My first trimester:
[symptoms, supplements + Must-haves]
The first trimester brought on many exciting things for Greg and I.
First, we were simply so overjoyed with the fact that we were pregnant and that this was really happening. It still felt surreal the entire first trimester and into the second. Every few days one of us would look at the other and say, “Babe… we’re really pregnant” as the biggest smiles crept over our faces.
Second, we got to find out the gender of our little babe with a small, intimate gender reveal with close family! We were able to find out earlier than normal as we opted for the genetic blood testing which also allows you to find out the sex of the baby if desired. Truth be told, Greg and I both really wanted a little girl – which was what my guess was beforehand, while Greg thought we were going to have a boy. Now, this rarely happens (if ever), but Greg was right, and we found out we are having a little stinkin’ boy!! Now, I’m going to be vulnerable for a second, and throw it out here — I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t initially disappointed when we found this out. Of course, that quickly diminished, and now we both couldn’t be more excited, and I honestly can’t picture our babe being anything but a perfect little baby boy. Plus, regardless of the gender, we both just only really wanted a happy and healthy miniature human. I’ll most likely do a separate, short blog post showing more pictures and sharing more on our gender reveal, especially the funny, failed first attempt at what we did LOL.
So, before getting into it, I just want to emphasize, that I’m grateful and know I’m lucky to say that I had a really smooth first trimester. I didn’t experience any morning sickness, food aversions, extreme exhaustion, etc. I felt normal – almost too normal to be pregnant and it sometimes made me feel like something wasn’t right. I know that not many get to say that, so again, I never once took it for granted. I am extremely thankful for this pregnancy and everything that it has come with. If you missed the previous post about Greg and I’s journey to becoming pregnant, you can read all about it here!
Now, let’s get into the lovely symptoms of my first trimester.
Before officially finding out I was pregnant (by taking at least 2-3 pregnancy tests just in case), I honestly didn’t experience many symptoms. I had spoken with family members, did TONS of reading online and from what I heard/read, a lot of women experience some common early-on symptoms, including tender breasts, morning sickness, implantation bleeding, fatigue, and so on. So of course, I was expecting to experience one/some of these and then somehow know that I must be pregnant before taking the test. Well in my case, this didn’t happen. At least I didn’t realize anything too strange or out of the ordinary before confirming with the pee test that I was pregnant. Looking back, I can honestly say that I only really experienced two symptoms early on.
EARLY FIRST TRIMESTER SYMPTOMS:
Exhaustion:
I was overly tired. At the time I figured I was possibly just pushing myself too hard at the gym and/or not resting enough. I vividly remember complaining to Greg that I felt so tired and I didn’t know why. I fell asleep and took naps on the couch several times, which is unlike me. But again, at the time, thinking nothing of it. This mainly lasted in the first couple of weeks (probably weeks 5-6 of first trimester) and then subsided. I, of course, was occasionally more tired or I would tire more easily, which I still do, but nothing to the point where I felt completely drained and exhausted like I did really early on.
Mild Cramping + Twitching
I had random twitching and mild cramping in my lower better/uterus area. This was in fact a little strange to me as I had never experienced this before. Even when I would get my period, I rarely, if ever, got bad cramps with it, and definitely never any twitching. I remember googling it and found nothing about twitching being a sign for pregnancy, although some women stated that they experienced this before their periods, while others stated that they did but it was at no particular time, and then it stopped. I’ve heard cramping can definitely be a sign of pregnancy, but for me, it was much more of the twitching going on then actual cramps.
First Trimester Symptoms (after about week 6 or 7):
Sore/Growing Breasts
I definitely didn’t notice anything at first – which I thought this would be one of the first signs for me. But sure enough, the soreness came and it was not comfortable lol. I never really got sore boobs when I got my period, so I forgot what it felt like to experience this. Even the lightest touch/poke would hurt. I had to wear a tighter bra, sometimes even two, to the gym because any slight bouncing was a no-go! As the weeks passed the soreness slowly subsided, and a few weeks before 2nd trimester this soreness fully went away. The growing however, did not. I won’t say they are continuously getting bigger, but I’m pretty positive they aren’t at their full growth yet haha. Bring on the milk supply! 😉
Constant Need To Pee. Like every hour.
I’m sure this is an obvious one, and one that mostly everyone hears about. With the amount of water you should consume in a day, and I’d say that I’m on the higher end, plus the fact that there’s more pressure on your bladder now, it gets annoying having to run to the bathroom constantly, buttt then again, I remember that I’m housing a little babe, and that’s pretty dang amazing, making it all worth it. This too subsides, or at least it did for me, for a little bit towards the end of the first trimester, but slowly picked back up in the second.
Nosebleeds
This one took me by surprise. I did research it and spoke with my midwife who confirmed that it was a normal pregnancy symptom. It has to do with the increased blood flow as well as swelling. For me, sometimes they’re super light — I go to blow my nose and see a little new/old/dry blood. Other times, they wake me up in the middle of the night, I’m up for about 5-10 minutes trying to get it to stop, and I usually end up getting blood on my white duvet comforter in the process… yeah, fun times. (Quick moment to be extra thankful for Greg and all that he does to ensure I’m well taken care of, and specifically for the nights when he has to deal with my nosebleeds. You the real MVP, honey.)
Acne + Blemishes
This wasn’t over the top bad, but compared to what I’m used to, it was more annoying than anything. I would get breakouts randomly, and it was usually around my chin, upper lip and sides of my cheeks. I swear it felt like whenever one zip/pimple would go away, another would show up. Sadly, I can’t say that it’s fully gone (now in the 2nd trimester) but it definitely has gotten better and I’ll be happy if it stays this way. Again, this could definitely be worse, so I am super grateful regardless.
