smiles and stripes: First Trimester Bumpdate

Hey y'all! I can't believe I'm already 19 weeks into this pregnancy. As a way to document my pregnancy for myself and share helpful information for other mamas-to-be, I thought it would be fun to share an update each trimester with my symptoms, cravings, and favorite products. For my first trimester "bumpdate," I'm also sharing the story on how we found out we were expecting!

First and foremost, I want to say that for any of you trying to conceive or those who are struggling - we are praying for you. Praying for trust and hope when times are trying and for strength and guidance. For anyone who has suffered the loss of a child, my heart goes out to you and I just want you to know that you are never alone. Women are incredible human beings and are both emotionally and physically so strong.

How We Found Out:

You may remember that my mom and I went to Germany back in June...well, that was a trip of a lifetime for multiple reasons! We landed in Germany on a Thursday morning, and I was supposed to start my cycle the next day. However, I've traveled internationally several times in the past few years and it has always messed with my cycle {this is a completely normal result of lack of sleep, jet lag, and changing of time zones}. So when Friday came and went without starting, I didn't think anything of it.

The next day, I was on a morning run around Berlin and started to feel "off." I was lightheaded, short of breath, and more tired than usual which led to cutting my run short. Again, I attributed it to jet lag and went on about my day of sightseeing the beautiful city.

By the time Sunday rolled around, I was still feeling "off" and still had not started my cycle. I was convinced that it was just the jet lag affecting me more than normal now that I'm in my thirties...one of the adverse side effects of getting older, perhaps. I mentioned this to my mom on Sunday evening who immediately insisted that I take a pregnancy test.

I honestly did not think I could be pregnant because May was one of the busiest and most stressful months my husband and I have ever had. The week days consisted of back-to-back work travel for both of us and the weekends were consumed with hosting two baby showers {one out of town and one at our home}, and being a bridesmaid in an out of town wedding. Needless the say, the month was crazy and I certainly didn't have time {or think it was necessary} to track my ovulation. But I knew my mom would not let the pregnancy thing rest until I took a test.

That night on our way to dinner, she asked the cab driver to make a pit stop at the closest Apothecary {aka German drug store}. She ran in to grab some tests while I waited with the cab. My mom quickly realized that German Apothecaries are absolutely nothing like the drug stores we are used to in the US... All of their inventory was packaged in a solid colored box, no pictures, and the descriptions were in German, of course. My mom decided to seek the help of the cashier, but there was a bit of a language barrier. The cashier couldn't understand why someone my mom's age needed a pregnancy test and almost sent her home with a yeast infection kit {oh how I wish I was a fly on this wall for this encounter}. Luckily, they finally got on the same page and mom came back to the cab with a couple of digital pregnancy tests.

When we got home from dinner, I immediately went to take a test. Three extremely long minutes later, the digital screen read "Schwanger." With shaking hands, I Google'd what that meant in English, and sure enough it translated to "Pregnant!"

My mom was screaming with excitement and "I told you so's" as I was still in shock, but also super ecstatic, from the news!

I really wanted to tell Fielding in person, but knew I couldn't keep this news to myself for 6 more days - that would have been torture! I decided to FaceTime him and ask for help translating a German word to English..."Schwanger." When he discovered that it meant "Pregnant," I flashed the pregnancy test in the screen and screamed "Surprise! We're Pregnant!' We both cried happy tears and are still so excited for our little German surprise!

First Trimester Symptoms & Side Effects:

My first trimester was a rough one. I didn't experience morning sickness - it was more like all-day sickness. Nausea, vomiting, dry-heaving, and extreme fatigue became my new normal...which made going to work every day quite an adventure {especially when it was too early to be sharing the news with coworkers}. Luckily, my doctor prescribed me a medicine called Diclegis, which was a total game changer for the nausea and vomiting.

Other symptoms that I experienced were very sore/swollen breasts, heightened sense of smell, some shortness of breath, and the weirdest one of all - changes in my vision. I had no idea that pregnancy could cause my vision to get even worse than it already was! Hormones do crazy things to your body, y'all!

Oddly enough, I was comforted by these daily symptoms, as it was confirmation that the baby was thriving. On the other hand, it was frustrating to not have the energy to workout, work on my blog, cook dinner, etc. - all I wanted to do was sleep. I had to give myself some grace, practice patience, and most importantly, listen to my body as I was constantly reminded that growing a human is hard work!

Aversions & Cravings:

During my first trimester, both the smell and taste of coffee literally made me sick. While I love coffee, I was okay with this aversion given that you are supposed to limit your caffeine intake while pregnant anyways.

As far as cravings, I was {and still am} craving all things salty... especially French fries...specifically Chif-fil-A French fries. I have been eating Chick-fil-A several times a week...but, I was doing that before pregnancy, so nothing new there :)

The weirdest craving that I experienced was Raman noodles...yes, $0.10 college broke Raman noodles. I must have gone through a pack a week and I'm not proud of it.

To Fielding's frustration, I have had no desire for anything sweet with the exception of fruit, like watermelon and grapes. At least the fruit craving balances out all the French fries I'm eating, right??

First Trimester Must-Have Products:

Ovia Pregnancy Tracker & The Bump Apps {I use these apps as a daily resource for articles, information on how my baby and body are changing each day, a search tool for foods and medicines I can and cannot have, etc.}
Rainbow Lite Prenatal One Vitamins {I like that I only have to take one/day}
Ginger Candy for Nausea {Ginger helps settle your stomach}
Spanx Brallelujah Bralette {SO soft and having some support while sleeping helped with the pain}
Burt's Bees Belly Oil {I rub this on my belly morning and night to prevent itching and stretch marks}
Belly Bands {These allow me to continue to wear my normal pants as my belly starts to grow - order your pre-pregnancy size}
Maternity Panties {These sit below the belly but are full coverage in the back and are extremely comfortable}
Loungewear {Comfort is key while pregnant. I've been living in this extremely soft short set, cozy pants set - I sized up one for my growing bump - and my favorite house slippers}