This post shares information and resources about the first trimester of pregnancy. If you’re currently pregnant and in your first trimester, or even trying to conceive (TTC), then this post is for you!
The Beginning of your First Trimester
Typically, most women find out they are pregnant somewhere between 2 and 4 weeks after conception, when the first pregnancy symptoms become apparent or a missed period is noticed. By this time, you are actually 4 to 6 weeks pregnant, as your pregnancy is dated from the first day of your last period, roughly two weeks before you actually conceive.
This discovery marks the beginning of your first trimester!
Whether this pregnancy was planned or unplanned, it is not uncommon to experience mixed feelings upon learning that you are pregnant and as you navigate the early days of your pregnancy.
Many women report feeling excitement, anxiety, happiness, fear, shock and a range of other emotions, sometimes all at the same time, as the news sets in.
Another commonality is the range of questions that often enter a new mom-to-be’s mind when she first realizes she is pregnant.
The First Trimester can Usher In Many Questions
If you have never been pregnant before this period can bring about a lot of unknowns. It is typical to think of the well-being of the new little person-to-be growing inside of you, or wonder about the best way to take care of your body.
Questions like: what should I eat, what am I restricted from doing, what should I be doing to keep the baby healthy and many others will likely flood your brain. They definitely flooded mine.
If you have been pregnant before, the first trimester can still feel like a new and challenging period for you. One thing that I find that most women agree on, is that every pregnancy is different. You may be feeling different symptoms or be at a different period in your life, making it feel like an all new experience.
Doctor’s Visits During the First Trimester
First Doctor Visit
Most women will commonly see a doctor or obstetrician/gynecologist (OB/GYN) at least twice during the first trimester. The first visit is commonly to perform an initial pregnancy test or to confirm the results of an at-home pregnancy test. This typically involves a urine test and bloodwork and happens between weeks 4-8.
Second Doctor Visit
A subsequent visit happens between week 8 and 12, when your doctor will want to date the pregnancy via ultrasound. Although you may have a good idea of the first day of your last period or your conception date, an ultrasound can give a more accurate dating of your pregnancy, which will be used to estimate your due date.
Around the 10th week, some women will undergo a type of genetic testing referred to as non-invasive pregnancy testing (NIPT), through which the gender of the baby may be determined. This test can also give an indication of any abnormal genetic markers that may need to be investigated further.
Sometimes it is necessary to wait until your second trimester ultrasound at around 20 weeks to find out the baby’s gender.
These visits are usually very reassuring to parents-to-be, and help to make your newfound situation and reality.
Additional First Trimester Visits
For women who are considered high risk, have had previous miscarriages or your Doctor determines it is necessary, you may be scheduled for additional first trimester visits or ultrasounds.
Thankfully, during these appointments your Doctor can begin to provide answers to some of your many questions. First trimester appointments will typically shed light on recommended diet, supplements and restrictions.
Seeking Additional Knowledge During the First Trimester
I learned a lot about what to expect during the first trimester from other women’s experiences. I read as many articles, books and blogs as I could. This helped me to get a better idea of what to anticipate and educated me about how to care for both myself and baby. If you haven’t already tried out Audible, now is a great time to start! Click here to check it out or click the banner below.
Reputable sources can help you to learn more about how you can support a healthy pregnancy, and to answer any questions that will help to put your mind at ease.
What to Eat During your First Trimester
Most doctors will tell you that you don’t actually have to increase how much you eat (your calorie intake) during your first trimester.
Some women have very little appetite at all and just the smell of some foods make them feel sick, while others report almost instantaneously feeling hungry. Wherever you fall on that spectrum, both are normal. Eat what you can, and try a diverse range of foods to ensure you are getting your nutrients.
It is recommended to fill up on healthy whole foods: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, lean meats and pasteurized dairy products. This means that you should limit processed and junk foods (as much as possible lol). Some of my favourite meals were chicken breast with roasted vegetables, crackers & cheese, Greek yogurt, fruit and vegetable smoothies with chia and flax seeds, salads topped with lean meat and feta cheese and lots of fruits.
It is recommended that you should limit your caffeine intake to no more than 200 mg per day, and avoid alcohol completely. Research indicates that there is no safe amount of alcohol that can be consumed while pregnant.
Your doctor will likely tell you about foods to avoid. These include high mercury fish, uncooked cold cuts, unpasteurized dairy products, uncooked meat and eggs, unwashed produce and food that may be contaminated or undercooked.
