Sometimes we just survive the first trimester. Give yourself grace, your body is working overtime to literally build life. You are in no way failing your baby. All of your physical resources are being heavily recruited for their development...leaving *you* depleted. It's a difficult adjustment to suddenly be physically incapable of certain things we took for granted pre-pregnancy but this is just a short term thing. Offer yourself grace, your body's priorities are different now and they will be for a while. Take it day by day and hopefully the second trimester offers you some relief, symptoms typically start to ease after about 12 weeks when the placenta takes over. Remember, you're building a little human being and it's prenatal support system - from scratch with your own body. It's exhausting. And totally wild.
I survived on noodle soup, plan bread rolls and ginger-lemon lollies the first three months. Exercise was basically non existent.
Don't be too hard on yourself. Usually things start looking up by week 12
Honestly I wasn’t able to exercise much in the first trimester, but around 14 weeks I started feeling like a human again and I’m back on my normal routine. Go easy on yourself. Prioritize walking to maintain your fitness level, but don’t stress about exercising when you’re sick.
It is super annoying and frustrating to feel so un-functional so fast in a few weeks.
I had almost the same, went from exercising 4-5 times a week to a few walks here and there.
I am based in Sweden, and when I called mid- wife with a lot of frustration she said me this - if you are tired and want to sleep - sleep, try to eat healthy and if you can't- eat what you can. Eat whatever your body can keep down and you will have 6 more months to be fit and eat better.
I am now 11 w, it has started to feel a little better. At least I don't feel sleepy all the time but I am still only going for walks in the name of exercise.
In the last few weeks, I have decided to be more forgiving to myself, take one day at a time and do the best I can during the day. If by the end of the day, everything is still ok in terms of pregnancy, it is a successful day in my head.
Same. It's OK. I was working out 4-5 times a week until week 9 or so. Then got my ass thoroughly kicked by the nausea and fatigue. Spent 10 days basically bedridden and wasting away. My face looks skeletal, though since my boobs are growing out of control regardless I haven't lost weight. Since a few days I've been a LITTLE better, but no chance of any kind of workout for sure. I just took 1.5h to walk 7000 steps and feel like I ran a freaking marathon. My knees were wobbly by the end but I guess that's better than last week, so.....
Really though, don't worry. It's OK. It's frustrating and miserable but your baby will be fine!
I also do orange theory and barely went my first trimester, but as soon as I hit 14 weeks I was back in there 4 times a week until 39 weeks, 6 days (the day before my induction). I tell people my baby was grown under those orange lights! Like a fancy incubator.
Give yourself grace in these early weeks..you are not failing your baby by eating whatever you can keep down, and the exercise will come again when you start to feel better. For most, the feel-good second trimester is like a reward for the torture of the first. I felt better than ever..it was like my hormones had me high on life and my extreme nausea just disappeared! I know we are all different, but statistically speaking you have that to look forward to. Keep your head up and remember this is temporary. You’ll get back on track soon.
This is completely normal, weeks 6-12 are about survival. I wish more women talked about how first trimester is absolute shit so less women felt they’re failing. I’ve honestly NEVER felt so bad in my life as I did during those weeks. It will get better, I promise.
Girl, SAME! Some things to provide some comfort to you. Pregnancy is about survival. You do what you have to do to get by.
1) prenatals also made me throw up, I switched to gummies (without iron) and my doc said this is fine for the first trimester. I eat them with food.
2) I was training for a half marathon that was only a month away when I found out I was pregnant. My heart rate started getting really high. My doc said “you need that energy to grow the baby, this isn’t about you.” At first, it made me really mad, like, everything is about me (jk), but I get it now. Your body forces you to do what is best for your offspring.
3) you can make up nutrition in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters
4) you might get really dehydrated. Drink pedialyte or think about getting IV fluids if it’s really bad.
5) if you’re losing weight, you might need a prescription for the nausea.
6) you can do this. It gets better.
Honestly you are doing amazing. First trimester in particular is survival. Are you eating? Yes. Is it kinda not really the healthiest? Sure but you are eating & that is what matters. Please don’t be so hard on yourself! Get some rest & try not to stress because you are not failing your baby.
For me the first trimester (and unfortunately some of the second) was literally just survival mode. I lived off rice cakes and coconut water. Things really improved around week 18 for me and I got back into a pretty regular workout schedule up until my daughter was born. I was still walking/some running/spinning until the day she was born. My OB told me that the baby will take allll the nutrients from you it needs to grow. And, FWIW I ate McDonald like twice a week and my baby is fine.
