Pregnancy- A life begins…

Pregnancy is that wonderful time for mommy’s to be. Sure it can be daunting and let’s be honest; uncomfortable too! But, the thought of holding your child in your arms at the end of it makes it all worthwhile. Are you a first time mommy-to-be? Are you apprehensive about this life changing experience? Let me allay some of your fears then. So, here I am, sharing my pregnancy journey with you all, a trimester at a time with several tips and tricks I learnt along the way that can help you out too! Starting with the first trimester…

The first trimester

Starting at the very beginning, your home pregnancy test! The feeling of seeing a positive pregnancy test, especially if you, like me has been planning a pregnancy for a while, is absolutely indescribable. The day I took the test, I felt ill and also had a little fever. My husband then suggested to take a pregnancy test before we decided on a course of action for the fever. I protested for a while insisting that it cannot be pregnancy as I just felt like I had caught the flu. But, after a while I gave in and sure enough, it was those magical two pink lines! I cried that day. Sharing this news with my husband who was expectantly waiting outside the door was even more a grand experience. We were going to be parents!

What happens after the test?

We were obviously excited, but once we came to terms with it, we were also nervous. I have come to realise that feeling a bit apprehensive of what is happening is absolutely normal! There is no need to think otherwise. But, your obvious next step would be to make an appointment with a gynaecologist and we did just that. The trip to the hospital was absolutely nerve-wracking. Sure, the home pregnancy test confirmed a pregnancy, but what would my first ultrasound say? Is everything okay? We were praying for a viable pregnancy of course, but, what would the doctor say? A million thoughts a minute, we waited our turn. Sure enough, my first ultrasound was taken and it was just overwhelming. I saw my baby for the first time. A tiny pea in my belly about to grow into a child that we so wanted. My doctor even printed a small sheet of my first ultrasound. So, basically you can ask your doctor to do that for you and tuck it away into your collection of pregnancy memories.

All that you feel through this trimester

After your first visit to the doctor, you will most likely be put on supplements like folic acid, iron and calcium to begin with. This is also the time when you physically feel several things you may not have been accustomed to until now. This includes my favourite, nausea! My oh my is that one intense feeling! Although not everyone may have it, it is fairly common. The intensity of the nausea one may have can also vary. Personally, I have never been picky with my food, so the nausea and my being picky with food was a completely new experience. The kitchen just became a no-no for me. There were days when I just refused to enter that part of my apartment, so much so, that we had to hire a cook! If you are anything like me, you should consider hiring a cook too. But, the better option would be to have a family member who knows you to help you out, like your mother or sister perhaps. I say this because it is sometimes hard to get up in the morning and give instructions on food when you were just throwing up with morning sickness moments before. Also, morning sickness can just last through the day. So even if you are considering training your cook to what your family likes at this time, it may not be as feasible as you think! But, if you are yet to get pregnant, this may be a good time to think of hiring and training a cook. If your husband cooks… even better!

So, besides morning sickness and nausea what will you face? First off, making the announcement to your immediate family can bring on the age-old advice on how to get through the pregnancy. This can range from what foods to eat during pregnancy, foods to avoid in pregnancy and things to do (or not) in the first trimester. My advice? Take it in stride. Most often than not as time goes by and you get used to having a growing fetus inside you, you will automatically know to do things that feel the most organic to you. This could mean taking more rest than you would normally or just go about your routine as you were before pregnancy. But, it is important that you eat well and have well-balanced nutritious meals and take your supplements regularly.

Emotionally, you will feel a myriad of things; from happiness to anxiety. It is but natural. A pregnancy literally changes your life. There will be days when you are overjoyed and some days you may just feel unprepared to take this on. You may also feel like you need to be pampered! As you should be! For me, both my mum and husband just spoiled me rotten. I suddenly developed a sweet tooth and my mum just made different payasams and some savories for me all through my first trimester. My husband just gave in to my every whim and waited on me hand and foot!

The first trimester is most definitely a joy to experience despite how you may feel physically. But, trust me… moving forward, it is definitely fulfilling. But, what does the second trimester have in store for you? Well, there is so much more excitement coming your way… and some definite tear-jerking firsts. Are you ready to know more?