In case you missed the announcement, we are pregnant with our first baby! I’ve moved into the second trimester now so here is a look back at the first trimester.

The first trimester can be considered the beginning of pregnancy through the 13th week. Since 40 weeks doesn’t divide evenly by 3 I am confused by mathematical reasoning regarding splitting it into trimesters, but nonetheless, pregnancy is split into trimesters with the first ending around the 13th week. The first trimester is a touchy time where the risk of miscarriage is higher, the body is adjusting to the changes and beginning the emotional transition into pregnancy. There are lots of symptoms that are possible as a result of all the changes so I will touch on what I’ve experienced.

First Trimester Symptoms

I have not had morning sickness. Just some food aversion, decreased appetite, and lots of fatigue. There were a few weeks in the very beginning where I couldn’t be bothered with doing anything but laying on the couch.

I unintentionally weaned myself off of caffeine because I had a cold before I knew I was pregnant, and through the whole first week of knowing I was pregnant (week 5) I was just drinking hot tea instead of my usual coffee since I felt stuffy and since tea with honey is very good for colds. Then within the next few weeks, I just didn’t want the taste of coffee. I didn’t get headaches from not drinking either so I will call that a successful wean. Full disclosure, I would not have weaned off of caffeine because of my pregnancy if I hadn’t done it accidentally. I only drink one cup of coffee per day now (we stopped drinking pre-workout months ago) which is within the allowable amount. Now if I go out to a coffee shop, I will still get a Matcha or specialty drink since there’s no reason to restrict caffeine entirely. Most normal days I have just been drinking decaf, but if I need an extra boost I’ll have some caffeine from tea or coffee.

The only other food related symptom is craving Margaritas. Nikki and Dylan got me a book called Drinking for Two that has healthy versions of virgin drinks. I’ve enjoyed making those!

I felt a ton of pressure in my lower abdomen for a few weeks in the very beginning which has since subsided. My pants almost immediately stopped fitting. By about week 10, I couldn’t handle even my normal leggings waistband. Sam lent me two pairs of leggings that she purchased that were too big in the crotch and waistband. The waistband is high and stretchy which is much more comfortable than leggings with thick elastic bands at the waist, so I have been wearing these casually and for the gym. My mom found me two cheap pairs of fleece-lined casual wear leggings that are more of the microfiber material that I will start wearing for work when I need to since I will be growing the bump throughout the winter. I have a few other pairs of gym leggings from Body Wrappers (pictured, sorry these are a discontinued style. I have linked a similar style that is the same material) that don’t bother me too much yet. I do plan on buying some maternity leggings for the gym, though. I need your suggestions for maternity workout leggings in the comments!!

I’ve had some moody moments but nothing as drastic as being a teenager so until it is that monumental, for me, I don’t think it is really that notable.

During my first trimester, I had no sex drive at all. I would imagine this is very dependant on your baseline libido. In hindsight, hormonal birth control (pills and then Nuvaring) suppressed my libido for about 10 years. Then once I got off birth control I got my sex drive back for the next few months but it decreased dramatically during pregnancy. So I barely have a baseline to reference but I have heard that sex drive fluctuates throughout pregnancy and each person experiences pregnancy symptoms differently, including sex drive.

I had some acne toward the end of the first trimester, into the second. Making me wonder if I am having a girl? They say baby girls steal mom’s beauty!

My iron was low according to bloodwork so I added an iron supplement. So far, this has not caused any constipation, just made my stool a darker color.

Fitness while pregnant - First Trimester

I didn’t plan on hitting any new PRs during pregnancy (and then I PRd my deadlift at 165…) but I do intend to continue lifting heavy through the pregnancy. I told my gym partner, Sam, and our informal “coach” (her husband, Matt) right away so we could immediately research safe lifting while pregnant. What we found is that some movements will be uncomfortable because of the belly, but most movements are fine within what your body is already used to doing. That is to say, do not start powerlifting during pregnancy but if you were already doing it just stay at maintenance and do what is comfortable while pregnant. Training the way we do should always be relatively comfortable, meaning that the movement or stance does not cause pain, but what’s comfortable during pregnancy might be different for a person than what was comfortable prior to pregnancy. We consulted a great video from Bret Contreras and The Glute Guru in Instagram DMs. Both are supportive of continuing your workouts unless it doesn’t feel right, in which case modify.

We have already started problem-solving some of the bumps in the road on this journey. My major change has been that my endurance is way down so I need a lot more breaks in a set. I have to keep my heart rate down to where I can still talk and breath while lifting, per my doctor, so the baby gets enough oxygen, too. For me, that looks like doing about 3-5 deadlifts before I need 30-60 seconds to rest. With moderate weight, I can actually hit about 10 so I will take the break on the platform and then lift a few more. This is not ideal for anyone else who might want the equipment we are using, but our gyms aren’t SO crowded that this is an issue.

We cut out what we call “fancy superman machine” but it is really called reverse hyper extension because of where you put all your body’s pressure to move the weight. Now, we have not cut out weighted hip thrusts. Just be careful loading it, keep it way low on your hip hinge, and really pad it up. So far, our only issue with hip thrusts is that none of the gyms we frequent have a good hip thruster setup.

I also do yoga occasionally. I took a few 8 week courses a few years ago that I loved but I haven’t found any classes that I love as much as I love that one. I don’t let that stop me from dabbling in every reasonably-priced yoga class in my area though! My preference is Power Yoga but I have interest in Prenatal Yoga classes now, as well. If you didn’t do yoga much before pregnancy I would recommend a class titled something like Kind or Gentle Yoga to start out during pregnancy. I have read to avoid Hot Yoga since you don’t want to get overheated while pregnant.

What we’ve accomplished during the first trimester:

We announced our pregnancy to family and friends.
We have picked a boy name but haven’t settled on a girl name. We will be finding out the sex of the baby at the end of January but aren’t sure if or when we will share the baby’s name.
I worried a lot about our finances and all the changes we will have to make to accommodate a baby in our home. Emotionally, I am just trying to focus on what I can control and what I can reasonably prepare for now. Things like the dangers of our TV stand, which we discussed and decided to replace when baby shows signs of crawling.
Reading a lot of mommy blogs and watching videos about pregnancy, labor and delivery, and baby must-haves and regrets.
Starting a running list on Amazon of what I think we will want/need for baby. I have made some of those big decisions, like the Owlet for monitoring, Snuggle Me Organic for lounging, Angelcare baby bath, and Newton crib mattress.
The nursery colors, which were so clear to me from the beginning - - jewel tones.
I’ve lined up a dresser, changing table, rocking chair, cradle, and crib from family.

What I plan to accomplish next trimester (second):

Reorganizing the kitchen cabinets to move medicines up higher and make space for baby feeding gadgets and items.
Planning the baby shower and diaper party.
Pick a stroller and carseat.
Schedule maternity photos.
Build Baby Shower Registry