An A for Trimester 1?
Today marks the official end of the first trimester of my pregnancy. It seems like a pretty big milestone. I thought I'd look back on the trimester that partially took place without most of you knowing. :) That had to be one of the hardest things ever because I'm sure you know that I like to talk and I like to get people's advice about things. So some of you may find some of this information helpful when you're first knocked up and can't tell anyone.
We had our first positive pregnancy test on June 1, 2006. Yes, we knew there was a chance we were pregnant. We were cautiously excited and proceeded to take several pregnancy tests until I went to the doctor at the end of June. My doctor's office assured me in mid-June that 4 positive pregnancy tests was a pretty strong indication that I truly was pregnant. Also, get the digital tests - they are much more clear than the line ones.
To celebrate, I bought lots of books. For some reason I have always felt like the book What To Expect When You're Expecting was some sort of rite of passage for newly pregnant women. I was wrong. It's boring and much too vague. I feel like it spends a lot of time talking about what could go wrong. Obviously, that's not what anyone wants to concentrate on during the fragile time of the first trimester. Don't buy it. I will give you my copy when you tell me you're pregnant. My friend Megan (who has answered countless questions that I have had so far!) recommended The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy, which is fabulous. It is hilarious and helpful and a good substitute for being able to talk to anyone about what's "normal" during this time. Finally, my mom gave me Your Pregnancy Week by Week. While Girlfriend's offers emotional and mental support, this is excellent information on the medical aspect of pregnancy. It has great information and includes drawings of the baby's true size through the first several months. Its pretty fun to see that.
June 17, July 2, July 5, and July 6. These were the dates that we told most of our people that we were expecting.
You can start taking prenatal vitamins even before you're pregnant. I was taking a women's multivitamin with folic acid and B12 or B6, which are things I've read are good to take prior to getting pregnant. The folic acid prevents against some birth defects and the Vitamin B may decrease your chances of throwing up during the first trimester (which I didn't!). My Nurse Practitioner gave me a great tip during my first visit. She suggested going to a whole foods store to get a prenatal vitamin that breaks the daily dose into 2 servings, so I take 1 pill in the morning and 1 at night. Prenatals make a lot of women sick so I was excited to give it a whirl. Have you seen these vitamins? They are monstrous. I have gagged on numerous occasions while trying to choke them down. I have been using Nature's Plus Ultra Prenatal Vitamins. I got them at the Linden Hills CoOp.
There are some changes taking place. No unusual cravings yet (although I am embarrassed to admit I ate a whole can of baked beans over the course of this afternoon). Right now I can't imagine eating a salad with mayonnaise. Usually I'm all about tuna or chicken salad, but the last few weeks it makes me gag to even think about it. I have to eat a snack every few hours. I have taken so many naps. I don't feel like cooking, so I have been eating really unhealthy. I am already sick of trying to make sure that I drink at least 48 oz. of water a day. As of Monday I've gained about 3.5lbs. which is pretty good. I'm trying not to obsess about weight gain. Some of my clothes don't feel so good any more. That is a bummer.
Don't Worry, Be Happy. I've already worried about so much. I have had a lot of anxiety about not having a job. Or getting a job and needing maternity time in February. Or never getting another teaching job. I've worried about the baby being healthy. About if we are old enough to have a kid. It was hard not to share this with people, but since I've been able to talk to people about it I have felt better. My doctor's office is very responsive to my questions and concerns. That feels pretty good. I guess that this is a part of the process of becoming a parent - that now I will worry about my baby for the rest of my life. Its a crazy thought. But it is something that I have to come to grips with. And thanks to many of you who have helped me with this! :)
Things to look forward to in the next 13 weeks... Looking pregnant, shopping for the baby, 20 week ultrasound, name searching (Roy is NOT on the list), food cravings, new clothes, filling out the new baby book, getting the baby's room ready, the baby's first movements, and much more.
See you next time...
