Overview of First Trimester | My Experience

If you are reading this, I am assuming that either you or your partner are pregnant so, congratulations!
The first trimester can be a daunting experience and your body is about to go through a whole bunch of changes, very quickly. With hormone levels on a rapid increase, your body is going to experience a lot of different symptoms you may not be used to. Unfortunately these changes are unavoidable, however, they all mean that your baby is growing and your body is doing what is necessary to support you and baby for the next 9 months. There was so many different changes and symptoms that I wasn't expecting, as everyones experiences are different, it is hard to say exactly how you may be feeling, however, I hope that sharing my experience will give you an insight to the weeks ahead and how you can manage them.

Common symptoms you may experience and tips to deal with them:

• Sickness  
• Constipation  
• Fatigue and Insomnia 
• Weight changes (weight gain and loss) 
• Headaches  
• Breast Swelling 
• Spotting 
• Heightened sense of smell 
• Frequent Urination 

TIPS: 

Sickness can be a constant feeling of nausea, to vomiting all the time and struggling to eat. The feeling is like a motion sickness, so resting as much as possible and avoiding getting up and moving as much as possible. Eating dry, bland foods little and often, sipping water often and avoid filling yourself with fluids. Try to avoid having an empty stomach, snacking through to night helps to reduce morning sickness. If you are feeling like you are going to be sick, avoid eating until you have been sick. I felt so much better after I had been sick and was able to keep foods down by doing this. I ate lots of ice lollies to help my fluid intake and the cold ice helped alleviate nausea. I have more information on sickness in my previous blog post. Pregnancy Sickness Post

Constipation  can be a real pain in the arse, literally! Unless prescribed by your GP, laxatives are best avoided to deal with constipation. There was only one thing that I found helped this and that was drinking, fresh orange juice. After drinking a glass I found I was able to go to the toilet a lot easier and more often. Other suggested foods are prunes and high fibre intake. 

Fatigue and Insomnia  rather contradicting symptoms, however I found myself tired a lot more often, yet found it difficult to fall asleep, especially when dealing with sickness. Resting as often as possible, taking naps when possible and relaxing was the only thing that helped me with this. Listening to calming music and sounds when trying to sleep, helped relax and take my mind off how I was feeling. 

Weight Changes  wether it be weight loss, or weight gain, it is important to track your weight throughout your pregnancy. It is even more important to track your weight if you are dealing with severe sickness, weight loss is sometimes unavoidable and I found that any weight I was putting on before the sickness, I lost very quickly. Keeping track of this is helpful to keeping an eye on other complications that can be caused by weight loss or excessive weight gain. This can also be an awkward stage with weight, your bump isn't prominent yet you may start showing weight gain. If you aren't ready to buy maternity clothes, baggy tops and using a hair band to keep your jeans closed are a must!

Headaches when dealing with everything else are one of the most aggravating symptoms. Resting when possible and making sure you are keeping up your fluid intake. Sometimes headaches can be a sign of dehydration, so drinking plenty of water is vital. Paracetamols should be avoided and only take medications advised by your GP. A dark room, plenty of rest and using essential oils or a cold flannel on your head, to help throbbing pains. 

Breast Swelling This is a symptom that can be really painful and there aren't many things that can help. Making sure you have a well fitted bra thats comfortable and supportive. Them pretty lace bras, will soon become a thing of the past and you will be going for comfort over appearance. I recommend a good sports bra that you can sleep in to keep your breast supported and avoid pressure on them. Using creams as soon as your boobs start growing to avoid stretch marks and gentle massages. 

Spotting  can be a worrying symptom, however is very common in early pregnancy. Some people may still experience their period, however any heavy bleeding, you should see a healthcare professional as soon as possible, especially if the bleeding is accompanied with cramping. I experienced very light spotting, almost unnoticeable, at around 6 weeks. I found out this was due to the fact I had been flying and was on holiday at the time, the air pressure of the plane can cause spotting and can also cause your period to come early if you want pregnant. 

Things to do and consider in early stages of pregnancy: 

The first thing you will want to do is tell your partner, if you are going through the pregnancy together. If this is something special to you, then thinking about how to tell your partner is important. You may want to take a test and reveal the results together. This is a very personal thing to decide and is totally down to you, when and how you reveal the big news. 

The next most important step to do is seeing a healthcare professional as soon as possible. They may need to take further tests, can give you advice and answer any questions, review current medications and health conditions and confirming your pregnancy. Seeing your GP is important as you will need them to make a referral to your chosen maternity hospital. Choosing your hospital, is again, a very personal thing and all comes down to your area, your health requirements and personal needs. This is something you can research at home and get extra advice from your GP. Making a referral as soon as possible is important, especially if you are wanting a specific hospital out of your catchment area. The sooner your referral is made, the sooner you can start your appointments and schedule your first scan. 

Other things are to research what foods you should avoid, start taking prenatal vitamins and folic acid. Avoid picking up dog and cat feces, avoid getting your hair dyed and exposing yourself to harmful and strong chemicals. Start using creams as soon as possible to avoid stretch marks. Deciding on who to tell and when (I told parents straight away and waiting until my 12 week scan to tell everyone else. Many people wait until the 12 week mark as the risk of miscarriage is reduced significantly). 

Things to buy:

• Prenantal Vitamins 
• Creams and oils 
• Sickness bands (mama acupressure bands) 
• Bras 
• Pregnancy Pillow (comfort when sleeping and help avoid reflux)
• Doppler (this is a nice thing to have to use at home for fun, however shouldn't be used instead of a healthcare professional. A babies heart rate may not change even if something is wrong, if you are worried you should always seek professional advice)
• Download pregnancy app to help track the weeks (I use Ovia) 
• Books on pregnancy 

I hope my experience and overview of the first trimester gives you an insight and advice needed, to help cope with the upcoming weeks. Everyones experiences are so different and you may experience totally different level of symptoms to someone else. I recommend reading as many different articles and books as possible to get a good understanding and general overview of what to expect. Good luck with the first trimester and congratulations on your pregnancy. Try to enjoy each moment as much as possible and remember everything you experience is for a good reason!