It was a long time before pregnancy and having a child felt right to me. For 36 years of my life, it wasn’t something I ever wanted. I didn’t even want baby dolls as a child.
Then, at age 36, something changed. I started feeling that desire to have and raise a child with my loving husband. It no longer looked like something that would hold me back or completely change us or our lifestyle. It just started to feel right.
Now that I am pregnant and almost to my 3rd trimester, I’m so glad that I allowed myself to wait until it did feel right. My body, mind and heart are all in the right place. I’m ecstatic about this life we created and thrilled to show her all of the wonderful aspects of life.
Here are 10 things I learned the 1st trimester:
1) You’ll be amazed at how often you have to pee. I knew it was coming, but it was still a shock to wake up in the middle of the night to the sensation.
2) You will be beyond tired. I was exhausted all day, every day. I have never felt the need for so much sleep. There’s a lot happening in your body during this time, and the baby saps a lot of energy now because there isn’t a placenta in place yet providing nutrients.
3) You may be nauseated, and you may puke at all different hours of the day. I was nauseated throughout the day typically right after I ate. It didn’t matter what I ate either; I felt sick after every meal. I also noticed that if I didn’t eat often, I would feel sick. (Side note here. It doesn’t matter when you are sick or if you puke or don’t puke. Nothing will secretly tell you the sex of your baby. I had a lot of people guessing sex of baby based on symptoms.)
4) Your blood pressure and body temperature will change. My diastolic (the bottom number) was low during the first trimester, so I kept an eye on it. It typically ranged between the low to mid 50s. Not going to lie, it freaked me out a little. I wasn’t surprised to find that I craved salt which naturally raises blood pressure. I also felt hot. I was always the one who felt cold when the AC was blasting during a Texas summer and didn’t mind wearing a sweater inside during this time but with baby, things changed. For once, I was the one who was hot, not just my husband.
5) Your sex drive may go WAY down. My husband and I have a healthy sex life. Before getting pregnant, we often had sex once a day. During my first trimester, the thought of being shaken by the movements of sex was enough to make me sick. Not to mention that I felt uninterested due to feeling tired.
6) Your activity level will suffer. I am an active person who enjoys time outside, working out and yoga. I was hoping to keep that up during my first trimester but after the first month of pregnancy, it was the last thing I wanted.
7) You may start questioning your decision. ‘Is this really the right time? What about this? This is definitely going to change.’ It’s completely natural to have these thoughts. Allow them to come up and maybe journal about it. Journaling always helps me to sort out thoughts.
8) You may wonder if the 2nd trimester will be better or if the whole pregnancy will feel this way. I was thankful to see lots of positive changes when I entered into my 2nd trimester. All of these symptoms won’t last forever. I promise.
9) You may worry about what others will think. Again, this is natural. It is part of being human. We always want to fit in. This is your life and your decision. Go with it, and tell people (when you’re ready) with confidence.
10) Take it easy on yourself. I had to listen to my body during the first trimester (more than usual). It really wanted me to slow down, so I did. I didn’t push myself to work out or have sex or eat certain things. I truly just went with what felt right.
Congratulations! You and your body are doing an amazing thing. I hope you find your pregnancy journey to be as fun and full of love as I have so far. I’m excited for more.
Peace & Love,
Nikki