I can’t believe I’ve officially crossed the finish line of the first trimester, and we’re into the second! As much as the days sometimes seem to go by slowly, the months truly fly by! Today I’m excited to share a little more with you about my first trimester and the journey that we’ve been on after getting our POSITIVE! If you want to learn & read more about our fertility journey to baby bare, I wrote an entire blog post on our experience. (we ended up getting pregnant through medicated IUI cycle.) This blog post is going to pick up where that one left off & talk all about telling our friends & family, our first appointments, how I’ve been feeling, my must-haves & more!

Before we jump into today’s blog post, I just want to remind you that this is my personal pregnancy experience. If I’ve learned anything in my few months of being pregnant, it’s that every woman’s pregnancy journey is SO different. It’s so easy to compare your journey to someone else’s (been there, done that already!), and that’s not what I want you to do here. One of the first things I did once I got pregnant, was rush to all of my favorite blogger’s pregnancy q&a’s and recaps, and reach out to some of my mama friends for advice. While support & community is amazing & NEEDED, I’ve learned that it’s important to take everything with a grain of salt & always remember that your body, your baby, your journey…is unique to you. I always want to be a resource to you that is filled with support, love & relatability…but be sure to cater your needs & decisions to you & your baby! Just looking out for you, your baby & your mental health! Now, let’s get into it! xo

When Baby Bare Is Due

Our sweet baby girl is due in early July 2022! In the same week as my brother and sister’s birthdays! I always thought it was so fun celebrating their birthdays in the summer and especially around Fourth of July, so I’m excited our baby will get to do the same! I plan on telling her that allllllll the fireworks are just for her birthday 😉

Telling Our Family & Friends/Announcing

Our experience with telling our close family & friends was a little different, in more ways than one! I had always dreamed about the day I was able to tell my friends and family we were pregnant – I loved brainstorming up creative, fun ways to surprise them! Well, all of that went out the window when we had to go the fertility treatment route…haha! My close family & friends are my support system, so of course I needed them throughout the past year of our journey. So, because they knew that we were going through an IUI cycle and knew the timing of everything, a lot of our close loved ones were kind of waiting by the phone the day we were supposed to test! We also don’t live close to the majority of our friends and family, so we FaceTimed a lot of them the day/day after we got our positive. It was still just as exciting!

As far as the rest of our friends, family & co-workers go…we waited until after our first & second ultrasounds to tell the “next round” of people. We were able to surprise a lot of those people in person and it was so fun telling everyone and seeing their reactions! We decided to announce on social media when I was just about 12 weeks. We had multiple ultrasounds under our belt (fertility clinic perks!) so we felt comfortable sharing the news, given the information we were given at each appointment from our doctors.

First Ultrasound

Like I previously mentioned, our appointment/ultrasound experience has been different due to the fact that we were undergoing fertility treatments. At most fertility clinics, you & your baby get a little more attention and love those first few weeks of pregnancy, to make sure everything is healthy and on track. For that, I was so grateful! The first several weeks are definitely the most nerve-racking, so we were extremely thankful that we were able to see baby so early.

Our first ultrasound was at 6.5 weeks. We were told that we may/may not see or hear the heartbeat that early, and that if we didn’t – there was nothing to be worried about. At that point, it was just a tiny, tiny bean! But we were one of the lucky ones, and we did get to see and hear the little flicker of the heartbeat a that first appointment. I was so surprised and soooo relieved. I don’t think I had ever been more nervous in my life before that appointment, especially because I didn’t feel pregnant at all leading up to that appointment! It was truly the best moment ever, one that we will remember and cherish forever! After that initial ultrasound, we had one more at our clinic, Fora Fertility, at 8 weeks – and then we “graduated”…and went back to my normal OBGYN for routined check-ups and ultrasounds.

