Congratulations! Welcome to this exciting new stage. It’s a big deal (huge!) and The Memo is here for you. This guide was created as a central place to talk you through the real-life stages of pregnancy. With research-backed information, it will help you through all your your "what next?", "what's that?" and "WTF?" moments.
If you’re reading this in the early weeks of pregnancy, it’s likely you’ll be brimming with emotions that overwhelm you, awaken you, excite you and exhaust you. Your hormones will experience patches of turbulence over the next nine or so months as your body and mind focus on nurturing your baby (or babies!). Rest assured, we’re here to help you feel good, prepared and supported, every step of the way.
Now that you’re pregnant your body will start to direct a lot of your daily energy to the task of growing your baby and running their life support — the placenta. For this reason plentiful amounts of rest, water, nutrient-rich foods and gentle (safe and doctor-approved) movement is encouraged.
As your baby grows, you can expect to tire more often and more quickly. Why? Because your carrying a bit more inside (the baby, the placenta, extra fluids and 45percent more blood), your heart is working overtime to nourish the developing placenta, your uterus is growing and taking on a new position, and your ovaries are producing added levels of progesterone. You are literally doing the most, hence the fatigue.
Throughout your pregnancy, your mind may start to race ahead: “Is this normal? When will [insert pregnancy characteristic] happen? What do we need for the baby? When?!” There will also be the mental Olympics of navigating your relationship with your partner, friends, family, work and, most importantly, yourself. All are about to go through periods of ‘newness’.
So there's flux in emotional changes, flux in your energy, and, oh yeah, the physical changes. From bigger boobs to slightly wider hips and destablising belly, you will experience a full range of development. Your feet may go up a size, your nipples may darken, your skin could clear and glow, or adopt a new short-term concern like acne or melasma. Your teeth may move, your hair could thicken… even your vulva is likely to experience change. It’s normal to feel a little bewildered or uncomfortable about these changes, but it is all part of the process of getting to meet your baby and the first part of your evolution into parenthood, where the unexpected is expected and the experiences are as individual as the tiny human it produces.
Below is a quick look at some of the things you might be wrapping your head around in this first trimester.
Resources For Your First Trimester
First Trimester Aids