First trimester depression?

Re: First trimester depression?

• knottiec1bd6c5399b4642a member

  September 2022

  The first trimester sucks! I have also felt bummed about it (and anxious and overwhelmed).  With both pregnancies, things started to improve for me around 12 weeks. I always tried to remind myself that this is temporary. 

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• knottied185a9d223d04eb7 member

  September 2022

  this helped a lot to hear! Thank you

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• fvera88 member

  September 2022

  I think what you are feeling is totally understandable and really relatable. I feel a lot of this too. Feeling low and depressed on a regular basis is definitely something you should talk to your doctor about, as pre and postpartum depression are real and powerful. Your body is going through many changes, both physical and hormonal (in addition to the changes in lifestyle and diet) and you’ll want to make sure you can receive help if you need it. I saw a psychiatrist before getting pregnant, and am continuing to see them throughout this pregnancy journey, as I want to ensure I keep my mental health as strong as I possibly can. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it- this is hard stuff and you are not alone!

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• bombmom86 member

  October 2022

  I’m in the same boat! I’m 4.5 weeks and I don’t feel tired in the sense that I’m falling asleep early or wanting to take naps; it’s more like a lack of energy or interest in doing the things I used to love - gardening, walking my dog, etc. I just want to nest on the couch and watch baking shows 🥱😵‍💫🫣 I am hoping I get a little of that old energy and spark back after the first trimester because it’s not great for my mental health. Good luck to you and thanks for sharing such an honest post! It’s nice to know we’re not alone. ❤️❤️

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• brlna member

  October 2022

  I relate to this so much. I’m 7weeks & I just moved to a different state where my husband lives after our marriage in July so being away from family & new to the area has been really difficult. With nausea it’s all day so I dread going outside or going to the gym even though I miss it because I hate feeling nauseous. But like everyone said~it’s temporary! Try doing little walks in the park or even the mall during less busy hours when it’s cooler outside, it has helped me a lot!!

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• dtalgorn member

  October 2022 edited October 2022

  This is my second pregnancy, and my first I was really depressed the whole time for exactly all of the reasons you listed. (I guess we had identical pre-pregnancy lives!) While I can't say I'm loving pregnancy, I'm coping a lot better this time, I think, even though the symptoms are just as intense as they were the first time. And by coping a lot better, I mean I only want to die about an hour a day now instead of all day! (let's be real here!)
  
  Here's what I'm doing differently:
  -I'm seeing a therapist. It does help to talk to someone and brainstorm little ways to help myself cope. 
  -I spent some time asking around and finding foods that help with neasea and eating them every 30 minutes or so. You might be different, but for me, eating a small amount of no-sugar yogurt or some other cold, leaner protein every 30 minutes or so has helped some. It really keeps the nausea more manageable. Some women swear by carbs! Explore a bit and note anything that helps you feel better and eat it often! Note what makes you feel worse and avoid it like the plague. Sometimes I wake my husband to get me a small bowl of yogurt in the middle of the night when I wake with nausea. I don't always WANT to eat it but it does help me feel better so I force a few bites. 
  -On that note, food things that work for me: I eat cold food (salads with protein, yogurt, cottage cheese, etc) almost exclusively, and I've given up onions and garlic. Hot, oniony foods exacerbated the nausea. I'm avoiding very fatty things like nuts, chips, even though my midwife advised eating nuts to help with nausea. Nuts made mine so much worse!
  -I'm going to the gym 3x a week and doing slower, lower-impact exercise. One of those times is with a friend for a low-impact Zumba class. Basically, my goal is to get to the gym, and if I've made it there I literally tell myself "Nailed it!" and then if I do anything beyond show up, even better. So even if I feel like I can't do much, a few endorphins definitely help right now.
  -I'm saying no to a lot at work so I can get home earlier and sleep. 
  -I'm remembering that many women who have had cancer find the first trimester of pregnancy harder than chemo (seriously!). I would never expect chemo to be fun, and I've adjusted my expectations of myself and my life during pregnancy. It sucks, yes it does. And that leads me to feel okay about doing the next 2 things...
  -I have told everyone I know that I am pregnant and very sick and struggling, and asked for help with childcare, shopping, meal prep, and any basic life tasks that can be done by others. My husband is doing more, my sister is helping, we've hired someone to clean our house, and one of our neighbors and a few friends are coming over to help with other things. 
  -Yah, I love cooking but I've temporarily had to delegate that. It sucks but I just can't. 
  
  I hope some of that might help. It's a long list. I didn't start with it all at once. I started with exploring what foods helped/hurt and went from there. 
  
  This is a shit time and it's ok to miss and grieve your old life in a big way. Mostly I just wanted to die for my whole first pregnancy. People kept telling me to remember it was temporary but every day felt like fucking forever. I'm only getting better at coping after some practice and lots of exploring and support. It's hard to believe now but you will meet your baby and feel like it was all worth it, I promise you. In the meantime, be gentle with yourself. 
  
  
  

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• Knottie1459216485 member

  October 2022

  I’m in the same boat & 4w5d as well. I’m starting to find myself moping on all the things I won’t be able to do even though it’s only temporary. I’m definitely worried for my mental health w winter coming and the symptoms haven’t even started yet for me (only have some bloating and cramps..) 

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• annadavisd member

  October 2022

  I feel all of you. It’s like my whole 9 weeks has been described here. Yes I am 9w6days pregnant and suffering from all of these things mentioned above. Specially the depression that it’s bringing. I am naturally very active and laughing around and I love non-veg food and going shopping trying new restaurants and everything. But suddenly I am hating all those things and that is getting me a lot more depressed. At first I thought this is only happening with me and that pregnancy is not for me or I am very fragile and can’t do this, etc but now I know that all of this is part of the process and very normal. This has helped me a lot and now I will try with things that is bringing me some sort of comfort although it’s just playing board games, reading fiction novels and helping my mom with her online promotion.

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• knottiebc3ea223ff3de41e member

  October 2022

  I feel the exact same way i never leave the bed actually lol the nausea has become so serve i been hospitalized 3x since September and im only 9weeks pregnant its become a mental thing ima afraid to eat because I don’t wanna puke and i have no energy to do anything! For myself im always lightheaded i eat little snacks i drink alot of water seems lik nothing working nobody hear me and anytime i go to express myself its your pregnant what do you expect , you wanted this yea i want a healthy baby no i dont wanna be confined to my bedroom or bed

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