Congratulations Manidipa!! Wonderful news. I felt that fatigue too, and it is hard.

Congratulations Manidipa! What wonderful news. The first trimester is exhausting. I ate and slept!! Nine years on I still have a very vivid memory of the fatigue as it was like nothing I had every experienced. By 12 weeks I was back to normal and actually worked until the day before I gave birth:)

We have a lovely maternity range here called RIPE and I contacted their head office because i was having trouble finding one store that carried a good range of their clothing, and they invited me to come and shop in their warehouse! I purchased nearly my whole maternity wardrobe in one foul swoop.

Best wishes and hope you can still pop by when you have a moment. xxx

I have missed your presence here, but I am happy for you!

Well that beats a lot of other reasons for exhaustion; congratulations and best wishes for a healthy (and slightly more awake) pregnancy!

Hopefully you'll get the whole dressing-while-pregnant thing down so that you feel comfortable and like yourself vs like a walking nursery, ha. If not, well...we'll cheer you on during the postpartum phase.

Ooh, IK, believe me, I've been considering that! Trinny and Susannah's strictures and a certain sensitivity to leggings-as-pants notwithstanding, I was wondering if simply getting a bunch of oversized tunic-length (on me) button-down shirts mightn't be easiest all round. Especially as it's only one step westwards from a kameez (technically, Hindi for 'shirt'!) and leggings, which I rely on anyway.

Scarlet, snap! Yes, I'm definitely going to need the proper kind of 'mom jeans' at some point. I've been trying to hold off on that as I don't know what size I'll eventually need (this is my first time, so rather clueless) --- and because (cue gripes again!) apparently the shops only have under-bump ones. I wanted the option of trying on over- and under-... else it's like the tyranny of the low-rise in regular jeans again!

And do I hear you on the expense! What I finally bought was basically a longer length cotton T-shirt with a ruched side seam --- for thrice the price of a regular equivalent. Thankfully, I've not run into the poly monster yet, but that may be because we still have summer collections in our stores. By the time I'm ready for round 2, they're going to be swamped in acrylic, I fear... Oh, and yeah, got the undies sorted --- the regular ones were giving me pins and needles! (Sorry if that's TMI!) --- and got a whole *range* of different-sized bras (now that brings Una's recent rant on sizing to mind...).

Una, ouch! Gosh, I've had it lucky and easy in comparison. At least not the nausea. What I have is a suddenly super-sensitive sense of smell (like some migraine sufferers get just before it hits). I've banned myself from the kitchen, short of an emergency --- otherwise there might be only carrot sticks for dinner! I've also switched deos thrice and laundry soap four times before I found one that doesn't make me reach for smelling salts when I get dressed (never mind actually DOING the laundry; banned myself from that too). But yeah, just last week I burst into tears when my poor SO cooked up some pasta --- and forgot I can no longer stand the smell of garlic! :-p And the first few weeks of wondering what on earth to eat that didn't offend the nose or aggravate the metal mouth were... uh, exciting?

Deborah, RIPE sounds like such a lovely name for a maternity line!

Ladies, thank you all so much for all the kind and supportive words. I know I've missed naming names and it feels a bit rude, but just want to say I haven't the words to say how much I appreciate you all.

hehehe Mani... You are the best....
You make these horror stories sound so funny :)...
Hugs... You will do it

I think leggings and tunics is a great idea. Just to share my experience with maternity jeans, at first I wore my low-rise jeans in various states of open under a long top or a belly band. I had one pair of maternity jeans but they tended to fall down--they relied on an over-the-belly stretchy thing to hold them up. At some point shortly after 6 months I couldn't do normal jeans any more in any state of undress. The loose maternity jeans fit great now, but the slimmer pair I had bought because the first pair was falling down in the mean time is a bit too snug some days, so by the end I am sure I won't be able to wear them. Also worth noting if you are into PPL, I hemmed the first jeans which hung down a little for a short heel, but now that I am bigger they ride higher and I can only wear them with flats. So keep in mind how the jeans fit will probably change over time. Mine are all from H&M mama, and I am really satisfied with them. Also I am finding that a layered look is often the most flattering at any size. That another nice thing about the belly bands is you can wear them higher or lower to adjust the proportions of your outfit. I love those things.

Yup, I haven't been able to buy a sweater yet due to the acrylic. Bras are also tough. I sized up once. I think I am ready for another size now, but I hate to buy anything because I feel like nursing bras are not that far off and will be no doubt yet another size. But it sounds like you are off to a good start there.

M: very, very happy for you. My first trmester was almost exactly like yours all I did was work and sleep and sometimes ate. I would be asleep by 6.30 pm and wake up at 6 am. No nausea, anorexia only...I slept all the time!

I think this phase should pass pretty quickly. Good ulck!!

The best possible reason to be tired. Congratulations Manidipa.

Whohoo.... Congratulations!!!!
I hibernated during my first trimester, how funny!

Congratulations! I was growing concerned about your absence. Sorry to learn that the maternity wear you are finding is no better than it was here 40 or more years ago. I was fortunate in that I was able to borrow a ton of (esp. work) clothes from the friend of my boss and his wife who was and probably still is very stylish. I only gained 25 - 30 pounds and never looked that big, but I was astounded that some maternity wear ceased to fit after about a 25 pound gain. I mean, I wanted my money's worth!!!

FWIW, ginger was the one thing that settled my stomach and whose smell didn't make me sick. Forget other strong smells!