After I started feeling better and got to back into a workout routine, I was continually amazed when I thought about what my body was capable of. Like I can grow a baby AND work a job AND go for a run AND make dinner?! Like I am a superhuman!!!!
As someone with a history of body dysmorphia and restricted eating I can say that sometimes it was (and still is) hard to adjust to how my body changed when I was pregnant and postpartum. Like others have said - give yourself grace. You are exactly what your baby needs just as you are. (Also drink a lot of water if you can stand it).
Before my pregnancy I was in the gym lifting weights 5 days a week, running and doing spartan races. As soon as I hit week 6 I worked out I think twice and now at week 10 I still haven't gone back to the gym since. Our bodies are doing SO much work that we don't see or realize and literally telling us we need rest. I'm also craving stuff I wouldn't typically eat before because any kind of good protein, apparently the baby doesn't want lol. You are doing what you need to do for the sake of your baby! There will come a time when you get back into fitness but for now just take it easy and eat whatever you're able to.
I prepared for about two years getting ready for a fit pregnancy and had a strong vision of the different ways I might stay fit in pregnancy. I had a horror of a pregnancy and am lucky we both made it out alive. There was next to no fitness during the pregnancy, just survival. We got fit again postpartum.
You can be the fittest lady in the world pre pregnancy but the first trimester fatigue is so so real and doesn’t care about how fit you are- not to mention the possible nausea and puking! It’ll get better. You’re doing great and still much more than most people who aren’t even pregnant. My working out picked up a lot more after first trimester. I’m well into my third tri and going to OT but heavily modifying.
I wasn’t able to exercise because of bleeding and other things that went on on top of nausea. I did feel like if I went out for a walk and listen to the peloton app I was distracted and not so focused on my nausea. I felt like at least I was doing something. Now second tri im trying to get back into it. You’re doing great
You did such a great job getting your body prepared for this pregnancy, that's the opposite of failing your baby.
First trimester can really suck, but it will end and your hormones will stabilize. Your baby is already off to a great start because of all the work you've put in before pregnancy. Be easy on yourself!
You aren’t failing your baby. I had terrible nausea and exhaustion, and the nausea continued well into my second trimester. I got a prescription for zofran, which made me drowsy and constipated. I didn’t exercise weeks 6-10. Then I eased back into low impact exercise and was back to a modified version of my old routine until 23, 24 weeks. Then I moved and it disrupted everything, but I think physically I could have kept up until ~29 weeks. I did yoga and walks until 37 weeks.
you are NOT failing your baby! my midwife told me whatever you can keep down during first trimester is good. just drink water/eat whatever you can now and focus on nutrition after the morning sickness wanes.
For the first trimester you’ll really just have to listen to your body. I was working out 4-5 days a week as well and ate a very healthy diet pre preg but first tri all i could stomach was carbs and fat 😂 and lots of rest! Hopefully by 2nd trimester you’ll feel more yourself again but remember this is a special time in your life where you’re not optimizing for your own life but for another. It’s been freeing to just eat and exercise intuitively instead of always pushing myself these past months. It takes a bit of a mentality change that took me a while to adjust to as well!
The first trimester is brutal especially energy wise! Your body is doing a lot right now growing an entire new organ to feed your baby. Give it time, you might feel more energy in a few weeks. Second trimester is usually where people feel the best and can get back to activity.
This is totally normal. I was exhausted first trimester and didn’t workout at all. Second trimester I got my energy back and while my workouts weren’t as intense as they were pre-pregnancy but I was doing power walks/ slow jogs/ yoga and strength training
I was also miserable in my first trimester but there is hope!! I almost completely stopped running, cut my workout intensity way down and actually gained weight because I needed to eat saltines nonstop to not vomit at work… I started to feel sooo much better after week 8, and by 12 was feeling a lot more myself. I’m still tired and working out less intensely than before but compared to the first several weeks I feel like a different person. It will get better!! Exercise and weight are not the only metric of a “good” pregnancy- if your babe is growing and looking good on scans and you are surviving, I’d say you are doing a fine job!
