WHAT TO EXPECT; TRIMESTER BY TRIMESTER: PART 1

Having a baby is the most precious thing a woman can ever long for. Forget the diamond rings, golden earrings, beaded necklaces, stilettos, make-up etc. A baby is the most priceless jewel in your life that you can count on. Pregnancy is beautiful. A boy friend once told me that a woman is beautiful at 18 and when she is pregnant, on those two instances.

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From guessing the sex of your baby, name, the day you will bring him/her home makes the heart warm. You may be prepared for all this but nothing will prepare you for the changes in your body. Something beautiful is cooking inside your belly. In 40 weeks time or less, your newborn will be by your side.


FIRST TRIMESTER


That said, let me take you through on what you will expect in the first trimester.

Bleeding


About 25% of women experience slight bleeding in their first trimester. This is called spotting. However, if you feel sharp pains on your abdomen, or too crampy, please call your doctor. These could be signs of a miscarriage, or an ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy where the embryo develops outside the uterus (womb).


Constipation


You may experience constipation. During pregnancy, the muscle contractions that normally move food through your intestines slow down because of higher levels of the hormone progesterone.

You are advised to increase your fiber intake and drink extra fluids to keep things moving more smoothly. Physical activity can also help.

Breast tenderness 

Having sore breasts is one of the earliest signs of pregnancy. This is triggered by hormonal changes which are preparing your milk ducts to feed your baby when s/he arrives.

This calls for going up a bra size or more. A sports bra comes in handy.


Constipation can be a thorn in the flesh, talk to your doctor for assistance on a stool softener which is safe for use during pregnancy.


Frequent Urination

The womb is growing bigger thus putting pressure on the bladder, as a result you need to visit the ladies all the time. When in town, be well conversant with places that you can access clean toilets. Some big supermarkets have clean latrines, also hotels. City council loos can be hectic with the long queues.

Discharge

Panty liners come handy. You may see a thin milky discharge on your undies but this is not a red flag. On the other hand, if the discharge is foul-smelling, green or yellow, visit your doctor.

Fatigue

Rest, take naps. Your body is working itself out to accommodate the growing foetus. This may cause significant tiredness.

Cravings (food)

Your tastes or food preferences change when you are expecting.
I remember I craved for non-food things. I ate bricks, yes, the red ones used to build houses, ash, the residue of charcoal, stones, extremely cold drinks, vinegar.

Weight gain

Gaining weight is a must. I have never heard of any pregnant woman that did not add weight during the three trimesters. In order to achieve this, eat a well balanced diet, this should include more fruits and vegetables. Fiber is good, it eases things down there in case of a bowel movement.

Morning Sickness

I did not experience this in my entire pregnancy. Morning sickness entails nausea and vomiting. This is as a result of hormonal change. Close to 85% of women are affected by this condition. For some it is worse, they cannot start a day without vomiting.

To calm your nausea, sip water in the morning before anything. Or even better take apple juice. It relieves the nauseating feeling.

Mood swings

Pregnancy is not a walk in the park. At times it may make you feel miserable due to fatigue. You can become extra-emotional. It is very okay to cry, it sheds the feeling away. Then find someone, a relative or a friend and talk to her/him.

Something is wrong when you see/experience the following;

 Severe abdominal pain.
 Significant bleeding.
 Severe dizziness.
 Rapid weight gain or too little weight gain.

In my first trimester, I didn't even feel that I was pregnant, my tummy was flat, I didn't have any morning sickness, no cravings, no fatigue, I used to rock my ankle boots and a short dress, no one could notice that something was cooking in my belly. Until the second trimester, is when things changed....


Second trimester, coming your way... enjoy your pregnancy lady...