S u p p l e m e n t s
Prenatal Vitamin:
I use this one. I’ve liked it thus far. I like that it’s a raw vitamin – real fruits/veggies, no fillers, etc. and it also has a probiotic blend to help with digestion. The only con for me is that you do have to take it 3x/day. I honestly don’t always remember all three, but I do my best.
Digestive Enzyme:
I don’t take this every single day, but I certainly do quite often. During pregnancy, it’s super common to have digestive problems – bloating, gas, constipation, as our digestive system slows down mainly due to changes in hormones. I’ve noticed by taking this, it often helps ease some of these common symptoms/issues.
Collagen Peptides:
My absolute favorite of all times – Vital Proteins I get mine from Amazon or Whole Foods. I’ve been taking it daily for at least the past year. It’s awesome for digestion, joint support, skin/hair/nails, as well as skin elasticity (hoping it helps with stretch marks), and so on. I add it to smoothies, tea/coffee/drinks, yogurt, baked goods, soups, etc. It’s tasteless and dissolves in both hot and cold!
Perfect Bars:
If you’ve never had one of these bad boys, you are soo missing out, and I’m not sure what you’ve been doing with your life. They’re loaded with organic, whole ingredients and packed with 20+ superfoods. I seriously have one of these in my purse at all times, and probably consume one daily. They sell them at a lot of my local grocery stores now, but you can definitely find them at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Target, and mostly all health food store.
My 1st Trimester Must-Haves:
Sports Bras / Yoga Pants / Anything comfy
Let’s be honest, this was my typical outfit 80% pre-pregnancy, but it’s definitely increase to about 90-95% now. Comfy clothes are the way to go. Yoga pants, always. And with those sore and tender breasts, padded sports bras are much more comfortable then the underwire bra for me. Sweatpants, Greg’s t-shirts, comfy flannels, hoodies — you name it, I’m wearing it. Of course I’ll dress up a little here or there if Greg and I go out on the weekends, but again, that’s in the 5-10% range of that happening.
Liquid IV
I love this stuff. I don’t drink it every single day, but I will definitely try to especially on the days that I had a hard workout as it helps to replenish and hydrate the body. Water intake/staying hydrated is huge during pregnancy. I have anywhere between a half to full serving, and just sip on it throughout the day usually. It also tastes super yummy (like lemonade) which is an added bonus. Oh, and most Costco stores carry it! Or you can order it online here.
Pregnancy Tea by Traditional Medicinals
I enjoy this one. “Our herbalists celebrate raspberry leaf as uterine tonic, known for its role in preparing the womb for childbirth and a staple in herbalist apothecaries for thousands of years.” I’ve also noticed that it helps with digestion as well as bloating and gas, and just simply soothes my stomach when it’s upset. It’s organic and contains raspberry leaf, stinging nettle leaf, spearmint leaf, bitter fennel fruit, rose hip, alfalfa leaf and lemon verbena leaf. It tastes mildly sweet, but sometimes I’ll add a drop or two of liquid stevia to sweeten it up more. I try to consume at least a glass a day (although that doesn’t always happen). I’ll also try to turn to this when I’m in a snacking mood but know that I’m not actually hungry and just wanting to eat more out of boredom.
Pregnant Journal
I found this journal on Amazon, and I absolutely love it. I think it’s so cute and it makes it easy for you to track what’s going on during your pregnancy, month by month. I’m looking forward to looking back on it and reading it to our son when he’s old enough. I know if I didn’t get a journal and write down everything now, that I would definitely forget things later on after pregnancy. I think it would also be fun to compare it to a future pregnancy and see how things are similar or different. It’s the perfect pregnancy keepsake, and I’ll definitely do one for our next babies to come.
Pregnancy App(s)
I use a few different apps to track the progress of Baby L. I like to look at all 3 because sometimes they share different information regarding growth of baby, although the majority of the information is the same. It’s fun and interesting to read the facts about how big Baby is, (length + weight), physical developments, changes Mom is experiencing and so on. I mainly use this one and this one. I occasionally look at this one.
A Nearby Bathroom
This is a no brainer as it goes with the constant need to pee, as well as the dreaded morning (all day) sickness if you are one of the unlucky ones that gets to experience it.
Tissues
Mainly for the nosebleeds, but also for the regular nasal congestion. I’ve noticed that I’m occasionally more stuffy than usual. Again, this is due to some swelling and constricting of the blood vessels in the body (specifically nasal area in this case).
O v e r a l l –
WEIGHT GAIN: 2-3lbs
MENTAL STATE: Happy. Clear. Excited. Impatient (eager).
EXERCISE REGIMEN: I continued on with my regular exercise routine – I mainly did spin classes 3-4x/week with the occasional kickboxing, weight lifting, outside walking and yoga. Gratefully, I never experienced any nausea or morning sickness, and the exhaustion/tiredness didn’t stick around for very long so I was able to continue on working out like I had been pre-pregnancy.
DIET: This never changed. I didn’t experience an increase in appetite until the very end of my first trimester/into 2nd trimester. I stuck with my typical diet which mainly includes whole foods. I stay away from processed foods for the most part, but I believe in balance and indulging here and there when I want to without any guilt. I still eat pizza and burgers, and you best believe that I won’t turn down a delicious treat if it’s presented to me. But, for the most part, I love cooking and baking, and continue to make healthier meals + desserts to have on hand at home.
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading! I’m just trying to be as open and honest as possible to hopefully relate, connect, or help anyone out there! Please know and remember that this is my experience, and more importantly, this is what works for me- if you have any questions/concerns with anything I shared (especially the supplements), please consult your doctor, nurse or midwife! What I listed is what works for my body – everyone is different!
Love you guys! And again, thank you so much for the support.
Stay tuned for 2nd Trimester Updates in the next few weeks to come! 🙂
Xoxo, Alyssa