Pregnancy Chalkboard: 13 Weeks

By Kate Horney
Pregnancy Chalkboard: 13 Weeks

How far along? 13 Weeks, 2 Days

Maternity clothes?  If you’re pregnant & you haven’t gotten a bella band, you need to get one ASAP!  I’m loving my usual yoga pants & keeping my regular jeans, capris, etc up with the bella band.  So far I haven’t needed any maternity tops, but we’ll see how long that lasts… 

Best moment this week:  Waking up one day and wondering “am I still pregnant? I don’t feel like I’m going to die!” ๐Ÿ˜‰ This week has been full of celebrating the end of morning sickness. The queasiness is starting to pass and the #firsttrimesterenergyzap is making it’s way OUT!  (Although if I remember correctly, it may make it’s way BACK in the 3rd trimester… oh well!  Enjoy more energy for now!)  

Miss Anything? I’ve had coffee every morning this week (previously can’t even stand the smell) so that’s been great!  I’m still missing my usual chicken though… I thought it was making it’s way back, but it was a total false alarm (GAG!)  

Movement: I think I’ve felt a few little flutters this week…. but there’s really no telling if it’s baby or gas. (I’m doing great on veggie intake, FYI). Hopefully some 100% baby-0% post-veggie consumption movement SOON! 

Pregnancy Chalkboard: 13 Weeks

Food cravings: Still on the protein packed pizza kick.  I have a homemade pizza for lunch or snack at least once/day.  Also lots of cheese (I’ll take a little salad with my feta, please) and fruit x 10!  

Gender prediction: I kind of think it might be a girl…. 

Looking forward to: Feeling some OFFICIAL movement! And finding out if we’ll have a little boy or little girl! 

Biggest Struggle:  I’m so grateful that the majority of my nausea has passed. The previous couple of months have been brutal in terms of morning sickness & queasiness.  So when it comes to pregnancy struggles, that tops the list. 

It’s totally normal (and even GOOD) to experience the morning sickness, though.  In fact, between 70 to 85 percent of pregnant women experience this during their first trimester with nausea usually beginning around the sixth week of pregnancy. 

Solution:   Since you may not be getting all of the nutrients you need from food during these times of upset stomach, be sure to include a prenatal vitamin every day to ensure you receive all of the vitamins and minerals your body needs.

Fortunately, there are many strategies to manage nausea and vomiting to promote a healthy, more comfortable pregnancy. 

Here are 3 Morning Sickness Tips that helped me:

  1. Small, frequent meals: Keep easy to digest snacks near you at all times. I know most sources recommend crackers and toast, but for a healthier option, I got my “carb” fix with protein pancakes, and homemade low-carb crackers or tortillas.  Make sure you avoid moving around on an empty stomach. I’ve been eating five or six small meals including easy-to-digest foods and I try to eat at least every two hours.
  2. Drink fluids: Your body needs more water during the first few months of pregnancy so itโ€™s important to stay hydrated. Have beverages, soup, and water to settle your stomach between meals. Plain water has been a struggle for me, so I love to mix my regular water with a little stevia + some lemon juice for homemade lemonade. ๐Ÿ™‚ Fresh ginger has been shown to help alleviate nausea, so I’ve enjoyed lots of ginger tea. Peppermint is another food known to soothe nausea, and this makes a great tea as well.  Whatever it takes, make sure you strive to consume half your body weight in ounces of fluids per day.
  3. Supplements: Vtamin B6 may help women with severe and persistent nausea and vomiting. Personally, my thought is that it never hurts to try…. and even for women without these symptoms, vitaminB6 is an important vitamin that is required in greater amounts especially during laterstages of pregnancy when the fetus is increasing the most in size. To help alleviate morning sickness, the recommended dose of vitamin B6 is 50 mg which can be obtained through an additional supplement. This is much higher than the amount recommended during a normal pregnancy, which is 1.9 mg/day. To meet your needs for vitamin B6 during pregnancy, try to include the following foods in your diet: Chicken (if you can stand it), fish, liver, pork, eggs, carrots, cabbage, cantaloupe, peas, spinach, sunflower seeds, bananas, beans, broccoli, brown rice, oats, bran, peanuts, and walnuts. 

Pregnancy Chalkboard: 13 Weeks

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P.S. Are you a fellow pregnant mama?  

Don’t fall into the “eating saltine crackers on the couch” trap!  

Your baby is a REASON to make a healthy choices priority… not an excuse for why you can’t!

If you’re not sure where to start, join us over at the BeyondFit Life Club where I upload all of my personal workouts (100% safe during pregnancy) and share all the best fit mom recipes, tips & tricks!