I am so thankful to be able to share this recap of my first trimester of pregnancy with you all. In many ways, it has been a monster and I am so thankful that I am through it. But, although it has been rough, I would not trade my experience for anything. Alex and I are so very thankful for the blessing that our sweet baby is already.
I am not far out of my first trimester as I write this, but I want to document my thoughts while they are fresh. Hopefully, this post will be encouraging to you if you find yourself in a similar situation to me.
Finding Out: What a Joy!
On November 16th, 2023, I had my first positive pregnancy test. I was overwhelmed with joy. I remember having lots of things on the to-do list that day, but they flew out the window as I processed what had just happened and planned how I would tell Alex when he got home from work. One funny thing is that I was craving taco soup so bad that day, so I made it for an early lunch. I guess that was my first pregnancy craving!
I waited all day for Alex to come home, and I was so nervous when he finally called to tell me that he was heading home. I tried to act normal when he walked in – greeting him at the door with a hug and kiss – but as soon as I gave him a hug I told him that he was going to be a Dad and showed him the positive test. He stared in disbelief for a moment and then smiled and hugged me again. We both were overwhelmed with joy and excitement.
5 Weeks of Pregnancy
My first positive test happened at 4 weeks, and I had no serious symptoms at that point. At the start of week 5 I started to feel more fatigued than ever before. Nausea also set in at this point. Any kind of meat started to make me nauseous, but it was still manageable.
This was Thanksgiving week, and we wanted to tell our families as everyone would be gathered together. Everyone we told was very excited to hear our news. I was thankful that I wasn’t super sick yet and could enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with everyone.
Weeks 6-10
Pregnancy symptoms really started coming on after week 5. I was super nauseous and had a hard time keeping food down. Protein rich foods were the only thing that could get me out of the loop of eating and throwing up if I could manage to keep them down. Fatigue, nausea, and food aversions were the strongest pregnancy symptoms.
We met with my midwife for the fist time and she helped talk me through a lot of things that could help me through the morning sickness.
I tried lots of different things to ease nausea, but nothing took it away. Any day that I wasn’t throwing up was a huge blessing. It was hard to keep going through each day as I struggled just to keep any food down. I was quite literally in the “survival mode” everyone talks about during the first trimester of pregnancy. My sweet husband picked up my slack around the house along with his job and was especially helpful to me with cooking meals. He takes care of me so well.
One of the hardest parts about these several weeks of pregnancy is that it was right over the holiday season. I dragged my way through family gatherings as I tried to keep food down and be present in conversations. It was so good to see family, but my body did not take well to the travel or lack of sleep during that time.
The most exciting thing that happened over this period of time was having my first ultrasound! My uncle very generously offered to take Alex and I to his office to have a check-up on how our baby was doing. We were so thankful to hear the heartbeat for the first time and see our baby’s quickly developing body.
Week 11
In week 11 we had our first prenatal visit with my midwife! We got to hear the heartbeat again and do other checkups for both baby’s and my overall health. Later that week my midwife called again with the results of our gender blood test!
Weeks 12-13
During this time my symptoms continued. I was still struggling to keep food down and do basic tasks around the house. I was just thankful for my husband who took such good care of me and encouraged me through each day.
It is crazy to me how fast this pregnancy is flying by, even though each day seems to last a lifetime. I am so thankful for the wonderful blessing that our baby is and the great privilege I have in carrying our little one. I am 16 weeks pregnant as I write this, and my nausea finally seems to be letting up. The Lord has blessed us so much and I am so thankful for my little family.
If you are also struggling through pregnancy, I hope this post encourages you. You are not alone in this journey, and it will get better eventually. Sure, one thing comes after the other and second trimester has its own set of difficulties. Either way, we have the great privilege of caring for our families and being faithful with the time and energy we are given. I look forward to the next update I can share!
Leave a Reply