Congratulations! Your journey to motherhood is underway.
Changes in Your Body
During the first three months of pregnancy, or the first trimester, your body is undergoing many changes. As your body adjusts to the growing baby, you may have nausea, fatigue, backaches, mood swings, and stress. Just remember that these things are normal during pregnancy, as your body changes. Most of these discomforts will go away as your pregnancy progresses. And some women might not have any discomforts! If you have been pregnant before, you might feel differently with this pregnancy. Just as each woman is different, so is each pregnancy. And, as your body changes, you might need to make changes to your normal, everyday routine. Here are some of the most common changes or symptoms you might experience in your first trimester:
Tiredness
During your pregnancy, you might feel tired even when you've had a lot
of sleep at night. Many women find they're exhausted in the first trimester.
Don't worry, this is normal! This is your body's way of telling you that
you need more rest. After all, your body is working very hard to develop
a whole new life. Tiredness will pass over time and be replaced with a
feeling of well being and more energy. When you are tired, get some rest.
Try to get about eight hours of sleep every night, and a nap during the
day if you can. If you feel stressed, try to find a way to relax. You
might want to start sleeping on your left side, if you find it more comfortable.
This will relieve pressure on major blood vessels that supply oxygen and
nutrients to the fetus. If you have high blood pressure during pregnancy,
it is even more important to be on your left side when you are lying down.
Nausea and Vomiting
Usually called "morning sickness," nausea and vomiting are common
during early pregnancy. For many women, though, it isn't limited to just
the morning. Although it can seem like it will last forever, nausea and
vomiting usually go away after the first trimester.
Try some of these tips to help your nausea:
If you are vomiting a lot, you might want to call your doctor to make sure you don't get dehydrated (lose too much fluid in your body). When the nausea and vomiting begins to go away, try to resume a healthy eating plan, and take your prenatal vitamins.
Frequency of Urination
Running to the bathroom all the time? Frequent urination is common during
pregnancy. Early in pregnancy, the growing uterus presses on your bladder.
If you notice pain, burning, pus or blood in your urine see your doctor
right away. You might have a urinary tract infection that needs treatment.
Constipation
As your uterus begins to expand, you might notice you're constipated.
To prevent constipation, try to eat fresh or dried fruit, raw vegetables,
and whole-grain cereals or breads everyday. Also, try to drink eight to
ten glasses of water everyday. Some of these servings can be substituted
with fruit or vegetable juice. Try to avoid caffeinated drinks (coffee,
tea, colas, and some other sodas), since caffeine makes your body lose
fluid and won't help with constipation.
Dizziness
Dizziness, feeling lightheaded, and even fainting can occur at any stage
of pregnancy, since there now is extra blood going down towards your uterus
and legs. You can help relieve these symptoms by lying down on your left
side. Or to help prevent them, try moving around more instead of sitting
or standing in one position for a long time.
Varicose Veins and Hemorrhoids
During pregnancy, pressure on the large veins behind the uterus causes
the blood to slow in its return to the heart. This can lead to varicose
veins in the legs and hemorrhoids (varicose veins in the vagina or around
the anus). Varicose veins look like swollen veins raised above the surface
of the skin. They can be twisted or bulging, and are dark purple or blue
in color. They are found most often on the backs of the calves or on the
inside of the leg, anywhere from the groin to the ankle. You can try to
prevent varicose veins during pregnancy by:
Leg Cramps
At different times during your pregnancy, you might have cramps in your
legs or feet. This is due to a change in the way your body processes,
or metabolizes, calcium. One way to prevent these cramps is to make sure
to get enough calcium through non-fat or low-fat milk, and calcium-rich
foods. You also get some calcium in your prenatal vitamin, but you might
need to take a calcium supplement if you don't get enough through your
diet. Talk with your doctor first about taking calcium supplements.
You can relieve leg and foot cramps by gently stretching the muscle. If
you have a sudden leg cramp, flex your foot towards your body. If you
point your foot to stretch your leg, the cramp could worsen. Wrapping
a warm heating pad or warm, moist towel around the muscle also can help
the muscle to relax.
Nosebleeds, Nasal Stuffiness, Bleeding Gums
These little discomforts are the result of hormonal effects on the tissues
of your throat, mouth, and nose. They usually are not serious, and you
might not even notice them. When you blow your nose, you might see a small
amount of blood in the tissue. Blow gently, and stop a nosebleed by just
squeezing your nose between your thumb and finger for a few minutes. See
your doctor, though, if you have nosebleeds that do not stop in a few
minutes or happen often. Any nasal stuffiness that you have during pregnancy
should not be extreme and can be helped by drinking extra water, or with
using a cool mist humidifier in your bedroom. Talk with your doctor before
taking any over-the-counter or prescription medicines for colds or nasal
stuffiness. You can help bleeding gums by brushing with a soft-bristled
toothbrush and flossing daily.
Changes in Your Baby
By the end of this trimester, your baby is about three inches long and weighs about half an ounce. The eyes move closer together into their positions, and the ears also are in position. The liver is making bile, and the kidneys are secreting urine into the bladder. Even though you can't feel your baby move yet, your baby will move inside you in response to pushing on your abdomen.
