Surviving the first trimester takes planning ahead to deal with the body changes. You’re probably wondering what vitamins to take and exercises to do in your first months. Here are a handful of first-trimester tips to keep in mind.
Is The First Trimester The Most Dangerous Time
You can easily trick your mind into thinking something is wrong with you when you begin your online search. You’ll dig yourself into a loophole of endless possibilities for one symptom.
The best answers come from you and your doctor or healthcare provider. Understanding what you’re feeling during the first trimester will help you rest at night.
Asking family and friends about what you’re feeling is also a bit tricky. Yes, you want the support, but like searching online, you want to understand what you’re going through first.
Some pregnancy symptoms may not be the same for others. I remember hearing stories about friends who never felt nauseous.
That wasn’t the case for me. All three pregnancies were different, but each one had me feeling nauseous at different parts of my pregnancy.
The dangerous part of the first trimester is simply not knowing what to expect and looking for the answer in different places.
What Should I Avoid During My First Trimester
Aside from constantly searching for answers online and driving yourself insane, you’ll need to avoid a number of things to help you get through an important pregnancy stage.
During the first couple of months of being pregnant, you’ll hear first trimester tips from your medical advisor on morning sickness relief, why folic acid is important, and more.
As a pregnant woman, you’ll be experiencing various symptoms with your growing baby. These won’t subside until around your due date.
The first weeks of your pregnancy are the hardest. Adapting to the prenatal vitamins and other supplements you may be taking to help your developing baby are going to be trial and error.
Morning sickness might feel like around the clock sickness, but you’ll figure out what time works best for you to take your prenatals and such during your first trimester.
You’ll want to avoid going to the prenatal visits alone. This will help you in remembering information from your care provider.
Whether you decide to go to a doctor or a midwife, it’s important that you make the decision early on. This will make it easier for you to begin getting comfortable with setting up your birth plan.
Don’t worry if you don’t have one just yet. Be sure to make time to think about this as you head into your second trimester.
Weight gain is normal during the upcoming months. Some women notice it right away, others begin to see the change in their weight week or so later.
To help you control your cravings and weight gain, you’ll need to drink a good amount of water. If you weren’t drinking water before getting pregnant, then now is the perfect time to start.
Not only is it good for your health, but it will help your developing baby as well. Not drinking an ample amount of water may increase your risk of having to go through a c-section.
You can read about my c-section experience and recovery in a previous post.
How Do I Take Care Of Myself In The First Trimester
Aside from the potential of experiencing morning sickness, there are a variety of other symptoms you’ll experience in the beginning.
Missing your period is probably one of the most common signs of pregnancy every woman experiences. Swollen breasts, fatigue, nausea (with or without vomiting), and frequent urination are other common signs you may notice.
These are signs your pregnancy is going well in the first trimester. There are ways on how to take care during the pregnancy of the first month.
During early pregnancy, you will witness a number of changes to your day-to-day activities. Bloating is one of the pregnancy symptoms that I felt in all three pregnancies.
Although bloating is also a sign that your period is coming, it can be an indicator that you’re growing a baby inside of you.
Shortness of breath was another I noticed right away. As an active person, I found myself feeling overwhelmed with simple tasks.
Constipation in the first trimester was what led me to drink more water and increase my fruits and vegetable intake. This came in handy during my second and third pregnancy.
If you are experiencing anything else that isn’t a common symptom, then I recommend setting an appointment and discussing it with your doctor.
Early pregnancy signs come with a variety of issues. From bloating and constipation to nausea and fatigue, you’ll need pointers on how to get through your first trimester, which lasts from pregnancy week 1 to week 12.
During this time, I made it a point to look at products that had been reviewed by other moms online. Asking other parents in Facebook groups made it easier to know which items to add to my baby registry list.
First Trimester Tips: How To Stop Pregnancy Nausea
Moms have noted the initial weeks of their pregnancy to be the toughest part of all. The reason for this is because sometimes morning sickness can feel like “around-the-clock” sickness.
If you’re experiencing anything like what I had in my initial trimester, then you probably can’t have a glass of milk without wanting to barf.
There are a number of ways to minimize and stop feeling nauseous during pregnancy. Simply drinking lemon water or having a mint can help with the feeling of throwing up.
For those moments when you’re brushing your teeth and you can’t seem to brush your tongue without feeling nauseous, try brushing with warm water. I tried this during my first trimester and it worked.
I was glad I had discovered this because I always felt dirty not brushing my tongue.
If your prenatal pills make you sick, I suggest taking them at different times of the day. For me, mornings and afternoons were tough since I was always on the go.
If you’re active throughout the day, try taking the pill before you go to bed. To help my baby’s bones (and my own) I’d take it with milk.
Also, you can try taking the pill during a meal. I know a few women who did this and it really helped.
What Vitamins Should I Take in My First Trimester
Finding out you’re pregnant is the worst time to go on a diet. However, you can be more conscious of what you eat.
Remember you’re eating for one and nourishing two.
I don’t know how many times I’ve heard the excuse “I’m eating for two” while they devoured a whole pizza, ate bowls of ice cream, or worse: constantly ate Drive-Thru meals at 3 am just because “they craved it.”
