Weeks 5-12: An update from the first trimester

As promised, I will be trying to keep a pregnancy blog. I'm hoping to be able to refer back to this and see the growth and changes over months to come.

With so many changes coming our way this summer, it definitely took me a couple of weeks to wrap my mind around being pregnant. As the nausea set in, it started to become more real and I was able to build my excitement. We found out at 5.5 weeks with a home pregnancy test, took my first bump picture at week 6 and by week 7, I had moderate nausea. I learned quickly that I had to be eat {very} small meals, preferably only containing gatorade/ginger ale & saltines, all day long. For some reason, that week, I also think I ate fast food french fries everyday. Not sure if that helped.

By week 9, I was doing a better job managing the nausea, which also turned into some puking. Brushing my teeth seems to be a trigger, which is gross and annoying. The biggest struggle has been fighting my non-existent appetite. I have been eating more than saltines and pretzels more recently, but I still stick to plain, "normal" foods.

Week 10, we finally got to go see an OB for our first ultrasound! We heard the heartbeat for a brief moment, but was able to see the fluttering of the heart several times. With a strong heartbeat at 176, Baby W was laying on his/her back, looking like a blob. My favorite part was seeing the baby blob in my uterus. Knowing the heart is beating and seeing the baby for myself was a huge landmark.

The last couple of weeks in the first trimester, I started to feel better, most days. I spread my three meals throughout the entire day. Breakfast starts about 8:00 and I munch until 10:00 or so. I make my lunch in 2-3 stages, which spans from about 11:00-2:00. And then I'm ready for a pre-dinner snack about 3:30/4:00. I also try to eat a snack before I go to bed, even if it's just pretzels or a yogurt, which helps to feel better when I wake up in the morning.

I've been blessed with my first trimester being relatively easy - even through feeling sicky. Since feeling better, I actually started doing some mini workouts again! Wrigley has been getting some solid 30-minute walks and I've been swimming laps at Donaldson Run. For the most part, I have been able to rest and relax, and make time to get things done at my own pace.