Your 1st Trimester 1-3 Months (week 1-13)

Ovulation

• Ovulation usually occurs between 9 & 16 days before the next menstrual period.
• Ovulation and pregnancy are most likely as soon as a woman notices a moist vaginal discharge.
• The idea that ovulation will be precisely 14 days before a menstrual period is not necessarily true, and mucus discharge might be a more accurate indicator.
• Generally the longer one has used hormonal contraceptives, the longer it takes to fall pregnant
• Fertility is compromised in smokers and quitting improves her chances of falling pregnant and reduces the chance of miscarriage

Smoking & Drinking

• The only known safe limit of alcohol and recreational drugs in pregnancy is none!
• Heavy alcohol intake in pregnancy is associated with a numerous problems, including poor brain development
• In smokers the blood vessels leading to the placenta are more likely to have abnormalities, which mean that the placenta is mostly thinner and more fragile.
• The placenta is baby's life-support system so oxygen and nutrient supply to baby, and waste disposal away from baby are affected when smoking in pregnancy.

Diet & Nutrition

Sugar

• Sugary soda drinks are unhealthy. They often contain substantial amounts of caffeine which is a stimulant and can make baby restless and keep the mom-to-be from much-needed restful sleep in pregnancy.
• Each can of sweetened soda cold drink contains a very high level of sugar, which means the body must produce a lot of insulin very quickly to break this down.
• Regular consumption of sweet beverages can for a series of complex reasons make diabetes more likely in pregnancy as well as possibly leading to unhealthy weight gain.
• An occasional glass will not cause vast problems, but do be aware that regular use will also put baby more at risk of blood sugar problems, allergies and intolerances.
• When craving something sweet, rather have a few pecan nuts or a sweet fruit like a banana before reaching for a chocolate.

Cravings

• The most important thing is to eat healthy foods 90% of the time and to interpret cravings healthily.
• Salty cravings often are relieved by eating avocado, olives, or a baked potato with sesame seeds.
• Eating smaller meals more frequently works for many expectant women to relieve cravings.
• Cravings for abnormal substances (called pica) like soil, ash, chalk and paint on walls, mostly indicates a deficiency of an important nutrient and must be discussed with your doctor.
• A craving for soil and sand often indicates an iron shortage and it is best to take in extra dietary iron and also a supplement.

Some Food Types

• Pungent foods help stimulate one and keep one from complacency for example spices like ginger, cumin, peppers, cinnamon, cloves, fenugreek and bay.
• Bitter foods help improve grasp of new information, of which there is plenty in pregnancy for example leafy green vegetables like spinach, lettuce, broccoli and asparagus.
• Astringent foods help prevent overeating for example dry beans, lentils, onions, turmeric, coriander, basil, dill and fennel.
• Sweet foods help to soothe anxiety and nerviness one may feel and to energise one in pregnancy for example rice, bread, honey, sweet and fully ripe sweet fruits and vegetables, milk, butter, barley, oats, avocado pear, beetroot, pecans and almonds.
• Sour foods help to help keep one grounded in reality for example lemons, semi-ripe fruit, apricots, nectarines and oranges.
• Salty foods help regulate body fluids and energise one by correct fluid distribution in the body for example olives and all foods to which you have added salt.
• Cold foods help regulate body temperature and calm a tendency to hot temper, for example salads, cool drinks, spices like dill and liquorice.
• Heavy foods support an enterprising character and help give staying power in pregnancy for example nuts, wheaten foods, dates, cheese and yoghurt.
• Unctuous or naturally oily foods have anti-inflammatory properties which can be very helpful in pregnancy for example dairy, oils, oats, some nuts and butter ghee.
• Light foods help to tone slow digestion for example grapes, apples, figs, barley, corn, spinach, asparagus and cucumber.
• Dry foods help prevent mucus disease and other congestion symptoms for example dried beans, barley, corn, potato, brussel sprouts and peas.

