Out of all the trimesters I would say the 1st took the longest. It seemed like time stood still especially with the fact that we chose to wait till I reached 12 weeks before we told anyone. We both wanted to shout it to the world! I remember it being extremely hard keeping this secret to ourselves. I would say this was THE biggest secret I’ve ever had to keep mum about! I didn’t even tell my mom or my closest friends!

I definitely was hit with “morning sickness” except it hit me at night right before bed on the dot. I remember the wave of nausea, the stomach churning and the sour taste in my mouth. The headaches! Oh the headaches, how they would cripple me! I was so paranoid about anything I put in my body that I refused to take any type of pain medication for it even though the doctor said Tylenol was okay. I had my “little bean” inside me and I wanted as least chemicals inside my body as possible. She was the only thing that mattered to me now.

During this time I didn’t quite have that feeling that a life was growing inside of me yet I didn’t really feel like myself anymore. Food didn’t really taste the same to me and I’m a major FOODIE! I was worried that I wasn’t getting enough nutrients to her so I just forced myself to eat a ton of salads, fruits and protein. I remember going online and printing out food charts and what the best things to eat were. I was going to give my best to the “little bean” and only the best.

Okay, so one of THE most challenging things was what to do once you find out you are pregnant. I don’t have a lot of family and my mother and I are not that close so I really didn’t have any guidance. So if you are reading this and newly pregnant here is my list of things you need to do in your 1st trimester:

• Find an OBGYN if you don’t already have one and make an appointment. Most won’t see you until you are about 6-8 weeks along. Make a list of questions that you want to ask him/her. Things I look for in an OBGYN: reviews/ratings, good bed side manners, C-section rates, how long he/she has been practicing for, any malpractice suits or complaints, if they will work with your birth plan and lastly, how much time they spend with me and how they answer my questions.
• Find a hospital that you want to deliver at and figure out if your OBGYN delivers there. Take a tour of the facility, ask a ton of questions. If your OBGYN of choice does not deliver there then you have to either pick a hospital they are affiliated with or pick an OBGYN that is at your hospital of choice. Things I look for in a hospital: reviews/ratings, C-section rates, clean and state of the art facilities, distance from home.
• Start your prenatal vitamins ASAP and take them religiously. I also took DHA vitamins for brain development too. Keep taking these even after you deliver especially if you plan on breast feeding.
• Choose ONE pregnancy book to read. You don’t need to do this but I do this because I like to be informed of EVERYTHING and be prepared for ANYTHING. This is a life you are growing inside of you, information is EVERYTHING at this point. I liked “What to Expect When You Are Expecting”, it was extremely informative, easy to read and covered everything from proper diet, exercise to common questions.
• If you are able to and don’t have any health complications, please exercise. This can be one of the best things you could EVER do for you and your little one. My OBGYN put it perfectly when she said labor and delivery are like a marathon that you have to train for. It is really draining and exhausting! Also, it’s so much better for the baby if you keep up on exercise! You don’t have to do anything crazy, daily walks outside or on treadmill, yoga, light aerobics, etc., will all help! Plus, you will bounce back easier after birth if you were already in shape. I was already active prior to getting pregnant so I stayed active all the way up to 40 weeks. In my 1st and 2nd trimester I did a lot of classes like Cardio Kickboxing (modified of course) and Cardio Barre, Yoga, elliptical machine, weights (you need to start building some upper body strength!) and lots of walking (I walked at least 3 miles). Of course, run everything by your doctor first before trying anything! Side note: By your 2nd trimester you shouldn’t be doing anything where you are laying on your back, so learn how to modify your work outs!
• Clean up your diet if you haven’t already. Research things you can and cannot eat. Load up on nutritious foods and snacks. Drink a TON of water. I can’t stress this enough. You need so much water at this point to help the baby and his/her environment grow! Also, this is OBVIOUS but quit smoking, drinking and drugs please! Saying things like “I didn’t know” isn’t an excuse anymore. You became a mother once a life started growing inside of you. The information is readily available out there today, it’s up to you to seek it out.
• Start thinking about what kind of birth you want to have: natural, at home, mid wife assisted, in hospital with epidural, etc.
• Check with your medical insurance on what prenatal and postnatal costs are covered and not covered.
• Get lots of rest! Making a baby is HARD WORK mama!
• Find 3 mom friends that you can openly contact at any time to ask questions and solicit advice from. 2-3 friends are good, any more than that then all the information and differing opinions can be cumbersome. I think I had 2-3 friends whom I could text at any hour to either ask questions, advice or just plain vent to. Trust me, you need this!
• Start saving money!

This is the time to sit your significant other down and really go over what kind of scenarios they can expect from you. Your hormones start to get overwhelming and you could very well turn into someone different for the next 9 months! Let them know that there is exhaustion, sickness, things you need help getting done, etc. Split the tasks with them! Growing a baby inside of you is not an easy job and can feel like every ounce of life is being drained from your body. Unless you have gone through it you would never know! This is the time to go over expectations and help the other person understand what you need and how it may be so they are better prepared!

Hang in there! Once you hit your 2nd trimester your energy comes back and more exciting things start happening like flutters, kicks and watching your belly grow!