Pregnant woman dealing with first trimester “trenches,” partner steps in

A Missouri man stepped in to support his pregnant partner suffering from first trimester sickness. 

Ricki (@rickitikkitaviii) shared a clip on TikTok of her bathroom—transformed into a comfort zone during her worst bouts of pregnancy sickness which she called the “trenches.” 

There’s a bowl of ice water with a cold washcloth, padding placed carefully on the floor for her knees, a blanket nearby, and a diffuser releasing peppermint essential oils out of shot. 

The setup, she explained, was entirely her husband, Tanner’s, idea. “He knew the worst part of my sickness was happening when I first woke up,” Ricki told Newsweek. “It was just a heartwarming feeling to know I’m not going through this alone and knowing he understands that it’s not easy for me what I’m going through.” 

For Ricki, the moment resonated deeply because this is her fourth pregnancy—and one shaped by both joy and loss.  

Her first pregnancy ended in miscarriage in 2018, a time when she had no symptoms at all. Her second, which resulted in the birth of her daughter, Everlee, in October 2022, came with severe first‑trimester sickness that landed her in the ER due to dehydration.  

In 2024, Ricki experienced another miscarriage, this time after weeks of intense symptoms.  

“That was a shock to us because when you have a healthy pregnancy you tend to think the next one will be too but obviously that’s not always the case,” she said. 

That loss led to her current pregnancy—the one shown in her viral video—where nausea returned with force around six weeks and intensified by week eight. 

“It’s just such a horrible feeling to wake up every day for days, weeks, even months and feeling nauseous,” Ricki said. “You just have to tell yourself it’s not for forever and the outcome of it is so rewarding.” 

Knowing mornings were the hardest, her husband began waking up earlier to prepare the bathroom before Ricki even got out of bed. Seeing the setup brought a smile to her face—even on the hardest mornings.  

The video also offers a glimpse into a partnership nearly 13 years in the making. Ricki described Tanner as her “everything,” someone who consistently shows up during difficult moments.  

When her sickness peaked around eight weeks, he took over household chores, handled laundry, and made daily fast‑food runs for whatever sounded tolerable—often Taco Bell or Chipotle. 

Her clip has gone viral on TikTok, clocking up over 3 million views. Women flooded the comments sharing their own experiences with pregnancy sickness and what helped them cope. Some men even said they were “taking notes” for future pregnancies.  

Ricki and Tanner are expecting a baby boy in August whom they’ve already named Evander. 

“I think it’s such an amazing feeling to know you can rely on someone, especially your partner,” Ricki said.