Oh the first trimester, it feels like a life time ago but it was only five weeks ago that I was still in the thick of the worst months. It’s easy to read the ‘things no one tells you’ and think, that won’t happen to me, but here’s my actual account of how it went for me, things that ACTUALLY HELP (no ginger biscuits are not the saviour) and how you can and WILL get through it!
I’m now well into my second trimester but I wanted to reflect on my first trimester now I know what was ‘normal’ and fine to get through.
Morning sickness is quite common, it does happen to most women and it is a big deal! (Name that tv show)
No really, I knew morning sickness was a thing when it came to getting pregnant but until it happens, you have no idea what to expect. On reflection I had a relatively easy ride with sickness. I was only sick once a day, as soon as I woke up and it lasted around two months. It was god awful whilst you’re doing it but it could’ve been so much worse! Expect it to catch you out but it will become routine and it will pass!
If you’re going to be sick, not much will stop it.
If your sickness is in the morning, it’s probably going to happen regardless of what you eat, drink or do. I did try to eat breakfast in bed for the first few weeks but in the end I just threw that up after and needed more after. Let nature do its thing, it’s not great but it’s all in the hormones which we all know can’t be controlled. I found having replenished bottles of water by the loo really helped (get your other half to do this in the evenings) so you can wash your mouth out and easier than having glasses by the toilet.
The first month of pregnancy brings intense hunger one day and hatred towards all food the next.
I remember about a week after finding out I was pregnant I was SO HUNGRY, I wanted to eat everything I could. Within a few days this changed and most nights after a day of work I was so tired and exhausted I could barely eat a couple of chips and a spoonful of peas.
Tiredness is intense – it’s not like anything you’ll have gone through before.
In the similar timing to the above point, I had a wave of extreme tiredness over a few weeks which was so hard to deal with. It wouldn’t be that I needed to head to bed as such but my mind and body were done. The best thing I could do was head to bed, put the iPad on and just rest. Accept it for what it is and try to look after yourself, your body is telling you it needs some time.
Crying is perfectly normal in pregnancy – yes, even at something stupid.
The first time my hormones won the tears was when I was driving to work. I knew I was going to tell my colleague/boss that I was expecting but I was a little nervous about work. I played Lewis Capaldi’s Someone You Love and I didn’t even realise it was playing for a few minutes until I got to a roundabout and realised there were tears flooding past my sunglasses. I was sobbing, I do NOT sob for anything normally. It took me a few minutes to come around. One day I had to take a full day out of work and not meet clients because I couldn’t stop crying. It’s different – if you’re not used to emotions, this will be new!
The first scan will be one of the best things you’ll ever see.
You don’t feel like you’re really officially pregnant until you either throw up or you see the scan. It’s hard to comprehend what’s going on inside until you see it for yourself. The first scan was nerve wracking, everyone in the waiting room looks proper pregnant compared and you wonder if it’s all a hoax and you’ve got it wrong. However, it will be the best experience that will take your breath away when you see their little heartbeat and see movements that you can’t yet feel.
Your boobs will resemble a Page 3 model in weeks
It doesn’t take long but your boobs will grow and grow… and grow. I’ve always been pretty small in that region and you wouldn’t even see a cleavage in vest tops – not anymore! It may take a few weeks or even be the initial sign of pregnancy but my gosh, invest in that comfy soft bra immediately. I now regret only buying one because I can’t go out to get measured at the moment, look at bra-lettes and soft bras that you can use after pregnancy too!
Beige food will be your best friend.
Bread, chips, hummus, teacakes, bagels, crisps – anything beige will be your favourite thing. There’s something comforting about beige food, normally fairly tasteless and full of carbs. I loved a McDonalds too. Just eat what works and don’t worry about it being beige, you’ll get back to vegetables and colour within a few weeks.
The weeks that you don’t tell people are the longest of the whole experience
It felt like the initial 6-12 weeks (because you probably don’t really feel like you’re pregnant before then) drag out. I hate keeping secrets and surprises so found this so difficult. It’s even harder if you feel rubbish, I cancelled plans, events were harder to manage and I really struggled with keeping it quiet. Once you hit that second trimester, it feels like it’s flying so it’s very weird.
Likewise, it’s OK to tell close people if you want to!
You hear that most people keep the pregnancy secret until their 13th week and don’t tell a soul (maybe except from their mums) but even as my midwife said, that’s quickly changing over the years. If you’re ‘low risk’ then it’s often fine to do so and my opinion was that if anything did go wrong, it would have been easier to just explain and have support. I think if you’re the type of person that needs support and can’t keep a secret either, it’s no shame or taboo to tell a select few.
Did these help you feel more normal during your pregnancy? Keep up to date with my journey of a first time mum on my instagram.