Positive Pregnancy Test
Congratulations, you are pregnant! Your pregnancy journey starts as soon as you conceive and your body starts to go through various different changes, right through until after your baby is born. Your pregnancy is broken up into three sections, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimester. The first trimester is considered to be from weeks 1-12 of pregnancy, the 2nd trimester is weeks 13-27 and the 3rd trimester is weeks 28-40+.
The first trimester of pregnancy can be a difficult one for some women. With all those crazy hormones racing through your body and the changes that they can bring, you might not be feeling quite like yourself for a while. Do not worry though. Not everyone finds the first few weeks of pregnancy a challenge and if you do, it won't last for long. The early pregnancy symptoms that you find yourself facing in the first trimester, generally stop by the time you reach the second trimester. Then you have a whole load of new symptoms to enjoy! Now isn't that something to look forward to!? Fear not though, like I say, not everyone struggles in pregnancy and you might be one of the lucky ones and just breeze through it. If you aren't quite so lucky though, I have plenty of tips and tricks in this blog, that will hopefully help you.
I'm going to start this blog from week 6 of pregnancy. Many women find out that they are pregnant, when they miss their period at around about 4 weeks and then take a pregnancy test. To calculate your estimated due date (EDD), this is calculated from the first day of your last period. My blog will be based on a typical 28 day menstrual cycle.
At week 5 of pregnancy, the HCG hormone kicks in and this can be responsible for that icky feeling that you might be feeling around about now. You might have only just found out that you are pregnant, so there could be a lot going on for you right now. If you haven’t started doing so already, it is recommended that you start taking folic acid supplements each day, now that you are pregnant and continue this throughout the first trimester. Folic acid during pregnancy helps prevent birth defects known as neural tube defects, which includes spina bifida.
First Trimester Week By Week
Pregnancy Symptoms in the first trimester – Every woman is different, but some of the pregnancy symptoms that you might start to notice are:
A metallic taste in your mouth
Sore breasts
Nausea/morning sickness
Tiredness
New likes (cravings)/dislikes of certain foods
A heightened sense of smell
Needing to wee more frequently (due to expanding womb pushing against the bladder)
Headaches
A milky white discharge from your vagina
Light spotting during implantation. You should not see heavy bleeding during pregnancy and contact your Dr or Midwife if you do.
Mild cramping, similar to period pains
Darkened skin on your face or brown patches. This is called chloasma faciei.
Looking and feeling bloated
Indigestion and heartburn
Greasier, spotty skin
Mood swings (due to the pregnancy hormones)
6 Weeks Pregnant
The embryo is growing and changing quickly at 6 weeks of pregnancy. Many women start to see more common early pregnancy symptoms around now, with morning sickness, mood swings and tiredness kicking in. Try to eat a healthy balanced diet and rest as much as you can. Remember that most of these early pregnancy symptoms should start to reduce or disappear by 12 weeks of pregnancy. Talk to your Dr or Midwife if you are concerned about anything.
Embryo Size – 6mm long, about the size of a pea. The embryo is starting to grow arms, legs and ears and looks a bit like a tadpole. Sometimes the heartbeat can be detected by a vaginal ultrasound scan around now, but you wouldn’t be routinely offered a scan this early in pregnancy, unless your care givers had some concerns or if you’ve had IVF.
7 Weeks Pregnant
Lots more blood pumps around your body during pregnancy. As your pregnancy progresses, the volume will increase by 50%. The extra blood will feed your womb with all the oxygen and nutrients that your baby needs.
Embryo Size – 10mm long, about the size of a grape. The head is growing much quicker than the rest of its body and it can look a bit like an alien. The eyelids are starting to grow and cover the eyes. The embryo is generating about 100 new brain cells every minute and it’s little limb buds are starting to form cartilage to make the bones for the arms and legs.
8 Weeks Pregnant
You will possibly meet your community midwife around about now, for your booking in appointment. Your midwife will give you lots of information and ask you questions about your medical history, weigh you, take some blood to test (with your consent) and give you the opportunity to ask your midwife any questions.
