First trimester of pregnancy

Posted on July 29, 2009. Filed under: Pregnancy recipes | Tags: , , |

The first three months of pregnancy are called the “first trimester”. During this trimester, you will show only a few outward signs that you are pregnant. Nonetheless, you will experience tremendous physical and emotional changes which are new and also exciting.

Throughout pregnancy, your baby needs a ready supply of energy and a high quality of nutrients to be healthy. It is during the first few weeks after conception that the fetus begins to form its heart and lungs which are fully developed by the second month. However, growth and maturation continues right till the end of your pregnancy (gestation).
Your state of mind during your pregnancy will also affect your baby. Read books that you enjoy, listen to music and do all the things that makes you happy and relaxed. Some women find cooking or baking relaxing, while others enjoy gardening or reading.

As the months roll by, you may get exhausted quickly. Overcome your tiredness by taking short naps whenever you feel the need to without feeling guilty. Also allow your loved ones to fuss over you and pamper yourself too! Enjoy all the attention you receive, especially from your husband. Ask your husband to rub your back and shoulders as a light massage on the back muscles can also be a stress reliever.

Try and enjoy every split second of your pregnancy for it is filled with delight, euphoria, anxiousness and apprehension too! As you travel through the following trimesters, you might experience some discomforts like nausea during the first trimester and constipation during the second, but every pregnancy has its ups and downs and these are changes that happen in different degrees to most pregnant women. So read on to find ways to ease these situations..

Dealing With Morning Sickness

You might feel faint and want to throw up repetitively during the first trimester. This is but a normal feeling, so don’t get perturbed.

With every passing day, your body experiences hormonal changes which may cause you nausea, that may or may not be accompanied by vomiting. This usually lasts through the first trimester and then eases out by the second trimester. Some lucky women don’t experience this phase at all.

Nausea occurs most commonly in the early half of the day and thus it gets the name “morning sickness”. However you can feel nauseous at any time of the day or night.

Some of you may find it more difficult to cope with nausea than others. If you’re only feeling nauseous and are not vomiting, try chewing on mint, cardamom or clove to make you feel better. You can also try keeping Golpapdi in your mouth to help you relieve the nausea. It will also nourish you at the same time. Sucking on ginger or lemon is another alternative to keep your nausea at bay. Avoid chewing on betel nut (supari) and other packaged mouth fresheners. You may worry that your baby will not receive proper nourishment if you’re vomiting or are nauseous and are not able to eat well. Put these fears to rest as your baby will still continue to get sufficient nourishment from your reserves. This is one of the reasons that gynaecologists recommend that you stock up on essential nutrients much before you conceive.

Try and keep yourself busy, as the lesser you think about it, the less it will bother you.

To calm these uneasy days, these are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Eat low fat foods that are rich in carbohydrates like toast, khakhra or chikki. These foods will help relieve the sensation of morning sickness. Try out Whole Wheat Methi Khakhra, Bajra Khakhra, Til Chikki etc. These are mildly flavoured foods, lacking in strong smells which will relieve the nausea and calm you. If you can manage it, have a bowl of cereal with milk – for it’s a great way to start your day.
2. Have a mid-morning snack consisting of a yoghurt shake, fruit juice, dried fruits like dates, apricots (have them whole or in the form of shakes like Fig and Apricot Shake) or just any fruits that you like.
3. Avoid eating foods with excessive seasoning and also those which are strongly flavoured as they can aggravate nausea. You can have mild flavoured dishes like Cucumber Curd Rice to help relieve you.
4. Sipping cold water, juices or shakes from time to time will keep nausea at bay and will also ensure that you get your fluid requirement for the day. Sip on sherbets or drinks like My Fair Lady etc.
5. Apart from hormonal changes, nausea is sometimes related to stress and anxiety. Deep breathing or listening to soothing music calms the mind and reduces stress. Learn to slowly breathe and relax whenever you experience stress. Meditation and yoga are also helpful for relaxation. The more relaxed you are, the easier it will be for you to cope with this discomfort.
6. Avoid self-medication. If your morning sickness persists for several weeks, do consult your gynaecologist as she may be able to prescribe some medication to ease your discomfort.
7. If you are vomiting, you may continue to lose a lot of fluids along with the nutrients. Try and consume at least 2 litres of fluid every day. You can have these fluids in any form suitable to you, preferably milk shakes, buttermilk, juices, soups and water.

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One Response to “First trimester of pregnancy”

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Sorry for my bad english. Intresting title. It attracted me to read the complete post. Thanks

Debt Settlement
September 4, 2009

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