Congratulations! You have just found out that you are pregnant and naturally your head is probably spinning. So what are the next steps? I personally loved making lists of things that needed to be done in my pregnancy and especially in the first trimester! The first trimester can be filled with lots of excitement as well as lots of nerves! I am here to help give you a simple checklist of 10 things that will hopefully help relieve some of that stress!
Just as a general disclaimer, these are in no particular order and always seek advice from your medical provider above all!
- Find a prenatal!
- There are so many out on the market it can be overwhelming! I personally could not swallow any of the larger pills, so finding a reputable gummy prenatal was great! Be sure to talk with your doctor about what he/she recommends.
- Find a healthcare provider
- If this is your first pregnancy or if you are not established with an OBGYN or midwife, start your research! I had great luck asking close friends who had multiple babies who they recommended we use. Personally I suggest making sure that when you have your first prenatal appointment, you really try and get to know your provider and see if he/she is someone you are comfortable continuing your care with.
- Announcement!
- When you announce your pregnancy to family and friends is 100% your personal choice. For those that have struggled to get pregnant or struggled with previous losses, please don’t feel rushed to announce if you aren’t ready! If you are excited and ready to announce have fun and come up with a cute way that feels “right” for you and your partner to announce the big news!
- Exercise
- Keeping up with some simple low impact exercise like walking, yoga and swimming are all great options! Prenatal yoga is a personal favorite of mine and where I live there are always really great prenatal yoga groups happening! This can be a great way to connect with other moms and start creating your “village”. Staying active during your entire pregnancy is so beneficial and really helps keep everything strong and working properly!
- Pregnancy App
- The bump, Pregnancy Tracker and What To Expect apps are all really great! These apps allow you to track your pregnancy week by week and give you plenty of helpful reminders and tips.
- Cut the caffeine!
- Before you get mad at that headline just hang in there with me, you do NOT have to completely cut out caffeine if you don’t want to! according to the APA there are no negative associations with moderate caffeine intake and pregnancy. Moderate is usually defined as 150-200 MG of caffeine per day. Caffeine is not only just found in coffee so be aware of other foods and medications as well!
- Questions for your healthcare provider
- Naturally you will have lots and lots of questions before your first prenatal visit! In my experience, my doctors were always so great about answering all of my questions before I even had to ask! I will say, I tend to get nervous during my appointments and forget what I was going to ask so it can be very helpful to write them all down! Keep a running list on your phone and as the questions pop into your head jot them down. This will really help you be prepared and confident during that first visit!
- Registry!
- This is where the fun stuff starts to happen! Planning can be overwhelming but creating the registry is so much fun! Reach out to more seasoned moms and get their opinions on what they think is something essential to add to your list. There is SO much out there and not all of it you will actually use or need.
- Morning sickness prep
- Morning sickness is very very common in the first (and sometimes second) trimester! Of course, I will always be very pro “go ask your doctor” but there are lots of things you can do at home to ease mild morning sickness. Things like peppermints, fresh ginger and ginger ale are really helpful. There are also preggie pops you can usually find at your local health food store that I really loved. Sea bands are also helpful for some people. They are small elastic bands you wear on your wrists and they have a plastic ball sewn into them that pushes on a particular pressure point that eases nausea.
- Rest
- It is 100% normal to feel just plain exhausted in those first few weeks. In my experience, your energy really tends to come back in the second trimester. For now, listen to your body and take the time to rest when you need it. Keeping your stress levels down will also really help you be able to give your body a break and rest. I know that is so much easier said than done but I promise you it will be worth it!
As always, if you have any questions or comments please feel free to reach out! The first trimester can be rough but you’ve got this!
Jamie Summitt Doula Services 