11 things you should know about the first trimester
This post may contain affiliate links, review our disclosure policy for details
Want to know the first trimester pregnancy symptoms? Many pregnant women will I agree with me when I say that the first trimester is the worst of the three. During your first trimester you will experience a lot of things that are new to you. You may find some of these things, weird, gross or exciting. Yes, I know so many different emotions and guess what? I will share with you the 11 most common first trimester pregnancy symptoms. I believe you should know what to expect, this way you can prepare emotionally and even physically.
With my first pregnancy, I knew I was pregnant a couple of days before even taking a pregnancy test. I had period like cramps and was going to the bathroom every half hour. I knew somethings was up and decided to take a pregnancy test, I saw a big fat positive sign! With my second pregnancy(twins) I really didn’t experience anything that led me to believe that I was pregnant. I took a pregnancy test after I missed my period and a faint positive was on the stick. That goes to show, that not every pregnancy is the same.
Even though with my first pregnancy I had early pregnancy signs and with my second I didn’t, I still experienced these first trimester pregnancy symptoms. Most of these are very common and you are more likely to experience the same thing but some you may not experience at all. Keep that in mind. Even though the first trimester basically sucks the life out of you, there’s nothing more comforting and motivational than knowing that you are growing a little human that will soon call you “mom”.
Hang in there, take it easy and remember that the first trimester will only lasts for 3 months, let’s just hope it passes by fast!
11 most common first trimester pregnancy symptoms
1.Positive pregnancy test
During the first trimester, you will definitely take a pregnancy test and see a big fat positive sign on it. This may be one of the scariest, anxious and happiest day of your life ( for now, until your baby is born). Your doctor will also have you take another pregnancy test in his/her office or even have you take a blood exam to be 100% sure that you are indeed pregnant.
Now that you’re pregnant, you are going to need this pregnancy planner to track down your pregnancy progress. With helpful checklist and to do list for every trimester!
2.Cramps
Feeling abdominal cramps is a normal first trimester symptom that you should know about. You will most likely feel period like cramping that can last a couple of days or weeks. This was one of first things that I experienced before even taking a pregnancy test, I felt the cramping but had no period.
Keep in mind that you should consult with your doctor about abdominal cramping so he or she can check and make sure everything is fine.
Feel prepared and be organized for the arrival of your baby with the best Baby Prep Workbook for new moms!
3.Food aversions
Remember that big hamburger you had last night? Just thinking about it today will want to make you puke! Yes, another thing that you should about about the first trimester is that you will have food aversions. What was once your favorite food, will now be your worst nightmare. Food aversion is no joke!
Checkout these pregnancy cookbooks:
4. Cravings
Even though you may have food aversions, you will still have cravings. Isn’t it crazy!? You may crave the weirdest combination of foods or even crave something that you never liked pre-pregnancy. Some women have cravings throughout their pregnancies and some women may not have cravings at all.
Check out this list of foods to avoid and stop eating during your pregnancy!
5. Morning sickness
Having morning sickness is a pretty common first trimester symptom that you should know about. You can experience morning sickness only in the mornings or evenings. You can experience morning sickness all day everyday or you may not experience it at all. When you think about morning sickness, the first thing on your mind is vomiting. Which is very valid but did you know that morning sickness is also the feeling of nauseas or gagging but not actually vomiting?
With my first pregnancy I did not have morning sickness at all ( can I get a hallelujah?) But with my second pregnancy I had morning sickness for two months and even though I didn’t actually vomit, I felt horrible!
Morning sickness remedies:
6. Hormonal
Boy! Will you be hormonal during your first trimester and it will drive you a bit insane to tell you the truth. One minute you may feel like crying for no reason and then the other minute you will be arguing with your spouse because he didn’t get you what you craved for (which in my opinion is a valid argument, haha!).
You will experience mood swings and this will probably be new to you and you may wonder if you’re going crazy, rest assure that you’re not and that this is a normal first trimester ( or pregnancy) symptom.
Want to have an amazing and informed birth experience? Enroll in the best online birth class today! Have an even better birth because you deserve it!
7. Tired
Fatigue during your first trimester will hit you hard. There is so much going on in your body right now that you will feel exhausted and all you will want to do is sleep and then sleep some more. It will feel like a drag to wake up in the morning and go to work or stay at home and get house work done. I will advise you to get some rest and don’t feel bad about it.
If you have children, just put some cartoons on or have them play a quiet game while you rest, that’s what I did during my second pregnancy and I didn’t regret it one bit.
8. Frequent bathroom visits
Another very common first trimester symptom that will last throughout your entire pregnancy is having to go to the bathroom to pee a lot. This can be annoying at times, if you’re on a public bus, having an important work meeting or are on traffic. Get ready to wake up in the middle of the night as well because peeing every 30 minutes will be your new normal.
Read these fun pregnancy books:
9. Increase sense of smell
Congratulations! You may now be competing to see who has a greater sense of smell, you or a dog. You will literally smell things from two rooms away and it will not make you feel good. The smell of coffee will make you gag, even if you’re a coffee lover! The ability to smell things will definitely increase when you are pregnant.
10. Sonogram
During your first trimester, you will go to your first ultrasound appointment which takes place during your 8th week of pregnancy. This is such an exciting event because you will most likely hear your baby’s heartbeat and see him/her for the first time.
Read this next:
6 week sonogram and no baby or heartbeat?
What to expect at your 8 week ultrasound appointment
10 things to do once you find out you’re pregnant
11. Information junkie
Okay, so once you find out you’re pregnant, you will be obsessed with reading everything about being pregnant and your growing bump. You will read blogs (like this one!), subscribe to pregnancy magazines, read books and even have a pregnancy app on your phone. Life is good and you will soak up every single piece of information that you read. Enjoy it because it’s really so much fun 🙂
More things you should know about the first trimester:
- May have some spotting (consult with your doctor if it’s persistent or heavy)
- You will feel anxious
- May feel lightheaded
- Tender breasts
- You will tell your hubby in a cute way (or just happily blurted it out, like I did)
I know how the first trimester can make a pregnant woman feel so exhausted and sometimes straight up miserable, I’m with you. It’s not easy going through the first couple of months of your pregnancy because you literally feel like a train just ran over you. Add, morning sickness and everything else in between and it’s not pretty at all. Just know that everything that you’re going through or will go through will be all worth it. Trust me.
Being pregnant is a true blessing and even though some pregnant women have it easier than others, we all have something in common. The fact that we can’t wait to meet out little ones is motivation enough to get us through the first trimester.
Remember that morning sickness, food aversions, cravings, cramping, tiredness, frequent bathroom breaks and everything else is just the body adjusting to make room for your growing baby. It does get better, you will feel better and you will hopefully enjoy the rest of your pregnancy.
Is there something I missed? Let me know what other things we should know about the first trimester!
