Pregnancy- First Trimester

I was blessed with my baby boy on December 14th 2021. My pregnancy journey had been incredible. I thought I will document it trimester wise :).

Background

I had a covid wedding in 2020. We had two receptions following that and were exhausted from all the planning, photography and invites.

The pandemic on the other hand did not seem to want to take a break. We had a year of work from home ahead of us which means a year of being cooped at home. Me being this globetrotter, extrovert, running freak, staying at home meant jail time. I thought I could rather put it to productive use. So we decided it was time to have a baby. 😀

First Trimester

I remember feeling bouts of hunger and extreme exhaustion in March. I had missed a period and I took a test and saw that faint pink line. Early on the symptoms were just exhaustion; I slept for hours at a stretch. I was happy I did not vomit like those shown in movies. In a few weeks, the nausea hit. I lost interest in eating food. Cooking did not feel appetizing. I lost interest in eating which was very unlike me.

The most shocking thing that happened was me losing interest in eating my favourite foods. I guess it must be the baby’s doing. After I vomited the biriyani I made I decided it was time I gave it a break. I did not get into the kitchen for weeks at a stretch. We ordered food, got food from my mother-in-law. It wasn’t a pleasant time to cook. It was no surprise I did not gain any weight.

The work from home was a blessing. I could take short naps throughout the day. I slept after having lunch every day. It was very relaxing. I couldn’t imagine travelling to the office every day and falling asleep on my desk.

Symptoms

• Nausea
• Exhaustion and tiredness
• Sleepiness
• Low energy
• Food aversions

Tablets I had to take

• Folic acid 4 mcg every day once

Tests I had to take!

• 8 weeks -Regular blood test
• 8 weeks- confirmation ultrasound
• 12 weeks- double marker test
• 12 week ultrasound
• 12 week NIPT test

Weight Gain

I did not gain any weight for the first three months due to food aversions. But I made sure I ate healthy whatever I ate.

The Covid fear

My first trimester was right in the middle of the dreaded second wave. We just shut the doors and stayed in. We stopped the maid from coming in for a few weeks. Cooked something random on my own or ordered. We kept hearing really disheartening news from our relatives. I missed my sister’s engagement due to covid. I saw it live on my laptop. Fear was all over the place. We made sure we took all precautions like sanitising anything that comes home and making sure we don’t step outside.

Work went well. I did not tell anyone at work about my pregnancy as we were working from home. No one found out as well!

I had less nausea (Compared to HG moms) and it was similar to what my mom had, so I assumed we were having a girl baby! 😛 Old wive tales aren’t to be trusted I guess !

The baby

When we went for our 8 week scan, the doctor just confirmed the pregnancy and told us the sac has just formed. She told us to come back for our 12 week appointment. When we went on our 12th week the doctor showed the first ultrasound of the baby. Oh boy! I when I saw the baby jump inside me I missed a beat. It was the purest thing I had seen. Something you have only imagined until now, was real. The sonologist did the Nuchal scan.The Nuchal scan is done to detect abnormalities in the fetus. Doc showed me the spine, little hands and feet. It seemed surreal. It was a shame my husband couldn’t see it. They were limiting people inside due to Covid.

From 12 weeks onward the doctor prescribed Iron and Calcium tablets.

Miscarriage rates are high in the first trimester, so that’s when you need to be really careful. Also, the toxins exposed during the first three months have adverse effects on the fetus so it is best to stay away from toxic gases, second hand smoke and alcohol.

The Bump

Nope, Nada. I did not have any bump at 12 weeks. For first time mothers the bump grows slower it seemed.

Overall the first trimester was scary and fearful due to the second wave around. Otherwise I spent my time googling about pregnancy because it was all so so new!