Symptoms

It’s crazy when you start your pregnancy journey, because there is so much unknown. You don’t know how you body/mind will handle pregnancy…and it’s definitely anxiety inducing! I’ve learned that you just kind of have to go roll with the punches and take the cards you were dealt, especially in that first trimester. I will say that I am extremely thankful to be one of the lucky ones, I had an overall pretty pleasant first trimester…there were definitely some bumps along the way, but overall I felt really lucky. Now that I’m in the second trimester…it’s been a little different haha – not expected, but I’m getting through it! We’ll get into that in the next trimester recap! One thing I recommend doing is taking notes/logging all of your symptoms week by week. It’s been really helpful for me and I’m excited to compare symptoms when I’m pregnant again one day. Here’s how the week-by-week breakdown looked as far as my symptoms went:

WEEK 4 // Had some implantation cramping/bloating, slightly tender/sore boobs, and I noticed my heartrate felt a little higher!
WEEK 5 // Bloated/gas pains, slightly tender/sore boobs, mild headaches, elevated smell, starting getting some weird cramps/pains when I would stretch or cough!
WEEK 6 // Elevated smell, restless legs while sleeping
WEEK 7 // Mild morning nausea hit on the first day of week 7! I felt nauseous first thing in the morning, but quickly realized if I woke up & ate a bagel and drank coffee it immediately went away. Just always had to stay fed! Food aversions/smells really started this week too and I’m still experiencing those now into my 2nd trimester!
WEEK 8 // Morning nausea continued. I threw up once on a morning where I didn’t eat quickly enough. Restless legs were back!
WEEK 9 // Morning nausea disappeared, bless! This is when I started to feel a really big change in my breathing/lung capacity. My chest felt heavy and deep breaths sometimes felt uncomfortable. It stressed me OUT and I even went to a CareNow. Everything was fine, just normal changes to my body. I also saw a lot of increased anxiety/paranoia this week…I think due to how I was feeling. Fatigue also was hitting a little bit harder.
WEEK 10 // My breathing/chest heaviness went away mid-week 10. So grateful! I still had increased anxiety, but it slowly got better. This is when I also started feeling what I think might be round ligament pain. Definitely had some weird pains/cramps when I would move in bed at night. I also got a UTI this week, was put on 3 days of antibiotics, and then was good!
WEEKS 11+12 // Symptoms really lessened this week. Just the usual fatigue & occasional restless legs at night!

Cravings/Aversions

For me, all of the weird food things didn’t really happen until about week 7! That’s when my increased smell really kicked and I started getting some aversions. As far as aversions go, I would say that my biggest aversion has been to DINNER. Yep, dinner as a whole. Our usual, healthy dinners GROSSED. ME. OUT. I couldn’t even cook them. Poor Nick has been doing a lot of the cooking around here, or we just eat different things at dinner. I couldn’t even be in the kitchen when Nick was cooking beef or any meat. Meat in general grossed me out, so I’ve definitely had a major drop in my protein intake during the first trimester….but that’s okay. Survival mode, right?! Vegetables have also been a big no-no for me during the first trimester. Anything that I have to chew a lot = no thank you!

As far as cravings go, I wouldn’t say I have craved one particular thing…it’s more just about what I definitely don’t want, haha. One thing that has been truly LIFE SAVING to me, is bagels. I have eaten a bagel with cream cheese EVER SINGLE MORNING since I found out I was pregnant. Right when I wake up. It’s really helped keep the nausea away! My usual morning smoothie hasn’t really sounded that great to me lately anyway. Sometimes I’ll make one mid-day, but I don’t love drinking it. I’ve really been loving gatorades, lemon water, fresh fruit – anything cold and refreshing. Soup has been great for lunches. I also have to say that goldfish, movie theater popcorn & cheez-its hit the spot when I allow myself to cave and have them, haha! Lots of room temperature carbs seem to be what my baby loves, lol!

Health/Fitness In The First Trimester

Another thing that I had no idea on how it would play out for me & baby! Throughout the first trimester, I was really lucky to be able to workout most days. There were definitely days I sat out. Sometimes my usual times didn’t agree with what my body was telling me, so I learned to fit in my workouts during pockets of the day where I felt good & energized. Although I kept working out, my workouts have looked *MUCH* different. I’ve been loving the combination of Orange Theory & Soul Cycle, and that’s what I’ve kept up with! All of first trimester I walked on an incline at orange theory, and took it easier with the weights. I told my OTF trainer I was pregnant right away, so he knew not to heckle me for taking it easy, haha! As far as Soul Cycle goes, I didn’t make it in studio (I just get way too competitive, lol) – but my at-home bike was my saving grace. Some rides felt great & normal, while others – I stayed in the saddle the entire time. I just tried my best to listen to my body! On days I didn’t feel like going into OTF, I would opt for low-impact, easier weighted workouts in our garage gym or at BPN!

