For the past 4-5 years I’ve been a fairly strong-willed person that can easily maintain my discipline when it comes to fitness, food and overall well-being. Well, my first trimester of pregnancy has proven otherwise. This is probably just me being inexperienced, but I figured/hoped I’d glide through pregnancy without gaining any unnecessary weight and would maintain a healthy diet (with no fatty cravings) that would provide the nourishment that this grown babe needs. That plan was all well and good until I hit week 5 and my body realized it was pregnant. Here are the symptoms that have surprised me the most (I wrote this at week 7 and I’m now at week 14, just fyi):
1. So Sleepy. I’m so darn tired and it’s driving me crazy! Morning workouts have become much more difficult because I’d rather sleep than wake up at 4:45 for a 5:30 class. Tom has definitely left me at home more than once because I just could not get out of bed.
2. Vegetable Aversion. I LOVE vegetables and eating healthy things. But now the thought of a vegetable turns my stomach. I can’t even think about lettuce or broccoli without almost gagging. This makes eating healthy much more difficult…especially when coupled with symptom 3.
3. Unrelenting Carnivore. I can’t get enough meat. Yesterday, for example: I had a cheeseburger for lunch and ribs for dinner. What is going on with me? I never eat like this! (Well I do on occasion, but not often two meals in a row.) Plus my favorite staples of French bread, parmesan cheese, tomatoes, avocado, eggplant and eggs all sound like horrible, nasty ideas right now. I don’t know what’s going on with me!
4. Lack of Morning Sickness. Here’s a good surprise! I expected to struggle with true morning sickness, but I actually feel fine most of the time. The only time my stomach truly bothers me is if I have to think about what I want to eat, and the rest of the time I just have this little knot-feeling in my stomach that just feels a bit more sensitive than it normally does.
5. Motivation to Exercise is Waning. I struggle with lack of motivation from time to time, but never like this. I still manage to get to the gym a few times a week, but it’s a bigger battle than I’m used to. Naturally, I feel so much better after working out, but it’s hard to convince myself to go. I had hoped I’d be the pregnant lady killing it on the treadmill or at spin class day after day, but at this point I’m just not that girl. Maybe 2nd trimester will be better! I’m hoping to get the energy boost I hear so much about.
It’s still quite surreal that we are expecting a baby. I’ve always wanted to be a mom and it’s something I’ve thought about constantly since I was a child, so now that this whole pregnancy thing is finally here I just can’t quite wrap my head around it. Am I going to be a good mom? Do I want to cloth diaper? Will I know what to do? How will I love something as much as they say you’re supposed to love your baby? I’ve always been a shy and private person and I didn’t have my first boyfriend until I was almost 18 years old. I didn’t know how to show emotion and I felt that outwardly showing love and feelings made you vulnerable so I kept myself closed off because I didn’t want people to see me open up. Will I be able to love this child so fully that I won’t care who sees it? I’m sure that as I start getting a “bump” and once I actually see the ultrasound things will start feeling real, but at this point it’s such an abstract thought. All of that being said, I’m so happy to be on this journey with my husband, and I feel very blessed that God has given me the opportunity to be a mother!
Note: I’m now at week 14 and in my second trimester (hooray!). I’m almost back to my healthy pre-pregnancy diet (minus the booze, of course), although a few certain veggies still make me want to gag. I feel great exercising again too, praise the Lord!
Feeling great at 13 weeks pregnant! I managed to run a sub-2 hour half marathon and felt fabulous the whole time. I’m so happy to have my energy and motivation back!
Thank you Sarah. And congrats on your accomplishment! 2:58 is great, especially for your first one! If you decide to do another one I'm sure you'll drop more time now that you know what it's like. I've been running them for over 12 years now so it's mostly muscle memory at this point 🙂 I'm just glad my bladder cooperated because it seems like I have to go ALL THE TIME now lol.
Oh, Kate! You will be the most wonderful mother! The love I felt for you, and then your brother Nathan, blew me away. As Claire said, it’s one of the hardest jobs you’ll ever do, yet one of the most rewarding! It’s a love that takes your breath away. You, my dear, still take my breath away. I love you! Momma P. S. When I was pregnant with you the idea of anything leafy and green made me gag! Ha!
The answers. Yes. No. Yes. Don't know where it comes from, but the love comes, in crazy amounts once that baby is in your arms. You will love that baby in a way you cannot comprehend. It happens. And it is joyous! And it never stops, as mine are 25 and 27 and I think I love them more every day! Enjoy every moment!
I also had an aversion to leafy greens in my first trimester and thankfully it didn't last! The exhaustion will pass too. And you will be a great mom! The fact that you are already wondering about that shows how much you care. Motherhood is HARD, the hardest thing you'll ever do, but it is also so rewarding. When Baby V is born, you'll have so much love you won't even be able to put it into words. Seeing the ultrasound (and hearing your baby's heartbeat) will make it feel real, and so will feeling that baby kick!
So excited for you. And holy cow on the half marathon. I just ran one yesterday, and dragged myself in at 2:58, and felt super accomplished. You're pregnant and doing it under 2? Amazing!!
Thank you Sarah. And congrats on your accomplishment! 2:58 is great, especially for your first one! If you decide to do another one I'm sure you'll drop more time now that you know what it's like. I've been running them for over 12 years now so it's mostly muscle memory at this point 🙂 I'm just glad my bladder cooperated because it seems like I have to go ALL THE TIME now lol.
Oh, Kate! You will be the most wonderful mother! The love I felt for you, and then your brother Nathan, blew me away. As Claire said, it’s one of the hardest jobs you’ll ever do, yet one of the most rewarding! It’s a love that takes your breath away. You, my dear, still take my breath away. I love you!
Momma
P. S. When I was pregnant with you the idea of anything leafy and green made me gag! Ha!
The answers. Yes. No. Yes. Don't know where it comes from, but the love comes, in crazy amounts once that baby is in your arms. You will love that baby in a way you cannot comprehend. It happens. And it is joyous! And it never stops, as mine are 25 and 27 and I think I love them more every day! Enjoy every moment!
I also had an aversion to leafy greens in my first trimester and thankfully it didn't last! The exhaustion will pass too. And you will be a great mom! The fact that you are already wondering about that shows how much you care. Motherhood is HARD, the hardest thing you'll ever do, but it is also so rewarding. When Baby V is born, you'll have so much love you won't even be able to put it into words. Seeing the ultrasound (and hearing your baby's heartbeat) will make it feel real, and so will feeling that baby kick!
So excited for you. And holy cow on the half marathon. I just ran one yesterday, and dragged myself in at 2:58, and felt super accomplished. You're pregnant and doing it under 2? Amazing!!
Love you Momma!