First Trimester Pregnancy Symptoms
As your first trimester progresses you may begin to experience some of the undesirable first trimester pregnancy symptoms that you’ve likely heard women complain about. These can range in severity and vary in the level of discomfort they bring on.
As I mentioned earlier, every pregnancy is different. Some women experience symptoms right away, even before they have a positive pregnancy test. Others report that they never experience any or have minimal symptoms throughout the trimester.
This variability exists for the severity of symptoms as well. For example, some women will experience mild nausea, while other women have to deal with continuous intense nausea and frequent vomiting to the point where they have to be hospitalized (known as hyperemesis gravidarum).
Let’s review some of the most common first trimester symptoms!
You may possibly experience:
- nausea
- vomiting
- fatigue
- bloating
- headaches
- mild cramping
- dizziness
- sore or tender breasts
- mood swings
- constipation
- heightened sense of smell
- frequent urination
- light spotting (consult your doctor, although for some women this is normal)
- and other symptoms
These various symptoms can occur and increase as hormone levels slowly increase throughout the trimester.
If you have questions or concerns about any symptoms or you experience, be sure to check in with your doctor.
Announcing your Pregnancy
It is yours and your partner’s decision when to announce your pregnancy to family, friends, employers and others in your life. Discuss it between the two of you and decide what you feel comfortable with.
During my first trimester, I was very anxious during the initial weeks. We decided that we wanted to wait to announce our pregnancy until after the first trimester.
This was more to put my mind at ease than for any other reason, however, it is often recommended to wait until after week 13 as the risk of miscarriage is higher during the first trimester.
If you plan to wait to announce your pregnancy, your goal may be to try to keep your symptoms from being noticed as much as possible. This can sometimes be quite a challenge if your symptoms are more on the severe end.
Luckily, other than bloating, which for me started at around week 6, many women don’t start to visibly show until after 10-12 weeks in their first pregnancy. But again, remember all pregnancies are different. You may show even earlier in subsequent pregnancies.
Some Do’s and Don’ts for Your First Trimester
DO
- Eat healthy whole foods
- Continue your regular exercise regimen if you already workout (unless advised otherwise by your Doctor). If you don’t, speak to your Doctor about what is safe to start now that you’re pregnant.
- Get as much rest as possible
- Take a prenatal vitamin
- Attend prenatal appointments and tests
- Try to limit stress
- Start thinking about things you may want to add to a baby registry (check out my post on creating your baby registry here.)
DON’T
- Eat foods on the list of food to avoid or restrict
- Lift extremely heavy objects (30 lbs. or more)
- Change cat litter (toxoplasmosis in cat feces can be toxic to expecting mothers)
- Forget to thoroughly wash fresh produce before consuming
- Take extremely hot baths or use hot tubs
My Favourite First Trimester Necessities
*This post may contain affiliate links. This just means that if you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you). You can read my full disclosure here.
Although every woman is different, I am sharing this list of items that I found helpful during the first trimester.
1. Prenatal Vitamins
I began taking prenatal vitamins 3 months before I conceived my daughter. You can read more about how I prepared for pregnancy in this post.
I continued this ritual throughout my pregnancy and even during my postpartum period, based on the advice of my Doctor.
Prenatal vitamins provide your body with essential nutrients that are required for a fetus’ healthy development. Important additives, like folic acid or folate, reduce the chance of birth and neural tube defects.
If you feel sick or uneasy after taking a prenatal vitamin, try taking it right before bed or on a full stomach. If you continue to have issues taking them, consult your doctor who may be able to recommend a pill that is less harsh.
2. Prenatal DHA
In addition to prenatal vitamins, some Doctors recommend taking prenatal DHA, if your prenatal doesn’t contain them.
Prenatal DHA provide very important omega fish oils that help support healthy brain development and heart function.
Speak to your doctor to see if these are recommended for you.
3. A Journal
I began a new journal the night I found out I was pregnant. It was a great way to record my thoughts, symptoms and to track changes throughout the trimester. Although you can make video and audio journals, there was something about writing in an old fashioned journal that appealed to me.
Now that my daughter is born, I enjoy reading it and reflecting on the journey.
You can read more about how to start journaling in this post.
If you prefer a journal with prompts, so that you can fill it in rather than write freely, check out these two great options:
The First Time Mom’s Pregnancy Journal
Expecting You – A Keepsake Pregnancy Journal
4. Pregnancy Applications (Free or Paid Subscription)
If you don’t already have an app on your phone or computer to track your pregnancy, this is a great time to start. This is a wonderful way to keep track of symptoms, milestones, appointments, photos and other pregnancy data.