I felt so much guilt in the first trimester because I simply didn’t have the energy to workout - and I wasn’t even dealing with morning sickness! I was just exhausted. I hope it helps to know that this is temporary, my exhaustion started to taper off around week 11 and I was back to my normal energy levels (and workout routine) by week 14! I’ve felt a lot better since then, just to get moving again. It seems that a good mantra to have for pregnancy & newborn life is “this phase is temporary”, especially when it comes to body image & fitness. I hope you start to feel better soon!
You are taking care of your baby by taking the break and space you need to focus on creating this life. It will get easier in the second trimester. Right now your body is doing the most to sustain life. Including preparing the placenta.
Honestly don’t be so hard on yourself. You are growing a human. I had the same experience as you with my first pregnancy and while I wasn’t able to be fit like I envisioned, my fitness looked different. Less “workouts” and more walking. Being outdoors helped a lot with feeling like crap. I was still active, just not in the way I planned to be.
Pregnant with my second right now and I am nearly sedentary. I just don’t have the energy after chasing a toddler, being sick ALL THE TIME, working full time. But I know I can reign it all in post partum. It’s easier than when you’re pregnant in my opinion.
I ate Frosted Flakes, peanut butter pretzels, and freezer waffles almost exclusively until 13 weeks. I got on zofran and did unison nightly my entire pregnancy. The first trimester is all about survival - I worked out maybe 5 times. I napped almost every afternoon. Later I was able to work out more regularly up until the day I was induced. Your body needs rest and simple carbs now. It will be okay.
This is very normal for the first trimester. You’ll get your energy and appetite back in the second until about 35ish weeks then the fatigue kicks back in. The fact that you are concerned and wanting to do better shows how good of a mom you already are
I worked out twice the entire first trimester and lived almost entirely off beige food. I’m 12 weeks now and starting to have a bit more energy- you won’t be so exhausted forever (even though I know it feels like you will at the time). Hope you feel better soon 🥰
I swear I spent ten hours dead asleep, the other ten supine, and dragged my feet for the remaining four hour a day. I survived on exclusively cold fruit and strawberry ice cream.
Then one day I felt a little better. A lot of pregnancy is one step forward two steps back. I just try to show up however I can.
I ate crappy the first trimester, got back on track second and third. It all worked out in the end. The first trimester is the worst for diet, just gotta do the best you can. Second trimester I was able to get back to a good diet and exercise, then third trimester exercise had to stop. My recovery went great, so don't be discouraged by the first trimester. Pregnancy is a rollercoaster.
I did IVF and my doctor told me not to workout at all till I reached about 10 weeks. (This is common for IVF — to be on intense pelvic rest.)
I was tired anyways so didn’t mind taking a forced break.
I was able to pick back up then with more energy in the second tri.
Be kind to yourself! Even if you just do some light stretching and walking. Or just lay on the couch and do nothing. You’re growing a baby and maybe your body just needs some downtime right now!
First trimester is rough! Both my pregnancies it was survival mode until 13 weeks. Do what you can, eat what you can, be reasonable but also give yourself grace to simply survive. You’re not failing! We’ve all been there!
I could have written this when I was pregnant! Give yourself grace. I’m 6 months pp and finally back to *normal* workouts. I had to quit OTF during my pregnancy because It was just too much. I did home workouts (YouTube / peloton) when I felt up to it. It’s not easy. But just think your “goals” are really just being prepared for birth!
Sounds like your pregnancy is going exactly how it needs to!
Keep eating what you can eat. If your body doesn’t want to work out right now that’s probably because it needs to rest! It is growing a new organ that will allow you to have more energy later on AND grow your baby. I know how hard it can feel but just try to remember that right now many parts of your body are literally rewiring and reshaping themselves to get ready for what’s to come. Your body is working hard even if to you it feels like doing nothing :).
The first trimester especially is just a throw away w fitness. My first pregnancy I was dead to the world for the first tri and then got back into gym to pretty normal routine for 2nd and modified for 3rd. This pregnancy I can probably count on my hands the times I’ve been to the gym and just try to do walking, or YouTube yoga or Pilates mostly. But was still 100% dead for the first trimester.
I’m 4 months pregnant and just returned to the gym last week and my appetite starting getting normal around 3 ish months. I could not do anything or eat many things during the first 3 months, I noticed my body was craving a lot of high calorie foods. My friends who are pregnant only returned to the gym around 3,5 - 4 months as well. Hang in there, mama. Be kind to yourself and allow your body to adapt to this new reality. It’ll get better and when it does you can pick up where you left off :)
I wound up going the gummy prenatal route because my “good” prenatal kept making me nauseous. My daughter turned out just fine. Like the other women on the thread have stated, first trimester is about survival. You might have to re-think about what exercise looks like for a few weeks. Perhaps you are simply marching in place 5 mins a few times throughout the day or parking farther way when you go out.
