I know this post is way overdue, but maybe it will be informative for those of you who are just recently pregnant! You can also read our Pregnancy Journey post here. Before this pregnancy I had a miscarriage (ectopic pregnancy), so I was a little unsure if that meant I was going to have issues getting pregnant again, but thankfully everything was fine the second time!

My first trimester wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t a walk in the park either. I know some women have it way worse than I did, so I totally sympathize with them.

I found out I was pregnant at about 3.5 weeks (they start counting the weeks from the first day your last period). I hadn’t even missed my next period yet, but I had a hunch I was pregnant because my boobs were sore. With my history of a previous ectopic, I called my doctor immediately and she requested me in that day for blood work. I continued going every couple days for about a week until they knew the pregnancy was normal.

First Trimester- Week 5-7

These two weeks were tough with nausea and bloating!! I wasn’t physically throwing up, but felt nauseous every minute I was awake. It helped to keep food in my stomach, so I felt like I was constantly eating or snacking to help lessen the nausea. I would also suck on these ginger/B6 candies and drink this morning sickness tea.

I was still trying to push through and do some home workouts (couldn’t go to they gym because of COVID), but would sometimes have to take a breather during the workout to dry-heave. haha. I did not work out as much as I hoped, especially since I felty like I was eating a lot, and it wasn’t the healthiest food. Carbs and fast food just tasted soooo good!

At about 7 weeks I had my regular doctor appointment and told her about feeling nauseous, so she told me to go get some (non-prescription) Unisom sleep tabs, and take one at night (12.5-25mg), along with B6 vitamin. I did that for one night and felt great the next day (although a little groggy from the sleeping pill aspect). That was the only night I took it because my nausea went away after that. I’m not sure if its because I reached a certain point in my pregnancy, or if the Unisom helped kick it from my system.

Pregnancy bloat is real you guys! This continued through the whole first trimester and it got painful at some points. The mornings were ok, but as I ate food throughout the day, it would just get worse. It’s because your body is producing more progesterone for the baby and that slows down your digestive system so it can more easily grab nutrients from the food you eat. Try to eat smaller meals more frequently, vs. big meals. And drink lots of water.

Also, make sure you are taking your Prenatal Vitamins daily! This is crucial to baby development (especially the first trimester). I just took these– nothing fancy, and available almost anywhere. I also started taking them a couple months before I knew were were going to be trying again to get my vitamins up.

First Trimester- Week 8-11

I was feeling a lot better these weeks, but the next thing to deal with was acne!! I have acne prone skin and was on the pill for the past 7 years to keep it at bay, but getting off the pill, and these hormones, made it surface again. Thankfully we were quarantined during this time, so I didn’t go out in public much, but it made me super insecure and feel down on myself. I will never take clear skin for granted again! Every morning I was waking up with new bumps and inflamed skin. I had heard it usually lasts for your first trimester, so I was praying this didn’t continue through the whole pregnancy.

Everything, such as dermatologists were closed due to the pandemic, so I really didn’t have many treatment options. I just decided to wait it out and try some pregnancy safe acne products. None of which worked btw. And it probably didn’t help that this was the time I was craving all the gummy candies, so why sugar intake was high (and that’s not good for acne)! Normally, chocolate is my go-to, but candy was all I wanted at this point. I had bags of Twizzlers and gummy worms in the cupboard. haha.

My energy levels were definitely lower the first trimester and I found myself taking naps more frequently and sleeping a solid 9 hours at night. My job allows me to work from home, so I was grateful for the flexibility on being able to rest when I needed it.

Now for the squeamish thing that happens. No one ever told me this, but you start to have a lot more discharge down there. It’s just clear and doesn’t smell, but still uncomfortable and underwear is required always! Normally I like to go commando at home under my shorts, but I couldn’t anymore. Also, I am in my second trimester and it hasn’t stopped.

First Trimester- Week 12-14

The first trimester ends after the 13th week, so basically at 14 weeks. The biggest thing that happened during this time was that my acne started to clear. I literally woke up one morning (around 13 weeks) with no new bumps, and my skin didn’t seem as inflamed. It was literally overnight that I noticed a change in my skin. Since this point, my skin has been on the mend, and I’m on the path to minimize the scarring marks as a result of the acne.

During these weeks I also felt my cravings for unhealthy food lessen and I wanted to go back to my normal healthy eating habits. Although my love of chocolate has returned and I can’t help but indulge in that! I think I gained about 10lbs this first trimester, which was more than I thought I would. So I am back to trying to eat a little healthier.

I also want to note that I didn’t feel too many mood changes or get overly emotional like some women talk about. I think I just felt the worst when I was nauseous and didn’t feel like doing anything, so I was not very productive at all and felt like I wanted to accomplish more, but couldn’t.

Items to have for the first trimester

1. Cozy Blanket/Robe (I love my barefoot dreams blankets)
2. Ginger/B6 candies
3. Ginger Tea
4. Preganncy Bath salts
5. Candy
6. Plain crackers (great for nausea and keeping something in your tummy)
7. Snacks to keep by your bedside. I would literally eat something the minute I woke up or the nausea was REALLY bad.
8. Prenatal Vitamins

Let me know if you have any questions! You can email me at myviewinheels@gmail.com, or DM me on Instagram.