Pregnancy Tips - Standing With You

Coping with Pregnancy Symptoms

Pregnancy is tough on the body, and some days, it feels so much easier to stay in bed than to force yourself up for class. But girl, you can do this. These classes are one step closer to your degree, and your hard work will be worth it!

Now, today may be tough, but you can plan and prepare to make tomorrow better. Check out these tips and try a few! You got this.

Treat Your Body Well

Morning sickness (or all day nausea!) can be incredibly frustrating and interfere with your efforts to get to class, focus on your assignments, or simply keep any food down. If you are really struggling, you can talk to your doctor about ways to manage the symptoms. In the meantime, you can take measures to treat your body well and reduce some of your pregnancy symptoms and reactions. Here are a few ideas:

Keep some light snacks (e.g. crackers or trail mix) next to your bed. If you wake up hungry, grab a quick snack instead of stumbling to the fridge to binge on Ben & Jerry’s! A snack first thing in the morning may also help relieve your morning sickness– or it will at least get something in your belly (post-gross-morning-toilet-hugging) that won’t return to haunt you later.

Schedule Your Time Well

The first trimester- and even the second trimester- can be especially tough on mamas. Most women feel fatigued in the first trimester, and many will experience nausea, heightened sense of smell, frequent urination, breathlessness, and all that other good stuff. (So much fun, right?!) While good nutrition, sleep, and hydration may help with some of these issues, you can also schedule your time to make the days and tasks more manageable:

Make sure that you give yourself a good amount of time before class (or work) to deal with the inevitable pregnancy dilemmas (e.g. morning sickness). A little extra morning time will allow you that extra 30 minutes or even an hour to start the day off better. Get up slowly, eat, and let the nausea subside a little before rushing off to your first class. Set several alarms if you need to!

For class assignments, try the Pomodoro Technique. This method utilizes bursts of productivity and quick breaks to stay focused. It’s perfect for a tired mama who needs extra snacks and bathroom breaks! First, take 10-15 minutes to plan what steps you need to take to get your assignment done. (Example: For a paper, you might need to do an outline, research, write, create a bibliography, and review.) Break it down. Schedule time blocks of 20-25 minutes of totally focused work– knocking out each step rather than multitasking. After each block, take a 5-minute break to get up, stretch, snack, etc. Repeat, repeat, repeat until done!

Ask About Class Accommodations

Pregnancy is considered a temporary disability. If you are experiencing difficult or even debilitating pregnancy symptoms, you may be able to receive special classroom and exam accommodations. Contact a representative from your school’s Office of Student Disabilities or Student Accessibility Services to discuss your options. You may be required to present a doctor’s note (if the school requires other disabled students to present similar verifications).

Remember, necessary pregnancy-related absences are excused regardless of the professor’s or school’s classroom attendance policies. Review your Title IX rights  so that you can protect yourself from classroom discrimination and contact your advisor or Title IX Coordinator to address issues.

Rest, Rest, and Rest Some More

Prioritize your health. While it is so easy to waste time on Netflix or on social media, you need to rest. Look at your schedule and find times where you can sneak in some extra Zzz’s and plan your days accordingly so that you get to bed.

Yes, Netflix and internet surfing can seem appealing after a long day of waddling around campus. But trust me, you need all the Zzzz’s you can get! Plan a reasonable bedtime (whether that be 9:30pm or 11pm) and stick to it. Netflix can wait.