On the 22nd of October last year, my gynecologist confirmed what my husband and I had suspected for a few days. I was 5 weeks pregnant!
To say that the news was unexpected would be a definite understatement. I had such a hard time wrapping my head around it that it wasn’t until I got the results of the HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) test, which showed the fetus’ development, that I finally allowed the news to sink in.
We shared the news with our immediate family and a few close friends that weekend, but decided to wait until we’d passed the 3 month point to share the news with the rest of our family and friends.
I am now 19 weeks pregnant and have started to feel the teeny tiny movements of my growing son or daughter. (I don’t plan to know the gender until he or she is born).
My reasons for adding this category to my blog are -
1. Over the past 4 months, I came to notice that there weren’t many blogs or websites by Sri Lankan moms for Sri Lankan moms.
2. As this is my first pregnancy, I am no expert in the matter, but I hope to share with you all as much about my new journey as possible as well as some tips and remedies that have helped me deal with some of the changes and challenges that come with pregnancy. A lot of these are based on the advice I myself receive from my mom (an experienced nurse), gynecologist, family, friends and midwife.
I hope that this new addition will be helpful to my readers. To begin with, here are a few of the symptoms I went through during my thankfully-completed first trimester, and some of the tips and remedies that helped me deal with the worst of it.
• Nausea – Unlike most moms-to-be, I suffered from night sickness rather than morning sickness (not that the mornings were so great either). While a friend recommended lime, I found that oranges worked better for me. I even began keeping a container of orange peels in my freezer, which I would put into boiling water for inhalations. Some recommend sucking on ice cubes or lollipops, but neither of these worked for me. Hopefully, they work for some of my readers.
Another thing that helped me was plain tea with a few tiny pieces of ginger at the bottom of the cup. The scent and subtle taste of the ginger mixed with the tea always gave me a tremendous feeling of relief from the nausea. My husband would make it for me on those really rough nights. You do need to be mindful that there is a limit as to the amount of ginger an expectant mom is supposed to intake. (Though the precise amount may differ depending on the source) I myself never ate any of the pieces of ginger and my midwife recommended that I have my “special tea” just a few times a week.
• Constant bad taste – Not all women suffer from this, and the frequency and precise taste differs from woman to woman. For me, my mouth constantly tasted like I hadn’t brushed my teeth, which mind you I did. There were times that this and the nausea went hand in hand. I couldn’t even drink water without becoming nauseous. Throughout the first trimester I kept myself hydrated on liquids like Jeevani, thambili, tea, ginger beer and fruit juices (mostly orange), while I used whatever spicy or sweet foods, I could get my hands on to keep the awful taste away.
• Heartburn – The remedy for this came straight from my mom and it worked every single time I got that horrible burning sensation in my chest. You need to start by slowly drinking a glass of water or milk. After a little while you can snack on a few biscuits. I’ve found that cream crackers work best for me, but to each her own.
• Sudden bouts of fatigue and light headedness – There really is no remedy for the waves of exhaustion that may strike when you least expect it. At first, I would try to push through and keep working, but I’d just end up feeling almost out of breath as if I’d run a relay. So, I began to take small breaks whenever I started feeling tired and it really helped stave off the worst.
I know it may seem strange and disconcerting to feel so tired and or light headed when all you’re doing is your usual house or office work. But keep in mind that your body is working differently now in order to nurture and grow that little life inside you.
I also heartily recommend investing in a bottle of Bio-oil to prevent stretch marks. I prefer Bio-oil because of its smell and the fact that its texture very different from usual body oils, which are often runny or sticky. Plus, it’s long lasting.
