Curious about what first trimester body changes you can expect during pregnancy? These are the weird, but extremely common, pregnancy symptoms and first trimester body aches that most moms experience during the early stages of pregnancy.
Pregnancy is so exciting but can cause some wacky changes to your body, especially during the first trimester. As a mom myself who went through pregnancy not too long ago, I will be telling you about the potential first trimester body changes that you can expect during pregnancy.
Whether you have one or all of these first trimester body changes, it is totally normal! Pregnancy symptoms are different for everyone so if you don’t have one thing or another, it does not mean something is wrong.
This post is all about first trimester body changes that all new moms should be aware of.
First Trimester Body Changes
1. Exhaustion
The fatigue is REAL during the first trimester of pregnancy. I think every pregnant woman out there will tell you that exhaustion during the first 12 weeks can be pretty intense but it is 100% normal.
Many women are also dealing with nausea and many of the first trimester body changes listed below too, so it can be challenging getting out of bed and not falling asleep at your desk at 10am.
Just know that the exhaustion is totally normal and should ease up in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy!
Tips to Deal with Exhaustion:
- Go to bed early
- Take naps if you are able to
- Relax – now is not the time to start a new, intense workout routine
- Prioritize tasks for when you have the most energy
- Ask for help for household responsibilities (ex. dinner, laundry)
2. Nausea
This is another BIG first trimester body change. It is extremely common to experience mild nausea, mostly in the form of morning sickness, during the first trimester. It is also normal for pregnant women to experience nausea randomly during the day or even consistently at night though.
You can expect morning sickness to start as early as six weeks and will start to ease by twelve or fourteen weeks when you are into the second trimester. But trust me, I know it can feel neverending when you are in the middle of it.
I personally experienced nausea whenever I would get REALLY hungry, especially first thing in the morning. It was essential for me to eat carbs first thing in the morning, before any exercise or caffeine consumption, or else the nausea would come on very quickly and suddenly.
Tips to Deal with Nausea:
- Eat small, frequent meals throughout the day
- Eat plain crackers/carbs
- Drink ginger tea. My friends love this one!
- Diffuse peppermint or ginger essential oils
- Take time off of work if you are having a particularly hard morning
- Stay hydrated
- Find foods that work for you
If you are concerned about your nausea during pregnancy or are experiencing extreme nausea, it is always a good idea to talk to your doctor.
Hyperemesis gravidarum is a condition that comes with severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy that can lead to weight loss and dehydration. You can think of this as an extreme and more intense form of morning sickness.
Hyperemesis gravidarum can require anti-nausea medicine prescribed by your doctor and/or a hospitalization for IV fluids if you are dehydrated.
3. Headaches
Headaches are another common first trimester body change. They can be brought on by a variety of things including hormonal changes, pregnancy tension, physical or emotional stress, increased hunger, sinus congestion or allergies and a decrease in caffeine consumption.
It is always best to talk to your doctor about your pregnancy headaches. Pregnancy prevents you from taking certain medications like ibuprofen or Aleve but acetaminophen (Tylenol) is usually safe.
This post is not intended to serve as medical advice so please consult your doctor.
Tips to Deal with Headaches:
- Drink plenty of water.
- Get as much sleep as possible.
- Rest.
- Keep eating. Low blood sugar resulting from skipped meals can result in a headache
- Tylenol (with doctor approval)
- Rest in a dark room. Especially if it’s a tension headache/migraine.
- Get fresh air
- Turn off fluorescent lights
- Take a prenatal yoga class or practice breathing exercises to keep stress levels low
4. Mood Swings
You can expect to be a big ball of emotions during pregnancy. It sounds dramatic but you can blame your pregnancy hormones for it!
During the first trimester of pregnancy, higher levels of estrogen and progesterone can lead to mood swings. You can be blissfully happy one day and irritability or sad the next. Pregnancy is also a huge life change which contributes to the emotions flowing like they do!
Tips to Deal with Mood Swings:
- Give yourself grace. You are growing a little human!
- Talk openly about your emotions to your partner, family and friends.
- Do not compare your pregnancy journey so someone else’s journey.
- Be flexible and do not set unreasonable expectations.
- Remember that you will be a great mother regardless of how emotional you were during pregnancy.
- Be aware that it is normal for you to feel emotional in the weeks following delivery as well. Taking care of YOU is just as important as taking care of your baby!
5. Bloating/Gas
Bloating and gas is an uncomfortable first trimester body change. Many pregnant women experience their jeans getting tighter in the first trimester or just experience bloating all around. We can thank progesterone for that…
Progesterone causes the smooth muscle tissue in your body to relax. This also means your digestion slows down with it and can lead to bloating, gas, cramps and constipation.
Your uterus is also expanding at the same time and pressing on your stomach and intestines. This is probably causing you to feel full and uncomfortable sooner after a meal.
Tips to Deal With Bloating And Gas During Pregnancy:
- Drink plenty of water. his is crucial for hydration and managing constipation
- Eat smaller meals and eat them slower. Eating slower gives your body time to process the food and send signals to the brain if it’s full.
- Incorporate fiber into your diet. This also helps with pregnancy constipation. If you haven’t been including much fiber in your diet up until this point, introduce it gradually.
- Get moving. Incorporating daily exercise or a light walk after a meal if you’re feeling up for it does wonders for your body, pregnant or not.
- Make modifications to your diet. Test out potentially triggering foods for you and eliminate them as needed. Brussels sprouts and broccoli are usually gas triggering vegetables.
- Start wearing maternity clothes. The stretchy waistbands are a game changer as soon as your pre-pregnancy clothes start getting tight. There’s no reason to try to squeeze into your pre-pregnancy clothes (you are only going to keep growing!) so do not feel ashamed moving to maternity clothing sooner than you anticipated.
