The first trimester can be difficult for a lot of women.  You aren’t showing yet, you may not have told very many people about the pregnancy so you are likely suffering through the rough early months alone and having to answer a lot of questions about why you aren’t feeling well with an answer that doesn’t give away the “real” reason.  Don’t worry through, the first trimester will be over before you know it and then you will be on to the much easier second trimester (often referred to as the honeymoon trimester).

There are a few things you can do to help ease some of the common complaints of the first trimester:

Fatigue: feeling fatigued and always tired is common during the first trimester.  The best way to deal with this symptom is to get more sleep.  Listen to your body and do what you can to get that needed extra sleep.  Take naps during the day, go to bed early, sleep-in in the morning if you can.  As your body adjusts to the changes taking place and you enter your second trimester many women find they are no longer as tired.

Frequent Urination: Having to go to the bathroom all the time is probably one of the most common symptoms of pregnancy and something that many people (pregnant) or not associate with pregnancy.  Frequent urination is often one of the earliest signs of pregnancy.  It is important to get plenty of fluids during the day while you are pregnant, however, you can watch that you don’t drink too much before bed so you don’t interrupt your much needed sleep.

Morning Sickness: The most common and probably the most annoying early pregnancy symptom, morning sickness can put a real damper on those first few months.  There are varying degrees of morning sickness.  Some women may find they are only slightly nauseous, others will have full on vomiting several times a day.  Morning sickness can happen any time of the day (not very aptly named) and is due to the hormonal changes taking place in your body.  The triggers of morning sickness very for some having an empty stomach will trigger it, for others it will be the smell or taste of certain foods, for others lack of sleep can be a trigger as well.  A few things you can do to help curb morning sickness include:

• Eat several small, healthy meals throughout the day.
• If you know a particular food or drink is a trigger avoid it when possible.
• Take your prenatal vitamin before bed instead of in the morning.
• Try to avoid skipping meals if you can.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Eat dry crackers when you first wake up, before you even sit up.

As I mentioned above these symptoms will pass and you’ll be on to something new.  With each trimester you’ll find a whole new list of complaints, but remember why you are doing this and what the end result will be, it’ll help make it all seem worth it.

If you have any concerns about anything you are experiencing during you pregnancy be sure to talk to your prenatal caregiver.

Teens who find themselves pregnant can often feel alone and have no idea where to turn. It can be especially scary for those teens who don’t feel like they have an adult they can turn to. I thought I would compile a list of helpful websites and support groups where teens can turn for help, support, information, and guidance.

• The Alliance
• Gravity Teen
• KidsHealth (great site for parents of pregnant teens to find resources and help)
• MDJunction.com
• Pregnant Teen Help
• Planned Parenthood
• Teen With Child
• Girl Mom
• Daily Strength

If you are a teen and think you maybe pregnant remember you are not alone, there are many people out there to help you. The first thing you need to do is determine for sure if you are pregnant. Find an adult you can trust, go to your doctor or go to a clinic that provides pregnancy tests and advice. There is support out there for you.

To help all those women who are out there researching this very topic I thought I would revisit the early signs of pregnancy with a fun post about what things may indicate that you are pregnant.

You Might Be Pregnant If….

• Your period is late or you missed a period completely.  However, if you don’t have a very regular cycle you may not even notice a late or missed period so this isn’t much help as an early sign.

• You have experienced what is called implantation bleeding.  This is a small amount of bleeding that can occur when the fertilized egg implants into the uterine wall, some women mistake this for a period so they don’t realize that they missed their period.

• Your breasts have become swollen and tender.  This tends to happen in the first couple of weeks after fertilization.  However, a lot of women also experience this symptom when their period is about to start so it often goes unnoticed as a sign of pregnancy.

• You are getting very, very sleepy.  As early as one week after conception you may notice that you are exhausted all the time and can’t seem to get enough sleep (This was one of the first things I noticed).

• You seem to be suffering from that dreadful first sign of pregnancy, morning sickness.  Since it is often accompanied by extreme tiredness many women mistakenly think that they are suffering from the flu when in fact they are pregnant.

• You are experiencing abdominal cramping (similar to menstrual cramps) and/or pain in your lower back.

• You are experiencing abdominal bloating (again often mistaken for a sign of an impending period).

For many women the early signs of pregnancy are often mistaken for the telltale signs that their period is about to start.  Since many of the symptoms are so similar it can take a while before you realize that what you are experiencing is something different.  Many women will often miss two periods before they realize that things just aren’t right and they are experiencing early signs of pregnancy.

If you think you might be pregnant take a home pregnancy test or go to your doctor to get a blood test.  You can have all the signs of pregnancy without actually being pregnant.  The only way to know for sure is to get tested.

