This is the beginning of everything. You're experiencing something very unfamiliar and it's scary to not know what to expect or what will happen to your body, baby and mental health in your first trimester of pregnancy. Your first trimester is from weeks 1 to 12 and although it can be different for everyone, there are a lot of common first trimester symptoms that moms to be might want to get familiar with.
So, here's what to expect in your first trimester:
Your Body
1. Fatigue, tiredness and dizziness.
2. Morning sickness lasts up to around 20 weeks. Nausea and vomiting can also happen throughout the day.
3. Excessive salivation
4. Headaches.
5. Breasts will feel tender and sore.
6. Sleeping a lot.
7. Constipation and gas.
8. Milky vaginal discharge.
9. Breasts might get bigger and feel swollen.
10. Veins are more visible on the breast
11. Craving specific food.
12. Implantation bleeding or light spotting happens to 15-25 % of women.
13. A lot of peeing because of the change in hormones, but you should still stay hydrated and drink a lot of water.
14. Being repulsed and nauseous by certain foods.
15. Heightened sense of smell.
16. Weight gain.
17. Heartburn.
18. Bloating.
19. Your areolas might look darker.
20. Skin might look different and have a certain glow due to the blood circulation.
21. You may experience increased oiliness of the skin.
Your Baby
1. The baby will be growing fast at this stage.
2. The baby will become a fetus.
3. By the end of the first trimester, the baby will have developed muscles, bones and organs.
4. During the 5th week, they start to form skin.
5. Around the 6th week, the heartbeat can be heard.
6. Their retina forms around week 8 and eyelids that remain closed
7. The nose, mouth and chic develop.
8. Legs and arms are formed
9. Around week 8 the intestines will start developing.
10. Sense of taste and touch will start forming during the end of the trimester
11. Your baby might start practicing swallowing.
Your Mental Health
1. Severe mood swings because of hormonal changes.
2. Anxiety.
3. Confusion about emotions and what you're feeling.
4. Fear of changes and doubt about responsibility.
5. Sadness.
6. Overly happy or excited
7. Possible low sex drive.
8. High sex drive.
9. Irritiation
10. Forgetfulness
11. Difficult to concentrate.
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