Pregnancy Week By Week – Week 9

As a first time to-be-mother, pregnancy was a completely new experience for me. I had a lot of questions and was fondling to understand the changes taking place in my body. I was equally worried about the growth of my baby inside my womb.

With this blog series, “Pregnancy Week By Week”, I hope to extend a helping hand to all expecting parents by telling you about my journey.

There might be some things that you would be able to relate to and would even give you solace to know that someone went through the exact same thing as you. Hope I’m able to help!

Disclaimer – This is entirely my personal experience. The intent of the blog is not to advice but only to share. Any medication, medical examinations, dietary intake or exercise, mentioned in this blog, were prescribed as per my pregnancy and my body. Please do not perform these without consulting your medical adviser.

Here is a revelation for all you expecting mothers, pregnancy fatigue is real! I’ve felt it from the week I got to know that we were expecting. By week 9, it intensified a lot for me.

I needed to sleep in the afternoon to manage through the rest of my day. This afternoon break or nap was really not a luxury, it’s a requirement. For me, sleep at times was involuntary and it was so intense that it came like a wave and took over entirely.

Apart from fatigue, other symptoms that I have been facing in my first trimester are –

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Gas
• Lightheadedness 
• Cramps in the stomach – though they could be felt regularly, sneezing would make me cramp a lot and at times vomit too
• Hot flashes and chills
• Hair Fall
• Weight loss

My weight loss journey has continued in the 9th week as well. I’ve lost another 500 grams or so and reached 51.3 kgs. The good thing is that till now my OB-GYN hasn’t raised an alarm about this weight loss.

How did I Manage my Pregnancy Symptoms? 

With lots of Hits and Trials! Some of these are mentioned below

Having Coconut Water First Thing in the Morning 

I used to have this empty stomach. Coconut water is considered as a great electrolyte and helps stabilize your digestive system. It also keeps you hydrated during pregnancy and replenishes the fluids lost  during vomiting

Timing My Empty Stomach Medicines 

Another small trick that I adopted was timing my Thyroid medicine. One is supposed to have thyroid meds first thing in the morning, empty stomach and then have a meal 30 to 40 minutes after. 

This waiting period in-between of 30 minutes was making me very gassy. So I would set my alarm an hour earlier than I was to wake up, have my Thyroid medicine and then sleep again. 

This might sound tedious but since I wasn’t staying awake on an empty stomach, it somehow helped manage my nausea.

Managing My Meals – Smaller Meals at Regular Intervals 

I tried to have small meals and in regular intervals. But to be honest, this is both time consuming and taxing, for two reasons. 

One, you would need to think hard about your food menu to incorporate variety in your small meals. 

Second, it would take time to prepare these meals at intervals as short as 2 hours. 

But if you have help or if you can think of some quick options like foxnuts, dry fruits, milk, etc, it would surely help manage your nausea better. 

Including Other Dietary Options

Eating Saunf (fennel seeds) – I used to have half a tablespoon, two to three times a day. This is said to aid digestion. 

I would also have sherbet in cold water and it really helped with nausea.

Sitting in Vajrasana (Thunderbolt Pose) 

Instead of walking after having meals, I would sit in Vajrasana. Walking after eating was making me puke almost instantly. Even lying down on one side, without putting pressure on my stomach, helped with nausea and puking.

Talking less

Might be a hard one for some of us (wink wink), but if I talked for long (say on an office call or otherwise), I found myself running to the bathroom for a vomiting episode. Talking less definitely helped with nausea.

Not getting up too fast from the bed

Just imagine getting off from a roller coaster ride, once your ride is over, you are very careful about stepping out. Your pace is slow and you are mindful of your movements. This is exactly how I would get up from the bed. Very slowly.

If I were lying down, I’d sit for a second or two before standing. And I wouldn’t try to stand up too quickly.

Ask For Help!

A lot of people have told me that the first trimester is the hardest. For some, symptoms aren’t so strong but for others it’s a real test. Many fall somewhere in between this spectrum. 

In some cases it’s the second month that takes a toll on the body and in others it’s the third month. For a few of us both the months are hard. 

Whatever be the case, you are likely to need help, so please don’t hesitate in asking for help. Whether this is at work or at home. There is no heroism in over straining your body. 

This is also the time when all major organs of your baby are developing, so you should be focusing on keeping yourself afloat, eating healthy, taking rest, and minimizing stress.