Yay!! I’m so happy to have finally announced my pregnancy! We found out at the beginning of March and keeping this secret was soooooo difficult. As soon as the pregnancy test was positive, I wanted to shout it from the rooftops. But, my doctors recommended that we wait until we were near the end of the first trimester and were past the time frame where complications usually occur. Because of this, I couldn’t talk to anyone about what I was experiencing in these first few months and that was really scary for me. The only place I could turn to to get my questions answered and learn about what to expect (a part from talking to my doctor) was reading blog posts and articles online. This is why I’ve taken so many notes during my first trimester, so I could share my experience with any of you mamas-to-be who can’t go to your friends or families for advice quite yet.
Month One
Like I mentioned, we found out that we were pregnant near the beginning of March. I actually had my first positive pregnancy test the weekend our offer was accepted on our new house, talk about great timing! At the time we found out, I was already 3.5 weeks pregnant which was so surprising to me. I always thought that at the time you found out was the first “week” of pregnancy. That Monday, I called my doctor to let them know that I had taken a pregnancy test and it was positive. She had me schedule a telehealth visit (which was basically just a phone call) for Wednesday of that week to talk about medical history and get some of my basic questions answered about pregnancy. This was extremely helpful because I had tons of questions!
It also was a bit of a coincidence that I had a general check up already scheduled for that Friday with my primary care physician. While at my check up, my doctor confirmed my pregnancy with a urine test and went over a few pregnancy basics with me similar to what was discussed during my telehealth visit.
So even though I was only aware of my pregnancy for a week and a half of the first month, I was able to have a telehealth visit with a nurse in my practitioner’s office and I was able to have an in person visit with my primary care physician. I will say, that this is pretty rare to have this much contact with doctors the week after you find out you’re pregnant, the timing just worked out well for me! From what I have heard, the first doctor’s appointment that most women will have is somewhere between Week 6 and Week 8 of their pregnancy.
During the first month, I didn’t really have any symptoms and this is completely normal. The only thing I was feeling was excitement! I dove straight in to research because I felt like I had so much to learn about motherhood.
Month Two
The second month of pregnancy actually starts at Week 5. So, the second month of pregnancy technically started a week and a half after we found out we were pregnant. When they say time flies during pregnancy, they weren’t joking! Like I mentioned earlier, most women will have their first visit with their doctor between Week 6 and Week 8 of their pregnancy. My first visit with my practitioner was actually at five and a half weeks into my pregnancy. During this visit we went over more of the basics of pregnancy and we had a quick ultrasound. There wasn’t anything to see yet (which my doctor said was totally normal).
In month two, I had an ultrasound appointment (called a dating ultrasound because they look at how big the baby is and tell you exactly how far along you are). I also had an 8 week check up with my practitioner where she asked about my symptoms and let me hear baby’s heartbeat. During my second month, I had a few symptoms. I had some mild cramping in the beginning that wasn’t serious but they were consistent and I was slightly fatigued. Right around the beginning of week 6 is when my nauseous started. When it first started, it was more annoying than anything. By week 8, it was crippling. I was nauseous all day everyday. This made work super challenging as I could barely leave my desk without the need to throw up. My practitioner gave me a prescription for nausea at my 8-week appointment, but it didn’t help much.
This is around the time that we started telling our families and close friends the news. One benefit of being extremely nauseous is that it’s a really good sign that baby is developing as they should be and is healthy! So although I was experiencing some of the worst sickness of my life, we were happy to hear that the risk of complications were much lower and that things were on track for Baby Choinka.
Month Three
The third month starts at the 9th week of pregnancy and my third month was definitely my most difficult so far. I had super intense nausea that led to me vomiting 3-7 times A DAY! Keeping food down was really challenging and this caused me to feel weak and even more tired. Just sitting at my desk at work became a near-impossible task and this was really hard for me to deal with. I absolutely love my job and this time of year is our busiest and most important. Not being able to perform at 100% everyday was really hard for me to accept because I felt like I was letting everyone in my office down. (The perfectionist in me had a major reality check during this time.) It got to the point where I ended up in the emergency room one day because I couldn’t even keep water down and was dangerously dehydrated. While in the hospital, the doctors had me try out a few other nausea medications until we found something that worked. Since then, I’ve been feeling a little better. If I do start to feel nauseous, I try to take the new medication right away. I’m definitely not feeling 100% like myself again yet, but I’m hoping things get better soon!
One thing that I have been so incredibly thankful for during this time is having Matt in my life. During my worst we’ve also been in the middle of a move and some of the most stressful days of work that we have all year. Matthew has been an amazing husband through all of this. He managed to pack up our entire house basically by himself, and would still check on me every few minutes to bring me water or crackers. There were days where once I got home from work, I would basically just crash on the couch clutching a trash can. He took care of everything for us and I have had to rely on him so much. Ladies: THIS is the kind of man you want by your side through the good times and the bad, so don’t settle for anything less!
I’m hoping that the second trimester has easier days ahead so I can truly start enjoying this special chapter. Matt and I have prayed for so long to be able to start a family, so I try to keep reminding myself that this pregnancy is a blessing and not a burden. We’re hoping that in the next few weeks we’ll be able to find out the gender and begin really planning for what life will look like with this little one joining our family!
Things that helped me survive the first trimester:
The Bump App: I love this app because it tells you how big your baby is each week and that helped keep me excited on the really challenging days.
OLLY Prenatal Vitamins: These gummies didn’t add to my nausea like other prenatal vitamins typically do, so that was super helpful!
What to Expect When You’re Expecting: This book is a classic and for a good reason! When we first found out I was pregnant, I didn’t even know what I didn’t know lol. This book breaks down each month of pregnancy and illustrates what symptoms will be like, how baby is developing, and everything else you need to know about the miracle of life!
Nausea Bands: These weren’t miracle workers by any means, but they did work together with medication to give me some relief during the day.
Liquid I.V.: Adding this to my water (especially on days when keeping food and water down) was really helpful in keeping me as hydrated as possible. Lemon Lime is my favorite flavor!
Mint Gum: When I was at work and felt like I was going to throw up at any minute, chewing mint gum usually helped soothe me. Plus, the minty taste helped me feel fresh after being sick all day!