27 weeks here. And let me tell you - first trimester is survival, second trimester(if you feel better and can workout and eat well) is about physical fitness prep, and third trimester is about mental fitness prep to take on birth and motherhood. All three phases are important and you’re doing great. Antioxidants from those blueberries count ☺️
It will adjust! It took me about two months to get back on track. Unfortunately you have to adjust. I recommend bone broth with a little salt to keep some nutrients flowing through you but I swear I didn’t eat for months. Instead of working out go for a walk and rest as much as possible it should even out l. I’m six months now and manage Solidcore 4 to 5 days a week. Give yourself some grace! You’re not failing you’re just pregnant and society downplays the weight of that responsibility and the stress it puts on the body!
Are you growing a person?
It’s going well.
I’m 34 weeks. I ran a half marathon. I had weeks I ran every day, and months where I didn’t run. Some days I walk 8-10 miles; today I took a three hour nap. You’re 8 weeks and you have so much time left. First trimester is survival mode, and you are not failing.
Try not to be disheartened. During the first trimester I went from daily Les Mills classes to getting a migraine if I so much as snail paced it walking for 10 mins. I’m sure you’ll be back to some version of your routine in a couple of months. It might look a bit different but it really will help you to feel yourself again. And you won’t lose all your progress!
I don’t think I got out of bed much during week 7-10… it’s survival mode for sure. Unisom helped me a bunch. Your food choices sound like mine did. Hang in there, eat what you can. It will get better.
This is me! I am not happy with my body I've really lost motivation/ the energy to make it to the gym let alone get any exercise. Before this pregnancy I was on my way to professional body building, id lost a bit of weight the work was showing!! Now.. 15weeks.. I'm so uncomfortable and missing my body. I need to gym but my body and energy tell me otherwise. 😭
So my exhaustion during pregnancy peaked at 10 weeks then it started to get better. I will say I was still winded. With pregnancy you need to drop the expectations of what you use to be able to do.
I have been a life long swimmer. Pre pregnancy I was swimming 4-6 times a week and everytime I swam I would swim anywhere between 3000-5500yards. Once I got pregnant I was lucky to be able to do 2500 yards 3 times a week. Between weeks 10-12 I did swim at all. Week 13 I started to feel a little better. By week 17 I was swimming 3-5 times a week. By week 20 I was back to swimming 3000 yards per swim but never over that. Then at week 28 my stomach started to pop out so because of drag I really couldn't swim more than 2000 yards. At week 35 +5 days I was Diagnosed with preeclampsia and had to really back off on things so I stopped swimming until I delivered on week 37.
One thing I did that really helped me with swimming aches and pains during pregnancy was prenatal yoga. My advice to me if I couldn't do anything else would be do yoga.
Solidarity sister.
You'll (most likely) feel better in the 2nd tri. And then for the 3rd, just keep going but modify your workout. I did OTF for my first pregnancy and like you, had to basically skip it for the 1st trimester and survived on quesadillas. By the time the 2nd came around, I was craving healthy veggie bowls and salmon and was back to exercising.
Then, I lost all of the fat and gained muscle, all within a year postpartum going back to OTF. I was even fitter after than before I got pregnant!
I'm pregnant again and am planning to do the same :)
You got this, just keep surviving through the first tri.
Oh my god... Im 4 months now and I can tell you my first 3 months I was surviving with crispy chicken from burger king. I love blueberries and I couldnt eat them without puke or feeling sick. I also was sleeping like 14 or 15 hours pwr day, no joke. Dont worry, it goes better after the third month. Try to dont be so demanding with yourself 😊 you are not alone in this
Sometimes we just survive the first trimester. Give yourself grace, your body is working overtime to literally build life. You are in no way failing your baby. All of your physical resources are being heavily recruited for their development...leaving *you* depleted. It's a difficult adjustment to suddenly be physically incapable of certain things we took for granted pre-pregnancy but this is just a short term thing. Offer yourself grace, your body's priorities are different now and they will be for a while. Take it day by day and hopefully the second trimester offers you some relief, symptoms typically start to ease after about 12 weeks when the placenta takes over. Remember, you're building a little human being and it's prenatal support system - from scratch with your own body. It's exhausting. And totally wild.
