What You Should Know: First Trimester of Pregnancy (0-13 weeks)

This is one of a series of articles on pregnancy. For more information about pregnancy and birth options, see my other articles including my series on homebirth.

The First Trimester

The first trimester is unique, in that you aren't pregnant for 2 weeks of it and may not feel symptoms for up to 6 weeks. This can be a blessing for some women, who have a difficult time dealing with the symptoms associated with early pregnancy. This article will outline the symptoms of the first trimester with a brief explanation of what's going on with your baby.

Emotional Changes

You may feel premenstrual, overly emotional, or out of sorts. Exhaustion, morning sickness, and a lack of really feel pregnant can lead to bouts of crankiness. This is completely normal and as you adjust to the changes in pregnancy (including the hormonal changes that your body is trying to get used to) you can learn to cope effectively with the emotional aspects of pregnancy. You may also find that you get upset easily, not just angry but upset or sad. These feelings are totally normal as your body sets the foundation for the changes you will experience in the next 9 months. I'd recommend extra rest (not getting enough sleep can exacerbate the emotional and other symptoms of pregnancy) and support from your child's father and/or family, though you may not want to tell your family until you're through the first trimester due to risk of pregnancy loss.

Physical Changes

You won't be showing yet, but there are many symptoms that occur in early pregnancy.

Breast changes: your breasts may grow at this stage, and they may be sensitive or tender.

Morning sickness: more appropriately named 'all day sickness', morning sickness can be anywhere from slight to particularly troubling. If you find that you can't keep anything down most of the day, this is not uncommon. Try to keep something in your stomach and stick with foods that you crave or that you know won't trigger nausea. Some women swear by Sea-Bands, which are worn on the wrists and can help curb nausea.