How to Thrive During Each Trimester
Congratulations, momma! You most likely just took a positive pregnancy test and are thinking there’s so much that needs to be done!
The good news is, you don’t need to worry. I am here to tell you exactly what you need to do and when so that you are prepared for what’s to come.
Understanding each trimester of pregnancy allows you to set realistic expectations and proactively plan for what’s ahead in your journey.
In this blog post, I will break down each trimester so you know exactly what to expect and how to proactively plan to ensure you comfortably thrive during your pregnancy. Stay tuned for my FREE Pregnancy By Trimester Checklist broken down by each trimester.
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The First Trimester
Weeks 0 - 13
The first trimester is such an exciting time as you’ve recently learned you will be welcoming a new little family member in the next 9 months! Aside from all the excitement, the first trimester can be the most challenging as you are most likely experiencing a concoction of symptoms such as exhaustion, nausea, tender breasts and headaches.
I was fortunate to not have terrible nausea and morning sickness but I didn’t avoid it entirely. I did unfortunately have bad headaches every day along with extreme fatigue and tender breasts. After some trial and error, I figured out a routine that worked for me to keep my symptoms in check.
I carefully brushed my teeth (if I was too haphazard with it, I would trigger my gag reflex which never ended well)
I ate a bowl of multigrain cheerios with milk right away (I began craving it every morning and if I didn’t eat right away, the nausea would sink in)
I took my pills once I had a full belly (if I didn’t eat beforehand, my gag reflex would not allow me to swallow pills)
I would enjoy quiet time and hydrate after a night of rest and read or watch TV
I had coffee and a full breakfast
I did pilates or went on a walk to feel energized and strengthen and stretch my body
As long as I did all of these things, I was able to keep my symptoms to a minimum and enjoy my day. The main takeaway to thrive during the first trimester is to listen to your body and create a daily routine that makes you feel good. Focus on rest, hydration, nutrition and movement. Creating your daily morning routine is the key to thriving throughout the remainder of your pregnancy. It all starts here.
Remember, the first trimester is the most critical in terms of baby’s development so it’s incredibly important to take care of yourself during these weeks.
The Second Trimester
Week 14 - 26
You’re a third of the way to meeting your little one!
Hopefully by now your symptoms are beginning to ease up and you are regaining some of that lost energy. The second trimester comes with a lot of exciting milestones and is what I consider the “productive trimester”. During these weeks, expect to begin feeling those baby flutters and small kicks, watch as your body begins to slowly develop a true baby bump, and experience the highly anticipated 20 week ultrasound. It’s truly a series of amazing weeks as there are so many magical moments.
Now that you’re hopefully feeling more energized (even in the slightest), I found these weeks to be my most productive as the “nesting” instinct really kicked in. My goal was to knock out as many nursery projects as I could before I was waddling around and with my new found energy, I was able to accomplish quite a bit! I restored my old dresser with my mom, scheduled painters to spruce up the upstairs level of our home, and cleaned out every room in the house. (Yes, I went on a full rampage to get our home up to my standards for our sweet babe). Whether it’s big projects, or small. Now is the time to dedicate to getting them done.
Another important activity I added to my daily routine was beginning pelvic floor physical therapy at week 15. I cannot rave enough about how important it is to strengthen your pelvic floor in preparation for birth. Pelvic floor strengthening also helped me entirely eliminate the lower back pain I developed around week 17 by understanding how to target specific areas and stretch appropriately. Between pilates and pelvic floor therapy, I had a true pain-free pregnancy and was incredibly flexible. See my upcoming blog post How Pelvic Floor Therapy Made My Birth Experience Easy to learn more.
To sum up the second trimester, expect this to be the time where you are your most productive self. If you have nursery projects you’d like to accomplish, aim to get them done during these 13 weeks.
The Third Trimester
Week 27 - 40
The final stretch! You are officially two thirds of the way to welcoming your newest family member.
During these weeks, expect to see the most bump growth. Witnessing your body evolve in such a short amount of time to support the growth of a tiny human is truly incredible, but it can also leave you feeling very uncomfortable. Common symptoms to expect include physical aches and pains, swelling, shortness of breath, frequent urination and heartburn.
I am going to repeat myself here, but regular exercise and pelvic floor strengthening are excellent ways to keep the physical discomfort at bay. Maintaining regular physical activity will truly allow you to thrive during your pregnancy.
This trimester is also when you want to be sure you are sleeping on your side throughout the night. I highly recommend setting good pregnancy sleep habits as soon as the first trimester so you are adjusted to side sleeping before it’s even necessary, especially if you aren’t a natural side sleeper. Invest in a pregnancy pillow to support your body as you sleep.
To get a complete list of all my recommended Amazon pregnancy must haves, visit my blog post: 10 Must Have Pregnancy Essentials From Amazon
Your Pregnant Brain Will Thank You …
There is so much to do to prepare for a baby. To avoid constantly questioning what needs to be done and when, I have put together a complete checklist broken down by each trimester so you can focus on relaxing.
Get my FREE Pregnancy By Trimester Checklist! Use the form below to get instant access to download the checklist. I encourage you to print it out and check off items as you complete them! This will allow you to truly be sure you’ve done everything you need to do throughout your pregnancy, because if you aren’t experiencing it yet, the pregnancy brain fog is REAL. You’ll appreciate the constant reminder!
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