You will probably have missed your second period by now and those pregnancy hormones are most likely giving you lots of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms. The placenta is getting ready to take over from the yolk sac, by providing your baby with oxygen and nutrients. Continue to get plenty of rest, eat healthily and drink plenty of fluids.
Are you suffering with regular morning sickness? It's not just in the morning when pregnant women can feel or be sick. It should actually be called all day sickness, as pregnancy sickness can strike at any time. I found eating a small healthy snack really helped with my morning sickness and not letting myself get really hungry. Eating little and often can really help. A banana, ginger biscuits, bread sticks, hummus and carrot sticks were my go to snacks. Other ideas are boiled eggs with wholemeal bread, pitta bread and grated cheese. Ginger is good for nausea and sickness, so ginger biscuits are a good choice for a grab and go snack.
I would always carry a small freezer bag with me during early pregnancy, just in case the sickness suddenly appeared and I wasn't near by to a toilet. Doing some calm breathing, in through the nose and out through the mouth, also helped me to feel less nauseous.
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Embryo Size – 16mm long, about the size of a raspberry. The arms are getting long and the body is starting to uncurl a little bit. The upper body is growing much quicker than the lower part and so the arms are currently longer than the legs. The embryo is given a new name around now and becomes known as a foetus.
9 Weeks Pregnant
You may still not look pregnant, but your womb is starting to grow and your external body is starting to change shape. Maybe your waist is a bit thicker, or your bra isn’t as comfortable as it was? The HCG hormone has been doubling every 2-3 days since you became pregnant and by week 9 it is at its peak. This could make you feel more unwell this week, but it means that it is doing a great job at keeping your baby firmly in place, in the lining of your womb. Oestrogen and progesterone are also at a high level too and with all these hormones rushing through your body, you will be feeling a whole load of emotions. Plenty of rest, healthy food and gentle exercise will help make you feel a bit better.
If you’re feeling a little low at the moment, pamper yourself to a haircut or manicure, take some time to relax with a good book or a magazine, enjoy a relaxing bath or put on a good movie. It's never too early to get the oxytocin flowing and it's good practice for when you're in labour. Knowing what makes you feel relaxed and calm, can really help to prepare for birth. Plus, relaxation is great for you and baby during pregnancy, so give yourself permission to relax and bond with your baby. Once you approach 20 weeks of pregnancy, you might want to consider doing a Hypnobirthing course. Hypnobirthing is a brilliant way to allow yourself time to relax, dedicating that time for you and baby and learn how to relax properly, in preparation for birth.
Foetus Size – 22mm long, about the size of a strawberry. The face is looking more recognisable, with eyes protected by eyelids, a mouth and a tongue with tastebuds. The hands and feet are coming along, but no fingers or toes yet. All the major organs are developing, bones are starting to form and the baby’s genitals are starting to take shape. You will not be able to determine the sex just yet though.
10 Weeks Pregnant
You might find that you are struggling to do up your jeans now and your uterus is around the size of a large orange. Bloating, burping and passing wind is quite common in pregnancy and this is due to the increase in progesterone in your body. It is relaxing the muscles in your womb, so that it can expand along with your growing baby. The muscles in your digestive tract can also become looser and this can lead to symptoms of heartburn.
You might want to treat yourself to a new, more supportive bra, for your growing breasts. There are lots of maternity bras on the market to choose from and as your breasts continue to grow, you might find a maternity bra more comfortable.
As you start to come to the end of the first trimester, you might want to start thinking about where you would like to have your baby. Hospital birth? Midwife-led birthing centre? Home birth? Where to give birth can be a bit overwhelming. You might want to start to think about your birth plan and what kind of birth you would like. Maybe you would like to do an antenatal course, to help you to understand your birth choices and options better and to support your decision making and help you to make the right decisions for you.
