Whether you’re trying to conceive or recently found out you’re expecting, the first trimester can be filled with loads of questions and uncertainty. I just discovered I’m pregnant with my third baby — our rainbow baby — and it feels like the perfect time to start sharing my journey in motherhood! From a first trimester checklist, symptoms to expect, to a week-by-week breakdown… here’s everything you can expect during those exciting (and sometimes overwhelming) first few months of pregnancy!
Your Pre-Pregnancy and First Trimester Checklist
Regardless of what stage you are at in your pregnancy, you should consider implementing these as soon as you can! The following will help you become prepared both mentally and physically for the road ahead.
Start Taking A Prenatal Vitamin
If you haven’t already, start taking a prenatal vitamin ASAP! If you have any dietary gaps, this will ensure you and your baby are getting everything you need. In fact, your baby will get everything they need from you, but they can drain you of your essential vitamins. Therefore, to keep both yourself and the baby healthy, it’s always the safest route to take one!
Because there is a wide range of vitamins on the market, make sure the one you choose has Omega 3, folic acid, and DHA. Omega 3, folic acid, and DHA are vital to ensure the optimal development of your baby’s eyes, immune system, and overall neurodevelopment. You may also want to consider an iron supplement at some point, if you’re prone to anemia like me!
Reduce Environmental Toxins
The amount of toxins we’re exposed to every day is astounding, and many of them we don’t even think about! Unfortunately, a lot of them can affect our reproductive health.
In the first 12 weeks, the fetus is more vulnerable to environmental factors and lifestyle choices. You’re more likely to miscarry during this period than any other.
Taking all of that into consideration, I slowly started making small changes throughout our house. I highly recommend trying to implement changes of your own! You don’t have to change all at once, nor does it have to be expensive! Here are a few things to consider:
– Unless they’re soy or beeswax, it’s best to stay away from candles and air fresheners. Instead, opt for a diffuser with essential oils.
– Detergent can be one of the most toxic items in your home. Anytime I use a name brand, I immediately break out in hives! Try to steer clear of the name brands and swap your laundry detergent for a more natural or sensitive alternative.
– Use wool dryer balls with essential oils instead of dryer sheets, or opt for free and clear.
Refresh Your Products & Toiletries
This was one thing I was surprised about when I found out I was expecting! Before I was pregnant, I never truly considered what I was putting on my body. You have to be careful about what you’re exposing both yourself and your baby to! Most products are pregnancy safe, but you should be avoiding the following, to name a few:
Retinyl Palmitate (Retinol), or any vitamin A derivatives.
Instead, try: Vitamin C or Hyaluronic Aid
Chemical Sunscreens
Instead, try: Mineral sunscreens like Sun Bum, Supergoop, or Earth Mama
Cosmetics
I highly recommend Ilia Beauty! It’s one of my favorite natural makeup lines to date, and is safe to use.
This article gives a lot of information on what to avoid during pregnancy and even has brand and product recommendations! Of course, I would advise doing your own research as well.
Get Established With a Midwife or Gynecologist
This should go without saying, but you’ll want to get established with an OBGYN or midwife as soon as you can! Typically speaking, your first prenatal appointment isn’t until 8 or 9 weeks of pregnancy, so you have some flex time in between to look around. It’s good to have an idea of who you want to treat you during the next nine months and what you’re looking for in a provider or midwife.
What to Expect During Your First Trimester of Pregnancy
Week 0-13 of Pregnancy
Symptoms to Expect
Fatigue
The fatigue during your first trimester can come as quite a surprise to those of you who are used to being on the go. If you’re a generally active individual, you may find yourself hitting the couch more than the gym in the coming weeks.
Nausea
Nausea is one of the symptoms of early pregnancy, yet not everyone experiences it! As for myself with prior pregnancies, as long as I kept food in my stomach, I didn’t have much nausea. However, I have friends that were sick every day of theirs! It’s something that is dependent on every person and their biological makeup, but it’s definitely a symptom to look out for.
