I love being a mom, but I’m not a mom who loves being pregnant. It might have something to do with the fact that both of my babies were born in August, in New York City. I’d have to waddle around in the blistering heat, climbing up and down subway staircases, to get wherever I needed to go, hauling a giant baby bump with me. By the time I’d get to work in the morning, I’d feel (and look) like I’d just gone through boot camp (and I suppose I sort of had — pregnancy style anyway). Another issue: My already temperamental tummy got even more sensitive during pregnancy.
During my pregnancies, I learned a few simple strategies to settle my fussy tummy. To combat first trimester queasiness in the morning, I would sip ginger tea and nibble on dry toast before I got out of bed. This made a huge difference. There was also a mac ‘n’ cheese-from-a-box-phase that lasted for a few weeks; it’s amazing what carb-loading did for my cranky belly. At work, I’d suck on hard candy, snack on crackers or ginger cookies, and sip a little soda (I didn’t love the sugar but I live by a “whatever works” mantra when it comes to battling pregnancy ails). Sleeping propped up on pillows helped at night when heartburn struck, as did chewing on antacids.
Of course, morning and nighttime were easier, because I wasn’t trying to conceal my nausea-busting efforts. Managing my symptoms at work was trickier; the worst queasiness hit before I was ready to share that I was pregnant, but co-workers tend to notice when someone starts eating ginger cookies all day long (especially if that someone has an office reputation for being a healthy eater). But here’s the thing: If I were to get pregnant again today, I’d have some pretty great, more discreet new products to try, not only to help with morning sickness but also its partners in crime: heartburn and regularity.
TruNatal Nausea Relief
I adore the idea of a supplement that can help address nausea associated with morning sickness, especially one that’s made from real ginger. Because here’s the thing: Nausea can sneak up on you at the worst time during pregnancy, and you need a handy option. One time I was in the middle of a strategy session with the president of the company that I worked for at the time, and an intense wave of nausea washed over me; I was newly pregnant and I hadn’t told anyone in my company yet. I awkwardly dug into my bag for a packet of crackers and then sat there, red-faced, crunching and praying I wouldn’t throw up. It was so public and obvious, I was totally embarrassed! However, if there had been the opportunity to take a supplement to quell the queasiness, I would have done it in a second. It’s something I could have had waiting in my bag and then taken discretely with a sip of water when I needed to — without the cracker munching. If I do have another baby, this will be a must-have.
TruNatal Heartburn Relief
Honestly, there are few things more miserable than heartburn. For me, it made eating and sleeping incredibly difficult at times. I took other products to help manage it, but I would have loved to have the chance to try another approach; this new supplement could have been the perfect answer for me. It has calcium — something my doctor wanted me to get plenty of both times I was pregnant anyway — and, it’s a simple chew. So, whether my heartburn was bugging me sometimes at work, on the subway, or at home, I could have easily popped one in my mouth to cool the burn. A good thing to remember for baby #3.
TruNatal Regularity Support
Regularity is not a something that anyone wants to talk about — but, let’s face it, staying regular during pregnancy is a challenge. I remember eating every fiber-filled food I could stomach (and my options were limited), in hopes of keeping my system on track. Who wants to feel bloated on top of being pregnant?! So it’s pretty genius that this fruity chew helps support being regular. I would have kept these babies in a jar on my desk at work and popped one when I felt that my diet was lacking in fiber. I’m betting that a pregnant co-worker or two would have asked to share. And yes, I would have been happy to spread the goodness!
*This blog post is sponsored by OAD TruNatal, which reviewed product related content. All other content is my own.