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Foetus Size – 30mm long, about the size of a small apricot. Your baby will be making jerky movements now, but these can only be seen on a scan. It will go through another growth spurt this week and although it’s head is still much bigger than its body, its face is becoming much clearer. It’s eyes can react to light, its nose has two tiny nostrils, its ears are starting to form and its mouth has a delicate upper lip. The heartbeat is beating very quickly at 180bpm and the jaw bone is forming, containing tiny versions of all the baby’s milk teeth.
11 Weeks Pregnant
If you are expecting your first baby, you will probably still not have an obvious baby bump. However, if it is your second or subsequent baby, you may be starting to show. As your womb starts to grow, your muscles and ligaments will stretch and this will give you pains around your stomach. It shouldn’t cause you too much discomfort, but if it does, talk to your Dr or Midwife.
Your body will be pumping around 50% more blood around your body now and the blood is feeding your womb. It can make you feel hot, sweaty and dizzy. If you experience any of these symptoms, try to rest more often, put your feet up and have a drink.
Foetus Size – 41mm long, about the size of a fig. Your baby is looking a lot more human like now. The head is still a lot bigger than the body, but the body is starting to catch up. The fingers and toes are starting to lose their web appearance and spread out and the fingers now have tiny fingernails. Your baby is moving around quite a lot inside you, but it is still too small to feel anything yet.
12 Weeks Pregnant
Hopefully by now you are starting to feel a lot better, as the first trimester ends. Your hormones should be settling down now that the placenta has taken over from the yolk sac. Your waist is probably a lot thicker, you may have a little baby bump starting to show and your breasts will be growing too. Now that your morning sickness has hopefully subsided, you might find that you are feeling much hungrier now. Try to follow a healthy diet and still do some gentle exercise. At this stage in pregnancy you don’t need to be having any extra calories. Eat for you, not for two. During pregnancy, there are certain foods that you are advised to avoid.
You will probably be offered your first scan around now. This is called your dating scan. The scan uses harmless invisible waves to build up a detailed picture of your womb. You do not have to have a scan and it is your decision whether you would like one or not. If you do decide you would like a scan, you and your baby won’t feel anything and it will give you and your care giver a more accurate due date. However, your dating scan will still only provide an approximate due date and your baby’s actual birthday could be plus or minus a few days or weeks of this date. The scan can also identify how many babies you are carrying and detect how well the baby is growing. For most parents to be, the scan is exciting, being able to see your baby for the first time. However, for some it can be sad news, if the scan doesn’t pick up a heartbeat from the baby or if it identifies some development issues. There is lots of support available if your scan highlights bad news. Ask your midwife or Dr to signpost you to various options of support.
At your dating scan, you will also be offered a test called a nuchal translucency test (NT). This test measures the fluid at the back of the baby’s neck, as part of the screening process for Down’s syndrome. You do not have to have a NT test and you can still have a dating scan, without having the NT test if you wish.
Foetus Size – 5.4cm long, which is about the size of a plum and weighs about 18 grams. Everything is now in place, from the head to the toes. The skeleton is made up from tissue and hardening into bones. The genitals are now formed, but it is still too early for most scans to detect the gender of your baby. The baby’s job now is to grow and grow.
First Trimester Complete
Wahoo! You've made it through the first trimester! Hopefully all of those early pregnancy symptoms will soon start to ease off and you might start to feel a little bit more human again. It's not the same for everyone though and it might be a few more weeks before you start feeling a bit better. Hang on in there, you're over the worst!
For many people, they like to keep the pregnancy quiet until they've had the first scan. Some people can't wait to share their good news though and share their pregnancy announcement as soon as they see that positive pregnancy test. If you've not made your pregnancy common knowledge yet, you might want to start sharing this wonderful news with your wider circle of family and friends, once you've seen your baby on the scan. However, one little tip from me, would be to not tell people your exact due date. Tell them your due month. This is to stop all the questions of have you had the baby yet, when you approach you due date and because due dates are so inaccurate and a due month is probably more appropriate.
Come back soon to read all about the 2nd Trimester of pregnancy!