First Trimester Hunger

Water water water. It will helped with the back up in your digestive system. And it may help with the hunger pains - sometimes people's brains process thirst as hunger.

Start carrying some protein bars with you so if you get that gnawing hunger when you are out, you have something to eat that has protein in it, not just empty carbs like crackers and granola bars. And when you are at home, plan small meals.

When I was pregnant, I would eat a scrambled egg (just 1 was enough) for breakfast. Then I would make a PBJ sandwich to take to work along with a yogurt. I'd eat half of the sandwich at 10AM, the yogurt at noon, and the other half sandwich at 2PM. I also snacked on grapes all day long. So I made 1 'normal' lunch (sandwich, yogurt, fruit), but it took me all day to eat it so my stomach was never too full and it was also never empty. And I had a huge coffee mug with water next to me to sip on all day.

I had terrible morning sickness for the first 3 months, and doing a constant 'grazing' on healthy food all day was the only way I could get through the day at work.

Oh - Amber C mentioned vitamins! Check with your doctor for sure - the iron in your prenatal can block you up. I know someone whose doctor told her to take several kids vitamins every day (eg Flintstones) because they are high in folic acid but don't have iron. And my doc also recommended the stool softener (as Amber said NOT a stimulant laxative, a stool softener). Check with your doctor on both ideas if pushing water isn't enough.

You can use a stool softener. I had to with my second. It helped move things along. I think I did take a laxative also a couple times, but was nervous about it "kicking in" while I was at work.

Eat when you are hungry :) Listen to your body. Make sure you are getting whole grains, fiber and fruits and veggies. Remember that you are growing a human being!!! He/she needs food, too :)

You need to eat smaller MEALS not larger snacks. Full on meals just smaller portions it'll help with pains n eat yogurt a couple times a day it'll help with digestive issues plus its good n good for you

I kept pear juice (I kept those Gerber baby juice sized bottles around) or pears in the house to help when I got backed up. The pediatrician recommended it for my first kid when he had some issues and I've used it for the rest of us ever since. As other have said, make sure you are really getting enough water to drink during the day. The general rule is half your body weight in oz each day. So if you weight 100 lbs you should have a minimum of 50 oz a day. More if it is hot, you are exercising more and if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Making sure to have more protein helps keep you feeling full. So crackers or apples with peanut butter. Looking at the snack you list, it was a lot of grains and fruit. Both good but quickly digested.
I went through this with all 3 of mine. I'd go through spells where I didn't want to eat then I'd be forever hungry. Reminded me of their growth spurts once they were born.

I would UP your water intake, and try to start snacking on fruits and veggies (fiber rich as much as possible)

If you look on Pinterest, or just google it, there are tons of recipes for making carrot or zucchini chips. I absolutely LOVE baked carrot fries! They are great for when you want something snacky.

You might also try some prunes and raisins. I normally hate them, but I was all over them when I was pregnant!

Apple juice helps too, just make sure you get one that is 100% juice.

I'm so with you on this one! I was so hungry in the beginning that sometimes I woke up at 3am just starving and I had to go get a snack! But then I was blocked up and had heartburn--ugh!

I upped my water intake, and that helped. I also started taking digestive enzymes (at the recommendation of my Chinese herbalist) that have helped tremendously with everything.

I also started grazing during the day, lots of fruit. It seemed to help a lot! I always had a snack like a granola bar or trail mix in my purse plus a water bottle.

Good luck! I'm in week 13 and it's starting to slack off some!

OMG....you are about 11 weeks behind me and explaining much of my situation to a Tee! I'm on baby #3. Didn't have these issues with first 2 babies. I, too, am experiencing many of the things that you described.

Here are some of the things that I have been doing to get things under control. First of all you have GOT to push the water... This is tough for me. I forget to do that, and I pay for it. People will always say to eat a fiber rich diet, (which is good), BUT if you don't push the water at the same time, it can have the opposite effect and act like a cement in your digestive tract. Water is huge!

Exercise is also really important, because it helps get things moving through your system. If you're like me, then this is really tough, too, because you're already chasing 2 children around, you're exhausted from fatigue, and frankly finding time to exercise doesn't work as well with these added factors. When I start to feel backed up, I immediately start pushing the water and I get moving.

It does help to not stuff yourself full (as you've realized), but you want to make sure that you are steadily eating things throughout the day. Baby hunger is NOT a good hunger.

Watch your prenatal vitamin. Sometimes the iron in prenatal vitamins can cause problems with your digestive tract. You may need to cut the vitamin in half and take part in the morning and part at night.

My doctor has said that it is perfectly safe to take a Colace (stool softener...NOT laxative) on a daily basis. In my first trimester, I had to do this much more often, but I haven't had to do this hardly at all in my second trimester. Check with your doctor on this.

It is normal for things to slow down during pregnancy. Your body holds waste in your intestines longer so that it can absorb as many nutrients as possible for the baby.

TMI -- pay attention to the texture of your waste....if it is clumpy then you need more water. If it is smooth and "S" like then this is good (but can still be causing you problems....pregnancy is a whole different situation). You are most likely to go first thing in the morning if you have a hot liquid to drink...this can encourage you to go....or you are more likely to go after a meal. When you have even the slightest urge, get into a bathroom and try.

Good luck!