You could do all the reading in the world and watch all the pregnancy related videos in the world in preparation, but let me tell you that none truly prepares you for the experience of that first trimester. I had a particularly rough first trimester with some severe symptoms that were challenging to manoeuvre through, especially because the symptoms had to do with the most basic necessity of life – food.
For some context, I have to put it across that I have a lean body that isn’t very reliable when it comes to stamina. Food was never my strongest point; I was never a foodie, I am a vegetarian by religion and I always saw food as the means to survival so I ate just as much I required. This worsened terribly during the first trimester as I faced severe food aversion and couldn’t eat even as much as I used to. Allow me to break down the experience.
The symptoms began after the confirmation of the pregnancy at the doctor’s, i.e. around 1.5 months into the first trimester. It lasted until 3.5 months and then slowly started getting better. Two whole months of blissful food aversion and resultant gastritis.
Thankfully, I did not have the worst symptom – nausea and vomiting. I have thanked all the Gods for that; but that doesn’t mean vomiting wasn’t a thing at all. I’ll get to that.
Food aversion during the first trimester does three things to you – it makes you hate food and hunger, elevates your gastric issues to levels you didn’t know were possible, and thirdly, makes fatigue your constant companion. It truly was one of the lowest points of my life in terms of health; BUT thankfully there were ways to get through it and live to see a brighter day. So let me focus on that.
Managing food aversion
The internet and your doctor will tell you that taking small, frequent meals are the way to survive food aversion and vomiting in the first trimester. Yes, that’s the best solution but you’ll truly have to pick what you can get down your throat because the gag reflex is right there, every moment of the day. Thick fluids like soups and milk shakes worked best for me so I might have spent half my salary on those in the first trimester. Of course, most days I made them at home (with help of course) because that is an even better option. Hard food, especially rice was a hard pass. Fruits are easier to gulp down, especially bananas, and to some extent, pomegranates. I must have eaten 4-5 bananas a day at the time because that was what gave me at least somewhat durable energy. (I was also working as a teacher so you can imagine the nightmare of having to take classes while dealing with this.)
The doctor prescribed a medicine that helped me with the gag reflexes, but not much with the food aversion. I still hated food but at least I could force it down my throat without throwing up. Over-the-top medicine is the best way to manage the symptoms; home remedies only go a short way but apparently they’re safer. I was also prescribed iron and calcium supplements with folic acid so they must have contributed to my survival.
Gastritis during the first trimester
Food aversion naturally amplifies gastric issues in the body. Mine got as terrible as it possibly could – if you know about Pittha dosha, you’ll understand. The symptoms included severe heartburn in the mornings and evenings, throwing up (extremely) sour stuff that not only squeezed your gut but left an acidic taste in your mouth until the next day, and about 87 burps a day.
Managing gastritis was always a thing for me but this phase demanded more attention and medication. The doctor prescribed a syrup that helped a great deal with heartburn. However, for pittha dosha, I reverted to the good old Indian home remedy of soaking Kokum peel overnight in water and consuming it on an empty stomach in the morning (a very small quantity, like two-three sips). I consumed it every day for over a month to get a grip on the pittha refluxes.
Supplements like ginger water, ajwain (carom seeds), and drinking hot water throughout the day helped me manage the symptoms; but the syrup was the biggest, most reliable source of relief.
The chronic fatigue
Being tired is the most obvious consequence of being unable to eat. Though I managed fruits and thick fluids every now and then, the energy levels would drop rather fast considering that I worked during the first trimester and didn’t take much hard food. Evenings were the absolute worst – I was almost fully drained by the time I reached home from work and had no energy to even talk to people at home. I also experienced head spins a couple of times at work because my blood pressure would drop and I’d be dehydrated.
Unfortunately, there is no solution to fatigue other than rest. Thankfully, I could afford to take naps after work and sleep well enough at nights. I also had supportive colleagues who understood my need to rest and took up some of my work load. The doctor doesn’t prescribe anything for fatigue other than small frequent meals and plenty of rest – so your only way through is to manage that.
I realize that I might have sounded a little too dreadful documenting the journey through the first trimester. I agree that it was quite challenging and I cried myself to sleep when the pittha refluxes made me throw up my intestines and I had no energy for anything; but I wouldn’t give up the experience either. I was positive that it was a phase and would pass soon; and I kept telling myself that every day until that good day arrived. After 3.5 months, the food aversion eased and I am actually able to eat more than I used to before! There are food cravings too – which is new for me! The hardships of the first trimester are now a good story of endurance in my life. They showed me that I formerly distrusted and even mistreated my body a lot – but it stood by me and held me together when it was going through so much on its own growing a new person. I have reflected a whole lot on how I treated my body before this experience and how I must change – that’s a post for another day.
From my (little) experience so far, I can confidently claim that the two months of the first trimester are the hardest part of pregnancy. I know that some women have it worse than me and for some it is a cake walk – so don’t take this post as a lighthouse. I have simply documented my journey because there could be someone going through it exactly as me – and perhaps it could be helpful for them.
See you in the next one!
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