Pregnancy diaries – First Trimester is the first post in the three-post series that I am writing about my first pregnancy. It’s been such a long time. It feels like ages ago I was pregnant. So it is a challenge to write these posts. Let’s see how much of those nine months I remember.
Pre Pregnancy preparation
The preparations began the moment we decided we are ready to have a baby. I gave up on that occasional wine/beer. I started eating healthy, biking, doing yoga, going to the gym, and meditating. In short, doing everything to keep my body healthy.
Prenatal Vitamins
I also started taking prenatal vitamins. These vitamins are very important. They are different than normal women vitamins as they have more folic acid and iron. It’s advised to start taking them a few weeks before conception so that the body has enough folate for me as well as for the baby’s development. By the time I became pregnant, I had been taking it from the past 3 months. Folic acid helps prevent birth defects of the baby’s brain and spinal cord. And Iron helps in producing the extra blood for me and my baby.
I did a lot of research on which vitamins to start. I decided on the one-a-day ones as it would be easy to remember to take them. I chose the Naturemade’s Prenatal Vitamin with DHA. DHA is also very important especially during pregnancy as it is important for a baby’s brain development. I tried to have them during the day as they might cause gas and stomach uneasiness on some days.
Luckily, I was able to continue the same vitamins throughout the pregnancy as I didn’t have side effects like nausea or stomach issues. This might not be the case with everyone. A friend of mine had to change her vitamins 12 weeks into pregnancy as the iron in it was causing too much nausea for her.
Two red lines
Two red lines on a home pregnancy test denote that you are pregnant. I took the test when I was a week late on my period. This is not necessary, I could have done it even before my period. I just wanted to be double sure. When I saw those lines, we couldn’t believe it. We both were scared and happy at the same time. Now it was time to call the doctor who can confirm the pregnancy through a blood test. To be sure, I tested again the next day. We decided to share the news once the doctor confirms.
It took another four days for the doctor to confirm. The delay was because the appointment and blood test appointment was two days later. Next were phone calls to the family on both sides. I didn’t want anyone else other than immediate family to know until at least the twelve-week mark is crossed. There is always that fear of miscarriage. And we made our wishes clear to both sides.
Although I was happy, I was overwhelmed. There were a lot of things to do. The first of them was to find an Obgyn and the hospital covered in our insurance. I made several calls to the insurance to find out that information. Then I selected the doctors who were within ten miles of our home and were also affiliated to the hospitals in our insurance. My bad luck was there were only three such doctors who qualified my criteria. One had bad reviews and one was not taking patients. I had only one option and I took it. I called them and booked my first prenatal appointment.
The First Look
The first appointment was at eight weeks. It was at this appointment that we saw our baby for the first time. She looked like a small alien. The doctor showed us her little heart. He then wrote some tests. Since I have a history of diabetes on both sides of my family, I had an additional glucose tolerance test to check for gestational diabetes. According to him, that was just a precaution.
Then he gave me instructions – stay happy, eat healthy, exercise (especially walking), eat prenatal vitamins regularly, relax, no lifting of weights, etc.
The Move
Around the same time, we were moving to a new apartment as our lease was getting over. That move was causing a lot of anxiety. As now I won’t be of any help. Being pregnant you can’t carry weight around. Well according to research you can carry up to 25 lbs weight while being pregnant, but it is recommended to avoid if you can. And I followed the rule. (Consult your doctor, don’t follow me)
We hired movers to do the heavy lifting. I helped my husband in packing/unpacking the clothes, kitchen and other small items. We had to settle down because soon my parents and sister were about to visit.
Is it safe to go on the Trip and a small scare
My parents and sister were going to visit us and we were going on a road trip. I had planned everything. Hotels were booked. And then I got pregnant. Should I be going on a trip in the first semester? Is it safe? What precautions will be required? These questions were haunting me day and night.
My friend google and the next doctor’s visit helped in reducing those fears. But there was another worry that came during that visit. My TSH levels were high, and I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Now I had to find another doctor, an endocrinologist, who will monitor thyroid levels throughout the pregnancy. I was put on levothyroxine and withing six weeks they were in the normal range. So that ended well. But it did scare us all for some time.
Nausea and Craving
All throughout the pregnancy, everyone used to ask me about my cravings. What am I craving for? They would say that I should satisfy my cravings otherwise my baby would drool later. The funny thing was I didn’t have any cravings. Somehow those conversations made me feel as though I am doing something wrong or missing on something. But that was not the case. Every woman is different and every pregnancy is different. Having cravings is normal. Then not having cravings is also normal.
Similarly, I didn’t have nausea during this pregnancy. I was not rushing to the bathroom to vomit as they show in movies. It might remain the same in the next pregnancy or I might have a worse case of nausea. You never know! The human body especially a pregnant one is a miracle and a mystery!
What to eat and what not to eat
This was a worry that stayed with me throughout the pregnancy. More often I would be on google typing, “Is it safe to eat ______ during pregnancy”. Or some variation of the same thing.
My coffee consumption which was very small at that time became nonexistent. I only drank tea once on most days. I started eating rusks with tea (to avoid acidity). I checked if the dairy products(milk, yogurt, cheese) we were buying is pasteurized or not. I started cottage cheese to increase the amount of calcium in my diet. I drank milk daily or had milk oats. (I am not a big fan of drinking milk).
I wish I had the Nutri bullet during that time. I am also not a fruit lover. Having smoothies during that time would have been so much fun. But I did start eating fruits. Bananas were my favorite.
I used to check about everything on google that I was putting in my mouth. Looking back, I think that I was acting like a paranoid person. Better safe than sorry! Right!
Sleep and exercise
I bought a sleeping pillow to help me sleep on my side. It’s better not to sleep on your stomach during pregnancy.
I started doing pregnancy yoga instead of normal yoga. Walking, yoga, and meditation help in relieving stress, handle mood swings and relieves gas. And they did help me a lot. Plus to keep me sane, I started doing online courses, listening/reading books, and music. All these kept my mind from worrying unnecessarily.
People and Google
As soon as I became pregnant, I started getting a lot of advice from everyone. What to do, what not to do, what to eat and what not to eat. All this information used to overwhelm me. Repeated advice from loved ones even used to irritate me. And I would say something that I would regret later. Since I was pregnant they never said anything in return, just listened. And I am grateful for that. I just hope that they have also forgiven me.
And then Google, there is a lot of information to make you afraid. It was best to just read that information, file it and move on. Otherwise, I would have gone insane reading about all the negative scenarios.
Pregnancy Apps
I started following baby’s development using the pregnancy apps like babycenter, whattoexpect, etc. Watching those videos of the developing baby was so much fun. I had watched all through the third trimester even before the 12 weeks were over. And then I watched them again and again. Reading through the articles on this site helped us prepare in advance before the doctor visits with any questions that we might have.
Blogging
I do have a little regret. In my anxious state, I stopped doing one thing that might have helped a lot, i.e. blogging. I couldn’t fire myself up to write anything. I stopped trying new recipes. Even today, most of the new recipes are cooked by my husband. Let’s hope I get my mojo back and get back to experimenting more with recipes.
Looking back
Looking back, I think the first twelve weeks went well despite that little scare. All the doctor’s visits, all the planning, all the information from the doctor and family was a bit too much to grasp in the beginning. Even though I was ready for the baby, I knew then I was not prepared. I hope this narrative helps you plan better. And be ready to handle the unexpected things that might happen on this journey.
I am excited to write the second part of this series.
Until then,
Stay safe and healthy.
Don’t hesitate to ask any questions or share your experiences. I would love to read them.