Allergenic Foods

• Common allergenic foods include dairy, grains, eggs, shellfish, peanuts, mushrooms, onions and garlic.
• Reduce or avoid foods that typically cause allergies in your two families, as this can help prevent allergies in baby.
• If parents or the family generally are allergy prone, it takes just a little of the allergenic substance eaten by the expectant mom in pregnancy, to trigger a greater risk in baby.
• Peanuts are not nuts but legumes, and if eaten in pregnancy, be sure to only have a few at a time, best eaten raw and not roasted and salted as these tend to cause more problems.
• Some tree nuts may trigger allergies, but if there is not an allergy to any in particular in the family, moderate use in pregnancy is generally in order.
• Choose organically cultivated nuts as these are a valuable source of magnesium and calcium.

Eating Habits

• Avoid eating on the run! Although the hurried pace of life might make this difficult, it is probably one of the most important cornerstones of healthy eating in pregnancy!
• Listen to the rhythms of your body - some people are natural 'grazers', requiring small but more frequent meals throughout the day.
• Do not eat when it feels as if food from a previous meal is not yet fully digested. This will cause indigestion.
• Try and have the main meal of the day over the midday hours as often as possible as this is when digestive activity is at its strongest and therefore uses food to the best advantage.
• Include foodstuffs from all the colour groups Mother Nature provides, most days of the week, and you will go a long way to achieving a balanced diet.
• Eat healthily 90 per cent of the time, and relax a little at other times, as far as possible, avoiding those 'treats' that contain no-no's - caffeine, tannin (in tea) and excess sugar (soda drinks, sweets and chocolates).
• An exclusively fruit diet might bring about radiant health for many people, while others do best on cooked meals.
• Some moms-to-be find that they cannot start eating before 11 o'clock in the morning and that is fine too.
• Chew your food thoroughly, remembering that digestion starts in the mouth - you will find that the symptoms of indigestion will decrease correspondingly.
• Try eating an amount that you consider too little to completely satisfy you, wait twenty minutes and then see if you are still hungry - this is a sure way of discovering whether one is eating simply for reasons of lust or from real hunger.
• It is best not to drink large volumes with a meal - liquid passes through the stomach rapidly and will wash food along with it too. This also dilutes gastric juices, impeding digestive function.
• The body's natural excretory cycle is in the early hours of the morning - eating foods at this time that support the process can be very helpful. Fruit, which has a very high water content (which in turn stimulates kidney function), is ideal.
• Support your bowel's natural cycle by making unhurried time each morning in which to heed the call of nature.
• Drink a mug of hot water first thing in the morning if you bowels are sluggish.

Nausea

• Pregnancy nausea is partially due to changing hormones, but is more common in women with a perfectionist, driven personality.
• Poor eating prior to and in pregnancy may affect the degree of nausea a woman feels.
• Nausea and aversion to certain foods in pregnancy is considered a protection mechanism, preventing one from eating possibly toxic foods.
• Eating smaller meals more frequently and eating a little before rising in the morning is an old wives' tale that really works.
• Exchanging one meal a day for only fruit stems nausea in some.
• Nausea, loss of appetite, aversion to certain foods and unpleasant tastes on the tongue or in the mouth are quite common in pregnancy.
• Tongue-scraping or brushing often helps rid one's mouth of unpleasant and metallic tastes.
• Excessive nausea and vomiting, called “Hyperemesis Gravidarum”, must be treated to ensure that one doesn't dehydrate, which can be serious for baby.
• Deficiency of Vitamin B6 is associated with nausea, as is taking pregnancy supplements, in some.
• Pregnancy nausea is frequently not only in the morning and many women experience it at other times or even for the whole day.
• Nausea mostly begins after six weeks of pregnancy but can manifest later in the first trimester or hardly occur at all.
• Digestive symptoms mostly improve or cease by about 12-14 weeks of pregnancy although some women experience them throughout the 40 weeks.
• At times nausea may start later in pregnancy but then needs to be evaluated in terms of other possible factors, like blood pressure abnormalities, low blood sugar or anaemia.

