I'm finally approaching the end of the first trimester. I'm feeling much better now after resting my eyes from reading and playing PC games. But, my eyes weren't just the problem I encountered during the past months. I also endured heartburn, aching sides, constipation, a general feeling of "not feeling well", being emotional and enduring delayed gratification of my food cravings.
From what I have researched, heartburn and constipation is very common among pregnant women. That's why it is advisable to take lots of fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, and to drink plenty of water and natural juices during pregnancy to at least put constipation at bay, and also to prevent hemorrhoids. Unfortunately for me, I've always had a hard time removing my bowels and I was also diagnosed with hemorrhoids even before I got married. A week ago (I think), I did my thing and really had a hard time getting it out. I bled and I got really scared. Then I realized that the blood came from my behind. I know this is really disgusting, but what the heck! I'm sure I'm not the only pregnant woman who experienced this.
For heartburn, it really helps if meals are well-distributed for the whole day to prevent over-eating. Because in my experience, once I eat too much in one meal, I just have to wait for the acid reflux to attack in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... I also find it hard to breathe while lying down and it's very difficult to sleep at night.
The "not feeling well" part is also quite normal, but some say that it is the effect of taking prenatal vitamins. This is why some are advised to take them later in the day or before going to sleep. My right side also ache at times. The doctor explained that it's just the pressure on my bladder caused by the growing uterus. Nevertheless, the doctor advised that I drink fresh calamansi juice everyday and to drink lots of water to prevent any bladder malfunction. I think it helped a bit. I also found out that drinking calamansi juice lowers the risk of high blood pressure.
As for food cravings, I specifically asked for Greenwich lasagna from a local pizza and pasta fast food chain and congee from Chowking, another local fast food that offers Chinese food. Unfortunately, the Chowking branch here do not offer congee, so we had to buy from another Chinese restaurant. I didn't get to eat these foods as soon as I wanted them. In fact, I waited for weeks before my husband gave in to my daily rants. Hahaha! It even resulted to petty fights.
Then, I discovered that my appetite improves when I get to eat what I'm craving for. ;-) Well, I guess that is how cravings work! Hahaha! My mother-in-law also cooked some siomai (pork and shrimp dumplings) with matching chili-garlic sauce combined with soy sauce and calamansi ..yum! That's when I realized that eating spicy foods helped with my heartburn. I'm not sure if this works for everybody, but it definitely did wonders for me. Haha!
In just a few days, we're gonna visit the OB again and I'll be entering the second trimester. This means that the crucial stage is almost over and my baby is steadily growing and breathing inside me. Thank God! :-)
