The 1st trimester, what can you expect and what can you start organising?
We are lucky to be able to follow the progress of a mum-to-be as she embarks on her journey through pregnancy. As she is still waiting to officially share her news, she will remain nameless for now.
This blog is for those who have just discovered they are expecting. There is nothing this super organised mum-to-be won’t have thought of or looked into so this is your one-stop resource to your first trimester!
An interview with our mystery mum-to-be as she awaits her first scan in a few weeks time.
Firstly, congratulations. How is everything going so far?
Thank you very much. Everything is going smoothly. I am taking each week as it comes as I get bigger and bigger around the middle! Having a husband with me every step of the way means we are both learning new things every week. This is from our pregnancy books and from our medical file or research. Being surrounded by a best friend and a sister-in-law who are both pregnant means that we have lots to share. We even have a WhatsApp group where we can rant about how we cried today for no reason or how our jeans aren’t fitting. I am happy and excited and positive about the next 6 ½ months and even after that.
When have you decided to make a big announcement? Why then? Any special plans?
We have told close family members and friends however will wait till the 12th week/first scan appointment and the all-clear that everything is all good with bubba before sharing with others. We made the decision to wait until then as it’s been recommended to wait until the 12th week. When we get that picture and the all-clear we will be contacting family via social media as we have family all over the world and we look forward to sharing this news with them.
How do you feel about going for your 1st trimester scan?
Yesterday we had our first appointment at the hospital (not where I would give birth I came to realise.) We should hear shortly about the first scan appointment. I’ll be honest I do worry every now and again that something might go wrong and I know that once I see my little fortune-cookie-sized bubba on the screen I will feel loads better. Just thinking about that moment makes my eyes well up. I am very very excited and I cannot wait. I am very aware that twins run in my husband, James’ family so will be a surprise as to how many heartbeats we can hear during that appointment. My husband feels excited and potentially emotional.
Has anything been worrying you in your first trimester? What advice can you give others?
For me personally, it’s my diet and my exercise that I worry about mainly. I want to make sure that I eat healthily and get my ‘7’ a day. I don’t overdo the sweets and naughty foods. I’ve learnt that you should eat what you want but in moderate amounts. Also, I’d like to add that eating for two is a myth. During the first trimester eating 200/300 calories extra a day is a good start. I’ve discovered this from books I’ve read.
I love to exercise and am a regular at the gym. I do worry that I may push myself too much or do the wrong workouts. Several times I have experienced abdomen pains which is clearly my body telling me to slow down. My advice would be to speak to a professional at the gym. If you attend fitness classes, speak to the teacher about not pushing your body and what to avoid such as ab workouts. People rave about how great swimming is and I cannot recommend it enough. I’ve been going once a week and I feel wonderful afterwards, even if I just float around for half an hour.
My husband has worried about my health and has shown concern with my diet and getting enough exercise and not doing too much and to rest as much as possible. I’ve also been wondering about buying a new car so we have enough space for a buggy and so on and wondering whether the house is baby-friendly and safe. We have had several conversations this week about where the stairgate would go!
Have you started Googling anything yet? What kinds of questions have you been asking?
We are constantly asking google questions:
-It’s usually about food and ingredients that I can and cannot eat,
-Home remedies to help my daily headaches,
-Nearby antenatal classes,
-What you can and can’t do when pregnant
Have you started researching any 1st trimester pregnancy-related services? If so, what are they?
We have been researching nearby antenatal classes for parents as well as pregnancy yoga for myself. We have noticed these get booked up quickly so it’s probably best to book them in your first trimester.
In your 1st trimester, have been experiencing morning sickness, any tips for others on how to combat?
Thankfully I have not experienced morning sickness. A couple of mornings I have woken up feeling really weird. I cannot explain what it was but I have felt weak, even light-headed so I had a biscuit or two first thing in the morning before I drove to work (as it’s too early for breakfast). For the past month, I have been having a glass of smoothie every morning as a boost and I’ve felt great.
What is the next thing/s on your ‘to do’ list?
- Wait till the 12-week scan then share with family members
- Continue sorting the house and getting it ready
- That’s it for now as we need to wait till the 12-week scan and the 16th-week appointment which is when we meet our midwife.
Thank you for sharing your 1st-trimester experience with us! Hopefully, we can hear from you again after you have had your scan!
Recommended Pregnancy Services
At Newborn Love, we are lucky to collaborate with some excellent local businesses that work with expectant parents.
For Antenatal classes we recommend Emily Flax and her ‘Be ready for Baby Course’ a much more practical and hands-on approach to parenting
Yoga has to be the fantastic Nicole Rose
However, Emily has literally just given birth (January) and Nicole is due in May so it depends when you are looking for their classes 🙂
For pregnancy scans, it has to be Anar at Ultrasound diagnostics!
For your newborn photography needs, please contact us for more information
