Recap of the 1st Trimester

July 23, 2013

Recap of the 1st Trimester

Due Date: January 20th, 2014

Gender: ???

Feeling: I was beyond blessed with an easy, almost painless first trimester. I experienced a few weeks of off-and-on nausea around weeks 5, 6, and 7, but never actually vomited. It was more of a queasy, motion-sick kind of feeling that never lasted very long at one time. Unfortunately, this was during my last few weeks of the school year, so it did make my job a bit harder (when you work with kids (of any age, but particularly with young children) you really have to be on your game ALL the time - or they will walk all over you! I also experienced exhaustion, which is just now (at week 14) starting to slightly subside. Constant fatigue made me feel whiney, moody, and cranky; and poor George will tell you all about the mood swings he had to put up with! I have experienced a fair amount of headaches throughout the first trimester (and now into the second). I was given the ok from my doctor to take tylenol, but have tried my best to avoid putting anything into my body that might have negative effects on my baby. Since finding out I was pregnant, I have taken ONE tylenol on maybe 3 different occasions when my headache had lasted all day.

Food Cravings: I'm not sure that I've had any kind of strong desire for a particular food that I would truly call a craving. Very early on in my pregnancy, I did feel like eating a plethora of foods that I don't normally eat. For over a year, George and I have cut out (most) processed foods and eaten whole foods as much as possible. I make almost everything from scratch, and since making our food switch, we really haven't even had a desire for all that packaged, processed crap. Enter pregnancy. Suddenly, I wanted to eat processed sweets (think Little Debbie) and sugary cereals. It really only lasted a week or two, and once I had a few servings of "junk", I just didn't want them as much anymore. After that, I switched back to an overall diet of healthy, whole foods, with some sweets and treats thrown in there, too (back to making my own so at least I'm not eating all those preservatives and chemicals). I've also gotten back to drinking only water and milk and cutting out soda and most juices.

Food Aversions: So far, fish has been my only aversion. It's unfortunate because we typically try to eat fish at least once a week and (normally) we both really enjoy it as part of a healthy diet.

Clothes: Almost all of my clothes still fit, although some of them are getting a little uncomfortable in the waist. I have purchased a few maternity items that I've slowly been working into my wardrobe. I enjoy staying in yoga pants and jersey skirts and dresses as much as possible because they really are the most comfortable on my expanding lower abdomen. I also purchased a belly band, which I just sported for the first time today (14 weeks) over a pair of regular jeans.

Weight Gain: According to both my home scale and the scale at the doctor's office, I did not gain any weight during the entire first trimester. I find it a bit surprising because I can definitely see that my body has started to change - for instance I'm a bit more "well-endowed" than I ever have been before, I have noticed some slight changes in my hips and thighs, and there's definitely a bit of swelling in the lower abdominal area. But, I suppose my body is just shifting and changing to prepare for what's to come; I'm sure the weight gain will be here soon! In the spirit of full disclosure, I was definitely at the higher end of my "normal" weight range when I got pregnant, so that may be why my body hasn't felt the need to pack on the pounds quite yet!

Sleep: I had no trouble with sleep during the first trimester - it was all I wanted to do! I did have to wake up several times a night to use the bathroom, but I was always able to fall back asleep without any difficulty. Now that I'm a bit further along, my sleep is becoming a little more disrupted. I'm usually a stomach-sleeper, and while my tummy is certainly not big enough to prevent me from lying in that position, it does put quite a bit of uncomfortable pressure on my uterus, so I'm trying to transition myself to side sleeping.

Symptoms: Slight nausea, bloating, fatigue, breast tenderness, and ACNE, ACNE, ACNE (ugh)

Exercise: Basically, this didn't happen during the first trimester. I probably worked out (half-heartedly) a handful of times during the entire first trimester. I was just so tired and moody that I could hardly drag myself off the couch. I'm excited that I am finally getting a little energy back and have been able to complete several "regular" workouts from my pre-pregnancy life (with a few modifications). I'm hoping to keep up with some form of exercise most days of the week; I know it will make me feel better about the impending weight gain, and my doctor strongly recommends daily exercise while pregnant.

Best Moments: Finding out I was pregnant and telling George we were expecting a baby (5/10/13). Seeing our tiny blob of a baby on the ultrasound screen at 8 weeks (6/10/13). Telling our family and friends the news and experiencing the joy all over again. Hearing baby's beautiful heartbeat for the first time at 12 weeks (7/8/13).

Final Thoughts: My first trimester felt unbelievably long, since we found out we were expecting so very early. It was so difficult to keep it a secret until we felt we were in the "safe zone". Now that we've been able to shout our news from the rooftops, I have been amazed and overwhelmed with the tremendous joy everyone has been pouring out on us! I feel so blessed to be carrying this little miracle inside me, and can't wait to experience the rest of this journey.