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Pregnancy

First Trimester

Your Body

Your Body
Bye, Bye Body

Even though there aren’t any visible signs of pregnancy yet (unless this is your second pregnancy, when most women report showing sooner than before ) – your body has undergone a lot of changes already. A thicker uterus, surging hormones, appetite changes, shortness of breath. Check out what’s happening in your body during the first trimester…

The uterus has formed a lush bed of tissue; within hours of Mr. Sperm’s meeting Ms. Egg, your baby’s gender, eye color, and hair texture have been set; and your little fertilized egg has traveled all the way through the fallopian tube and into the uterus—it’s no wonder you’re feeling more tired. Once that egg has reached its final resting spot in the uterus, it triggers the production of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), the hormone that turns your pregnancy test result positive and your life upside down. Pumped-up levels of estrogen and progesterone are also being produced. All of this happens before week four, when your miss your period or have some slight spotting.

Your body may be giving you other signs as well from swelling, queasiness and frequent runs to the bathroom. Some common early pregnancy signs are:

Tender boobs. Increased hormone production may make your breasts unusually sensitive. Your breasts will probably feel fuller and heavier—your man will likely love this! Wearing a more supportive bra or a sports bra may help.

Bouts of nausea. Many women have queasiness, nausea or vomiting in early pregnancy — probably due to normal hormonal changes. Nausea tends to be worse in the morning, but it can last all day. To help, eat small, frequent meals throughout the day. Suck on hard candy. Try ginger ale or ginger tea. Lemon and peppermint sometimes help, too. Avoid foods or smells that make your nausea worse. However, you contact your doctor if you're not able to eat or drink for more than 24 hours.

Unusual fatigue. You may feel tired as your body prepares to support the pregnancy. Your heart will pump faster and harder, and your pulse will quicken. Get plenty of rest. Make sure you're getting enough iron and protein. Add some physical activity, like a brisk walk, to your daily routine.

More potty runs. You may need to urinate more often as your enlarging uterus presses on your bladder during the first few months of pregnancy. The same pressure may cause you to leak urine when sneezing, coughing or laughing (try wearing a pantyliner). To help prevent urinary tract infections, urinate whenever you feel the need to. If you're losing sleep due to middle-of-the-night bathroom trips, drink less in the evenings.

Dizziness. Normal circulatory changes in early pregnancy may leave you feeling a little dizzy. Stress, fatigue and hunger also may play a role. To prevent mild, occasional dizziness, avoid prolonged standing. Rise slowly after lying or sitting down. If you start to feel dizzy while you're driving, pull over. If you're standing when dizziness hits, sit or lie down. Seek prompt care if the dizziness is severe and occurs with abdominal pain or vaginal bleeding, this could be serious.

Me so hungry!. A ravenous appetite could be another sign. If you find yourself hungry enough to gnaw on your own flesh, by all means eat! Just try to go for something healthy instead of heading for your favorite tub of ice cream.

Shortness of breath. You may also notice that you feel short of breath or that you need to take more deep breaths to feel comfortable. That's because the amount of air you inhale in each breath decreases by 40 percent when you're pregnant, so you need to breath in more air to get enough oxygen to you and your baby. Doctors aren't sure why this happens, but they think it may be set off by that pesky progesterone hormone invading your body. No need ot fret that you're not getting enough oxygen; your body knows exactly what it's doing.

Changes in the eyes. Around the tenth week, parts of your eye become thicker and swollen with fluid (I told you pregnancy affects everything!) Your vision won’t change, but you may have problems wearing contacts or they won’t feel comfortable. For the time being, you may want to pull out the ole’ spectacles.

Typically your eyes will resume their original shape about six weeks after delivery.

Anything goes. There are also those weird things you won’t find in any pregnancy book. Remember everybody’s journey is different. My weirdo thing was a pregnancy-induced mole outbreak. In fact, I’ve got one new mole for each of my pregnancies.

For more great pregnancy advice, check out The Mocha Manual to a Fabulous Pregnancy (Amistad/HarperCollins) by Kimberly Seals Allers and The Mocha Manual DVD available at Wal-mart stores and walmart.com.

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