First Trimester of Pregnancy

First Trimester Pregnancy Symptoms

Congratulations! You are in your first trimester of pregnancy!

Now the clock starts ticking. Being pregnant can be a wonderful experience, do everything you can to ensure it goes smoothly. Make sure you eat healthy foods and exercise (check with your doctor as far as how much you can do).

Pregnancy can be broken down into trimesters, or three month periods of time in which you and your baby change and grow. In the first trimester, the most important thing you can do for yourself and your baby is to see a doctor or midwife. Having regular prenatal visits is a crucial part of a healthy pregnancy.

When you visit your care provider for the first time, make sure you have the following information handy :

Your menstrual cycle (including length and dates of your last period)
Contraceptives you are using or have used
Medication you are or have taken
Allergies you have
Family history of genetic disorders

During your first trimester, doctor visits will be scheduled for every four to six weeks. At these visits, you will be weighed and your blood pressure taken. On your first visit you will also have a pelvic exam.

It is at these visits that you will need to ask the doctor or midwife any questions or concerns that you have. Your doctor is a great support system for you, so it is important to be honest and open about anything you need to discuss. Also during your first trimester is when you will have an ultrasound. This will give you your first look at your new baby and it is also a way that your doctor will be able to check how the baby is growing and developing.

In your first trimester you may physically be experiencing any of the following symptoms: missed period, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headaches, bloating, a feeling of fullness, light cramping, poor appetite, frequent urination, and breast tenderness. If you've had some minor spotting in the past week, it may be implantation bleeding, which is not a cause for concern.

Some women have no symptoms at all and feel absolutely wonderful. This is normal, as no two pregnancies are exactly alike.

During this time, your body getting ready to produce a new life. You may feel exhausted and unusually emotional or irritable. By 6 weeks to 8 weeks pregnant, your increased metabolism and growing uterus may be putting pressure on your bladder, resulting in frequent trips to the bathroom. Your breasts may be particularly tender now and you may find that sleeping in a supportive bra helps.

You may also be experiencing morning sickness in these first few weeks. Nausea affects one third to one half of all pregnant women and usually subsides by the start of the second trimester. It may be caused by a higher level of estrogen, as well as the rapid expansion of the uterus.

As the weeks go on, your waist may start to expand, causing your clothes to feel snug. You may experience constipation and have occasional bouts of indigestion. Some women also feel a bit dizzy or lightheaded at times. (Of course, any persistent symptoms that concern you should be immediately reported to your practitioner.)

A slowed digestive process causes your bloodstream to better absorb nutrients that are then passed on to your baby, but may cause bloating and indigestion. You may find relief from wearing loose-fitting clothes, eating small, frequent meals, chewing your food thoroughly and avoiding high fat foods.

Around your 10th week of pregnancy your breasts may be feeling full and tender. This can be one of the earliest symptoms of pregnancy. The areola typically darkens and Montgomery's glands, lubricating sweat glands on the areola, may become prominent and more numerous. Especially for those with a light complexion, veins in the breast often become more pronounced.

As the first trimester of pregnancy ends and you approach your second trimester, any nausea you may have experienced probably will begin to subside. Your uterus has risen above your pubic bone, and your doctor or midwife will be able to feel it during an abdominal exam.

Around this time, you may begin to show, if it is your first pregnancy this may not happen until a bit later, as strong abdominal muscles can help to hide your pregnancy.

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