First Trimester Recap!
A little late, I know! But I want to share a recap of each trimester and how things have changed over my pregnancy! Starting of course with the first trimester.
Frist few weeks and first ultrasound
The first trimester is such a strange time. You don’t look pregnant at all and haven’t told many people so it’s like you’re walking around with a giant secret. It also took me a while to feel like it was really real.
We found out on a Wednesday and told both of our families the following Saturday. We knew we wanted their support and prayers as soon as possible, so this just worked for us!
My first ultrasound was scheduled almost 5 weeks out from the date I found out. That drove me absolutely crazy! Having had a previous loss, I did reach out to my OB and request that I have a blood draw to check HCG and progesterone right away so we could start watching it trend. I think seeing those numbers really helped me. If I was losing the baby, I wanted to know right away instead of having to wait 5 weeks to hear bad news.
I was so thankful that Nick was able to come to my first appointment as well this time. My first pregnancy I had to go through it completely alone and I don’t think I could do that again. It was amazing to see baby at the first ultrasound and have such great news right away! I wouldn’t say it cured my anxiety exactly, but it did help for a few days at least.
How my nutrition has changed
Nutrition was definitely the hardest part of pregnancy in the first trimester. Starting around week 6, I was extremely nauseous all day every day and nothing at all tasted or sounded good.
I went from eating balanced, super healthy & nutritious meals every day to basically surviving off mac n’ cheese and ramen noodles.
I tried my best to prioritize healthy fats and protein as well with foods like salmon, avocado, olive/avocado oils, chia seeds, full-fat cottage cheese, protein shakes and pork. Anything chicken was an absolute NO unless it was in Chipotle or in nugget form (still is most of the time).
I wouldn’t say I had any serious cravings exactly, just that I only wanted savory/salty foods. Sweets just did nothing at all for me and I rarely ate them. I’ve also not been able to drink coffee much, if at all, since getting pregnant. It’s one of the number one things that makes me sick. Unless I pick up a latte somewhere occasionally, my only caffeine these days is a coke zero or sometimes green tea.
Other things that changed slightly: I started taking B6 twice a day pretty much right away after my first OB appointment to help with the nausea, increased my water intake to make sure I’m really staying well hydrated, and cut out any non-approved foods.
I actually lost about 5-6 lbs by week 10 or so, just because it was so difficult to eat enough. But once I found foods that I could handle I was able to quickly up my calories. I’ve been eating at or around maintenance calories since finding out I was pregnant. I had already been eating at those macros for about 2-3 months prior, so that wasn’t a big change at all.
I continued to track macros most of this trimester only to make sure I was getting enough calories and protein. Because meats mostly didn’t work for me, I averaged about 85-100g per day total and even that was a struggle some days. By about week 11, I stopped tracking because I had mostly gained my appetite back and didn’t feel like I needed that extra accountability.
Exercise during the 1st trimester
Prior to getting pregnant, I was averaging 5 workouts per week and was actually in the best shape in such a long time! I wouldn’t say my workouts have been able to maintain the same intensity as pre-pregnancy, but I’ve worked really hard to stay active each week.
Walks quickly became my new BFF and I would listen to a podcast during them. That was SO good for my mental health on days I couldn’t manage an actual workout. Early on, lifting made my nausea worse, so this was my go-to most days. Chewing mint gum really helped with this!
Most of my workouts stayed the same, however I did start to be more intentional with any core exercises, breathing and just making sure I had perfect form on any heavier lifts.
I actually posted a reels on Instagram recently showing clips from all my workouts each week of pregnancy from 5-20. Crazy to look back and see how consistent I was able to stay even when it might not have felt that way in the moment.
Some weeks I only managed 1-2 workouts, but there have been a handful of weeks I’ve been able to get all 5. I’ve let my body tell me what it needs and can handle each week and I haven’t pushed it too hard. I also try to watch my heart rate and have taken more and longer breaks than usual.
It was also a little scary for me to workout in the very beginning. I worried a lot about losing the baby and even though I knew exercise was safe, I had to remind myself of that constantly. I also cleared my workouts with my doctor as well and he loved that I was staying so active.
If you’re currently pregnant, anything at all you can do to stay active is INCREDIBLE. The female body is amazing and growing a little human inside of you takes a toll for sure! I’ve learned quickly to show myself lots of grace and be proud of the little achievements each day, rather than focusing on all the workouts I missed. It’s made a big difference and I think that’s been key in being able to maintain a healthy pregnancy so far!
Pregnancy after loss
I knew as soon as we found out we were pregnant, that this wouldn’t feel the same as a normal pregnancy.
Even my initial reaction to seeing the positive test wasn’t as happy as I wish it could have been. I knew then that although it was positive, it might not mean I got to have my baby in my arms one day. It’s sad, but that’s the first real thought I had.
I’ve had so many anxious thoughts, horrible nightmares and concerns along this journey. But I’ve also been able to be encouraged so much too!
The night before I tested, I had a dream that I was pregnant and delivered a perfectly healthy baby boy. It’s the reason I even took a test, because up until that point I had no signs and was not even late yet. I also recently asked God to please ease my anxiety and let me feel a little sign that everything is going as planned and that baby is healthy. The next day, I felt baby kick for the first time 🙂
This pregnancy and journey with infertility and loss has built me into the person I am today. Although it’s been difficult, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I appreciate each day I have with this little one more than I ever could have expected. And I’ve learned to lean a little harder on Nick and God in the process.
I still get anxious and can’t sleep the few days leading up to an appointment. But I know in my heart that everything will work out as it should. I just can’t wait for the day I’m holding him/her in my arms though!
