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First trimester discomfort

Pregnancy affects women differently and whilst some of my friends are sailing through theirs with little or no unpleasant symptoms I could never have been prepared for the awful nausea that I am experiencing.

I have felt sick - although not been sick - 24/7 from about week 4. It has been relentless and has been accompanied by a very strong aversion to many smells. Petrol, smoke, fried food and any cosmetic perfume smells - body cream, suncream, face cream, deodorants etc. I have had to put all my hair and body products away in a cupboard and resort to a bar of completely odourless vegetable soap!

Food shopping and preparation is like chinese torture for me - even looking at food on the shelves makes me want to gag but I force myself to shop very quickly and to eat very plain, healthy fruit, veg and fibre-rich foods. Fish - unfortunately has been the food that I haven't been able to stomach at all so I have substituted a drizzle of omega 3-6-9 blend oil on salads to try to make up for this deficiency.

If the nausea weren't enough on it's own, I have suffered from bloating and indigestion after every meal - making me look as though I'm in my second, not first trimester and making all my clothes redundant bar a couple of items! This has turned me into a champion burper and farter (beyond my ladylike control) -and my boyfriend's challenges pale into insignificance!

I have learned to eat little and often, which is hard because I often feel quite hungry and think that I would like a larger portion than my body can cope with. I also have to make sure that I've digested my last meal of the day by 6pm otherwise I have to sleep almost upright - even four hours later in order to digest it. I would like to say that exercise - swimming, walking etc helps. Let's just say that I wouldn't like to know what it might be like if I wasn't already doing these!

My final gripe as a fitness fanatic all my life is that no-one tells you how much your body is going to expand widthways. I have not put on any weight but I have put on inches on my bust - I have a cleavage for the first time in my life! My ribcage has expanded by three inches, my waist by four inches, and my hips I don't dare measure! There has been one compensation for all this suffering and this is seeing the baby at the first scan which is lovely - I was fascinated seeing it wriggle and move around. Still hard to believe that what you see on the screen is inside you!

My sympathy goes out to any of you suffering through your pregnancy - hang in there!


Clare

16 and overjoyed

Okay, I'm pregnant and 16 years old.

My boyfriend is wonderful, and he is trying so hard to get a job. You hear stories about teenage guys leaving as soon as they hear the word "pregnant" but not all guys are like that.

My parents were upset when I told them but they are taking it a lot better then I thought they would. We're all excited and I'm truly happy.

Kay

I know i am!

Well, I’m new to all of this first of all. So hello everyone. =] Anyways, well this is totally weird if you ask me... I have never had such weird feelings in my life! So here’s the scoop... about a month ago I started taking birth control, thinking it wouldn’t get me pregnant unless I was totally off of it and knew that I could.

Well, that obviously didn’t work very well. Because you see, the last few weeks probably about 4 weeks... I have been feeling so different and having such weird changes going on in my body. Very tired, nauseous, pains in my lower abdomen area, mood changes like crazy, going to the restroom a lot, and many more!

I have taken 2 home pregnancy tests and one urine test at a doctor. The first time I took one, it was after two weeks, and the next day I had spotting going on for about two days. Then, the next one I took was a week and a half ago, and it said negative. Then the urine test was the next day and still said negative!

I’m sooo surprised that none of them have said positive yet because I really, really honestly "feel" pregnant!!


Danielle

finally pregnant

In September 2006 I experienced a miscarriage in my 25th week. I was totally devastated to lose my son Preston. My story is posted under loss. After Preston died I desperately wanted to fill my empty arms, and for months I had been trying to get pregnant.

Two months ago I broke down at my dr's office and asked him for help. Unwillingly he prescribed Clomid. Through tons of prayers, obsession with ovulation observation and the Clomid I am happy to say I'm pregnant! I'm 5wks along and totally happy. My pregnancy is categorized as high risk because I have an incompetent cervix (this was discovered after the miscarriage) so I will have to get a cerclage.

This is the most blessed thing that has ever happened to me and I feel grateful for this miracle. I don't care about any of the symptoms that I'll experience over the next couple of months because I am just focused my goal of having my little angel in the next 35wks.

Ladies cherish this gift of life I fully intend to b/c I know what it feels like to lose something so precious. I intend to embrace every moment that I have with my angel.


kimmey

I guess I'm really fertile

I have two girls ages 2 1/2 and 3 1/2. I got pregnant with my first baby the first month after my husband and I were married. I got pregnant with my second after I stopped nursing my first on my first cycle, so I never even had a period.

My husband and I decided to try for a third. I had my IUD removed last Wednesday morning and we tried Wednesday night and it worked! I could feel the pregnancy the next morning! I could tell because I felt a burning and a tingling in my breasts and extreme fatigue and I have colostrom already.

I have another week until I can take a pregnancy test, but I already know I'm pregnant. The past few days I've felt cramping in my side and mild nausea almost nonstop.

I'm so thankful to be so fertile and to be blessed to have another baby.


kimmey