Related: Here’s Exactly How to Deal with Second Trimester Cramping
6. Breast soreness
Breast soreness during pregnancy is sometimes one of the first symptoms you experience as early as one or two weeks after conception.
This is partly caused by a flood of pregnancy hormones (estrogen, progesterone, and prolactin) but your body is also preparing to breastfeed. You are literally experiencing growing pains!
The soreness can come and go during pregnancy but it is most widely experienced during the first trimester.
Tips to Deal With Breast Soreness:
- Wear a supportive bra.
- Sleep in a bra. Any sports bra will do and will help minimize movement while you sleep.
- Try breast pads. This can be a great solution to shield your nipples from the inside of your bra if it is bothering you.
- Opt for loose clothing. Sometimes seams of clothing can bother you.
- Try a cold compress.
- Doctor approved medicine. Usually the soreness is manageable but if it is not, talk to your doctor about medication such as Tylenol.
7. Frequent urination
This is one of the most classic first trimester body changes. You will notice that you are needing to use the bathroom more frequently than normal long before you start sporting a big belly. Once again, you can thank your hormones for this.
Initially, you can thank your hormones for increasing your urine production. Your HCG levels will be increasing and contributing to increased blood flow to the pelvic region and kidneys.
And as your baby starts to grow, your once fist-sized uterus grows and stretches to accommodate your baby. Your enlarged uterus will put pressure on your bladder causing the urge to urinate.
Tips to Deal With Frequent Urination:
- Empty your bladder fully. Try leaning forward when you urinate.
- Do not cut back on fluids. Fluids are vital for you and your growing baby and dehydration can lead to urinary tract infections.
- Don’t drink liquids before bed.
- Cut back on diuretics like caffeine.
8. Food aversions
Cravings are hard to avoid during any stage of life, but strong cravings and strong aversions are so common during pregnancy. And once again, we can thank our changing hormones for that.
The amount of HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) doubles every few days during the first trimester of pregnancy and peak/level off around week eleven and generally leads to food aversions. Some women experience food aversions for a limited time while others experience them for the entire nine months of pregnancy.
On the other hand, some women really crave certain foods! Most people think about pregnant women craving pickles but that is not always the case. Some women crave a sweet or a salty snack, others crave savory and still others crave something totally random.
Tips to Deal With Food Aversions:
- Keep taking your prenatal vitamins. If they make you feel nauseous, try taking them after eating so your stomach is full.
- Enjoy a cold entree. Warm foods can be aromatic which can lead to nausea and aversion.
- Keep up your protein. If you have an aversion to meat, try incorporating foods like Greek yogurt, beans, eggs and nut butters into your diet.
- Give yourself grace and know that this is temporary.
Related: Top Foods to Avoid When Pregnant
9. Heartburn
Heartburn is one of the unpleasant first trimester body changes that begins in the first trimester and can last through the duration of your pregnancy.
Hormones are at the root of this in early pregnancy as your body is producing large amounts of progesterone and relaxin, which relaxes the smooth muscle tissues in your body including your GI tract.
This translates to food moving slowly through your digestive system and leading to bloating, gas and heartburn. Although this can be very uncomfortable for you, it does not negatively impact your growing baby.
Tips to Deal With Heartburn:
- Chew on gum. Try this for about 30 minutes following meals to increase saliva production.
- Drink milk. Some women find that milk really soothes their heartburn after a meal.
- Eat slowly.
- Eat smaller meals.
- Avoid trigger foods. Fatty foods, acidic foods, caffeine and carbonated drinks are known to trigger heartburn.
- Don’t lie down immediately after eating.
- Wear loose clothing. There’s no shame in pulling out the maternity pants during the first trimester!
- Tums. Talk to your doctor about the use of Tums and only take it with doctor approval. Many moms have a stash of tums next to the bed, in the car, in the office and anywhere else they might need it!
Just for fun – some believe heartburn is a sign that your baby will be born with a lot of hair. So if you experience a great deal of heartburn during pregnancy, it is a good idea to stock up on baby shampoo 🙂
10. Stuffy nose
A stuffy nose is one of the weirded first trimester body changes.
The causes of this include inflammation of the mucous membranes lining the nose causing nasal congestion, increased blood flow to the nasal passages, and enlargement of the nasal veins.
It might feel like everything is swelling during pregnancy
Tips to Deal With A Stuffy Nose:
- Use a humidifier.
- OTC medicine with doctor approval. Ask your doctor about over the counter relief such an antihistamine or decongestant nasal spray.
11. Vivid dreams
Vivid dreams during pregnancy is the last category of first trimester pregnancy symptoms we will discuss in this post. Vivid dreams AND nightmares are common during pregnancy and many women have even greater recall during pregnancy.
While I am sure hormones have a part to play in vivid dreams, pregnant women also have a lot on their minds.Your subconscious is a way to work through the thoughts and come to terms with the changes that are about to occur in your life.
Tips to Deal With Vivid Dreams:
- Don’t lose sleep over your dreams and fantasies. They are common and normal among pregnant women.
- Talk to your partner about them. It can be fun, therapeutic and might even bring you closer together.
Other First Trimester Body Changes to be Aware of:
- Insomnia
- Sensitive and bleeding gums
- Weight gain
- Increased libido
- Strong and healthy hair and nails (yay!)
- Heightened sense of smell
First Trimester Body Changes Recap:
- Exhaustion
- Nausea
- Headaches
- Mood swings
- Bloating/Cramping
- Breast soreness
- Frequent urination
- Food aversions
- Heartburn
- Stuffy nose
- Vivid dreams
This post is all about first trimester body changes that all new moms should be aware of.
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