OMG, it’s so funny to think that my last blog post was about being all wild and free in Bali, and now I’m sat here with a big pregnant belly – LOL! Life. Is. Crazy. Now that I’m into my second trimester of pregnancy, I thought it would be good to reflect on what’s happened so far…
Symptoms
I found out that I was pregnant at just 5 weeks, so I’ve known since pretty early on. From as early as 6 weeks, I started getting the dreaded NAUSEA and although I’ve only ACTUALLY been sick once, the nausea in the first trimester was pretty much constant… and I’m not going to lie, it SUCKED. I went from being a total food monster to having a complete aversion to doing anything in the kitchen. I did find that eating (something, anything!) little and often helped, so if you’re a first-time mum, then there’s a little tip for you! I also craved a lot of sweet food and plain carbs – I’ve been baking pretty much constantly (not complaining because I lurrrrve me some buckwheat pancakes/muffins/banana bread). I never usually have a sweet tooth, so that’s been a weird one.
I’ve also been struggling with pregnancy acne which has probably been the hardest part because I’ve never really dealt with “bad skin” before and it’s really affected the way I feel about myself. It’s weird (and amazing!) seeing your body change, so it makes it that extra bit harder when your face is all over the shop too. I’ve found a skincare routine that has helped a little, so I’ll share that soon. Otherwise, I’ve just been doing the normal internal stuff – eating lots of greens, taking a probiotic, staying hydrated, minimising sugar (when I’m not baking… ha ha), etc. The main thing has been trying to cut myself some slack and remembering that it’s just the hormones, and it’ll (hopefully) be back to normal again soon.
In the first trimester, I was also very TIRED. I needed lots of sleep and found even little things exhausting. The good news is that my energy is back with a vengeance since I’ve entered my second trimester which is WONDERFUL.
Medication
As many of you know, I don’t usually take thyroid hormone as I’ve been able to manage my Hashimoto’s naturally, feel good, and keep my labs in range up to this point – all thanks to good old diet, lifestyle, and mindset/emotional healing work, plus lots of root cause digging and testing. However, as soon as I found out I was pregnant, I wanted my labs to be optimised so that the baby got every single thing it needed, particularly in the first trimester.
I’m currently on a low dose of Levothyroxine just to keep my TSH below 2 whilst I’m pregnant. I’ve also been given a consultation with a specialist (to tag alongside my 20-week scan) and I’ve been getting bloods done every 6 weeks, just to make sure I’m on top of things.
How I’m feeling
I’ve had my fair share of up and down emotions but overall, I’ve been feeling pretty comfortable, happy, and excited. My boyfriend, Joe, even commented that (SO FAR) I’ve had a lot less mood swings than he’d heard would be the case! Lol. Give it time…
We’ve got the 20-week scan next week but we had a gender scan at 16 weeks because I really wanted to check that our baby BOY was okay!!!! So, yes, we are having a cute little boy AND we’ve already thought of a name but we’re going to keep that a secret ;).
One of the most amazing things about being pregnant has been feeling so proud that my body is ready and able to do this after everything it’s been through over the last few years. It’s really hit home about how all the work I did to heal my body must have worked on such a deep level. This makes me feel so proud of my commitment to my health and of course, grateful for the support I’ve had along the way. It is ALWAYS worth advocating for your health.
So many of you have already reached out about your fertility journeys with Hashimoto’s and I’m honored to connect with you all. I want to share as much information, tips, and support as I can to help you along the way. If you’re struggling right now, I just want to say that I see you and I’m sending all of my love to you. As hard as it can be to remember, try to trust the process, the universe, and your body – it has so much innate wisdom. Everything happens for a reason and with divine timing.
Big love, Sarah xox
