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As you go through pregnancy you’ll have an ever changing array of things to complain about from morning sickness during your first trimester, to constipation during your second, and lots of aches and pains in your third trimester. Luckily, much of pregnancy is enjoyable and while you do have to suffer through a few things you are doing it all because of the little life that is growing inside of you which makes it all worth it.
The first trimester can be difficult for a lot of women. You aren’t showing yet, you may not have told very many people about the pregnancy so you are likely suffering through the rough early months alone and having to answer a lot of questions about why you aren’t feeling well with an answer that doesn’t give away the “real” reason. Don’t worry through, the first trimester will be over before you know it and then you will be on to the much easier second trimester (often referred to as the honeymoon trimester).
There are a few things you can do to help ease some of the common complaints of the first trimester:
Fatigue: feeling fatigued and always tired is common during the first trimester. The best way to deal with this symptom is to get more sleep. Listen to your body and do what you can to get that needed extra sleep. Take naps during the day, go to bed early, sleep-in in the morning if you can. As your body adjusts to the changes taking place and you enter your second trimester many women find they are no longer as tired.
Frequent Urination: Having to go to the bathroom all the time is probably one of the most common symptoms of pregnancy and something that many people (pregnant) or not associate with pregnancy. Frequent urination is often one of the earliest signs of pregnancy. It is important to get plenty of fluids during the day while you are pregnant, however, you can watch that you don’t drink too much before bed so you don’t interrupt your much needed sleep.
Morning Sickness: The most common and probably the most annoying early pregnancy symptom, morning sickness can put a real damper on those first few months. There are varying degrees of morning sickness. Some women may find they are only slightly nauseous, others will have full on vomiting several times a day. Morning sickness can happen any time of the day (not very aptly named) and is due to the hormonal changes taking place in your body. The triggers of morning sickness very for some having an empty stomach will trigger it, for others it will be the smell or taste of certain foods, for others lack of sleep can be a trigger as well. A few things you can do to help curb morning sickness include:
- Eat several small, healthy meals throughout the day.
- If you know a particular food or drink is a trigger avoid it when possible.
- Take your prenatal vitamin before bed instead of in the morning.
- Try to avoid skipping meals if you can.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Eat dry crackers when you first wake up, before you even sit up.
As I mentioned above these symptoms will pass and you’ll be on to something new. With each trimester you’ll find a whole new list of complaints, but remember why you are doing this and what the end result will be, it’ll help make it all seem worth it.
If you have any concerns about anything you are experiencing during you pregnancy be sure to talk to your prenatal caregiver.
Many parents turn to the internet as a source for information when it comes to raising their children. Between searching for tips on potty training, information about illnesses and medications, the best ways to teach your children throughout the various stages of their lives, good family recipes, and fun places to take your families the internet provides a ton of information for parents. There is a ton of information out there, some great and some not so great, it can be hard to weed through it all.
Online Nursing Programs.net has complied a list of what they believe are the 100 best blogs for healthy parents. I am honored that Let’s Talk Babies has been included in the list as one of the top blogs regarding pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding. Be sure to stop by and check out the rest of the list, there are some very useful websites on the list filled with tons of information for helping you raise your family.
With the holidays right around the corner many of us will be loading our families into the car for holiday vacations, trips to see family, or just little get aways. If you have a child with car sickness you know that the trip (at the car ride part of it) isn’t going to be much fun. Kids can have a hard time in the car for long periods of time as it is, if you add motion sickness to the mix you are bound to end up with a big, meltdown filled mess on your hands. Making the ride a smooth one, free of motion sickness will mean everyone arrives safely and sanely at the destination.
Here are a few things you can do to help your child curb their car sickness:
- If you know your child suffers from severe motion sickness talk to your child’s pediatrician about giving your child an over-the-counter medication, like dramamine, to help with their nausea before it sets in.
- Before you head out the door offer your child some low-sugar, high-carb snacks such as crackers.
- Bring along water, ginger ale and green apples for your child to eat in the car to help keep their motion sickness at bay.
- Make sure your child gets plenty of fresh air by cracking the windows for them and making frequent stops where they can get out stretch and breath some fresh air.
- Make sure the car and your child are not too hot. Don’t blast the heat and make sure your child is dress appropriately for the temperature in the car.
- Your child that suffers from car sickness should sit in the middle back seat so that he or she can clearly see the road ahead. Watch what’s coming and keep his or her eyes forward will help ease motion sickness.
- If your child is prone to motion sickness skip the books and movies, these will just contribute too and possibly make their motion sickness worse.
- Help keep your child’s mind of their car sickness by engaging them in games, turning up the radio and singing along to the music together.
If your child suffers from motion sickness he or she is likely to be miserable throughout the car ride, just do what you can to help ease their symptoms, distract them from their nausea and make the trip as tolerable as possible.
My husband and I both suffer from motion sickness, it sucks. Luckily my daughter hasn’t shows any signs of being prone to car sickness yet. Hopefully it stays that way, but if she does start to experience car sickness we’ll know what to do to help her from our own experiences with motion sickness.
I read about Alex Lange the other day in an article in the Denver Post , his story has since seen coverage on almost all the major news outlets.
The Lange’s story is like so many others who struggle to find health insurance in the private, non-group market, they hit the brick wall of underwriting. The Langes had been searching for new health insurance for their family because their current insurer had raised their rates by 40%. They worked with an health insurance broker to find the right company and policy to meet their families needs. They submitted their application and awaited the result of the underwriting process with Rocky Mountain Health Plans. I’m sure they never expected the response they received. Their delightful, happy, healthy little 4 month old, Alex, was being denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition, obesity. That’s right, I said obesity. You see, Alex, is a big baby, weighing in at 17lbs. He is in the 99th percentile for both his weight and his height. His pediatrician had never mentioned this as a problem to the Langes. The Langes were stunned and angered by the outcome of their search for health insurance. Alex’s father, Bernie stated in his interview with the Denver Post “I could understand if we could control what he’s eating. But he’s 4 months old. He’s breast-feeding. We can’t put him on the Atkins diet or on a treadmill.”
After several days of media coverage regarding this story Rocky Mountain Health Plans has announced a change in how it handles “fat” babies. It will no longer consider “obesity” in infants as a pre-existing condition. Big surprise there. It is amazing what a little bad press can make a company do. The problem is that insurance companies had this approach in the first place.
I was outraged when I first read this story, completely furious. I’m happy that the outcome has changed and that Alex is no longer being denied health insurance simply because he is a heavy baby. But it is sad that the denial happened in the first place, that his family had to go to the media to get the results they deserved in the first place. This is just another piece of evidence that the health care/insurance system in the United States is in desperate need of reform.
11 years ago today my husband and I got married in a very small ceremony, in front of his parents and brothers and my mum. It was beautiful, romantic and perfect because I was marrying my best friend, my one true love.
It is amazing what happens over the span of 11 years. The changes that take place. The love that grows and changes. The memories we build together. The challenges we face and concur. I’m glad that I’ve got to spend the last 11 years married to my best friend and can’t wait for what the years ahead of us bring.
I love you babe 
