Movement in the First Trimester: How to Combat Fatigue & Nausea
The first trimester can be a bit brutal when it comes to incorporating movement, or…well, EVERYTHING really! It is infamous for “morning sickness”, which, let’s be real, is often an “all-day-sickness”. And if that doesn’t get you, then the insurmountable fatigue that often comes along with that first trimester likely will. We know that movement is important throughout pregnancy, for both mom AND baby, but how do we incorporate movement into our daily routine when our energy tank is at an all-time low and we may hurl at any moment?? Really not a good combination, but…that’s exactly what I plan to help you with in this blog post! This blog post is going to focus on tips and tricks to help you combat fatigue and nausea that can rear their ugly heads during that first trimester of pregnancy as well as understand the WHY behind all of these unpleasant symptoms.
The Why Behind the Nausea
Hormones. We like to blame them for a lot of things, but in this case, the surge of hormones that happens after becoming pregnant IS often the culprit. Once the body recognizes that you are in fact pregnant, your body works to support that pregnancy by cueing those pregnancy hormones, which then begin to circulate throughout the body. All of this can cause that queasy or nauseous feeling with that sudden and significant spike in hormone levels (in comparison to a non-pregnant state) that your body just isn’t accustom to!
Another potential nausea culprit can be low blood sugar (hypoglycemia); however, this can also be caused from the pregnancy hormones, as they can affect the way that your body processes sugar (glucose).
Tips to Combat First Trimester Nausea
While we all would like to just “take it easy” when we aren’t feeling great, that just isn’t possible or realistic for most of us. Some (if not all?) of us are still going to work, taking care of other children, or simply performing our day-to-day duties that need our attention! So, if nausea has been getting the best of you, here are a few tips to try!
Try eating first thing when you wake up and continue with small meals throughout the day. An empty stomach can often cue the nausea.
Keep crackers or little snacks close by (in your car, by your nightstand or wherever you are most!). This can really take the edge off.
Ginger is a great natural remedy to nausea. There are many ways we can consume ginger - ginger chews or candies, ginger drinks and of course ginger supplements.
As much as we can, we want to get in nutritious food. I realize that this just isn’t always possible in the first trimester, so here’s my best advice…eat what you can, but also eat what makes you FEEL better - warm soups (bone broth is fantastic!), crackers, etc.
Bone broth recipe I make all the time (I don’t measure anything! Just use what I have and eyeball.)
bones from a rotisserie chicken (I keep these in the freezer after I use the chicken so it’s ready to grab when I need it)
celery stalks, onion, carrots, garlic
bay leaf, salt, pepper (salt after as needed)
2 tbs of apple cider vinegar (helps extract the nutrients from the bones)
fill with water about 3/4 full (cover the veggies and bones)
leave in slow cooker for 16-24 hours or place in instapot for 120 minutes on high
strain and store in fridge and freeze for longer use
If driving makes things worse, try having peppermint candies close by!
Acupressure wrist bands can be beneficial as well.
The Why Behind the Fatigue
Nausea AND fatigue are typically at an all-time high during the first trimester, and exercise can feel like the LAST thing we want to do. Trust me, I completely get it. I was very sub-par with my movement during the first tri too! But why is it that we are so tired in the beginning?
Your body is doing some amazing things! It is working in overdrive to create your sweet baby - organs, fingers, toes, ALL the things!
The placenta is being formed, but hasn’t taken over yet, so progesterone is increasing steadily until around the 2nd trimester when the placenta is fully formed. This progesterone can significantly contribute to fatigue and bloating.
And, in case we haven’t placed enough blame yet, HORMONES are once again partially at fault!
Tips to Combat Fatigue with Movement in the First Trimester
Everyone is going to be at a different level of fatigue during that first tri, some may feel good enough to exercise and continue doing what they were doing before and that’s GREAT! Keep doing that! But if you are feeling on the opposite end of the spectrum and too run down to do what you were doing before, but are still wanting to do SOMETHING for movement…here are some great options:
Mobility work — Need some inspiration? Here’s my “Mobility” story highlight and a go-to mobility post
Walking — especially outside if you can!
Diaphragmatic breathing and simple core work — If you need a quick refresher on breathing with core work, here’s a great post to reference!
All three of the above movement-based tips mentioned are ways to fight fatigue and boost energy! I know sometimes it’s hard to think that USING energy is going to help gain you MORE energy, but it’s true…moving your body is one way to combat the fatigue you likely feel in that first trimester.
And, to try to give you a little bit of hope to cling to, the second trimester is typically symptomatically easier…meaning your energy may start to come back and the nausea may subside. If this happens for you, resume normal activity, and if not, continue using the above tips and tricks to help you along the way. And always remember, what you ARE able to do is GOOD ENOUGH, even if it doesn’t feel like it at times. This whole pregnancy thing is no easy feat and you (and your body) are doing AMAZING things.
Movement During Pregnancy Doesn’t Have to Be Confusing
If you are looking for a pregnancy program to support you during your pregnancy and walk you through step by step EXACTLY what you can do to best support your body, strength safely, understand pelvic floor, core and mobility training, and prepare for labor, birth and going into postpartum, then make sure to check out my Mind Body Core Prenatal Program! You don’t have to do it alone and movement during pregnancy doesn’t have to be so confusing — I’ve got you!