Pregnancy 1st trimester
Pregnancy 1st trimester
Welcome to a series of posts that will take you through the journey of pregnancy. We will explore the changes your body will make during each trimester and how your baby is developing and growing. If you are here I guess it is likely that your pregnancy journey has started and you want to be prepared for what lies ahead. I hope that these features will go some way to preparing you for the next 9 months.
First up we are going to look at the first 13 weeks, the pregnancy 1st trimester. This takes us from conception through to your first scan and many of you won’t know you are pregnant until you are half way through this stage.
A lot happens for you during the pregnancy 1st trimester
Morning sickness – Unfortunately the name is missleading and it doesn’t just strike in the morning. Morning sickness typically starts about week 6 of pregnancy. Ginger tea or biscuits might help, as can small but frequent meals. If it’s severe, you might want to consider talking to your doctor about medications to treat the symptoms of pregnancy-related nausea.
You might be wondering where your old boobs went by about week 6. As they become tender and tingly and begin to grow.
You may feel up, then down, then up again by week around 7
Tirdness and fatigue is very common during the 1st trimester. During early pregnancy, levels of the hormone progesterone rise. In high and this can make your sleepy. At the same time, lower blood sugar levels, lower blood pressure and increased blood production may team up to sap your energy during your pregnancy.
When you’re pregnant, you might find yourself craving or turning up your nose at certain foods. Like most other symptoms of pregnancy, this can be explained by hormonal changes – especially in the first trimester, when hormonal changes are at their peak.
You might find yourself urinating more often than usual. The amount of blood in your body increases during pregnancy, causing your kidneys to process extra fluid that ends up in your bladder.
Pregnancy hormones relaxing the valve between your stomach and esophagus can allow stomach acid to leak into your esophagus, causing heartburn. Eatting small, frequent meals and avoiding fried foods, citrus fruits, chocolate, and spicy or fried foods should help to reduce heartburn symptoms.
High levels of the hormone progesterone can slow the movement of food through your digestive system, causing constipation. To relieve constipation, include plenty of fibre in your diet and drink lots of fluids, especially water and prune or other fruit juices. Regular physical activity can also helps.
Baby’s development during the 1st trimester
During the 1st trimester your baby changes from a single fertilized cell (a zygote), to the embryo that implants itself into the wall of your womb, to a bundle of growing limbs and body systems the size of a peach. Here is a list of the main things happening in the pregnancy 1st trimester.
By about week 6, baby starts to grow arms, legs, hands and feet — and fingers and toes around week 10.
Skin begins forming between weeks 5 and 8, with hair follicles and nail beds starting to develop around week 11.
Around week 8, your baby’s intestines will begin forming, and your baby will have already gone through two sets of kidneys (with the third and final set on its way!).
Your baby will have touch receptors on his face around week 8. By week 12, he’ll have receptors on his genitals, palms and the soles of his feet.
The Optic nerves and lenses within the eyes begin to form by week 4, with the retina beginning to form around week 8.
By week 5, the tube that will become your baby’s heart begins to beat. It will become stronger and more regular — and you’ll be able to hear it from around week 9 or 10.
By about week 8 of pregnancy, your baby’s brain will be wiggling his developing limbs.
Your baby will have developed taste buds that connect to his brain by about week 8 — but he won’t beable to taste anyting until his taste pores develop.
Things you need to do during your 1st trimester
As soon as you find out you’re pregnant, let your doctor know so that you can book your first appointment with the midwife.
Your first antenatal appointment, your booking appointment, may happen any time between 8 and 12 weeks. Your booking appointment usually takes one to two hours. Your midwife needs to get a clear idea of your health, your partner’s health and both of your families’ medical history. So be prepared for plenty of questions!
Start taking a daily folic acid supplement straight away. Folic acid is essential for protecting your baby against brain and spinal cord problems such as spina bifida.
You need a 400 microgram (mcg) supplement of folic acid (vitamin B9). You can buy these over the counter from pharmacies or supermarkets.
A healthy, balanced diet will make sure that you get all the nutrients you and your developing baby need. You don’t need extra calories in your first trimester or second trimester. But you will need to avoid certain foods because they may contain bacteria, parasites or toxins that could harm your baby. This includes some cheeses and unpasteurised dairy products, raw or undercooked meat, liver and pate, and raw shellfish.
Your first scan, the dating scan will take place between 12 and 14 weeks. The sonographer will check your baby’s heartbeat and tell you when your baby is due, based on measurements.
But most importantly sit back, relax, get plenty of rest and enjoy this magical time.
Details of additional Blog articles that may be of interest to you.
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