How Does It Feel to Be Pregnant in the First Trimester
Summary: Maybe you are wondering how does it feel to be pregnant in the first trimester (three months).   For some, it is a rough period characterized by nausea, vomiting, dizziness and food cravings.   Some additional symptoms may include vaginal discharge, sore breasts, frequent urination, gas, indigestion, constipation and leg cramps.

Rarely does anyone experience all of these symptoms.   Take heart, these “afflictions” only last a few weeks in most cases.  But we know of a few moms pregnant with their first babies who felt like this throughout their entire pregnancy, but that is definitely not the norm.

Most victims of “morning sickness” only suffer the nausea and vomiting and then only for a few weeks.   Be aware that if you have some of these symptoms accompanied by fever it is not likely pregnancy related, but more probably a virus or the flu.

DO NOT take any over the counter medications without first contacting your doctor or health care provider.   You don’t know what may harm your baby. You may find yourself experiencing wild mood swings, such as crying for no discernible reason or find yourself laughing wildly at situations that aren’t all that amusing.

To combat the morning sickness, try eating a few salty crackers when you first awaken.   Also try eating five or six light meals rather than three regular meals.   Don’t overdo the crackers because salt can contribute to water retention and the swelling of ankles and hands. Eat healthy foods that are high in minerals and vitamins such as spinach for iron.   Your doctor may prescribe pregnancy vitamins which are high in iron.   However the extra iron can contribute to constipation.   If this becomes a problem, consult with your health care professional, do not try to treat the problem yourself.   What may be fine for your non-pregnant sister could harm your precious baby.

You may develop an acne like rash, or you may discover the acne you have battled for years clears up considerably.   This may be due to hormonal changes and or your improved dietary habits. Avoid excessive use of alcohol, this can have disastrous effects on your baby, that can cause serious learning and behavior problems.

Don’t smoke.   If you have been looking for a reason to stop, your child’s health should do it. This is not intended to scare you, but most miscarriages occur in the fifth or sixth week.   If you have spotting or bleeding with intense, painful cramps, notify your health care provider and stay off your feet.   If for some reason you can’t reach your doctor or midwife, go to the hospital.   Miscarriages can occur later in the first trimester also.

Pregnancy doesn’t give you permission to gorge yourself.   Excessive weight gain will only contribute to your discomfort. If you find that your morning sickness, exhaustion and water retention are more intense than you expected, you could be carrying twins but still report the symptoms to your doctor or midwife just in case there is something else going on and your health care professional needs to be aware.

You might notice that as the weeks go by your morning sickness and other symptoms will peak and then begin to wane as you close in on the second trimester. If you feel up to it and your physician or midwife agrees, you can exercise and even swim or just go for a relaxing walk after dinner with your husband.   Whatever exercise you choose, do it in moderation, exhaustion is not your goal.

For much of your first trimester you will be tired, nauseous, your feet and hands may swell and you may experience rapid mood swings. A coworker may innocently ask “How are you?” and you want to biter her head off or you start crying.   The major reason for this reaction is likely the hormonal changes going on in your body.   Most of us, when pregnant for the first time, worry a lot.   Will my baby be okay?   Am I ready to be a mom?   Will my husband still love me when I gain all that pregnancy weight?   Even though you may “know” the chances are good that everything will be okay, this fear and emotional turmoil will begin to level off as you approach the second trimester as well as physical symptoms of nausea, fatigue, water retention, etc.   They may not disappear entirely but will be significantly reduced.

 There are websites that can tell you week by week how your baby is developing.   Some even have pictures.   Visiting these sites and looking at the pictures may help you cope better emotionally with the physical symptoms.   You may want to print the information and pictures to show your child when he asks where he came from.   Or just to remind you the reward is awaiting at the end of this nine month long journey of love.

One might say that the answer to the question “How does it feel to be pregnant in the first trimester?” is that it feels as though you have volunteered to have the flu for three months.