Discomforts during the first trimester
The first part of pregnancy
Even if there is nothing to see from the outside yet – Inside your body there is so much going on right now.
You probably just found out about your pregnancy and over the moon excited.
Your Body is creating new life – I mean how unbelievable amazing is that?
With that there are some discomforts that can occur during the first trimester.
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Nausea
There are different types of pregnant woman. Some don’t have to throw up ever (lucky!).
Some will be nauseous right after waking up, some will get nauseous smelling certain things like their beloved coffee and other just permanently throw up.
Almost every expecting mom experiences nausea to some extend.
Supposedly the hormones are to blame. The higher your HTC (Humane Choriongonadotropon) level the worse the nausea can be. But having a high HTC level is also a good thing because it indicates that everything is going according to plan inside your body.
Somewhere between week 12-18 the HTC level lowers and it should get better.
Unless you have the more serious form – hyperemesis. (We will have a following post about this topic)
TIP: Eat lots of small meals rather than big ones. Ginger Tea or Ginger in general can be a huge help too.
The Munchies
Pickles with Ice cream? Why not.
Fries with Mayo and cake? sure.
It is a well known cliche that pregnant women are craving weird food combinations or a certain food. Some are so bad that poor Hubby has to get up and get your craved food in the middle of the night from the gas station.
Here are also the hormones to blame.
Your body is probably just trying to get whatever nutrition or vitamins are needed right then.
For example if you crave meat really bad your body probably needs more iron.
You can talk to your Doctor or Midwife if you are concerned about lack of nutrition.
TIP: Of course you can give in to those cravings but try to not even let it get that bad. Try to stick with the few smaller portions and eat fruit and vegetables as snack.
Tender Breast
As soon as your egg is implanted inside the uterus your breast are getting ready to breastfeed.
Even before woman find out about their own pregnancy they can already feel tender breasts.
This first sign of pregnancy will most likely be there for the next few weeks.
Your breasts grow bigger, harder and heavier during the first trimester.
Your skin can get very sensitive. (Spoiler alert – your significant other won’t like that part. No touching – just looking). Same here – blame the hormones flushing your body.
TIP: You can massage oil on your breasts. If your skin is very sensitive you can switch to a comfortable sport bra or nursing bra.
This might also be interesting for you:
– 10 ways to announce your pregnancy
– To the mom that just lost her baby
– Discomfort during the second trimester
Tiredness
At the beginning (first trimester) and the end of pregnancy (third trimester) lots of women are very tired.
Your Body is doing so much right now that it is totally understandable to be tired.
On top of the whole change your blood sugar levels change too and you can have a lower blood pressure.
I personally had low blood pressure during the whole pregnancy.
TIP: plan for breaks during your day. Take a nap if necessary. If you already have kids don’t be shy to ask for help. Eat balanced with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Dizziness
There are lots of reasons that can cause dizziness during pregnancy. Most of the time it’s the lower blood sugar or lower blood pressure. Both caused by the new hormones.
Dizziness can also be a sign of high blood pressure so be sure to have your doctor check you.
Especially if dizziness is constant and you have other symptoms like headache or problems with your eye sight.
I would always get dizzy in the shower and had to shower lukewarm the whole time.
TIP: Drink lots and lots of water. Shower only lukewarm or a warm/cold shower mix. Before you get up move hands and feet. It could also help to wear compression stockings (ask your doctor about that)
Bloating
You guessed it – hormones!
Especially the hormone progesterone lowers the muscle tension which slows down the digestive system.
Because of a lower digestive system the food stays in there longer and can produce more gases.
This happens especially during the first trimester when your body is getting ready for all the changes.
TIP: Fennel or caraway tea can help. move a lot (take a walk) to get the digestive system going. Eat slow. A warm cherry pit pillow on the stomach can help too.
Bleeding
One in four woman experiences light bleeding during the first weeks.
Those are usually painless won’t harm to your baby.
They can be caused by hormones (when your period would be around that time). It could be the implantation bleeding when the egg implants inside the uterus.
It can be contact bleeding from having sex and very sensitive mucosae.
Nonetheless – bleeding should always be checked by your doctor.
Especially when you experience cramps or pain in combination with bleeding!
Early miscarriage
At the beginning of the pregnancy or the whole first trimester there can be another cause for bleeding, unfortunately.
It could be a early miscarriage. A bleeding like this usually comes with pain and cramps. Miscarriages happen a lot and sometimes even before you know you were pregnant.
It is always sad no matter when it happens. If you decide to get pregnant again the chances are good that it will be a successful pregnancy.
Even though this is not making it better at the moment.
If you experienced a miscarriage and feel like you need to talk to someone there is a hotline. Click here to get more information.
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