Surviving the First Trimester of Pregnancy

Surviving the First Trimester of Pregnancy

June 23rd, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

You know that there’s something special going on inside of you the minute that you get the results of that pregnancy test. Though you may have gone several weeks without even knowing that you were pregnant, everything seems to change once you find out that you are. Your whole mindset may change, and you may have already been experiencing symptoms that you didn’t recognize as such.

Pregnancy is such a special time for a woman. The first trimester, however, can be not only a bit scary, but also full of all sorts of symptoms, emotions, and questions. If this is your first pregnancy, then you may feel like you are in completely unknown territory. Even if it’s not your first trimester, you may feel as though you are completely overwhelmed. You may feel like the symptoms are too much or you may feel as if you are in constant fear of a miscarriage. Whatever the case, you need to know what it takes to survive the first trimester of pregnancy.

Focus On and Take Care of Yourself

The first thing that comes as a bit of a surprise to many pregnant women is that they can’t necessarily get a doctor’s appointment right away. Though they may be itching to get in to see their doctor as soon as they take the pregnancy test, they may be diverted for a couple of weeks. Many doctors don’t even want to see a pregnant woman until she is around eight weeks pregnant. So while this may seem like an eternity, it’s a reality in many instances. If however you have any questions or concerns, you can always call in the meantime.

Many women are also surprised by just how quickly or intensely the symptoms may hit them. Some women skate through their first trimester without a care in the world, feeling great the whole time. Others may feel sick from the moment they find out that they are pregnant. Symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, headaches, tender breasts, and extreme fatigue are quite common in the first trimester. They can come out of nowhere and leave you feeling like you just got hit by a truck! This is a sign that the hormones are hard at work, and that your body is doing everything it needs to in order to provide for that little baby. The good news for many pregnant women is that these symptoms will subside in the second trimester, so there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Gaining Perspective on Things

Many women are concerned about the potential risk for miscarriage, and this can be a legitimate fear. If there is a history of miscarriage or if a woman has seen a friend or family member suffer through one, then it makes sense as to why they would be concerned. Though it is a real fear, it isn’t something that you should become obsessed with. All that you can do is take the very best care of yourself and your baby possible, and then leave the rest up to nature.

If you see any symptoms that are of concern such as bleeding or cramping, then call your doctor. However if you feel fine, then just keep going along and take good care of yourself. It’s always wise to get extra rest whenever possible, particularly in the first trimester. Don’t worry too much about what or how much you can eat, as that will even out as you enter the second trimester of pregnancy. Try to put perspective on things and know that there are better days ahead. In the meantime, enjoy the news of your pregnancy and know that taking care of yourself is the best thing you can do for that baby.

Detecting the Early Signs of Pregnancy

Detecting the Early Signs of Pregnancy

May 11th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

Pregnancy can be such a wonderful and miraculous time. For some it comes rather unexpectedly and therefore can catch you off guard. For others, it can come after years of trying and a great deal of stress along the way. No matter how prepared you truly are, the early signs of pregnancy can be something that you want to focus on. Though they say that every pregnancy is different, there are certain signs that act as a good indicator if a woman is pregnant or not; and although these can be symptoms of other health conditions, their presence means it is often well worth taking a pregnancy test to see if that’s what is going on. It is also worth noting that many times, the earliest signs of pregnancy can tend to come in pairs, leaving less room for doubt and necessitating confirmation.

Food Plays a Big Role

Some women may float through their pregnancies without one single food aversion. Others feel sick at the very look of chicken or other common culprits. As you will see on any early signs of pregnancy list, food aversions are often a big indicator. Food cravings often come later on, but the aversion to coffee, meat, or other commonly enjoyed foods can usually tell you that something is different. Some of the very things that you’ve always enjoyed or consumed on a daily basis may all of a sudden make you want to vomit. Just the smell of something like bacon cooking in a pan may make you physically ill. Food often plays a big role and shows up in the aversion form early on in a pregnancy, so keep an eye out for this.

Subtle Yet Obvious Body Changes

One of the biggest things to look for is the way in which your body changes. Have you noticed that all of a sudden your breasts feel very tender for no apparent reason? Do you feel as if you are getting headaches every day and can’t really explain why? Though you aren’t going to necessarily put on the pregnancy weight until later on, the reality is that your body is going to change and it will likely happen early on. Some of the most obvious early signs of pregnancy include headaches, vomiting, and extreme nausea. These are often due to the changing hormones and the way that your body responds to them. The good news is that these symptoms usually go away into the second trimester, but they can make for a bumpy ride along the way. Keep tuned into this and if you feel nausea well beyond a day or two or feel as if you are constantly battling a headache, it may be time to take a pregnancy test.

Use Your Cycle to Guide You

Some women don’t necessarily keep track of their monthly menstrual cycle. However one of the first signs of pregnancy early on is a missed period. You may not even miss a period, but you may notice that you have a very light one a little earlier or right around the time that you would have had your period. This could be implantation whereby the embryo is implanting itself into the uterus. So look out for either a missed period or a slightly different period because those are usually good indicators. And of course if you have any lingering question, a positive pregnancy test is of course your best indicator that you are pregnant.