Pro Tip: I recommend eating small, consistent meals to help keep nausea at bay. Keeping a sleeve of saltine crackers on hand at all times will help ensure you’re prepared! Store them in your purse, desk, car, etc!
Food Cravings & Aversions
I think we’ve all heard about the bizarre things that pregnant women can crave during their pregnancy. The truth is, your body can sometimes turn your favorite dishes into your biggest turn-off overnight! During my first trimester in my first pregnancy, I craved all things salty and was absolutely repulsed by anything sweet. My second trimester in that pregnancy? I ate ice cream and candy, both of which I rarely eat at all!
While it’s always interesting to see what you may be craving from day to day, be on the lookout for cravings that are non-food related. As weird as it sounds, your body can crave things like dirt, chalk, crayons, and more! This generally indicates a vitamin deficiency and you should discuss this with your doctor immediately.
Heartburn & Indigestion
Heartburn is a very common symptom of pregnancy. It’s primarily caused by a combination of hormonal changes and the added pressure your growing babe is putting on your stomach! In an effort to avoid indigestion, try to avoid acidic foods and always carry antacids with you as a precautionary measure. My favorite go-to’s are Tums! They’re pregnancy safe and come in a variety of flavors and convenient sizes.
Constipation
One of the more frustrating parts about your first trimester is the constipation you can face. An increase in your hormones causes food and waste to move slower through your body, therefore causing some “backup” as a result… For this reason, and many others, it’s important to stay hydrated and keep your fluid intake high!
Tender Breasts
You know how your breasts are sore around the time of your cycle? Take that soreness and add tax. The fact that your body is overflowing with hormones causes your breast tissue to swell and, in turn, causes you to be sore. Not to worry, though. As you progress into the second trimester, your discomfort will slowly dissipate.
Frequent Urination
With your hormone levels on the rise, you’re about to become a lot better acquainted with your bathroom. Due to the increase in blood production and your kidney’s need to flush the added fluids, the excess generally ends up in your bladder.
Weeks 0-4 of Pregnancy
At 0-4 weeks along, you may not know you’re pregnant yet! As soon as you get a positive home test, follow up with your primary care physician to get a blood test ordered. At the physician’s office, they will test for the HCG hormone, which is what causes your at-home test to turn positive. While the at-home test does detect the HCG hormone, false positives do happen, so it’s always good to confirm. Physicians look at the amount of the hormone detected in your blood, which helps them gauge how far along you are. Once determined, they can give you your estimated due date!
I didn’t know I was pregnant until my fifth week, and at that point, I had no symptoms – just a hunch! I’ve always been in tune with my body, as well as a very intuitive person, so I just had a feeling about it and decided to check. Sure enough, I was pregnant!
Weeks 5-8 of Pregnancy
If you haven’t already started experiencing symptoms, you should be at this point. I found out I was pregnant at 5 weeks but didn’t start experiencing symptoms until around 8-10 weeks. Every woman is different, but some symptoms you can’t ignore!
You might want to start stocking up on a few basics:
Saltine Crackers
Ginger Chews, Nausea Candies, or Pepto Bismol
Refillable Water Thermos
Weeks 9-13 of Pregnancy
At this point in your pregnancy, you should be ready to have your first prenatal appointment! There will be a lot of information to cover. If you have any questions or concerns, make sure to have them readily available. I tend to keep things like this on my notes app in my phone!
What to expect from your first trimester appointment:
Q&A
General Information & Packet Distribution
Overall Health Screening
Blood Work & Labs
Urine Test
Genetic Carrier Screening (Optional)
STD Testing
If you’re above the age of 35, you may require a pelvic exam or additional testing due to it being a “high-risk” pregnancy. It may vary per provider and circumstance, but this gives you a general idea of what to expect at your first-trimester appointment!