins.

7. Stay Hydrated. Drinking plain water not only feels impossible when you're sick but is also not great for you. Instead, try adding LMNT for added nutrients and electrolytes (plus its flavor makes it so much easier to drink). Also, stock up on my favorite NingXia antioxidant drink that will support your body (and pregnancy) in so many ways. And when in doubt.. + ICE! The cold makes it just a bit more bearable.

8. Easy Tricks. Wearing sea bands like these that are available on Amazon for super cheap might be a life-saver for nausea. I use them in the car to avoid being car sick, but unfortunately, they didn't work for my morning sickness. They have helped thousands of other women, so hopefully, they help you! Another quick trick is laying on your left side, when in doubt this relieved my symptoms (and helped me rest).

9. Sour flavors save the day. This took me way too long to figure out, but at about week 11, I realized that Preggo Pops, lemonade, fruit roll-ups, citrus, sorbet, and anything else with a sour taste IMMEDIATELY relieved my symptoms.

10. Unisom, B6 vitamin, and Ginger. These were all HIGHLY recommended. I took B6 and Unisom daily during my second pregnancy because it was the only way I could survive- eventually, I was able to take less and less of the dose. But be open with your doctor and let them know if things become too much because there are options for medicated relief.

Or, have someone else remind you. It is INSANE what your body is doing, so rest, be proud of yourself, and focus on the incredible accomplishments that your body does every day. ( I loved the "What to Expect" App because it broke down what was happening inside of my body which allowed me to really appreciate things).

I was lucky enough to have the support of hundreds of thousands of women, sharing their tips and tricks and figuring out what works best to share with you. I truly hope that you find something that makes this time a bit more bearable!

Always, Jess

P.S. If you are looking for more helpful resources to support you on this beautiful journey, grab my New Mom Bundle which contains 11 customizable PDF checklists to help you feel confident and organized in labor, birth, and beyond. And give my blog post Not so Basic Ways to Feel Prepared as a First Time Mom a read!

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