Are you thinking about getting pregnant or in the early stages of the first trimester? Here are all of the possible pregnancy first trimester symptoms you can expect!
It’s probably not a surprise to you that the first trimester of pregnancy comes with some unpleasant and downright not fun pregnancy symptoms. This isn’t meant to scare you in any way, but I always think it’s helpful to have a general idea of what is possible.
This post contains everything you need to know about common first trimester symptoms and some common remedies so you know exactly what to expect in the first trimester.
This post is all about pregnancy first trimester symptoms.
Pregnancy First Trimester Symptoms
The first trimester of pregnancy lasts for twelve weeks – but you might not even know you are pregnant those first few weeks before your missed period.
During the first trimester, you will not look noticeably pregnant yet but you will probably feel it. Between the surge of pregnancy hormones prepping your body for baby and the nausea, sometimes pregnancy can start off a little frustrating.
But remember the discomforts are temporary and it is usually smoother sailing as you enter the second trimester of pregnancy.
If you are unsure what week you are in pregnancy, you can click here to calculate your due date.
You will most likely experience at least a few pregnancy symptoms during the first trimester of pregnancy, some more unpleasant than others. This is normal and part of the joys of first trimester growth and development.
Common pregnancy first trimester symptoms you can anticipate include:
Nausea
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 never ending when you are in the middle of it.
You can read about the essential tips to achieve morning sickness relief here.
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.
Tender Breasts
Hormonal changes are to blame for tender and sore breasts early on in pregnancy. But once your body adjusts to the hormonal changes, women typically start to feel some improvement. This can sometimes take weeks but it usually doesn’t last all nine months.
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!
Food Aversions
Strong cravings and strong aversions are common during pregnancy and 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.
Exhaustion
Most women experience exhaustion and fatigue 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.
Frequent Urination
It’s common for people to associate frequent urination with the third trimester, when your baby is much bigger and really pushing on your bladder. But it’s surprisingly an extremely common first trimester symptom too.
This is because during pregnancy, the amount of blood in your body increases, which causes your kidneys to process more extra fluid that ends up in your bladder.
This is one of the initial pregnancy first trimester symptoms that I usually experience. Even before nausea, bloating and exhaustion.
My tips are to stop drinking water about thirty minutes before bed and make sure you fully empty your bladder before going to sleep. You will probably still need to get up once or twice during the night but it’s better than four or five.
Headaches
It’s not always clear what causes headaches during early pregnancy but some attribute it to hormonal changes and increased blood flow. Stress, exhaustion and eye strain can also cause them.
Managing headaches is not fun during pregnancy because you can’t just take any medicine like you would pre-pregnancy. Acetaminophen is usually safe during pregnancy but it’s important that you talk to your doctor before taking any medicine.
If you experience dizziness, blurred vision or changes in your field of vision, it is especially important that you call your doctor. Headaches during pregnancy can sometimes be caused by high blood pressure so it is always a good idea to speak with your doctor about any new or worsening headaches so he/she can properly treat you.
Bloating
This is another completely normal pregnancy symptom in the first trimester. During pregnancy, your uterus expands and stretches to accommodate your growing baby. All of this combined with hormonal changes can lead to gas, constipation and bloating.
The best thing you can do if/when you experience bloating is to wear loose fitting clothes. This means break out the sweatpants and dresses when you can.
There’s also no shame in buying maternity pants to give your expanding belly the room it needs. Maternity pants will probably be a little big on you at first but you will grow into them!
Constipation
Constipation during pregnancy is caused by the pregnancy hormone called progesterone. It usually slows the movement of food through your digestive system and leads to constipation.
You can prevent or alleviate constipation by drinking a lot of water, including high fiber foods in your diet and incorporating exercise into your daily routine.
Heartburn/Acid Reflux
Heartburn during pregnancy is caused by pregnancy hormones relaxing the valve between your stomach and esophagus. This allows stomach acid to leak into your esophagus and cause heartburn and acid reflux.
Many moms experience this much more consistently during the third trimester of pregnancy but it is still considered a first trimester symptom, especially if you are experiencing morning sickness.
You can read about the best things to do for heartburn relief here.
Vivid dreams
If you’ve read this far then you probably know pregnancy hormones are the cause of a lot of pregnancy first trimester symptoms.
Not only can they lead to mood swings, food aversions, bloating and food aversions but then can also cause you to experience very vivid and realistic dreams. Many women also seem to have greater dream recall too.
Weight Gain
Pregnancy weight gain is usually only a few pounds during pregnancy 1st trimester but things like nausea can really impact it up or down.
My advice is to not worry about the number on the scale. Your doctor will be monitoring you and will make sure you are gaining a healthy amount of weight.
This post was all about pregnancy first trimester symptoms.