My Not-So-Glamorous 1st Trimester

I would post pictures of my little belly or my glowing pregnant state...

But my belly is rather difficult to make out just yet (I can feel it and see it, but it's not noticeable to the general public...) and I definitely don't feel glamorous and gorgeous as of late.

As you know, I've been sick, sick, sick for a LONG time now.

For reasons unbeknownst to me, I get extremely severe morning sickness...and this time was even worse than the last. I will spare you the details. Suffice it to say, I experience nausea, dizziness, vomiting, loss of weight, loss of appetite, you-name-it...all day and all night...with no "windows" of relief. At one point in the "thick" of the sickness, my husband actually took a photo of me and showed it to me and said, "you look like a prisoner of war." He said it in the nicest way possible, but I have to admit to the veracity of that statement. Bony shoulders, sallow cheekbones, the whole bit. "Morning" sickness really does a number on me.

In the midst of it all, I feel blessed. Grateful to be carrying this little life that will greet the world this spring and enter our family and our hearts.

I've received so many wonderful, heartfelt e-mails from you all and I'm amazed at how real and palpable "blog friendships" can be (not to mention, my "real life" friendships!). Many of you have asked questions about due date, delivery, etc. so I decided to do a quick "Q & A" with myself to help answer some of those inquiries...

Q. When are you due?

A. Middle/end of March.

Q. How far along are you?

A. Just check that handy dandy widget on my left sidebar at any time to find out...

Q. Where will you deliver?

A. The plan is to deliver at a local birth center (about 45 minutes from our house) with a midwife in attendance.

Q. Why a birth center? Didn't you deliver at a hospital with an O.B. last time?

A. Yes, I did the hospital/O.B. "thing" last time with mixed to positive reviews. But I'm ready for the "relaxed" way that the birth center views birth. I like the freedom of no IV, no drugs, more movement, more options, less restrictions. I've been to two appointments with the midwives at the center and feel peaceful about it already. More info? Here are links to two past articles I wrote about birth centers and midwives.

Q. You're going to have a no-epidural birth? Are you crazy?

A. I had my daughter with no drugs and it was a very positive experience. Painful, yes! But also strangely empowering and wonderful. I'm not opposed to drugs and I certainly understand that emergencies do come up, but the plan is to go sans drugs again.

Q. Are you some kind of hippie?

A. No. But I do have "leanings" toward more natural, less medicinal living.

Q. AND the biggest question of all...are you feeling better?

A. Better? Yes. Recovered? No. Hopeful that the sickness will end soon? Very.

I'll share many more details in the future.

For now, please know that I will be back just as soon as I possibly can with giveaways, reviews, and all the best happenings on the web and throughout the blogosphere. Stay tuned!

Speaking of glamour, I think I'll leave that title to my daughter for now...

My Not-So-Glamorous 1st Trimester 1

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43 comments on “My Not-So-Glamorous 1st Trimester”

  1. Very happy you are feeling better. We'll be using a midwife, and she offers great support even after birth for breastfeeding, etc. :)

  2. Like everyone else, I'm glad to see you are back! I really missed your posts.
    My husband and I used a midwife; we loved our experince welcoming our son into the world. I hope you have a wonderful experince as well.

  3. So glad to see that you are feeling a little better, my Steph!! We've been praying for you and will continue to do so! Each minute, every hour, all day the Lord will continue to hold you in His hands!

  4. So glad you are feeling better. I was sick with both pregnancies until @ 20 weeks...no fun at all. But like you said, it's awesome to know this little life is growing inside you. I hope you continue to feel better and this all passes soon!

  5. I'm so glad that you are feeling better and can blog a bit. You have been very missed! Thank you for sharing a few of the details...I never experienced any morning sickness so I can't imagine how awful it must feel. Congrats again on the little one and I hope the rest of your pregnancy goes smoothly. Your daughter looks adorable in those shoes by the way!

  6. While I want to say CONGRATS Steph...I also want to say...Oh how I can empathize and my heart goes out to you. I am one of those who did not get to enjoy much of my pregnancies. The first four months I was non-stop dry heaving 24/7. And the last 4 months I was always in preterm labor from baby 3 and on. So there was one good month out of 9...

    I hope you are feeling better! I know it seems like it will never end at the time. It gets so old and makes you feel like you are a horrible mother to your other child(ren), but just know you are teaching them that life has ups and downs and families pull together in the midst of it. Empathy is developed during times like these.

    I will be praying for you and your family. Blessings to you, Julianne

  7. I am so glad to hear you are past the morning sickness - I am sorry to hear you had such an awful time with it. I hope the rest of your pregnancy goes well.