We had our first positive pregnancy test on June 1, 2006. Yes, we knew there was a chance we were pregnant. We were cautiously excited and proceeded to take several pregnancy tests until I went to the doctor at the end of June. My doctor's office assured me in mid-June that 4 positive pregnancy tests was a pretty strong indication that I truly was pregnant. Also, get the digital tests - they are much more clear than the line ones.
To celebrate, I bought lots of books. For some reason I have always felt like the book What To Expect When You're Expecting was some sort of rite of passage for newly pregnant women. I was wrong. It's boring and much too vague. I feel like it spends a lot of time talking about what could go wrong. Obviously, that's not what anyone wants to concentrate on during the fragile time of the first trimester. Don't buy it. I will give you my copy when you tell me you're pregnant. My friend Megan (who has answered countless questions that I have had so far!) recommended The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy, which is fabulous. It is hilarious and helpful and a good substitute for being able to talk to anyone about what's "normal" during this time. Finally, my mom gave me Your Pregnancy Week by Week. While Girlfriend's offers emotional and mental support, this is excellent information on the medical aspect of pregnancy. It has great information and includes drawings of the baby's true size through the first several months. Its pretty fun to see that.
June 17, July 2, July 5, and July 6. These were the dates that we told most of our people that we were expecting.
You can start taking prenatal vitamins even before you're pregnant. I was taking a women's multivitamin with folic acid and B12 or B6, which are things I've read are good to take prior to getting pregnant. The folic acid prevents against some birth defects and the Vitamin B may decrease your chances of throwing up during the first trimester (which I didn't!). My Nurse Practitioner gave me a great tip during my first visit. She suggested going to a whole foods store to get a prenatal vitamin that breaks the daily dose into 2 servings, so I take 1 pill in the morning and 1 at night. Prenatals make a lot of women sick so I was excited to give it a whirl. Have you seen these vitamins? They are monstrous. I have gagged on numerous occasions while trying to choke them down. I have been using Nature's Plus Ultra Prenatal Vitamins. I got them at the Linden Hills CoOp.
There are some changes taking place. No unusual cravings yet (although I am embarrassed to admit I ate a whole can of baked beans over the course of this afternoon). Right now I can't imagine eating a salad with mayonnaise. Usually I'm all about tuna or chicken salad, but the last few weeks it makes me gag to even think about it. I have to eat a snack every few hours. I have taken so many naps. I don't feel like cooking, so I have been eating really unhealthy. I am already sick of trying to make sure that I drink at least 48 oz. of water a day. As of Monday I've gained about 3.5lbs. which is pretty good. I'm trying not to obsess about weight gain. Some of my clothes don't feel so good any more. That is a bummer.
Don't Worry, Be Happy. I've already worried about so much. I have had a lot of anxiety about not having a job. Or getting a job and needing maternity time in February. Or never getting another teaching job. I've worried about the baby being healthy. About if we are old enough to have a kid. It was hard not to share this with people, but since I've been able to talk to people about it I have felt better. My doctor's office is very responsive to my questions and concerns. That feels pretty good. I guess that this is a part of the process of becoming a parent - that now I will worry about my baby for the rest of my life. Its a crazy thought. But it is something that I have to come to grips with. And thanks to many of you who have helped me with this! :)
Things to look forward to in the next 13 weeks... Looking pregnant, shopping for the baby, 20 week ultrasound, name searching (Roy is NOT on the list), food cravings, new clothes, filling out the new baby book, getting the baby's room ready, the baby's first movements, and much more.
See you next time...
posted by Mandy at 8/03/2006 05:16:00 PM
1 Comments:
Ahh, the wonderful and fabulous second trimester. I loved being pregnant and especially loved it during the second tri. A few short weeks (ok, not so short sometimes) and you'll have a baby.
And stop the worrying! Everything works itself out...
I love checking your site and I'm so excited for you guys. Keep us updated!
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