Surviving the First Trimester Overseas

Anyone who moves overseas can tell you that it’s a stressful event. It is not the same as a short-term trip or vacation. You’re overwhelmed with doing life completely differently, while being homesick and lonely. It’s rough. What can make it harder is if you start a job overseas. As in our case, we arrived in the country in the afternoon and my husband was at work by 8 am the next morning. (He was only supposed to begin the following week, but one thing you learn quickly, is that plans can fluctuate a lot!) The language, currency, transportation and even meeting basic needs can be enough to make your head spin. One of the other most stressful things you can add to an overseas move is pregnancy. As in my case, I became pregnant almost immediately after arrival. Culture shock almost had to take a backseat to my extreme fatigue and nausea. I had struggled with my first pregnancy, but it had been a lot easier to find food that sat well with me. I could not find chicken noodle soup that wasn’t spicy to save my life. And pregnancy cravings? Just forget about it. Between the heat and humidity, nausea and vomiting and the complementary diarrhea common to adjusting to a new country, I lost weight and became even more fatigued. This would not have been nearly so hard if I did not also have a 1.5-year-old who is extremely active (but still pretty dependent on me for most things). 

When I looked for tips online on how to handle fatigue and nausea while also caring for a busy toddler, the suggestions included asking for help from your spouse, family, and friends. Well, that’s less than helpful. I don’t have any family or friends here. My husband has been very helpful, but he’s gone 50 hours a week, including mornings when I’m at my worst. 

So how do you survive this time? For me, I learned to lean more heavily on the Lord: “I can’t do this. I need your help.” And He always gave the grace needed. 

As for practical tips, some of these helped the most:

- Water. I found my nausea subsided at least somewhat when I was properly hydrated. My husband got me a 64-ounce water bottle with the time of day marked on it. I just have to keep sipping throughout the day. (You don’t want to drink a lot too quickly). 

- Simple snacks and meals. Having things that are easy to make and that my toddler can feed himself is a game-changer. 

- Food I can eat. For a long time, the only thing I could handle eating for lunch was a cheese sandwich with mustard. I gradually switched to cheese and tomato. I tried to eat snacks often (at least when giving my toddler snacks). Crackers and almonds for the win. 

- Tea — peppermint or lemon and ginger tea has been very soothing for my stomach. The ginger ale/sprite they have here doesn’t sit well on my stomach, but normally that’s another one that can be helpful. 

- Rest! This one is huge. If I could make it to my toddler’s nap time without incident, I would usually be okay because then I knew I could at least lay down uninterrupted for a period of time. Sometimes I would even take a short nap myself! I also rested in the morning after my husband left and before our son woke up, instead of trying to get things done. 

- Accept help. I know they always say to leave dishes, laundry, etc. but if I were to do that, we would never catch up. Laundry needs to hang outside and dishes drip to dry. Instead, I would just focus on doing small amounts to keep up. When my husband came home, he was a huge blessing with housework and even cooking when I just couldn’t do it. 

- Books and songs: I do not do screen time with my toddler, although there are times I’ve almost started. Instead, he loves reading and music. Sometimes he curls up with me while I’m lying on the couch; other times in my lap. Sometimes I sing to him. If I’m feeling well enough, we do the actions. I try to be fun and engaging during times when I don’t feel as crumby. 

I hope that some of these tips were helpful, especially if you find yourself pregnant and overseas or even just pregnant, without a great support system. It can be daunting, but just take one day at a time! 

If you have any specific questions, please feel free to reach out to me!

I would also love to hear your suggestions if there was anything that worked well for you during a rough first trimester.