  8. I have been so out of the loop lately and didn't even know you were expecting~ congrats!! I'm so excited for you, although I'm so sorry you've been sick. I'm excited to hear you'll have a midwife. I've had all my 7 kids at home with a midwife, except the last one- she was 15 minutes late. it's been great experiences each time! hope to visit more often and hear all about your pregnancy :)

  9. Yay, so glad you're back and feeling a little more human. (I was starting to worry a little...)
    We've had some up and down pregnancy news this last month so I have been checking in with you and the other Stephanie (from Adventures) looking for something positive. Hopefully you are over the first yucky bit, and now can sit back and enjoy your pregnancy. Your daughter is going to love watching your tummy grow.

  10. I'm so sorry you aren't feeling well still! I hope you are feeling better soon!

    I did have 2 birthing center births with LM's so please let me know if you have any questions!

    Alicia

  11. Hi Stephanie-
    I am also pregnant and just a month behind you. I am due mid/end of April. I too experience morning sickness but unlike you it was all new to me. I wasn't sick at all with my son. I feel like I've hit the peak and am starting to turn a corner now. I can't wait until a big, healthy meal sounds good to me again.

    Congratulations to you and your family!

    PS...I haven't announced my pregnancy on my blog yet but am looking to do so some time next week.

  12. Glad to see you back to blogging! Sorry you are having such terrible morning (errr... all day) sickness. Hope you are well and sickness free soon! Congratulations again. Your daughter is darling.

  13. Oh it's so good to hear that you're doing a little better and to see you posting! I hope that you keep feeling much better - I can't even imagine how difficult it must be to have such horrible m/s especially with a little one already running around.

    Speaking of little ones - I love that photo! :)

  14. You must be feeling a little better to be back! Yippee! I remember thinking "I THINK I feel better, but not I'm sure." When its not totally gone, its hard to tell. So glad you're doing better and looking forward to seeing that belly! Call me if you need ANYTHING! ;)

  15. It's so nice to see you check in, and to get the full-scoop on all things pregnancy-related for you :) Hope you start feeling human again really soon! It's exciting to share this pregnancy journey with you, and I'm eagerly looking forward to lots of new, fun pregnancy posts soon!

  16. Blondie LOVES wearing my high heels whenever possible. The other day she pulled down like ten or fifteen different pairs of my shoes and put them all on and did a little fashion show. She even put them back when I asked her to! :)

  17. I heartily endorse the birth center you're talking about; I have glowing memories of birthing my two children there, and the midwives (and nurses) were a big part of that happy experience.

    Glad to hear you're feeling better; pregnancy is such a pain!

  18. So glad to see a post from you--even if it is telling us how sick you have been. I can't imagine being that sick. I am glad you are feeling a bit better....And those shoes look fabulous on your daughter! She has good taste :)

  19. Welcome back!! Glad you're feeling a bit better! I know from experience that, even when the worst is over, it takes a while to get back on your feet! :)

    I totally agree with you about natural birth. My first birth experience involved an epidural and induced labor, and it was an experience I wasn't in a hurry to try again! When I had my second child, it was completely natural, and I would never, never go back.

  20. Woohoo! Welcome back. I have been watching for you. My sister-in-law is due the same time as you and my best friend so it will be super fun to watch who is first!

  21. It's SO good to hear from you!!!! I'm glad you are starting to come out of hiding. :-) I had miserable "morning" sickness as well, but it sure is worth it when you're cradling that silky newborn baby head in a few months! :-)

  22. I remember having morning (what a laugh, try all day! :o))sickness with both of my girls and just praying to get through it. As my mom reminded me, "this too shall pass!". Although at the time I was miserable, I knew that at the end it would get better, and I would be greeted by wonderful new addition to our family. I pray that this will "pass quickly" and you will be back blogging away soon! Know that you are missed!
    ~Tanya

  23. Oh Stephanie,
    I am so glad that you are even a little bit up, although know it takes time. I think I've told you before. I share with you in the fact that the prize at the end is such a treasure, such a gift, but I realize it is quite a fight to get there! I believe in you and know you can do this. I believe in God and am certin He will provide you each and everything that you need to get through this. As for the picture of your big two your old...priceless!! Just "seeing" your presence on line brightened my night. Please, please tell me if there is anything at all that you need or that I can do to be of help from afar. I mean it!! Know for sure that you are cared for and that prayers are being sent your way!

  24. Wow that sounds like a lovely way to spend 3 months. Ugh...hope you are feeling better soon. I can't imagine trying to take care of your beautiful little girl while feeling so sick - hope you had lots of help.

  25. I've missed your posts and glad to see you are feeling a little bit better! I had my fair share of all day sickness with my little one and I can empathize. Hope it goes away soon!

  26. You're back! Yippie! I don't know where you opinions rested regarding hypnobabies, but you should check out ebay if you're considering it.

  27. I'm glad to see you're back and feeling a little better. My Aunt always got really sick like you. She had to have an in home nurse constantly rehydrating her during the last few months of each of her pregnancies.

    It's nice to hear such a positive attitude about what a blessing it is in spite of the misery. I hope you continue to feel better again.

  28. Glad to see you are atleast up for a little post. Sad to hear you are having such a hard time, hope your 2nd trimester goes 100% better!

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