First Trimester of Pregnancy
As you move through your first trimester, you may be surprised that although there is an expectation for a woman to feel joy and excitement during pregnancy, you may also have some less positive emotions. This is normal; pregnancy isn't always easy. You may have great days and difficult days. You may have specific times of the day you struggle through.
The first trimester may present you with many changes and challenges. Some common experiences include:
- Feeling more tired than usual
- Feeling unable to eat particular foods
- Experiencing nausea and vomiting
- Tender or painful breasts
- Questioning whether you are ready to become a parent
- Concern about how things you do affect your health and the health of the baby
- Sense of relief or satisfaction about finally becoming pregnant
- Sense of dread or anger about becoming pregnant
- Nervousness about the progress of the pregnancy
- Concern about the physical changes that will happen to your body
First Trimester To Do List
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Make sure you are eating right. Your baby is being built from protein, which it cannot get from extra fat stores on your hips. You need to be eating good quality lean proteins every day to ensure your baby has the tools with which to build bones, organs and other body tissues. In addition, you need to be sure you are eating adequate amounts of carbohydrates to fuel your body and the work of growing a baby. Unfortunately, many women find it difficult to eat well during the first trimester because they feel tired and sick to their stomach. The irony is, eating healthy may actually help relieve some of those symptoms.
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Find your health care provider. You may have many choices in your area, look into all of them. You want to find someone who shares your philosophy about childbirth, not someone you are going to have to convince to do everything you would like. Interview doctors and midwives before signing up with the practice.
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Check your insurance coverage. You may find you have more options than you thought. Depending on the laws in your area, your insurance may cover a birth center birth, a home birth or a doula. Your insurance may cover the entire birth and prenatal visits, or you may be responsible for a co-pay or co-insurance. Make sure you know ahead of time how much money you will need to pay for the services you want to receive. If you don't have insurance, check into state aide programs. Generally, maternity care will be covered in some way.
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Continue your exercise regime, or begin one. Women who exercise during pregnancy feel more comfortable and have more energy. It will also help you prevent problems with weight gain and prepare you to return to a healthy weight after pregnancy.
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Begin looking at your finances so you know how to plan for postpartum. Do you have the ability or desire to stay home? Do you have the means to pay for day care and return to work? It may take time to find the right plan for your family, so start looking at options early.
- As your body is changing, you may be feeling more tired than usual or be dealing with morning sickness. Learn about ways to stay comfortable during pregnancy.
What would you like next?Learn comfort techniques for labor. Explore the process of labor. Find products to help you enjoy pregnancy and prepare to give birth.. Read research about birth options. Find natural birth resources in your area. |
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