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What is the first trimester really like?

So this blog post is long overdue! I apologize as I’ve been meaning to post about my pregnancy as I went along. Since I’m 23 weeks along I’m a bit behind but I have journaled about my first trimester which is what I’m going to be writing about below. Tips, tricks and insight that I hope inspires or helps any of you expecting.

 (DISCLAIMER)

• These are things that I personally have gone through. I must say that every pregnancy will be different so what I experienced could be totally different from what you may experience.
• Take what you relate to and leave the rest! When I first found out I was pregnant I was on the search for any advice from fitness and nutrition to maternity wear. I found it difficult to find some of the things I ended up learning in my 1^st  trimester. This is the reason I’m blogging about this information, in order to help you!

A FEW MYTHS I LEARNED IN MY 1^ST TRIMESTER:

1. I will only gain 20lbs during my pregnancy. – HAHA! I though this would be true for me since a few of my petite girlfriends only gained this much. The healthy weight gain for my body type is 25-35 lbs. I will most likely be in that range if I keep up with healthy eating and being active.
2. I will be able to do the same workouts I did prior to being pregnant. Again I have to laugh at this! In the beginning I could still do some burpees and HIIT training but as I went along I realized some of this was out of the question. I try to keep my heart rate below 150 now and still lift weights but with a lighter load. You may find that you are breathing harder and your heart beats faster for exercises you did before that were very easy.
3. I’ll be able to wear my jeans with the belly band for a long time. I had to switch over to maternity pants for the most part around 15 weeks. The band after a while just doesn’t hold up your pants or your zipper shows.
4. I’ll be able to dress up and wear heels all the time and look like that cute pregnant girl you see in maternity ads. Some days (which tend to be most days!) I just want to be in my leggings, flats and a pony tail. Don’t get me wrong when I get to dress up it is certainly fun! But, that is far and few in between the days where I’m perfectly happy in gym clothes and leggings. During pregnancy, comfort has a tendency to top that glam look.

For me, weeks 6-10 were the worst. Some people get nauseated and can’t eat, some feel just fine. I however got sick, but also felt I was an emotional wreck! And of course most people don’t eat when their nauseous but not ME! I ate and ate as it was the only thing that made me feel better during those 3-5 weeks. I described it to people as feeling hungover for 4 weeks straight, partnered with feeling irritated and emotional about everything. Funny right? Not so much. But, each week got better and I just pushed through.

I remember times when I forced myself to get to the gym to try and do some type of workout and the best I could do was walking on the treadmill at 3.3 mph. I learned that if that is the best you can do that day then that’s good enough! Especially in your first trimester. Of course you need to keep yourself on pace as best you can to do some type of activity but if there are days where you just can’t, it’s okay to give yourself a break. As far as my diet, I let myself be a bit more “relaxed” for those 3 weeks that were really hard for me. I know that once I passed that 12 week mark I’d hopefully start feeling better and could get back to a bit better diet.

There are so many emotions and changing going on in your body these first 12 weeks that you need to listen to your body. It will tell you when it needs more sleep, needs to be active or when you should put down the tub of ice cream. (And I did have ice cream and still do!) The things to remember is to try to keep balance in this time until your body adjusts. I gained a good portion of my weight in my first trimester and now that I’m in my second it’s starting to level out. An important thing to remember is that everyone will gain weight differently! Some gain a lot of it in the 2^nd and 3^rd trimester and some will gain a lot in the 1^st.  

Just know we are all different. Keep your head up and before you know it you will be in your 2nd trimester and hopefully will be feeling much better!

Well I think that’s enough for you to munch on for awhile. I’ll be updating my site with more tips and tricks as I progress ahead. If you have any questions, comments or feedback please post in the comment box below.

With Love,

Laura Berens