When we first found out we were pregnant, the second trimester seemed so far off. Now that we're at 14 weeks, we're ready to start part two of this journey. It's been quite a process, but I've learned a lot in the last few months.
Here are some of the things that I experienced, learned or was surprised by in my first trimester:
Exercise: Pre-pregnancy, I was usually running three times a week, about 6-7 miles or so at a time. I also alternated the running with using the eliptical machine at the gym and doing some light weightlifting three times a week. My doctor, baby books and the internet all say that if you've already established an exercise routine, it is OK to continue exercising throughout your pregnancy, but it definietly takes on a different form. The biggest change is that I just physically can't run as fast or push myself as much. Even if I wanted to, I don't think I could run 6.5-7 miles in an hour on the treadmill, which is what I was doing before. There are also rules about what your heart rate should be, how warm you get and staying hydrated. I am still doing as much as I can (I read today in "What to Expect When You're Expecting" that babies whose mother's exercised tested higher on intelligence tests!), but I know when to stop. It will be interesting to see if and when that happens.
Eating: I was really suprised to hear that the saying "You're eating for two" isn't really true...or maybe I was just disappointed I couldn't sit down with a gallon of ice cream and a spoon, guilt-free. Up until this point, I wasn't supposed to take in any more calories than I had been pre-pregnancy. But there were days that I was just hungry! I haven't had any major cravings for particular foods, but I can sense myself leaning toward salty snacks and carbs. I think that's mostly because I don't usually eat a lot of those especially during the day. Hey, what baby wants, baby gets, in moderation of course. I was also really surprised at the long list of what you can't eat and how I should really diversify my diet and not just eat the same old salad every day. But now, I'm supposed to be eating 300 more calories a day, which really isn't that much when you think about it. I'll probably start with few slices a bread and a glass of milk throughout the day.
Morning sickness: I was mentally prepared to have this symptom, but luckily for me, I really didn't. During week six, I was constantly nauseous all day, every day, but never threw up. I also had little desire to eat. That was short-lived and since then, there's been a few flashes of nausea here and there, but not too much. I will consider myself extremely lucky and cross my fingers that this doesn't show up later!
Fatigue: This has been the biggie. I think it's safe to say that for awhile I was sleeping in the living room chair by 8 p.m. every night. Chris would usually shake his head and say, "Just go to bed." I still get pretty wiped out in the evenings, but I have been able to stay up until 10 p.m. a few nights in the last week, which feels like a pretty major accomplishment.
My appearance: The last few weeks have been a pretty big eye-opener into what kinds of changes my body is going to go through. The baby is supposedly about the size of a lemon right now, which would explain why my stomach is starting to stick out and my pants are really tight. So far I've been able to get away with my normal pants, some being phased out, but I think that I'm going to have to move on to the Belly Band for help shortly.
As we move into the second trimester, there are a whole crop of new things to learn. Not just the increased calories, but no lying on my back for long periods of time (I got the weird looking pillow to help me do this while I sleep) and the most exciting thing is that by the end, we should start being able to feel the baby!
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