What to Expect in Your First Trimester
What to Expect in your First Trimester of Pregnancy
“Everything grows rounder and wider and weirder, and I sit here in the middle of it all and wonder who in the world you will turn out to be.” – Carrie Fisher
Carrie Fisher certainly isn’t wrong. As you progress through your first trimester of pregnancy, you’ll experience exciting and stressful changes to your body. While both thrilling and exciting, it’s all worth it in the end!
Hormonal Changes
Before we get into all the changes you can expect, let’s talk about what actually causes those changes. Once you become pregnant, your body will experience significant increases in estrogen and progesterone.
These hormones help the fetus grow over the next nine months and provide that pregnancy “glow” you’ve probably heard all about. These hormones are also responsible for the following changes you can anticipate over the next three months.
To help prepare you for what’s coming next, here’s a list of what to expect (and not to expect) during your first trimester of pregnancy.
1. Morning Sickness
The first side effect of being pregnant you should expect? You named it: morning sickness. This is the nausea, vomiting, and queasiness that 85% of women report having during their pregnancy. The nausea could hit at any time throughout the day (not just the morning) and you may also encounter headaches.
One way you can help reduce the effects of morning sickness is to eat smaller meals throughout the day. This will help you stay full all day long and keep your digestive system active.
2. Frequent Urination
You may feel the need to “go” much more often than you did before you were pregnant. Don’t panic – this is completely normal. This is because your growing uterus is putting pressure on your bladder. As annoying as it may be to increase the amount of times you stop at the bathroom, never hold it in and continue drinking plenty of fluids to keep you hydrated.
3. Swollen and Tender Breasts
Your breasts will be one of the first things affected by all your raging pregnancy hormones. During your first trimester, you’ll notice growth and increased tenderness because your breasts are getting ready to deliver milk to your newborn baby. You’ll want to buy bigger bras to accommodate for the growth and to stay comfortable throughout the coming weeks.
4. Light Spotting
Oftentimes, women who notice bleeding during their pregnancy begin to panic and worry that they’re experiencing a miscarriage. In reality, nearly 25% of women experience spotting during the first trimester. Light spotting is quite normal, but be sure to reach out to your OB-GYN if you have heavy bleeding accompanied with abdominal pain.
5. Changes in Diet and Cravings
Over half of women who are pregnant experience either cravings or find that foods they once enjoyed make their stomach do somersaults. Throughout your first trimester, you’ll learn how to adjust your diet to accommodate for your cravings and keep you and your baby healthy. Here are some tips to help you get started:
- First, you’ll want
- You also will definitely want to limit or eliminate caffeine from your diet. You should cut out alcohol completely, as alcohol can have detrimental effects on a developing child.
- While you have another person growing inside you, you’ll want to ensure you’re not overeating. It’s a fact that you’ll gain weight while you’re pregnant, however, you want to make sure that your weight is healthy and proportional to the baby growing inside of you.
While adjusting what you eat will be a challenge at first, it’ll help you maintain a healthy pregnancy beyond your first trimester.
6. Your Baby Will Begin to Grow!
This is probably the most exciting part – your baby will begin to develop rapidly during the first trimester! These first three months is where a lot of the foundation will be set. By week three, your baby’s brain, spinal cord, heart, and gastrointestinal tract will begin to form. The lungs, jaw, and nose will start to take shape and by week seven, all major organs will be developing. By the end of your first trimester, your baby will be about three inches long and have early signs of everything that an adult human body has!
Schedule an Appointment at King’s Daughters’ Health Today
If you’re pregnant, schedule an appointment at King’s Daughters’ Health. Our family-centered obstetricians can answer any questions or concerns you may have and help you hit the ground running so you can have a healthier, safer pregnancy. Contact us today to learn more about our OB-GYN team and the maternity care services we provide.
CALL TODAY: 812-801-0856