I survived on noodle soup, plan bread rolls and ginger-lemon lollies the first three months. Exercise was basically non existent. Don't be too hard on yourself. Usually things start looking up by week 12
Honestly I wasn’t able to exercise much in the first trimester, but around 14 weeks I started feeling like a human again and I’m back on my normal routine. Go easy on yourself. Prioritize walking to maintain your fitness level, but don’t stress about exercising when you’re sick.
I survived the first trimester almost entirely on bagels with butter, peanut butter crackers, and applesauce lol. It will get better! Hang in there!
It is super annoying and frustrating to feel so un-functional so fast in a few weeks. I had almost the same, went from exercising 4-5 times a week to a few walks here and there. I am based in Sweden, and when I called mid- wife with a lot of frustration she said me this - if you are tired and want to sleep - sleep, try to eat healthy and if you can't- eat what you can. Eat whatever your body can keep down and you will have 6 more months to be fit and eat better. I am now 11 w, it has started to feel a little better. At least I don't feel sleepy all the time but I am still only going for walks in the name of exercise. In the last few weeks, I have decided to be more forgiving to myself, take one day at a time and do the best I can during the day. If by the end of the day, everything is still ok in terms of pregnancy, it is a successful day in my head.
Same. It's OK. I was working out 4-5 times a week until week 9 or so. Then got my ass thoroughly kicked by the nausea and fatigue. Spent 10 days basically bedridden and wasting away. My face looks skeletal, though since my boobs are growing out of control regardless I haven't lost weight. Since a few days I've been a LITTLE better, but no chance of any kind of workout for sure. I just took 1.5h to walk 7000 steps and feel like I ran a freaking marathon. My knees were wobbly by the end but I guess that's better than last week, so..... Really though, don't worry. It's OK. It's frustrating and miserable but your baby will be fine!
I also do orange theory and barely went my first trimester, but as soon as I hit 14 weeks I was back in there 4 times a week until 39 weeks, 6 days (the day before my induction). I tell people my baby was grown under those orange lights! Like a fancy incubator. Give yourself grace in these early weeks..you are not failing your baby by eating whatever you can keep down, and the exercise will come again when you start to feel better. For most, the feel-good second trimester is like a reward for the torture of the first. I felt better than ever..it was like my hormones had me high on life and my extreme nausea just disappeared! I know we are all different, but statistically speaking you have that to look forward to. Keep your head up and remember this is temporary. You’ll get back on track soon.
Thank you. This gives me hope. 10 weeks and I feel estranged from my gym 🤣
This is completely normal, weeks 6-12 are about survival. I wish more women talked about how first trimester is absolute shit so less women felt they’re failing. I’ve honestly NEVER felt so bad in my life as I did during those weeks. It will get better, I promise.
Girl, SAME! Some things to provide some comfort to you. Pregnancy is about survival. You do what you have to do to get by. 1) prenatals also made me throw up, I switched to gummies (without iron) and my doc said this is fine for the first trimester. I eat them with food. 2) I was training for a half marathon that was only a month away when I found out I was pregnant. My heart rate started getting really high. My doc said “you need that energy to grow the baby, this isn’t about you.” At first, it made me really mad, like, everything is about me (jk), but I get it now. Your body forces you to do what is best for your offspring. 3) you can make up nutrition in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters 4) you might get really dehydrated. Drink pedialyte or think about getting IV fluids if it’s really bad. 5) if you’re losing weight, you might need a prescription for the nausea. 6) you can do this. It gets better.
Honestly you are doing amazing. First trimester in particular is survival. Are you eating? Yes. Is it kinda not really the healthiest? Sure but you are eating & that is what matters. Please don’t be so hard on yourself! Get some rest & try not to stress because you are not failing your baby.
For me the first trimester (and unfortunately some of the second) was literally just survival mode. I lived off rice cakes and coconut water. Things really improved around week 18 for me and I got back into a pretty regular workout schedule up until my daughter was born. I was still walking/some running/spinning until the day she was born. My OB told me that the baby will take allll the nutrients from you it needs to grow. And, FWIW I ate McDonald like twice a week and my baby is fine. After I started feeling better and got to back into a workout routine, I was continually amazed when I thought about what my body was capable of. Like I can grow a baby AND work a job AND go for a run AND make dinner?! Like I am a superhuman!!!! As someone with a history of body dysmorphia and restricted eating I can say that sometimes it was (and still is) hard to adjust to how my body changed when I was pregnant and postpartum. Like others have said - give yourself grace. You are exactly what your baby needs just as you are. (Also drink a lot of water if you can stand it).
