The first trimester of pregnancy
Finally seeing those two lines on the pregnancy test. Hora-ah!
I AM PREGNANT!!!
For some couples it might have been a long period of waiting before the magic happens. For others, the pregnancy news might come as a surprise.
Either way, there is no doubt that seeing the positive line on a pregnancy test is an exciting and unforgettable moment.
But what’s next?
Perhaps you expect to read a story about the happiest period of my life. And who knows, perhaps, when I look back at it in the future, it might seem as the happiest time in my life.
However, at this moment besides the excitement of becoming a mother, the first trimester of pregnancy feels like an overwhelming mixture of emotions and physical struggles.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not here to complain. The purpose of this article is to share the struggles I was not prepared to experience. Who knows, maybe my insights might help other moms and dads to be.
Some women go through pregnancy like it’s a piece of cake. Others happen to suffer a little bit more. Each pregnancy is different and even your experiences with your first child do not need to be representative of how it will be with your second one. Of course, if dare to go through pregnancy one more time ;-)
Hm, where should I start?
The harsh truth about the “morning” sickness
I really don’t know who came up with this deceiving term. Unfortunately, I experienced first-hand that feeling nauseous is NOT a morning occurrence only.
I had never experienced something like being nauseous all the time. When I say all the time, I really mean pretty much every single hour of the day, including at night.
When I felt nauseous I couldn’t stand even just the thought of food. However, my greatest discovery was when I realized that food happened to be the remedy to my nausea. I had to push myself to eat at least small portions throughout the whole day. Interestingly, the nausea was getting a little bit better and better after a couple of bites. At the very least for a while.
Another problem was preparing the food as I was feeling quite tired and weak. Luckily, I have true friends who took care of me by sharing their homemade meals with me. (You know who you are and I will be forever grateful for your generosity.)
Fatigue
I had never expected that activities like taking a shower, getting dressed, doing groceries and cooking can be so exhausting. I did sleep quite a lot but it was the sudden decrease of physical energy that was quite interesting to get used to.
I have always been an active person and I was used to doing sports three to four times a week. All of a sudden even the simplest activity was a challenge.
For instance, getting ready for work in the morning was the first big challenge of the day. I had to split the activities in small actions and take breaks in between to be able to get through. And not to mention what an achievement it was walking to the car without having to stop for a break.
Loneliness
Oh my, this was a crazy one. I don’t think I have ever felt so lonely in my life.
I am a person who can definitely enjoy some ME TIME. Although I was surrounded by people pretty much all the time, it still felt like ages when I happened to stay on my own for longer than an hour.
Somehow I needed to feel the presence of other human beings. This resulted in long calls with friends and family, going as far as to asking my parents to stay on the line without talking so I could simply listen to them moving around the house.
I cannot imagine how annoying I might have been when I was trying to explain this to my husband each time he left me home alone for his football practice or a short visit to the gym.
Is there anything positive about it?
Perhaps you are now wondering whether there is at least something positive about my experience during the first trimester.
Of course, there is!
Sharing the news with the families was a priceless experience. Especially when my grandfather didn’t get it at first and my grandmother had to push him with her elbow and scream into his ear: “SHE IS PREGNANT!”
Hearing the baby’s heart for the first time felt like a masterpiece for my ears. Just a heartbeat you would think, but for me personally this was the moment when the baby felt real.
The support of family members, friends and colleagues during this period was highly appreciated. I shared the news quite early on and I don’t regret it for a single moment. I wouldn’t have made it without your kind support, wise advice or simply your genuine interest in how my pregnancy was progressing.
Luckily I am feeling much better now. The nausea has diminished. Even though I still might feel sick once in a while, the intensity is only mild.
Goodbye first trimester, I don’t’ think I will miss you soon, but who knows…
Hello second trimester, I am full of hope that you will be a little bit more gentle on me ;-)
What’s in it for you?
Of course, my experience doesn’t need to apply to you, too.
And no, I really don’t mean to ruin your fantasies about how wonderful it will feel when you finally get pregnant. I am just sharing my experience and hereby hope to better prepare some women and the people around them about what they can expect.
For those of you who are not pregnant and do not expect to get pregnant in the near or further future, please see this article as a way of understanding what pregnant women are actually going through.
I personally used to think that pregnant women tend to exaggerate how they feel. Now I have certainly gained a lot of respect for all women who dare to go through this life changing experience. Not only once but twice, three or even more times. You are real heroes!