There are really only a couple of things you can to do determine if you really are pregnant.

• You can opt to take a home pregnancy test. These can be purchased from any pharmacy or grocery store. There are many options on the market so be sure to read the labels and pick one that suits you preferences and needs. Home pregnancy tests have fairly high accuracy rates when used correctly and used at the proper time. False positives are very rare.

OR

• You can visit your doctor for a doctor administered urine pregnancy test (similar to home pregnancy tests) or a blood test. Many women feel more comfortable hearing the results directly from their doctor, especially if you are unsure about performing the home test properly. If you don’t have a regular doctor or lack health insurance you can also go to a clinic to have these doctor administered tests.

There are many early signs of pregnancy from sore and swollen breasts, cramping, exhaustion, morning sickness, and lack of or late period. All of these symptoms can also be signs of other things that may be going on, which makes it important to find out for sure. Any time you have unprotected sex (and even protected sex since no birth control is 100% accurate) there is a chance of getting pregnant. If you suspect that you may be pregnant the best thing is to take a pregnancy test.

If you have questions or concerns about your early pregnancy symptoms, or about how to get and administer a pregnancy test you should contact your doctor.

As you digest this news and deal with all the new feelings the question is what to do now.  Now that the test says you’re going to have a baby, what things do you need to make sure you do, what changes should you make.

• First things first, call you your doctor or midwife to have the pregnancy confirmed by a professional and get checked out. Good prenatal care starts with early appointments with your doctor and making sure everything starts out as best as can be.

• If you are not already taking prenatal vitamins, start now. Your baby will make many developmental changes very early in your pregnancy. The vitamins and minerals in a prenatal vitamin are very important in those early days and weeks, especially folic acid which is proven to prevent neural tube defects.

• Now is the time to give up any of those vices such as alcohol, smoking, and illegal (or legal) drugs. All have been proven to impact fetal development when consumed during pregnancy so the earlier you give these up the better.

• If you are taking any drugs for chronic health problems talk to your doctor about whether they are safe to take during pregnancy or you need to make some changes.

• Start working on that healthy diet and exercise plan. Your doctor should be able to advise you on what foods you should make sure you have and those you should avoid, and can let you know what exercise is recommended for you early in pregnancy.

Most importantly, enjoy yourself during this very new and very exciting time .

On a personal note, I am very honored and pleased to announce that this is my 100th post here at Let’s Talk Babies.  Thanks for all the visits, comments, and fun over the last several months.  Here’s to the next 100 posts.

Here are a few of the early signs of pregnancy. You may experience all, some, or none of these symptoms. All of these symptoms can also be signs of other health issues so be sure to talk to your doctor if you have these symptoms but have ruled out pregnancy.

• The most common early symptom, and the one most woman look for to tell them they are pregnant, is a late or missed period. If your cycle is fairly regular a missed period is often the first indication that you may be pregnant. For women who have irregular cycles you may experience some of the other symptoms before you realize your period is late.

• About 6-12 days after implantation some women experience light bleeding known as implantation bleeding. It can sometimes be mistaken as a light period. Not all women will experience this bleeding, but if you do it can be an early sign of pregnancy. It will likely take other symptoms before you realize you may be pregnant.

• Within the first couple of weeks after conception many women begin to feel swelling and tenderness of their breasts. You will notice your breasts becoming sore and tender to the touch and may notice a change in their size. It can vary from woman to woman on when you will experience this symptom but it can be as early as 1 week after conception.

• Beginning very early, as early as 1 week after conception, you may begin to notice you are exhausted all the time. Being tired or exhausted is a common early sign of pregnancy, but again alone may not be enough for you to notice, but in combination with other early symptoms may be a sign you are pregnant.

• One of the most common symptoms of pregnancy, morning sickness, sets in fairly early in pregnancy. It varies widely from woman to woman, and some women may not experience morning sickness at all. On average morning sickness will set in about 2-8 weeks after conception. Along with a missed period this is one of the most common symptoms women look for to tell them they are pregnant.

• A few other early symptoms include increased sensitivity to odors, headaches, backaches frequent urination and abdominal bloating.

The only proof of pregnancy is a positive pregnancy test. If you experiencing any of these symptoms and think you may be pregnant now would be a good time to take a home pregnancy test, and make an appointment to see your doctor.

Be sure to talk to your doctor if you have questions or concerns about the symptoms you are experiencing, particularly if you have ruled out pregnancy as the cause.

Related Post: What to Do if You Think You Are Pregnant

(source: BabyCenter, American Pregnancy Association)

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