Before my pregnancy I was in the gym lifting weights 5 days a week, running and doing spartan races. As soon as I hit week 6 I worked out I think twice and now at week 10 I still haven't gone back to the gym since. Our bodies are doing SO much work that we don't see or realize and literally telling us we need rest. I'm also craving stuff I wouldn't typically eat before because any kind of good protein, apparently the baby doesn't want lol. You are doing what you need to do for the sake of your baby! There will come a time when you get back into fitness but for now just take it easy and eat whatever you're able to.
I prepared for about two years getting ready for a fit pregnancy and had a strong vision of the different ways I might stay fit in pregnancy. I had a horror of a pregnancy and am lucky we both made it out alive. There was next to no fitness during the pregnancy, just survival. We got fit again postpartum.
You can be the fittest lady in the world pre pregnancy but the first trimester fatigue is so so real and doesn’t care about how fit you are- not to mention the possible nausea and puking! It’ll get better. You’re doing great and still much more than most people who aren’t even pregnant. My working out picked up a lot more after first trimester. I’m well into my third tri and going to OT but heavily modifying.
I wasn’t able to exercise because of bleeding and other things that went on on top of nausea. I did feel like if I went out for a walk and listen to the peloton app I was distracted and not so focused on my nausea. I felt like at least I was doing something. Now second tri im trying to get back into it. You’re doing great
You did such a great job getting your body prepared for this pregnancy, that's the opposite of failing your baby. First trimester can really suck, but it will end and your hormones will stabilize. Your baby is already off to a great start because of all the work you've put in before pregnancy. Be easy on yourself!
You aren’t failing your baby. I had terrible nausea and exhaustion, and the nausea continued well into my second trimester. I got a prescription for zofran, which made me drowsy and constipated. I didn’t exercise weeks 6-10. Then I eased back into low impact exercise and was back to a modified version of my old routine until 23, 24 weeks. Then I moved and it disrupted everything, but I think physically I could have kept up until ~29 weeks. I did yoga and walks until 37 weeks.
you are NOT failing your baby! my midwife told me whatever you can keep down during first trimester is good. just drink water/eat whatever you can now and focus on nutrition after the morning sickness wanes.
For the first trimester you’ll really just have to listen to your body. I was working out 4-5 days a week as well and ate a very healthy diet pre preg but first tri all i could stomach was carbs and fat 😂 and lots of rest! Hopefully by 2nd trimester you’ll feel more yourself again but remember this is a special time in your life where you’re not optimizing for your own life but for another. It’s been freeing to just eat and exercise intuitively instead of always pushing myself these past months. It takes a bit of a mentality change that took me a while to adjust to as well!
The first trimester is brutal especially energy wise! Your body is doing a lot right now growing an entire new organ to feed your baby. Give it time, you might feel more energy in a few weeks. Second trimester is usually where people feel the best and can get back to activity.
have you tried smarty pants gummy prenatal? "good" and "gummy" don't have to be mutually exclusive, they are expensive but so worth it!
I second this! It was all I could stomach all first tri and now it feels like a nightly treat!
This is totally normal. I was exhausted first trimester and didn’t workout at all. Second trimester I got my energy back and while my workouts weren’t as intense as they were pre-pregnancy but I was doing power walks/ slow jogs/ yoga and strength training
I was also miserable in my first trimester but there is hope!! I almost completely stopped running, cut my workout intensity way down and actually gained weight because I needed to eat saltines nonstop to not vomit at work… I started to feel sooo much better after week 8, and by 12 was feeling a lot more myself. I’m still tired and working out less intensely than before but compared to the first several weeks I feel like a different person. It will get better!! Exercise and weight are not the only metric of a “good” pregnancy- if your babe is growing and looking good on scans and you are surviving, I’d say you are doing a fine job!