As far as my diet & food choices, it’s been tricky. Some of the healthy foods I *loved* just truly sounded terrible to me, and still do. For a while, I would force myself to try and still eat my normal foods, but it made me miserable and I realized I just had to give myself what I needed in that moment. And sometimes, I just needed a quesadilla or cereal for dinner! I still try to incorporate a smoothie into my day at some point, just because it gives me so many nutrients. Protein and veggies have been a struggle, but I’m doing the best I can!

I think one of the biggest mental struggles I’ve faced throughout the first trimester, is the changes in what my body can and can’t do. Working out is a HUGE part of my life, and it took me a while to accept that my body just can’t do what it used to. I’m growing a human, after all! And I know I’ll get back to my usual self eventually after baby is here. It’s a daily struggle, I have good days & bad…but I just do the best I can each day, and always try to move my body.

Finding Out The Gender

Nick & I decided to opt for the genetic testing via blood test at 9 weeks! We wanted that peace of mind, and the fact that you can find out the gender then is just an added bonus! There’s not a bone in my body that could wait to find out until the birth, haha! We had a small gender reveal with my family in Michigan over the holidays, and found out we are having a baby GIRL! Truthfully, I was SHOCKED! I had the boy name picked out, and was fully convinced that’s what we were having! Nick’s side doesn’t have *any* females, and for some reason…I just always pictured myself having a boy first. Welp, God knew what we needed – and he gave us a sweet baby GIRL and we couldn’t be more excited. I was shocked for a few days, but oh my gosh how much fun it’s been day-dreaming about Nick being a girl dad, and all of the fun outfits for her, and the relationship we’ll have as a mother/daughter. So, so excited! We do have a name picked out, but we won’t be announcing until she’s here…we just want to see her & make sure it fits her!

Overall

Overall, I feel very lucky to have had the first trimester that I did. I had no idea what to expect, and it’s been a wild ride but an empowering one as well. My biggest tip: STAY FED. DON’T GET HUNGRY! And stay HYDRATED. Extra hydrated. Talking with other women, and from my experience….an empty stomach is never good & that’s when the nausea and fatigue really settles in. I know it’s hard at times, but finding the foods that you can stomach will be life-saving!

I haven’t really started showing yet, so I’m excited for that step!! While I had a great first trimester…I have a feeling sweet little girl is coming for payback, haha! The day my second trimester hit…it’s been a bit of a different story. Can’t wait to see how this trimester plays out & for the next update! xo

Preggie Pops // a great hard candy-like drop that helps minimize nausea! I have a jar of these in my car so I always have them with me!
Ritual Prenatal Vitamins // the prenatals I took during our whole TTC journey & the ones I’m still taking now. Love them!
Hatch Belly Oil // Trying to remember to use this as frequently as possible to keep my skin moisturized & prevent stretchmarks if I can!
Magnesium Glycinate // this is the magnesium my doctor recommended I take for better sleep & relief from headaches and restless legs. I take 400mg at night!
Honest Body Lotion // Love that this is a pregnancy-safe body/skincare line for mamas. Love this lotion for all over!
True & Co Bralette // Because normal bras are IMPOSSIBLE! This has been my go-to for comfort and support, found them at Target!
Barefoot Dreams Robe // I loved this before pregnancy, but I love it even more now! So great for the winter months on lazy, feeling yucky days.
Expecting Better Book // I didn’t agree with ALL of the topics/stands in this book, but it definitely put my mind at ease about some common pregnancy myths/rules. It’s a fresh, modern perspective on pregnancy! I listened to it on audiobook.
CALM Magnesium Powder // if I have headaches in the morning, I’ll mix this powder with water & drink it and it usually help paired with a cup of coffee!
Gallon Water Jug // my doctor told me to aim for 3 liters of water a day because our body is working in overtime! Staying hydrated makes me feel so much better.
Pregnancy Journal // I got this one as a gift and I love it! So fun to fill out as you move through the weeks.
Humidifier // I’ve always been a humidifier girl when it comes to sleeping, but when you’re pregnant it’s GAME CHANGING! So relieving for sinus pressure/congestion/dryness.