Fatigue

• Fatigue in pregnancy is quite common and there are many possible causes.
• Although pregnancy is not an illness, it is hard work - an expectant woman's body is a 24 hour factory with only one person working all shifts!
• Pregnancy is tiring and one should be guided by the body's messages, taking occasional mini-breaks if necessary.
• Generally, tiredness improves in the second trimester, once most of baby's important developments are complete.
• Pregnant women should avoid exceptionally high temperatures like in a sauna, steam baths, sun bed, hot water springs or long periods in very hot sun as baby may overheat in the womb in exceptional circumstances.
• Go to bed no later than 22h00 and rise by 06h00, responding unhurriedly to body functions, to strengthen your energy resources.

Low Blood Pressure

• Low blood pressure and anaemia are frequent triggers and both are treatable, so have these checked.
•  Low blood pressure with dizziness and occasionally feeling faint or even fainting, in pregnancy is very common.
• Low blood pressure is often accompanied by insufficient iron stores in the body and this too can cause dizziness and fainting.
• Low blood pressure in pregnancy is far less problematic than high blood pressure, but if one is very dizzy and fainting occurs, mom or baby might be injured.

Abdominal Bloating

• Abdominal bloating with tummy cramps is quite a common early pregnancy symptom along with nausea, constipation, food aversions and strange taste sensations in the mouth.
• Bloating is often a sign that one's diet needs to be adjusted to a more readily digestible one.
• Pregnancy supplements can cause digestive discomfort like bloating.
• Reduce or avoid grain products like cereals, pastries and bread.
• Be cautious with dairy products and fermented foods like pickles which can sometimes trigger this or make it worse.

Emotions

• If feeling very emotional and in need of a little extra nurturing be careful not to turn to food for comfort as the foods one craves are likely to have high unhealthy fat and salt content!
• It is very normal to feel more emotional during pregnancy.
• Emotional ups and downs in pregnancy may well include irritability, anger, moodiness, anxiety, tearfulness and a feeling of needing one's personal space back.
• Sometimes emotions in first pregnancies seem worse because of the huge and unexpected adjustment.
• At times second and subsequent pregnancies are emotionally more challenging because one already has a small child draining one's resources and maybe even less understanding and support from those who think you have 'been there, done it'!
• Fluctuations in hormonal levels definitely contribute to emotional swings and if that is the only cause, these tend to settle at least somewhat by the end of the first trimester.
• Pregnancy is an overwhelming experience in many ways and poses quite a challenge physically, mentally and emotionally.
• Neither your body, mind nor emotions have even been anywhere like this before, and every facet of your life is affected by pregnancy.
• This can lead to bucket loads of tears, anxiety and even depression in pregnancy.
• Ask for extra tender loving care and nurturing from those close to you.
• Be kind to yourself and take it a little easier. This is a more 'feminine' and sensitive phase in your life and you are supposed to be more emotional!

1st Visit to practitioner

• In an uncomplicated pregnancy, one should first visit one's practitioner sometime toward the end of the first trimester, preferably between 10 and 12 weeks.
• Should there be reason for concern before this stage, make an earlier appointment.
• Many women are nervous of the first visit to the obstetrician or midwife, not knowing what to expect, and this is quite normal but unnecessary.
• No question in pregnancy is unimportant and one should make a list of any concerns or queries so that one does not forget to ask at a consultation.
• At each visit a few standard checks will be done, like blood pressure, weight and urine testing, a check of baby's heartbeat and growth.
• In normal pregnancies, one should see the practitioner monthly until 28 weeks, then every 2 weeks until 36 weeks and thereafter every week until the due date.
• Occasionally blood tests will need to be performed.
• Vaginal examinations are very seldom done in pregnancy to reduce the possibility of infection or stimulating cramping of the womb, but sometimes on the first visit an internal examination is done, as well as at about 37 weeks again.

This marks the end of your first trimester!

Click on one of the three stages below to find out more about your changing body