Pregnancy: First Trimester Update

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Is summer almost over? I can’t believe it, can you?

I am not ready for fall yet, so I am hanging on to summer dresses, salads and flip flops for as long as I can. I may not even bother with closet changes this year because I am pretty sure nothing I currently own will fit this very pregnant body of mine these days. Sadly, or maybe fortunately, before I found out I was pregnant, I had just donated 2/3s of my closet which included all my “fat clothes” of 2 years ago, when I weighed about the same as I do now (25 weeks preggo). The good thing is I probably won’t need to buy much for the next few months and most of this weight should hopefully come off with minimal effort after delivery. Yay for that!

On my last post, I promised more details on the pregnancy and so here it is. This is a look into the first trimester and I will be posting on the second trimester soon. I can’t believe I am almost at the end of it! Time is flying by!

I also made a video (attached at the bottom) if you prefer that over reading this long blog post!

Pregnancy: First Trimester Update

 

Preconception

When we were moving to Colorado 2 years ago we had talked about starting a family. The moment was perfect, I had quit my corporate career and we would have the perfect opportunity to raise a family. However, soon after the move, I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes (high blood sugar) and advised by my doctor to take care of it first before getting pregnant to avoid pregnancy diabetes and other complications. I agreed that I needed to get my body into the best possible “incubator mode” for our baby so the long journey of getting rid of pre-diabetes began. It took me over an year to loose 25 lbs and with the aid of medication (my diet and exercise alone didn’t work), my blood sugar level went back to normal levels. YAY!

This step in getting healthy was the most important in our preconception journey. I also started pre-natal vitamins about 6 months before we started “trying”. We conceived within 6 months after that.

Finding out

I found out that I was pregnant a day after I missed my period and I was sure I was NOT pregnant! LOL About one week after conception, I started having all the symptoms of an upcoming period. Swollen and tender breasts, bloating, headaches, cramps. Every symptom screamed ” yeah, your favorite time of the month is coming!” BUT, actually, those symptoms can also be “implementation” symptoms and I was utterly clueless. The night I was supposed to get my period, I had a dream that I was pregnant and that I had to take a pregnancy test. The next day I hid myself in the bathroom and took one. In less than 5 seconds I was staring at a very positive pregnancy test. It hit me that my life had just changed!

Telling the hubby

Since we started trying to conceive, I started researching cute ways of telling my husband that we were pregnant. I even bought our dog a shirt that said : “Big sister”. But all the plans I’ve made since then have become quite a joke in our household.

The day after taking the pregnancy test, my husband and I were headed to a hike in the mountains. I gift wrapped the pregnancy test and thought it would be really clever to give it to him at the peak of our hike. However, my plans were out of the window 20 minutes into our drive. I started feeling sick and thinking I was going to pass out. I asked him to stop somewhere so I could use the bathroom and we found a Starbucks on the way.

Upon returning to the car, I just felt terrible and thought I would need to go to the ER. My stomach was cramping, I felt hot with fever and so dizzy I thought for sure I was suffering a miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy (thanks Google!). I handed my husband the pregnancy test at the Starbucks parking lot and just called it a day.

We were both happy albeit worried about my symptoms so all the excitement that I had envisioned we would feel when we found out we were pregnant didn’t happen.

It wasn’t until our doctor appointment a few weeks later when we had our first ultrasound that we let ourselves celebrate.

It wasn’t like I had planned it, but I think this will be a story we will both remember forever.

Telling the family

Our families live in different states and countries, but I wanted to be able to tell a few people like my mother and my in-laws in person. I kept it all a secret for almost the entire first trimester so I could see their faces as I told them. There was also the fear of miscarrying, all too common nowadays, and sharing too soon. All of the reactions were priceless and I am glad I was able to record most of them on video so we can watch it in the future. One common reaction was disbelief. I think everyone had already given up hope that we would have children. We had been married for almost 11 years and people just naturally assumed that it would never happen. Well, we got them good! LOL

Symptoms

Whatever symptoms you can find in a textbook about pregnancy, I probably had them in the first trimester. I am not exaggerating when I say I was useless for 3 months. I felt so sick I could barely eat or get out of bed. I was constantly tired, nauseated, dizzy, and had several digestive issues. Wise people are not kidding when they say your hormones control everything in your body. They do!

I didn’t have a very pleasant time during the first trimester. Add to the symptoms, the fact that I had very little connection to the little baby that was creating a havoc in my body during that time, it was pretty hard to feel delighted! I felt blessed, of course, but I may have sworn off any future pregnancies during the tough days.

Thankfully, along came the second trimester, and with all those hormonal changes, short-term amnesia; aptly named “baby brains”. I am sure, by the time I deliver this baby, I won’t remember a thing about those early days, because nowadays, if I remember what I did yesterday, it’s a miracle!

Cravings

I am not sure I want to get started on cravings. There’s too many too count.

I couldn’t eat much during the first trimester, but I had the weirdest cravings and aversions to foods. First, I started craving simple, white carbs – crackers, bread, pasta, rice. Things I didn’t normally eat in my high-protein, low-carb diet, but that I had to give into to survive. Yes, I said survive, because other than these things, cream-cheese and unsalted almonds I couldn’t stomach anything else.

After a few weeks, I started craving sour things. The sourer the better. Pure cranberry juice with no sugar- yes please! Balsamic vinegar soaking my salad, yes!! Things that would make me cringe before, were my best friends for a few weeks.

I never ate more salads in my life. Salads meant no heartburn and if you have ever suffered from heartburn for weeks in a row, you know you will do anything to keep it away.

In the first trimester, I couldn’t eat protein. I couldn’t stomach most meats and eggs. Just smelling it would have my stomach churning. I still can’t eat eggs, unless it’s mixed with other ingredients.

Things I wish I had known

There is so much I didn’t know about pregnancy that if I were to write it here, it would become a book. But there were a few things that I would like to remember for future pregnancies:

1. Don’t make plans. They will not happen, so go with the flow.
2. Shop around on doctor practices and hospitals before you get pregnant. We just had the tour of the hospital our doctor is affiliated with and I was not too impressed, However, it’s a little late now to change it.
3. DON’T read everything about pregnancy. Two thirds of the information out there will scare you to death.
4. This is by far the most terrifying experience. I constantly worry about my baby’s health. And I know it’s just the beginning. Maybe that’s why women age faster after children. LOL
5. Most of the women you know never told you about what pregnancy and birth were really like. They will start now and you will not want to hear all the details!!

That is it for now folks, I will write soon on the second trimester and on our upcoming baby shower.

Leave any questions or comments below and I will do my best to reply- baby brains and all!

xoxo

• First Trimester Update
• Second Trimester Update
• 29 Weeks Pregnancy Update
• 30-31 Weeks Pregnancy Update
• 32 Weeks Pregnancy Update
• 33 Weeks Pregnancy Update
• 34 Weeks Pregnancy Update
• 35 Weeks Pregnancy Update
• 36 Weeks Pregnancy Update
• Birth Story and Meet My Baby

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This website contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and participant in other programs, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.