WHEN YOUR BODY SEEMS OUT TO GET YOU

How to make working during first trimester a little easier

The excitement of a newly confirmed pregnancy may leave you giddy, but tradition is to keep it secret for the first trimester.

It’s never been easy to hide those symptoms (hello, nausea and body changes) in the early weeks, especially from co-workers and bosses.

These are challenges mamas-to-be face, and ways to manage those sure signs of pregnancy.

Tired, nauseous for pregnancy 1.

“I negotiated a licensing deal all through the first trimester of my pregnancy, and I’m shocked that I managed to do it without throwing up or falling asleep in a meeting. If I was not working, I was in bed. I felt so sick — and not just in the morning but 24/7. I tried the usual citrus, crackers and other remedies, but I was just sick as a dog and wondering how a blueberry-sized ball of cells could drain me the way it did.” — HITHA PALEPU

Does it improve with later pregnancies?

“Strangely, the second time around I only got nauseous when I was hungry. I was a bit of a slave to my Luna bars and cheese sticks, though really any breakfast pastry I could get my hands on did the trick. I was so busy with my toddler — in some way I think the hunger/nausea problem was really a reminder that not only was I a mom, an executive, a wife — I was also pregnant. Otherwise, it was almost too easy to forget about the baby with so much else going on.” — KAITY VELEZ Early physical symptoms of pregnancy vary from woman to woman, but can be overwhelming. “Your body is working on a new equilibrium, and the elevated hormone levels play a role,” says Isabel Blumberg, an OB/GYN in New York. “If women do experience nausea, that can be pretty debilitating and exhausting in and of itself.”

These symptoms can interfere with work. “For the majority of women, these symptoms do pass. Always check in with your doctor if you cannot find relief,” Blumberg says.

She offered some reliable ways to manage the physical discomfort for the first few months.

Fatigue: “Be sure to get your normal eight hours of sleep. If possible, structure your day to get rest in the afternoon.” Blumberg also suggests consuming a small amount of caffeine (one or two servings) to make it through the rough afternoon hours ( but check with your doctor first).

Another suggestion from Blumberg: “Try a snack of anything that combines protein and carbohydrate. Consider fruit with almond butter, cheese and whole-grain crackers or even cottage cheese with fruit as caffeinefree ways to boost your … lull.”

Nausea: This sick feeling and/ or vomiting may come in waves or longer stretches.

Lauren Messinger, a Washington-area doctor, is a big fan of carbohydrates to keep the stomach from ever getting too empty. “Keep saltines next to your bed (eat them before you get up in the morning), in your car, really everywhere to assure that you always have something in your stomach,” she said.

Blumberg says an acupuncture bracelet can provide reliable relief. She also suggests consuming foods with ginger and citrus in them, having frequent small meals and avoiding rich or fatty foods. Another option is to modify when you take your vitamins (night or morning), depending on when you are feeling nauseous.

“For some people, just the size and even the smell of prenatal vitamins is too much,” Messinger says. She suggests switching to a chewable vitamin to manage that sick feeling through the first trimester, though she warns, “The chewable has no iron content, so getting back to the standard prenatal pill once the sickness ends should be a goal.”

If all else fails, Blumberg says, there are medications that can help manage extreme symptoms. Ask your doctor.

The incredible shrinking bra.

“I was tired, dragging, slightly ill and not at all feeling comfortable in my clothes, especially my bras. There was nothing good about it. Getting dressed for work was the worst. I was coming out of my bras — from the top, from the sides.” — MEGAN KONIECZKA The feeling of being suddenly top-heavy and achy can be a startling part of the first trimester. Pat Meers, a nursing bra-fitting specialist at the Pump Station in Santa Monica, Calif., shared how she helps women.

Go pro: Take the time to get the help you need from a professional who knows nursing bras. “The goal is to get comfortable but not lose your street look. For many women, this means transitioning from a structured, underwire bra to a stretchy bra,” Meers says. “Choose a bra with a foam liner to keep your lift and the prepregnancy look you’re used to.”