1St Trimester Nausea and Cooking for My Family

Buy pre-chopped veggies and meat or beans then stick it in a crock pot. Put it outside if possible so the house does not fill up with the smell.

I'm lucky my DH cooks every night, & So far I haven't had too much nausea (6weeks pregnant).

Can you do things like cold sandwiches? Or try things that don't have much of a smell like pasta? Throw a casserole together then leave the kitchen while it bakes?

As you know, the nausea will (hopefully) go away in a few weeks. Until then, your kids can survive just fine on cold cereal and peanut butter sandwiches. :) If you want to get fancy, you can always go with things like deli sandwiches, or a chef salad. Nutritious, yet doesn't require actual cooking. You don't need to put a gourmet meal out every night when you're feeling yucky! If your kids are old enough, can they help with cooking? Even if it's something simple like making pasta, it's a useful skill for them to develop. Or can your husband help out for a little while?

If it's the smell while cooking, get some disposable face masks. Put a dab of lotion or scented oil under your nose and you won't be able to smell the food.

I gagged my way through it, lucky I didn't really ever vomit. Putting a heal of bread in your mouth so it hangs out will absorb the odor, give it a try. This to shall pass.

So sorry... I understand. With my first pregnancy, I couldn't walk in the kitchen, couldn't look at food, couldn't even watch a food commercial without throwing up. My husband would bring me food in the family room, and I'd have to stab at the food with my fork without looking so that I wouldn't throw up in my plate.

With my second pregnancy, I just couldn't eat. I'd take 3 bites and that was all. We found that I did better if we went out to eat. My doctor was worried because I wasn't gaining enough weight.

I tried healthy shakes - perhaps that would help you. If you could get a friend to do all your prep, then you could just throw it together quickly. Your kids might like the shakes also. If you have little baggies of things to nibble on made up for you, and eat that so you have something in your stomach before going in to cook, that might help.

I feel for you. At least I had my husband to help. Otherwise, I'm not sure what I would have done!

Dawn

Can you try the crock pot? if it's the smell that's bothering you you can always plug it in in the garage. I never brown the meat I put in the crock pot even if a recipe calls for it. Buy everything pre chopped, throw it in, turn it on and it's done when every one is ready to eat. There are several cook books that only call for 5 ingredients so they are super easy to put together. What about one of those meal prep places.......prep a bunch of meals for the month and then all you have to do is throw it in the oven.... otherwise just make grilled cheese and soup for the next few weeks until this passes!

Can you cook in the early afternoons so that all you have to do come dinnertime is heat it up in the microwave? Or they get soup and grilled cheese or subs?

I feel your pain. My first pregnancy I was so nauseated for two weeks, that I couldn't bare to smell anything. My husband grilled his dinner each night for 2 weeks straight. You are a brave woman to even contemplate cooking salmon.

Hope it ends soon!

I was very sick, throwing up. The protein i ate (goal of 80 grams) the better I felt....easier said than done when the thought and site of meat made me sick.

I ate quinoa....it has 5-6 grams of protein-it all helps and my kids loved it. We would stir fry it with veggies. There is also quinoa pasta that is good with sauce or just butter and salt.

Soy milk also has a 7 grams of protein (depending on brand)....so i would buy liquid chai (in a box on shelf by coffee/tea) and drink it with soy milk....cold out of fridge, the colder the better for some reason. Sometimes I'd put over ice, sometimes I'd blend like a shake. I sipped on this all day (sometimes drinking multiple) and it really helped.

I also used peanut butter for protein....my kids loved this. We ate a lot of cup a soup-chicken noodle, or id crave ramon noodles (just noodles and the packet-no liquid), so id use the quinoa pasta with the ramon packet.

My husband ordered out or made meat himself while i was sick.

Good luck, it sucks but doesn't last forever (says the girl who puked for 9 months on in-home IVs....and did it again-not near as bad that time.

You want to know what else helped....acupuncture. she gave me chinese herbs which helped along with magnets i taped to my wrists (sea bands didnt help much). Not sure how sick you are, but might be worth a shot if you are miserable.

It might help to eat a little something before starting to cook. Maybe a yorgurt or peice of fruit.

Hopefully, this passes soon.

Yuck. I kinda did the same thing. And I couldn't touch raw meat. My H had to cook it till it didn't look raw then I would finish. I couldn't even buy it.

Part of the problem might be that you are going too long between meals. Try more snacks and small meals.

Eggs, French toast, homemade Mac and cheese.

I was like that too. Dinner was tough. Maybe you could pre-do everything when you're feeling better early in the day so all you need to do is just put it out. Luckily, you should be okay soon so things can get back to normal. Congrats on your new baby...

"Oh how I wish hubby could help-he is only home by dinner time about once a week, if even that."

.....so, on weekends he cooks a ton and freezes/refrigerates for the week's meals. That way you only deal with pouring cereal or making cold foods like sandwiches, etc.

This period will end fairly soon but while you are going through it, he can bulk-cook at weekends while you get out of the house to avoid the odors. And it will be good practice for him; if he and you get into this habit, it will help a lot when you're both tired out from the new baby!

use the crockpot, but the trick is to put it in the garage, to cook, so you don't smell up your house :)

this too shall pass

Let hubs cook for the week on whatever days/nights he is home, then all you have to do is reheat.