October 17, 2019

Pregnancin Journal: My 1st Trimester

Thoughts, Feelings & What I Learned.

A friend or two that had the knowledge of my pregnancy during my first trimester suggested me to start a journal. It’s something I haven’t been doing religiously, though I see the point now why it is important.

The ‘homework’ of keeping track – weighing myself weekly, following up & documenting this 9-month process creates a sense of responsibility to be in touch with my body & to check in with my ever-changing feelings, which is really not hard to do, yet not as easy as you might think when more than half the time I just. feel. exhausted.

Keeping a journal has also allowed me to look back on this journey by trimesters easily & put a smile on my face to see how much our baby is growing by the week. If anything, it makes it easier to believe it’s real, especially during the 1st tri when it’s too early to own a bump, leave alone feel any of baby’s movements.

I hope by sharing my honest journey as a first-timer, new moms will have an idea of what to expect (although all women are different), & hopefully gain some tips on how to make the transition into pregnancy, easier. Let’s begin!

Week 4: Baby is a poppy seed

Feeling:

• Sarcastic & irritable AF – É becomes my #1 victim.
• Restless & sleepier than the cat, leading to endless procrastination.
• Bloated & gassy 24/7.
• Cramps.

Thoughts:

• Constantly battling internally between being a sarcastic bitch VS the rationalization that being pregnant doesn’t give me the right to be bitchy.
• If you’re not used to ‘deflating’ in front of your husband, start getting used to that.
• Giving birth must be a bloody fucked up miracle.

What I Learned:

• Don’t strain at the toilet. Apparently, bananas are constipating, so don’t take too much of it. Try to include yogurt in your daily dietary plan.
• Refrain from wearing tight clothes. Circulation is crucial as you & baby are growing.

Week 5: Baby is an orange seed

Feeling:

• Moody for no reason.
• Fullness in bosoms.
• Lesser cramps.

Thoughts:

• Grow, boobs, grooowwwww!

Week 6: Baby is a sweet pea

 Feeling:

• Cramps, which are back sparingly. Though a lot less frequent, the pain is slightly sharper.
• Speedy heartbeats, even for something as common as É opening a parcel. It’s as if I drank double espresso (& I’m not a coffee person).

Thoughts:

• I worry every time a cramp visits.
• I miss working out. Here’s why.

What I Learned:

• It’s never too late to start being optimistic. Positive behavior -> positive thinking -> positive effect on pregnancy.

Week 7: Baby is a blueberry

Feeling:

• Tugging pain on my upper front thigh, only for a day on 26th July (came back as a cramp on the 29th), which I learned later was the result of standing & walking for half a day.
• Nauseous but not any close to throwing up.
• A kind of hunger that is hollow, yet by eating the slightest amount I’m filled to the brim with bloat/heartburn. It was confusing. 吃不对，不吃也不对。

Thoughts:

• Fuck chicken breast.

Eating healthy was hard. Anything I forced myself to eat during the first 3 months, I can’t IMAGINE eating them now. Nothing disgusts me more than chicken breast, kale & coriander.

What I Learned:

• Avoid crossing legs at all times to prevent spider & varicose veins.
• Iced lemon water is my best friend & remedy or cure for queasiness, restlessness & even bad moods. At the same time, Vit C keeps stretch marks at bay! I juice a bag of lemon in 1 go & freeze them into ice cubes, kept in a ziplock bag. Depending on the size of your ice tray, about 9 small cubes equals to the juice of 1 lemon.

Week 8: Baby is a raspberry 

Feeling:

• Itchy nipples.
• A random mix of everything above.

Thoughts:

• When will this pass???

Week 9: Baby is a green olive 

{Weel 10 scan}

Feeling:

• Dizzy afternoons-turned-headaches. I noticed any mobile screentime, especially scrolling my IG feed, worsens the symptom. The only cure is a nap.
• Pure exhaustion from doing everything & nothing.
• Very moody; towards the sad side.

Thoughts:

• Everything is testing my patience. Mind over matter – I can do this & still be nice.

What I Learned:

• Limiting screen time is the best thing you can do at times like this.
• When typing, make sure the wrists are straight & hands are lower than elbows.
• Fatigue can worsen mood swings.

Week 10: Baby is a prune

Feeling:

• Restlessness.
• Continued headaches, heavy head & eyelids.
• The need to escape & tell everyone including myself to fuck off.

Thoughts:

• The idea of limiting travel feels imprisoning & suffocating.
• I miss my best friend. Every fiber of me feels like doing only 1 thing & that is flying to Brisbane to live there with her for 2 weeks in secrecy.

What I Learned:

• This the time to rest & relax as much as you can – I wish I did this without feeling guilty all the time! 
• When headaches attack, lie in a dark, quiet room & close your eyes for 20 minutes. If it’s very bad, place a cold pack on the back of your neck throughout that duration.
• Trust me – avoid hot, stuffy places at all costs. If it’s not an option, make it an option.

Week 11: Baby is a large strawberry

Feeling:

• Aroused.
• Frustrated.
• Headaches, exhaustion, drowsiness.

Thoughts:

• What am I living for again?
• Life is meaningless.
• Get me out of here!

What I Learned:

• Be direct in telling your husband what you need – even a mind reader can’t read a pregnant woman’s mind.

Week 12: Baby is a lime

Feeling:

• Stuffy nose.
• The usual headaches.

Thoughts:

• Baby is looking more like a baby now – we can see the tiny hand!
• Can’t wait for 2nd trimester to arrive.

The biggest takeaway I think everyone should learn is this:

A pregnant woman only needs to gain ± 1kg during the 1st trimester. For those who love giving advice, no, she doesn’t have to eat for 2 in the 1st trimester. For the expecting, avoid food with empty calories – they add to your weight but not the baby. Plus, you can’t diet during pregnancy, which means you’ll have to carry those excessive weights for months to come!