I admit I had been wondering where you'd gotten off to. So glad to hear of your news. I totally remember the absolute exhaustion of 1st trimester. I would barely make it home from work to take a nap. Wake to eat. and go back to sleep. Ahhh the good old days. Of course that was not possible with #2... Enjoy while you can. 2nd Trimester was a blast of energy!
Congrats!

Well now that is some good news! I wish all the best and know you will sort things out when you get some energy back (which will happen - don't despair). Wear saris and whatever is comfortable for you. Hope you can post some progress reports as you go through this very eventful time.

So exciting! Congratulations to you! I remember the first-trimester exhaustion all too well! Hope you are feeling perky again in no time!

Oh WOW Manidipa! This is so exciting for us, even if it is tiring and stressful for you. I hope it will be a happy time despite your own body turning into an alien and betraying you. And yes the energy it take to grow another human is beyond all understanding, isn't it? You have my permission to nap as much as necessary! And if you have an appetite, eat whatever sounds good. It's a good time to go out and eat something that someone *else* has prepared, without the cooking smells to nauseate you. The bills will take care of themselves somehow.

I actually stole my hubs' underwear for one of my pregnancies. Not terribly sexy, but it worked! He got new ones, of course. I'm all for large sizes of regular (not maternity) clothes if that's what works for you. Then you can wear them postpartum, too. If you plan on nursing, buttons on the front or a top you can lift up are good things to look for even now. I had one pair of real maternity jeans with the knit panel that went over the bump and I agree that they're indispensable. Many women cling to these long after their children are walking because they're so comfortable, lol! I think I got mine in my second trimester. As my belly grew they just kept getting shorter and shorter, so keep that in mind for your own situation.

Good luck and thanks SO much for checking in! It was great to hear the good news.

What thrilling news, Manidipa! I'm so happy for you!
We have missed you, so it's great to see you posting again. You should be feeling much more energetic soon, I promise.
Now to address the issue of dressing the growing baby bump! Life does have a way of throwing us one fashion challenge after another, doesn't it? And oh, do I remember the frustration with the dismal maternity clothes offerings! I think the idea of oversized shirts and leggings sounds ideal, at least for the moment, and you know that you can count on the sisterhood of YLF to help you stay looking fashionable as your body changes.
Congratulations!

Hello again, ladies! I seem to get a little more energetic some days now, so maybe things are on the uptick, like so many of you reported in the second trimester.

Scarlet, thanks ever so much for all the practical pointers! I didn't realize (and thank you, too, Claire, for this one!) that jeans PPL would be affected by the belly too --- this means temporary hems or turn-ups, I guess, when I get them? Seeing as I mostly were flats to begin with... I'd really like a belly band, though I've not seen one around here; might need to order from an overseas site or shop I guess.

Zapotee, Sona, JJ --- wow, does that sound familiar! I've avoided the morning sickness madness too, so I should be happy I could eat, I guess --- if *only* I could muster up the energy to wake up and get to the fridge

Donna, I'm beginning to get the idea that it is a question not only of weight but the overall shape of a body changing in pregnancy. I actually haven't gained any weight at all, and indeed, have lost just a bit --- but my rib cage is bigger (2 band sizes bigger!) and my hip is expanding, not to mention the swelling boobs and belly.
Sadly, the ginger's a no-go for me --- I don't much like it at the best of times, and I can stand it even less now But that's okay, I've armed myself with essential oil beads to sniff

Christie, would you believe saris have been the first casualty in my closet? Hilarious, right? How do you outgrow an unstitched length of fabric? Well, because I can't get into the blouses and petticoats I'd wear under them! x-( And they do have to be rather form-fitting and tailored so that the saree will drape smoothly, alas. But hey, at least I know this is one set of garments I will still be able to wear when I'm done, huh? (with new blouses and petticoats, that is)

MaryK, I think I'm on the second-tri 'mend' finally, witness my sporadic presence on here again!

Claire, I wish I could get away with raiding hubby's closet! He's rather 'slighter' than I am, though, lol --- no worming my way out of buying the basics, therefore. Though I have stolen a couple of his elastic-waisted sleep shorts, ha! Keeping eyes peeled for those front-button tops too --- not sure if buying them now will work, in case they don't fit by the time I'm ready to nurse; but definitely got that eye out.

Marcy, I do hope I can muster up enough energy soon to taking a few photos and such. Really could do with suggestions and advice some days... but can't seem to stop leaving it too late on days when I'm getting out at all. I'm in total awe of Natalie's and Scarlet's ability to stay on top of their lives as well as their looks, at the moment!

Congratulations Mani! I literally sleep walked through my first trimester. I remember telling DH that I have never felt such debilitating physical exhaustion before. I would just want to rest my head on the couch for a minute after coming home from work and then pass out for hours till DH would wake me up for dinner. Listen to your body and give it all the rest it needs. And remember to not feel bad DH has to do everything - if not now then when?!

I was lucky not to have any morning sickness but the nausea came in waves and the only thing that helped was lemon/lime juice/soda/beverage and ginger ale, sour hard and soft candy...anything sour basically.

Good luck!

Edit: Do you mind my asking where in India you are?

Vani, thanks for the tips. The hard candy trick has actually been pretty handy for me too, and I've found it easier to drink nimbu-pani rather than water sometimes (masks the metal mouth?)

I'm in Delhi (grounded now, thanks to the baby), though I typically spend more time in Kolkata or travelling on my job.