| First Trimester for Mommies |
| Written by Jane Brown | |
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The first trimester of pregnancy is an exciting time as you discover that you are pregnant and begin to feel the new life you've created grow and develop inside you. Although this is a happy time, the various physical changes you'll experience as part of this process will take some adjusting to and some of them may be distressing. The more you know about what's happening to you and why, the less likely it is that you'll find these changes unpleasant. The changes you're undergoing are the development of a new life, and once you embrace that these changes have a very specific purpose, the better you'll be able to cope with them. Pregnancy is medically defined as beginning when a fertilized embryo implants itself in the endometrial lining of the mother's uterus. Most women aren't aware of implantation, and only become aware of their pregnancy after taking a pregnancy test, missing a period or experiencing other early symptoms of pregnancy including tender breasts and morning sickness.The first trimester consists of the first 12 weeks after the last menstrual period. A lot is going on during this time as your baby begins to grow from an embryo to a fetus and your body begins to change to accommodate the little person you're carrying. In the early stages of pregnancy, you'll begin to experience some physical symptoms of what's going on inside you. Once of the earliest physical changes you'll notice is that your breasts have become more sensitive to touch. This is because your body is beginning to produce more hormones to prepare your breasts to produce milk. Your breasts will likely begin to feel fuller and heavier and you may notice veins in them. You may need to buy larger, more supportive bras to help compensate for any physical discomfort you may feel while this is happening. In the first trimester, you'll also probably begin to feel a little sick to your stomach. Many pregnant women suffer from morning sickness and other bouts of nausea during pregnancy. There's no precise reason why this happens, but doctors have theorized it's because of increased hormone production or a heightened sense of smell that occurs during pregnancy. Some common home remedies for this include taking light snacks throughout the day, avoiding strong smells and resting more often. Prescription anti-nausea medicine is available for severe cases. During your first trimester, you're going to be tired. That's because your body is getting ready to support the developing life inside of you. Your body is making more hormones and your heart and other organs are having to work harder to supply your unborn baby with nutrients.These changes take a lot of energy, so you're going to be feeling tired quite a bit. The best way to combat the fatigue is to get plenty of rest and make sure that you're eating right, getting all of the nutrients you need. While most women are not obviously pregnant in their first trimester, they will begin to experience a small amount of weight gain. This is caused by the increasing size of the uterus. During your first trimester of pregnancy, you're likely to gain about five pounds. As your uterus enlarges, you're going to have to urinate more often because it will be putting pressure on your bladder. You may even have accidents if you sneeze or laugh too hard. Indulge the call of nature to prevent urinary tract infections, and you may want to consider wearing panty liners to avoid embarrassing accidents. You may also experience blurred vision during your pregnancy. Because you're retaining more fluids, the outer cornea of your eye will become much thicker. This increases pressure on your eyes, which may cause blurred vision. Don't panic. After giving birth your eyes should go back to normal. Some physical symptoms that may be indicative of an immediate need for medical attention include severe cramping, moderate to heavy vaginal bleeding, excessive dizziness, moderate to severe pelvic pain or steady fever or vomiting. These may be the signs of an impending miscarriage or other serious medical problem. Around your sixth or eighth week of pregnancy, you'll have your first appointment with a doctor. Your doctor will discuss your previous pregnancies, medications you're taking, medical conditions, allergies and other health issues with you. Your doctor will also check the basics -- height, weight, blood pressure -- and perform a pelvic exam. It's done by collecting some cells from your vagina and inserting a speculum into your vagina to get a look at your uterus. This will help predict if you'll have any problems in your pregnancy. It's a little awkward and uncomfortable, but worth it for the information it provides health care professionals. |
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