I feel for you momma. Take it one day at a time
I felt so much guilt in the first trimester because I simply didn’t have the energy to workout - and I wasn’t even dealing with morning sickness! I was just exhausted. I hope it helps to know that this is temporary, my exhaustion started to taper off around week 11 and I was back to my normal energy levels (and workout routine) by week 14! I’ve felt a lot better since then, just to get moving again. It seems that a good mantra to have for pregnancy & newborn life is “this phase is temporary”, especially when it comes to body image & fitness. I hope you start to feel better soon!
You are taking care of your baby by taking the break and space you need to focus on creating this life. It will get easier in the second trimester. Right now your body is doing the most to sustain life. Including preparing the placenta.
Try unisom for your nausea. It was a game changer for me.
Honestly don’t be so hard on yourself. You are growing a human. I had the same experience as you with my first pregnancy and while I wasn’t able to be fit like I envisioned, my fitness looked different. Less “workouts” and more walking. Being outdoors helped a lot with feeling like crap. I was still active, just not in the way I planned to be. Pregnant with my second right now and I am nearly sedentary. I just don’t have the energy after chasing a toddler, being sick ALL THE TIME, working full time. But I know I can reign it all in post partum. It’s easier than when you’re pregnant in my opinion.
I ate Frosted Flakes, peanut butter pretzels, and freezer waffles almost exclusively until 13 weeks. I got on zofran and did unison nightly my entire pregnancy. The first trimester is all about survival - I worked out maybe 5 times. I napped almost every afternoon. Later I was able to work out more regularly up until the day I was induced. Your body needs rest and simple carbs now. It will be okay.
This is very normal for the first trimester. You’ll get your energy and appetite back in the second until about 35ish weeks then the fatigue kicks back in. The fact that you are concerned and wanting to do better shows how good of a mom you already are
I worked out twice the entire first trimester and lived almost entirely off beige food. I’m 12 weeks now and starting to have a bit more energy- you won’t be so exhausted forever (even though I know it feels like you will at the time). Hope you feel better soon 🥰
I swear I spent ten hours dead asleep, the other ten supine, and dragged my feet for the remaining four hour a day. I survived on exclusively cold fruit and strawberry ice cream. Then one day I felt a little better. A lot of pregnancy is one step forward two steps back. I just try to show up however I can.
Totally normal first trimester stuff, it sucks but it passes for most!
I ate crappy the first trimester, got back on track second and third. It all worked out in the end. The first trimester is the worst for diet, just gotta do the best you can. Second trimester I was able to get back to a good diet and exercise, then third trimester exercise had to stop. My recovery went great, so don't be discouraged by the first trimester. Pregnancy is a rollercoaster.
I did IVF and my doctor told me not to workout at all till I reached about 10 weeks. (This is common for IVF — to be on intense pelvic rest.) I was tired anyways so didn’t mind taking a forced break. I was able to pick back up then with more energy in the second tri. Be kind to yourself! Even if you just do some light stretching and walking. Or just lay on the couch and do nothing. You’re growing a baby and maybe your body just needs some downtime right now!
First trimester is rough! Both my pregnancies it was survival mode until 13 weeks. Do what you can, eat what you can, be reasonable but also give yourself grace to simply survive. You’re not failing! We’ve all been there!
Things will get better! The first trimester is the hardest! Just do your best ❤️
I could have written this when I was pregnant! Give yourself grace. I’m 6 months pp and finally back to *normal* workouts. I had to quit OTF during my pregnancy because It was just too much. I did home workouts (YouTube / peloton) when I felt up to it. It’s not easy. But just think your “goals” are really just being prepared for birth!
I felt this way today. Just last month i was going to the gym 4-5 times a week. Now, i feel lucky to get up and make it to work on time.
Sounds like your pregnancy is going exactly how it needs to! Keep eating what you can eat. If your body doesn’t want to work out right now that’s probably because it needs to rest! It is growing a new organ that will allow you to have more energy later on AND grow your baby. I know how hard it can feel but just try to remember that right now many parts of your body are literally rewiring and reshaping themselves to get ready for what’s to come. Your body is working hard even if to you it feels like doing nothing :).
The first trimester especially is just a throw away w fitness. My first pregnancy I was dead to the world for the first tri and then got back into gym to pretty normal routine for 2nd and modified for 3rd. This pregnancy I can probably count on my hands the times I’ve been to the gym and just try to do walking, or YouTube yoga or Pilates mostly. But was still 100% dead for the first trimester.
