Considering all of 2018 I was the healthiest human I knew, this year has definitely been slightly different thanks to lots of hormones, nauseas and wierd cravings. I’d like to say I’ve stayed on track eating all the nutrient dense foods, but the truth is I’ve been all over the map.

A Rocky Start

One of the biggest differences between this pregnancy and my first with Elin, is that I DID experience that terrible “hung over” feeling that was especially worse at night—somehow I was lucky to miss out on before. I just felt like I had an uneasy tummy 80% of the time and craved things like burgers and french fries. There were most definitely some solo missions to In-N-Out Burger, which seemed like a good idea in the moment but would leave me feeling even worse an hour later, and I had no appetite for things I knew I should be eating (healthy protein, vegetables etc.). My doctor wasn’t concerned since I was keeping my food down, thankfully, just feeling crummy overall. I kept up my vitamins and ate when I could for those first couple of months.

Cravings?

Absolutely. In the beginning (when I wasn’t feeling great) lemonade, only the fresh good stuff, was my saving grace. It somehow settled my stomach and it tasted like the best thing on earth for some reason. I also wanted nothing but carbs during that rough period and forced myself to eat healthier things when I was feeling up for it. This was also new/different from my first pregnancy, I felt like before I was able to keep a more balanced diet and didn’t have any crazy cravings—although I do remember lemonade being a beverage of choice back then.

Currently

I feel a little more out of shape and sluggish from eating so poorly the first trimester, but now that I’m not nauseas anymore (that ended around week 16 for me) I’ve been loading up on vegetables, protein and H20. I certainly haven’t been restricting my diet in anyway, rather attempting to eat everything in moderation and accepting that some days just *need* that cinnamon roll or chocolate chip cookie. I think I deserve to spoil myself a little. One way to keep myself on a healthy track (avoiding sugar) is constantly having nuts, berries, granola bars or almond butter on me. Keeping my blood sugar on an even keel keeps my mood happy and diet from going haywire—don’t mess with a hungry pregnant lady! I also keep dates from the Farmer’s Market in the fridge if I feel like I need something sweet. Filling it with almond butter is especially good.

My Tips and Tricks

I’m pretty sure every pregnant woman can attest to the roller coaster of hormones, food and cravings that we all seem to experience at one point or another. Here are a few things that have really helped me get through the ups and downs.

Peppermint tea: That hideous bloated feeling after a meal was something I experienced much more of with this pregnancy and I found warm cooked foods helped but especially a cup of peppermint tea an hour before bed. It helps with digestion, which gets slow during pregnancy.

Ginger and lemon in hot water: My queasy tummy was nothing compared to some friends I know who had trouble keeping food down, but for me steeping fresh ginger with some lemon in hot water helped a ton! I used a zester on the ginger versus slices because the flavor was much more potent.

Smaller more frequent meals: I found that when I ate bigger meals I felt worse afterwards—in the first trimester and currently in the second. Instead I started eating a piece of toast with avocado, an apple with almond butter or a granola bar in between meals. It makes a huge different with how I feel and staying on a healthy track.

Avoiding Caffeine: On one hand I craved a little caffeine, on the other I felt terrible after having it. I would get heart burn like crazy. Instead having a turmeric latte leaves me feeling better and I still feel like I get that warm fix in the morning.