My First Trimester

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I’m pregnant! Holy heck! I’m so happy to be sharing this news with everyone! All I’ve been doing is googling and researching these past 12 weeks so I figured I’d share my experience with my first trimester and a few things I didn’t know. It’s been scary, exciting and super weird all at once and my emotions have been all over the place. Being a first time mom is a bit intimidating, but I’m lucky to have a good support group with tons of experience around me. Everyone’s pregnancy is different so don’t get sucked into comparing yourself to everyone else!

First Appointments

So, first things first. You see a positive on that test and the next step is to call your doctor and make an appointment! My insurance scheduled two appointments for me, first was an in take phone call and second was my first doctors appointment. Unfortunately, my husband wasn’t able to go to my first appointment due to COVID but restrictions are starting to loosen up! Anyways, my phone appointment was pretty blah and the nurse just asked family history questions, The fun appointment was suppose to be at 8 weeks (I was about 7) but some doctors wait until 12 weeks! My doctors appointment was pretty short but I was able to chat with my doctor and ask the questions I had saved in my phone. My advice is don’t fret. If you can’t wait to get in and get an ultrasound, check out local ultrasound clinics. I’m so glad I did because I found an amazing and affordable place near me (check out New Life Ultrasound if you’re in the Inland Empire area of California!). My husband was allowed in and we saw the heartbeat on a pretty large screen…it was amazing! I was about 5 weeks and a few days along and our ultrasound tech was super awesome!

Tips

Write down all questions you may have in your phone or on a piece of paper for your doctor. Appointments are fast and you’ll most likely forget if you don’t have things written down.
Talk with your partner about family health history and document everything. It will be helpful later on.
Research genetic testing. Some providers don’t offer some of the tests if you’re under a certain age and some are the norm if you’re over 35.
If you’re curious about your symptoms don’t google! Call your doctor or nurse line. Trust me…the internet is terrifying!
Start cutting out the junk food if you can and cut back in your caffeine and take a prenatal!
Download an app to track your babies growth! I’m using What to Expect.

Symptoms

Everyone’s symptoms are different and it’s a trip! My first trimester was a little funky. I had a lot of nausea but never actually got sick. Food was hit or miss everyday. Some days everything sounds amazing and other days I couldn’t even think of a certain food without feeling sick. I was also super thirsty! I’ve never drank so much water in my life but I was told it’s really important to stay hydrated. I also had some pretty scary cramps early on that freaked me out a bit but it turned out to be totally normal. I wasn’t able to workout because I didn’t feel good and it was hard for me to accept. I tried my best to give myself a rest and I’m really glad I did. The first trimester is really important and I didn’t want to overdo it. I was also super hungry, so I had to stock up on snacks pretty early on. I started showing pretty early on too so I had to grab maternity pants! I didn’t expect that this early.

Tips

Preggie Pop Drops are great for nausea. I carried them around with me everywhere.
Pregnancy pillows for the WIN!
If you don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on new clothes, check out
Old Navy and H&M.

My Advice

Since I’m almost out of my first trimester I feel I can give a little advice! The main thing is go easy on yourself and get all the rest you can. Take it day by day and try not to overdo it. Also, don’t feel you need to keep it a secret. The unspoken “rule” is to wait until after the 12 week mark to announce (due to reduced risk of miscarriage), but honestly, I think you can tell whoever you want whenever you’re comfortable. Don’t take on too much at once, you still have plenty of time to plan and prepare. Make sure you’re eating and staying hydrated! Also, don’t hesitate to reach out to your doctor or midwife. That’s what they are there for!