Prenatal Care
Visits and Tests
During these special months of pregnancy, especially the early ones, visiting
your doctor regularly is very important. Your doctor will schedule you
for regular check-ups throughout the next nine months to keep your baby
healthy and avoid problems with delivery. Become a partner with your doctor
to manage your care. Keep all of your appointments — every one is
important! Pregnancy typically lasts 40 weeks, counting from the first
day of your last menstrual period. The first trimester lasts 12 weeks,
the second from 13 to the end of 27 weeks, and the third from 28 to 40
weeks. Your doctor will refer to your pregnancy by the age of the fetus
in weeks.
During the first prenatal visit, your doctor will discuss important parts of your health history that may have some impact on your pregnancy. These include diseases, operations, and other pregnancies. There also will be questions about your family's health history. You will have a complete physical exam, lab tests, and a Pap test. From now on, your blood pressure, urine, and weight will be checked at every visit.
For special genetic or medical reasons, you may need other lab tests, like blood or urine tests, cultures for infections, or ultrasound exams. Your doctor will discuss them with you during your visits. Your doctor also will figure out your expected delivery date and answer questions about any concerns you might have.
Taking Care of Your Health
Smoking, Alcohol, and Drugs
By taking care of your health during pregnancy, you're also nurturing
the new life inside of you.
Work
Many women continue working through pregnancy. Staying active might help
you stay healthier. If you have a question about the safety of your particular
job, talk with your doctor.
A Healthy Diet
What you eat isn't only important for your own health anymore, but for
the current and future health of your baby. Healthy foods are the building
blocks for your growing baby since pregnancy is a complex time of developing
new tissues and organs. Throughout pregnancy, try to make most of your
food choices healthy ones.
Weight Gain
Weight gain during your pregnancy depends on your height and how much
you weighed before you became pregnant. All weight gain during pregnancy
should be gradual, with most of the weight gained in the last trimester.
During the first trimester, it is normal to gain only a small amount of
weight, about one pound per month.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) if you were underweight before becoming pregnant, you should gain between 28 and 40 pounds during your whole pregnancy; if you were overweight, you should gain between 15 and 25 pounds during your whole pregnancy. Recent research shows that women who gain more than the recommended amount during pregnancy and who fail to lose this weight within six months after giving birth are at much higher risk of being obese nearly 10 years later. Check with your doctor to find out how much weight gain during pregnancy is healthy for you.
Exercise
If you have no medical problems with your pregnancy, regular physical
activity (30 minutes per day, most days of the week), can help you have
a more comfortable pregnancy and labor. It also helps to lower your risk
for having health problems like high blood pressure and gestational diabetes.
And you will have an easier time getting back into a healthy body shape
and weight after the birth.
Normal, low-impact activities, like walking and swimming, that don't involve a lot of bouncing, stretching your muscles to their greatest extent, or deeply bending your joints, are good for you. Because your connective tissues stretch much more easily during pregnancy, high impact or high resistance exercises that involve a lot of bouncing and extreme muscle stretching can increase your risk of joint injury. If you haven't exercised regularly before becoming pregnant, you can still begin an exercise program. Just start slowly and progress gradually. Talk with your doctor first about what types of exercise or activities are best for you.
One type of exercise that can help your muscles prepare for delivery, help support your uterus during pregnancy, and help you to control your urine are pelvic floor exercises (also called Kegel exercises). Pelvic muscles are the same ones you use to stop and start your flow of urine. You can do this exercise standing, sitting, or lying down.
Bathing
Both baths and showers are fine to take during pregnancy, but very hot
baths, hot tubs, and saunas can be harmful to the fetus, or cause you
to faint. You also might want to avoid taking frequent bubble baths or
baths with perfumed products that might irritate your vaginal area, and
increase your risk of a urinary tract infection or yeast infection. Do
not use douches, even vinegar-based douches, without first talking with
your doctor. Although vaginal discharge tends to be heavier during pregnancy,
you should see your doctor if you have vaginal itching, burning or a heavy
discharge. You could have a urinary tract infection, yeast infection,
viral or bacterial infection that needs treatment.
Caring for Your Mouth and Teeth
A pregnant woman's teeth and gums need special care. We know that pregnant
women with gum disease problems are much more likely to have premature
babies with low-birth weight. This may result from the transfer of bacterial
microbes in the mother's mouth to the baby during the third trimester
of pregnancy. The microbes can reach the baby through the placenta (a
temporary organ joining the mother and fetus which supplies the fetus
with blood and nutrients), through the amniotic fluid (fluid around the
fetus), and through the layer of tissues in the mother's stomach.
Every expectant mother should have a complete oral exam prior to or very early in pregnancy. All needed dental work should be managed early, because having urgent treatment during pregnancy, while possible, can present risks. Interventions can be started to control risks for gum inflammation and disease. This also is the best time to change habits that may affect the health of teeth and gums, and the health of the baby. Remember to tell your dentist that you are pregnant! Brush with a soft toothbrush and floss gently at least twice a day. Click here for more information on oral health for women.
Sexual Relations
It is fine to have sexual intercourse throughout your pregnancy unless
your doctor tells you otherwise. Some women who have had miscarriages
need to avoid sexual intercourse during the first three months.You should
contact your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms during sexual
intercourse:
