I know this post is WAY overdue, but better late than never! I wanted to share my pregnancy experience so far, so I decided to break it down by trimester. First up: my first trimester pregnancy experience! Stay tuned for my second trimester update coming soon. And in case you missed it, you can read about how I first found out I was pregnant and see our gender reveal here!
First Trimester Pregnancy Emotions
When I found out I was pregnant, it was a flood of emotions – most of which were pure happiness. But with this being my first pregnancy, I had a million questions about what was happening to my body and what lifestyle changes I needed to make. I started Googling everything from “can I still drink coffee?” to “how do I figure out my due date?” (which I found out is calculated based on the date of your last period – who knew??). I was so excited to be pregnant, and at the same time so eager for any and all information I could get my hands on.
The first trimester was really a mix of excitement and nervousness. Dario and I kept the pregnancy to ourselves from September when we found out all the way until December when we went home for Christmas. It was fun having this amazing secret that only we knew, and we really took that time to enjoy the news and get used to the idea that we were about to become parents. But those first few weeks came with their challenges, too. I really didn’t have a ton of physical symptoms during the first trimester, and while I’m grateful that I didn’t experience severe sickness like a lot of women do, part of me was desperate to feel ANY symptom related to pregnancy – even the unpleasant ones – because I felt like they validated my pregnancy and put my mind at ease that there was in fact a baby in my belly.
Looking back, that mentality may have been a little silly, but those first few weeks between finding out you’re pregnant and when you finally get to hear the baby’s heartbeat at your first doctor’s appointment can be really tough! Statistically, miscarriage rates are higher during the first trimester, and not being able to feel the baby move or know that he had a heartbeat yet definitely contributed to some worry and anxiety. Physical symptoms of pregnancy were all I had at that point to reassure me that I was in fact pregnant.
How I calmed my nerves
Doing research about what was happening to my body during those first few weeks helped to calm some of my nerves. I made sure to stay away from articles that talked about what could go wrong during the first trimester, and instead focused on information about the baby’s development and any lifestyle changes I should be making. I also made sure to seek out reliable internet sources from medical professionals for all my pregnancy-related info. While there’s definitely a time and place for blogs and forums (like for learning about other people’s experiences – which is what you’re doing here!), actual scientific information and medical advice should be left to the professionals. Some of the resources I found helpful and knew I could rely on for accurate information included:
Obviously your own doctor is going to be the best resource for information about your own pregnancy, but for general guidelines about what to expect during that first trimester, I found those resources particularly helpful.
What I did after I found out I was pregnant
Started prenatal vitamins
I had started taking prenatal vitamins a few weeks before I got pregnant in anticipation of eventually getting pregnant (some doctors recommend starting them a few months before you begin trying so the vitamins have a chance to build up in your system). Since we weren’t actively trying yet when I did actually get pregnant, I hadn’t been super strict about taking them and definitely skipped days here and there. As soon as I saw that positive pregnancy test, I started taking them seriously and made sure to never forget a day.
Downloaded a pregnancy tracking app
I use the Ovia Pregnancy app. I had been using the Ovia Fertility app for a few years to track my monthly cycle and had a really good experience with it, so when I got pregnant, I switched over to their pregnancy app. It provides daily and weekly updates about the baby’s development and my changing body and symptoms, plus it has a bunch of other features like a medication look-up tool that allows you to check if certain medicines are safe during pregnancy.
Scheduled a doctor’s appointment
I was about three weeks along when I found out I was pregnant, and I called my doctor right away to schedule my first prenatal appointment. They wanted to see me once I reached eight weeks, and even though I had to wait almost five weeks for the appointment, it made me feel better knowing it was on the calendar from the start.
First Trimester Pregnancy Symptoms
Loss of appetite + food aversions
Right at the beginning, there were days when I wasn’t really hungry at all – which is very unlike me! And when I was hungry, a lot of the foods I normally loved didn’t appeal to me. I barely ate any meat during my first trimester because it just sounded gross, and I had to force myself to eat vegetables, which I normally eat a ton of. Starchy carbs were about the only thing I wanted!
Exhaustion
This was definitely my most prominent symptom. There were days where I struggled to keep my eyes open, and staying up past 7:30 p.m. was a major feat during those first 12 weeks!
Sore boobs
This one is pretty self-explanatory. Luckily it wasn’t too bad and only lasted a few weeks.
Easily winded
I’d be out of breath after walking up a single flight of stairs. I had been working out regularly before I got pregnant and was in pretty good physical shape at that point, but you never would’ve guessed it for how winded I would get doing the simplest tasks!
Light Headedness
Any time I bent over or stood up, I’d get a head rush. I was relieved to see this symptom disappear after a few weeks!
First Trimester Pregnancy Must-Haves
Prenatal vitamins
I’ve been using the Essential Prenatal vitamins from Ritual. After doing a TON of research on different brands and ingredients, the biggest selling point on these for me was that they contain folate as opposed to folic acid (the synthetic form of folate). They also don’t upset my stomach and I like that they tell you exactly where all the ingredients are coming from. Bonus – they aren’t giant horse pills like a lot of prenatal vitamins, and they have a subtle lemon taste to them!
Ginger candies
I was lucky enough not to experience severe nausea, but I did have plenty of days where I felt queasy. These hard candies helped settle my stomach and made it easier for me to eat.
Carbs
Carbs were about the only thing that appealed to me during the first trimester. Plus, they didn’t bother my stomach. I’m usually someone who watches my carbs, but during pregnancy I’ve decided to lean into and embrace whatever makes me feel happy and helps my body feel good. During the first trimester, I ate a ton of saltine crackers, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and meatless 7-layer burritos from Taco Bell!
Stretch mark prevention cream
A lot of what I’ve read has said that stretch marks are genetic and there’s not much you can do to prevent them. But I figured using a stretch mark prevention cream still couldn’t hurt! At the very least, it keeps your skin moisturized, which is especially important as your belly starts to grow and your skin beings to stretch.
Sleep
Everyone I’ve talked to who has been through a pregnancy has told me to take this time to sleep as much as I possibly can. Your first pregnancy is essentially the last time for a very, very long time that you’ll have the chance to REALLY sleep. I’ve been heeding this advice and have tried to go to bed early and sleep in when I can, and I try not to feel guilty about getting naps in whenever possible!
Overall, I consider myself very lucky to have had a positive experience during my first trimester. I’m still so new to this whole pregnancy thing, so if you have any advice or product recommendations, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
xo sarah
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