Many apps offer both free or paid subscriptions. I used the Glow app throughout my ttc period and my pregnancy.
5. Comfortable Bras
I started to encounter breast changes from about the 6th week. It is quite common to experience soreness, tenderness and growth, as well as other changes from as early as the first trimester.
A proper supportive bra can help to keep you feeling supported and reduce the discomfort as your breasts continue to grow and change. These ones I used both during pregnancy and for nursing once my daughter was born.
6. A Water Bottle
As I mentioned in my post about preparing your body for pregnancy, water is vital during your trying to conceive (TTC) and pregnancy journey for so many reasons. It keeps your organs functioning well, rids your body of toxins and helps to keep your skin hydrated as your body grows.
Keeping a water bottle filled and nearby is a good way to remember to drink your water. The constant visual reminder will encourage you to drink you quota for the day. An easy tool I used was to drink half my bodyweight in ounces.
Staying hydrated will help to support a healthy pregnancy by hydrating your body (which is made primarily of water). It can also help to alleviate nausea that occurs for some during the first trimester.
7. Ginger Nausea Aids
Speaking of nausea, ginger is commonly known as a gentle stomach aid which can help with this. It works well for upset stomach and vomiting as well and is caffeine free.
If you experience any of these symptoms, ginger may help to reduce the severity.
While ginger is considered safe during pregnancy, always remember to check the ingredients and warnings on the label, as some products may contains other additives that aren’t safe for pregnancy.
Check out some options here:
Gum:
Tea:
8. Light Healthy Snacks
Once again, every pregnancy is different, but if you are like many women who find themselves struggling to eat large meals during the first trimester, opt for some light snacks instead. Fruit, veggies, nuts, yogurt, crackers and cheese were some of my favourites.
Smoothies were a great choice during the first trimester because it makes a quick meal that is easy to digest and full of nutrients. Remember to add nutrient packed additives like chia and ground flaxseed, which can also help with the dreaded first trimester constipation.
9. Stretchy and Loose Clothing
One thing that really surprised me during the first trimester was how quickly and intensely the bloating set in. It was unreal during the first few months!
To help this I switched a lot of my fitted skinny jeans and tight skirts for looser variations. Stretch was my best friend!
Even though you may not be actually showing yet, it can be helpful to find some comfortable clothing items to make you feel more comfortable.
10. Reading Material
I became almost compulsive about learning as much as I could about what to expect during the first trimester. Since you’re reading this, I will assume that you may be the same 🙂
I found some great reading material on Audible. If you’ve never tried Audible before and want to try it for free, click here to use my referral link.
I would listen throughout the day on my breaks or while I was taking walks. I would even sometimes fall asleep listening lol (the fatigue is REAL!).
Some of my favourite reads were Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth and the very popular What to Expect When You’re Expecting. For Dads, my husband enjoyed, We’re Pregnant! The First-Time Dad’s Pregnancy Handbook.
Final Thoughts
I hope that this post has provided you with some basic information to help support you during your first trimester. My goal was to provide you with some insight and knowledge to help answer some of your questions and reduce your anxiety and curiosity.
The list of resources will hopefully provide you with some helpful aids to have an awesome and healthy first trimester!
Remember, this post is meant to be a guide to help you navigate your first trimester. It is important to seek guidance from your physician regarding your prenatal care and any questions you may have about your pregnancy and your health.
Are you ready to find out more? Check out my post on the second trimester of pregnancy here!
I would love to hear from you!
If you have any other tips or resources that may be helpful to other expecting mamas, feel free to leave them in the comments!
You can also reach out to me here!
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Love this post! The first trimester has always been the scariest for me because I don’t feel any kicks, I have infrequent ultrasounds, etc. Great list you compiled!
Crystal | http://www.amazingbaby.app
This post is so awesome with great information for new moms. I wish I started reading blogs when I got pregnant with my first child 17 years ago.
As someone who has been through 2 pregnancies, I find this guide really useful for a new mom. You have detailed out some of the most important points to take note. I like that you have a few Do’s and Don’ts. I remember when I was first pregnant, I was pretty lost, and this guide would have been so useful. Thanks for sharing!
As someone who has been pregnant before, this is a very comprehensive guide to the first trimester, I remember the amount of questions
i had in my head during that time…I couldn’t even believe I was pregnant!
I totally understand! I don’t think I actually started believing I was pregnant until well into the second trimester lol
This is a great guide of what to expect. My first trimester with my first was the hardest time of my entire life. The combination of stress and feeling like crap almost pushed me over the edge.