Navigating the First Trimester of Your Pregnancy

The first trimester of your pregnancy marks the very beginning of your journey toward meeting your new baby. While you are anticipating your new baby, your pregnancy may seem to invade every aspect of your life. Planning and preparing during the first trimester of your pregnancy will help you have a healthy, happy pregnancy.

I call the first two weeks of your pregnancy the "free" weeks of pregnancy. During these early weeks of your 40-week gestational period, your body is feeling normal, acting normal, and simply preparing for the possibility of pregnancy. If you have normal menstrual cycles, your uterus thickens in preparation for pregnancy, and at the same time an egg is maturing in one of your ovaries. The process of releasing this egg is called ovulation.

The second half of your menstrual cycle called the "luteal phase" follows. Some women call these two weeks after ovulation the "two-week wait." At this point, the egg meets the sperm and is fertilized. After being fertilized, the egg will implant in the uterus about 6-12 days after ovulation. In some cases, though not in all, implantation bleeding results. Once the fertilized egg implants in the uterus, the developing embryo begins sending a hormonal signal to the pregnant woman telling her body not to have a period. The placenta secretes human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG. Pregnancy tests measure the levels of hCG in a woman's body.

Once you find out that you are in your first trimester of pregnancy, you will need to either continue taking your pre-natal vitamins or begin taking them. Even if you struggle to take a prenatal vitamin, remember that folic acid is key to your good health and a healthy pregnancy. In fact, my doctor recommended that I begin taking folic acid before I even tried to conceive.

In addition, during your first trimester you will need to choose an obstetrician or a midwife. As you consider your prenatal care options during the first sixty days of your pregnancy, bear in mind that you will be seeing a lot of your prenatal care doctor or obstetrician for the next nine months or so. Use the time during your early pregnancy wisely. Interview different doctors and midwives and ask questions to get a feel for their practice. Determine whether the nursing staff is caring and willing to spend time with you, and even interview the potential candidates to see whether they have a personality and style of care that fits your needs.

While you are selecting your doctor or midwife, be sure to prepare for your first prenatal visit. As you progress through the first trimester of your pregnancy, jot down your concerns and make a list of questions to ask your doctor or midwife at your first prenatal visit. Your first visit may not be until you are between 8-12 weeks pregnant, and these early weeks of your pregnancy can be filled with twinges, aches, and pains. Most of these issues are minor and will not require a trip to the doctor, but if you have early bleeding or cramping, you will want to touch base with your obstetrician or midwife.

In addition to minor cramping, which is normal during early pregnancy, your first sixty days of pregnancy may also involve the onset of morning sickness. "Morning sickness" is perhaps the biggest misnomer in the history of the medical establishment. Morning sickness can strike in the morning, afternoon, and evening. If you are really unlucky, you may also find yourself waking up in the middle of the night to that nauseous, unpleasant feeling.

Not every woman suffers with morning sickness during pregnancy, but many of us do go through morning sickness during the first trimester. Some women even suffer from excessive vomiting that can lead to dehydration and requires medical attention. For those of us who are unlucky enough to feel sick and occasionally vomit, morning sickness is simply a fact of pregnancy that must be endured. Try keeping crackers on hand and a cold glass of water nearby, or suck on hard candies when your stomach starts doing flip-flops.

Aside from morning sickness and the occasional cramping, during the first trimester of your pregnancy you may notice other changes in your body. Your breasts may become tender and swollen, and you may find your stomach bloated. While you will not "show" a baby bump, you may feel as though your pants and tops are getting a bit tight. If that is the case, you may want to start looking for either transitional clothing or maternity clothing. Start by selecting a few pieces of clothing that you can wear now and wear after the baby is born when your body is still returning to its usual shape and size.

If you enjoy scrap booking or putting together photo albums or memory books, be sure to record the first trimester of your pregnancy. Get pictures of your positive pregnancy test and the look on your husband's face when you tell him that you are pregnant. Begin keeping a pregnancy journal, and take pictures of yourself to record your journey through your pregnancy.

The first trimester of your pregnancy can be exciting, overwhelming, and frightening all at the same time. Having a plan for what to do and knowing what to expect as you begin your first trimester of pregnancy can help ease your mind and allow you to enjoy your pregnancy.

Sources:

Early-Pregnancy-Tests.com. "Pregnancy Calendar Guide: Week-by-Week," last accessed July 21, 2009.

Luteal Phase, Implantation, and When to Test for Pregnancy," last accessed July 21, 2009.

Fertilinet.com. "HCG Levels in Early Pregnancy," last accessed July 22, 2009.

WomensHealth.gov, "Menstruation and the Menstrual Cycle," last accessed July 21, 2009.