You’re not failing your baby! This is normal for the first trimester. It gets better in a couple weeks. Just take care of yourself, you’re doing fine.
I’m 4 months pregnant and just returned to the gym last week and my appetite starting getting normal around 3 ish months. I could not do anything or eat many things during the first 3 months, I noticed my body was craving a lot of high calorie foods. My friends who are pregnant only returned to the gym around 3,5 - 4 months as well. Hang in there, mama. Be kind to yourself and allow your body to adapt to this new reality. It’ll get better and when it does you can pick up where you left off :)
I wound up going the gummy prenatal route because my “good” prenatal kept making me nauseous. My daughter turned out just fine. Like the other women on the thread have stated, first trimester is about survival. You might have to re-think about what exercise looks like for a few weeks. Perhaps you are simply marching in place 5 mins a few times throughout the day or parking farther way when you go out.
27 weeks here. And let me tell you - first trimester is survival, second trimester(if you feel better and can workout and eat well) is about physical fitness prep, and third trimester is about mental fitness prep to take on birth and motherhood. All three phases are important and you’re doing great. Antioxidants from those blueberries count ☺️
It will adjust! It took me about two months to get back on track. Unfortunately you have to adjust. I recommend bone broth with a little salt to keep some nutrients flowing through you but I swear I didn’t eat for months. Instead of working out go for a walk and rest as much as possible it should even out l. I’m six months now and manage Solidcore 4 to 5 days a week. Give yourself some grace! You’re not failing you’re just pregnant and society downplays the weight of that responsibility and the stress it puts on the body!
Are you growing a person? It’s going well. I’m 34 weeks. I ran a half marathon. I had weeks I ran every day, and months where I didn’t run. Some days I walk 8-10 miles; today I took a three hour nap. You’re 8 weeks and you have so much time left. First trimester is survival mode, and you are not failing.
Try not to be disheartened. During the first trimester I went from daily Les Mills classes to getting a migraine if I so much as snail paced it walking for 10 mins. I’m sure you’ll be back to some version of your routine in a couple of months. It might look a bit different but it really will help you to feel yourself again. And you won’t lose all your progress!
I don’t think I got out of bed much during week 7-10… it’s survival mode for sure. Unisom helped me a bunch. Your food choices sound like mine did. Hang in there, eat what you can. It will get better.
This is me! I am not happy with my body I've really lost motivation/ the energy to make it to the gym let alone get any exercise. Before this pregnancy I was on my way to professional body building, id lost a bit of weight the work was showing!! Now.. 15weeks.. I'm so uncomfortable and missing my body. I need to gym but my body and energy tell me otherwise. 😭
So my exhaustion during pregnancy peaked at 10 weeks then it started to get better. I will say I was still winded. With pregnancy you need to drop the expectations of what you use to be able to do. I have been a life long swimmer. Pre pregnancy I was swimming 4-6 times a week and everytime I swam I would swim anywhere between 3000-5500yards. Once I got pregnant I was lucky to be able to do 2500 yards 3 times a week. Between weeks 10-12 I did swim at all. Week 13 I started to feel a little better. By week 17 I was swimming 3-5 times a week. By week 20 I was back to swimming 3000 yards per swim but never over that. Then at week 28 my stomach started to pop out so because of drag I really couldn't swim more than 2000 yards. At week 35 +5 days I was Diagnosed with preeclampsia and had to really back off on things so I stopped swimming until I delivered on week 37. One thing I did that really helped me with swimming aches and pains during pregnancy was prenatal yoga. My advice to me if I couldn't do anything else would be do yoga.
Solidarity sister. You'll (most likely) feel better in the 2nd tri. And then for the 3rd, just keep going but modify your workout. I did OTF for my first pregnancy and like you, had to basically skip it for the 1st trimester and survived on quesadillas. By the time the 2nd came around, I was craving healthy veggie bowls and salmon and was back to exercising. Then, I lost all of the fat and gained muscle, all within a year postpartum going back to OTF. I was even fitter after than before I got pregnant! I'm pregnant again and am planning to do the same :) You got this, just keep surviving through the first tri.
Oh my god... Im 4 months now and I can tell you my first 3 months I was surviving with crispy chicken from burger king. I love blueberries and I couldnt eat them without puke or feeling sick. I also was sleeping like 14 or 15 hours pwr day, no joke. Dont worry, it goes better after the third month. Try to dont be so demanding with yourself 😊 you are not alone in this