My First Trimester Experiences

For me, the first trimester itself came in stages.

Stage One: Woohoo!

The first, of course, was the excitement stage!

My first pregnancy was unplanned, but it was nonetheless exciting for me to see a positive pregnancy test, something I had wanted to see pretty much since becoming an adult. My second pregnancy was planned so far as we had decided to stop preventing a pregnancy. We were a little surprised by how quickly the positive test came for us, but of course we were still excited by the prospect of a new bundle of love.

Stage Two: Oh baby...

Then, there comes the fatigue, hunger, nausea, and general feeling of "ick". Some women actually lose weight in the first trimester with all their food aversions, nausea, and morning sickness. I have been lucky enough to dodge nausea bad enough to make me vomit, but I didn't escape it completely in either pregnancy. Some of the things that helped me the most were...

• Dried ginger and ginger candies

• Peppermint candies

• Gum

• Tea

• Sleep

I am a sucker for all things made by women for women, especially when it comes to pregnancy solutions, so I bought items from Pink Stork on Amazon. They have a whole store and selection of items for a variety of ailments, I recommend you check them out!

When I was "just" pregnant I had the luxury of resting whenever the desire hit me (once I was off work). The second time around I had a beautiful, loving, whirlwind of a toddler to attend to during the hours where I was not working, so I found myself frequently falling asleep as I was supposedly putting HER to sleep every night. I also skipped my 5am gym trip once or twice a week and opted to sleep an extra 30-60 minutes instead (so long as the aforementioned toddler allowed it). On weekends, I skipped the house chores and napped while my sweetie napped when the urge was strong enough. My husband didn't always take the hint and pick up the household slack, which caused some stress, but ultimately we all survived and I think the sleep was worth the cost in accumulated dust.

Stage Three: Does this make me look fat?

I mentioned before that some women may lose weight in the first trimester. I, however, was never one of them. I know the experience of bloating is somewhat universal for all newly pregnant mamas, so everyone's jeans start feeling a bit tighter, especially towards the end. However, one of my coping mechanisms for nausea has always been to eat more. So I actually gained about five pounds in the first trimester with both pregnancies, on top of the usual bloating. With my first pregnancy I was still fitting my "old" wardrobe (snuggly) by the time I hit week 14, but I was busting out maternity gear as early as week 12 the second time around.

My chief complaint at this point in both pregnancies is that no one knows I'm pregnant! I just look like I gained 10 pounds and am getting a bit frumpy with my tired bags under my eyes and limited wardrobe. At first I want to tell everyone I'm pregnant early because I'm so excited, but at this point I just want everyone to know so they stop wondering why I've suddenly started packing on the pounds. I know, it gives me new insight into my apparent insecurities about my appearance, but there it is!

I DID start to show earlier in the second pregnancy. It wasn't until about week 17 that I really started to take the shape of a pregnant woman in my first pregnancy. By week 14 in my second pregnancy I *think* most people knew they were looking at a pregnant woman. I know most women experience this, and there are several factors that can cause a woman to show more in her second pregnancy than her first. One possible explanation (and the one I see most frequently) is that the abdominal muscles and skin have already been stretched during the first pregnancy, so it is easier for the uterus to expand and push the belly out further in subsequent pregnancies.

The next stage is that blessed second trimester, where everything seems a little bit better.

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