STOP! You’re hurting yourself and the baby.
The truth is, you’re not craving anything at 3 am. You just haven’t been eating enough for two and your body wants you to eat more.
You may find it difficult to eat throughout your pregnancy as food aversions are a real thing for some moms-to-be. One of my favorite first trimester tips that helped me was eating fruits and occasionally some veggies.
I craved celery and carrot sticks with Blue cheese and buffalo sauce. The strangest combination that I can’t see today without feeling sick.
There are healthy options for you to snack on during your first trimester. Below is a list of nutrients and food ideas you can eat in the early weeks of your pregnancy.
Vitamin C-rich foods, like oranges, broccoli, and strawberries are great for controlling those late-night cravings. Simply serve yourself a bowl before bed.
Iron from vegetables like spinach is always a good source of nutrients for your growing baby. I also took iron pills throughout my pregnancies and folic acid (found in nuts and fresh fruits) to help with each baby’s development.
Protein should be a big part of your meals during pregnancy as it provides your baby with the right nutrients for strength and supports tissue growth.
How Should I Exercise In The First Trimester
Family and friends always ask whether or not it’s okay to continue your exercise routine during the early stages of your pregnancy.
Although sex isn’t the first thing on your mind when it comes to pregnancy, it’s a great way to stay physically active. Unless there’s nothing medically wrong or has been discussed with your doctor, I suggest doing the deed with your partner.
This brings you closer and having sex during pregnancy is good for the baby. You’ll want to check in with your medical advisor beforehand in case there are underlying causes for you not to do so.
Sex during the first three months of pregnancy can be difficult. Your vagina can dry up due to hormonal changes, and you may even feel pressure in your bladder.
However, having sex in the early stages won’t cause a miscarriage. It may be uncomfortable, but it can also be a great stress reliever as well.
Be sure to enjoy yourself and keep in mind that you want to keep the baby happy and yourself. That endorphin rush is actually good for your baby, partner, and yourself.
So, having sex is a win-win. One thing to keep in mind is to clean up after.
Leaving semen in your vagina may cause a UTI during pregnancy.
Here are some ways on how to deal with pregnancy fatigue during pregnancy. During the first couple of weeks into your pregnancy, you’ll feel exhausted throughout the day. Giving yourself a daily schedule can improve your health and your baby’s health.
From taking daily walks to afternoon naps, you’ll notice a change in your mood when you make time for what your body needs.
Walking is a great way to exercise during pregnancy. It helps with lower back pain and can minimize your chances of gaining unnecessary weight.
Other ways to stay active during your first trimester include:
- Swimming;
- Riding a stationary bike;
- Practicing yoga; and
- Strength training exercises
Although I stopped going to the gym after I found out I was pregnant, I did continue to walk daily. Having a dog helps with reminding yourself to go for walks.
One thing to keep in mind if you are walking a dog during your pregnancy is to be careful with pets that pull on the leash. You can fall during your walk and this can hurt you and the baby.
What To Do During Your First Trimester
If you’ve been asking what should I be doing during my first trimester, then you’ll want to focus on the things you can do. I’ve lined out a handful of ideas above.
Take your time to understand the changes that are taking place at this moment. One thing that I learned from my first pregnancy is that how you feel is mental.
I remember going out for a friend’s birthday while I was four months pregnant.
Although I wasn’t in the mood to go out, I knew it would mean a lot to my husband if I went with him. Fortunately, I had a great time and was excited to hear the news that one of his friends was also expecting.
I will admit that there were times during my first pregnancy that I didn’t want to move a finger and stay in bed all day — typically on Sundays. However, I knew I had to get up and keep going.
After all, the best exercise is doing work around the house. It’s good to keep busy in general, and it’s a great workout not only for your body but also for your mind.
This post is part of the Giving Birth Series. You can read other installments in the series:
Second Trimester Tips
Peaceful Environment For Your Baby
Introduce Your Dog To A Newborn
16 responses to “Surviving The First Trimester: Tips To Get By”
It is good to get what you can done in your first trimester. I also felt the worst then, so I got a lot of sleep too!
I remember my first trimester. It was the hardest with all three of my pregnancies.
These are such great tips! Oh – the bloating. With triplet pregnancy it was so severe!
I always loved being pregnant. You have brought some memories to mind. Love all of your tips.
Oh I remember my wife when she was on her early stage of pregnancy. So sweet to be reminiscing. Great tips you shared here.
The first trimester of pregnancy is so scary – especially the first time around! This article will help people get through it better and ore confidently.
This is great info I can pass along to some pregnant friends I have. Thanks 🙂
Fantastic tips that are just good to know in general. I like how you highlighted foods and showed us the “downside” (like boating) as it helps us plan for worst case scenarios.
So my wife & I sadly have been struggling to get pregnant. But I am glad to learn more about these tips when we finally do get lucky enough to make it to her first trimester. I dont envy all the changes you women go through but I find it interesting how you found ways to manage some issues with diet.
Such a great informative post. Thank you for sharing! Lots of friends currently pregnant who I will be sharing with 🙂