First Trimester Pregnancy Blog

Peeps…!! We have some exciting news to share!
This probably explains my not-so-active blogging and social media a little better too. I still remember that day when the pregnancy test told me that I’m pregnant. The happiness I felt was indescribable!

Before entering into this pregnancy journey, I’ve always instilled myself with a positive outlook, visualizing a more comfortable experience, convincing myself that if I believed it would be different, it might be! I’m truly blessed to experience a pleasant first trimester journey despite having some digestive problems (upset stomach after meals)!

One of most interesting things about pregnancy is how much life changes week to week! The first trimester was fun and still bearable for me. So, I’m going to keep track all my ups and downs.  Here’s my first trimester symptoms.

The Bump App
I downloaded Ovia Pregnancy App. It is a simple app to track your baby's development, giving you some useful pregnancy tips day by day while watching your baby grow every day by showing you the baby’s size (from the little poppy seed- 3 to 4 weeks to hot jalapeno –13 weeks) . The wittle baby hand and leg based on the pregnancy week are too adorable!

Pregnancy Test

I bought a normal pregnancy test and a digital one from pharmacy. The digital pregnancy test – Clearblue with smart countdown has over 99% accurate at detecting pregnancy from the day of your expected period. I tested with the normal pregnancy test and when I found out the double line, I tried out Clearblue for a more accurate result. It’s very simple, just open the blue cap and dip it into your urine and waited for 30 secs, after that the result will appear on the screen. Mine showed “Pregnant 3+”.

Mind & Body
I have never been so tired in my life! I was extremely exhausted that I wanted to take naps every day. After being super excited over the positive pregnancy test, you’re supposed to be so happy and positive about this miracle taking place, and instead all you can think about is making it through the day. The weeks go by like months. The physical discomforts include the nausea…the exhaustion…the indigestion…the lack of motivation to do ANYTHING. Dr advised me to stop exercising therefore I've to say bye bye to my yoga and swimming practice. My breasts became tender and nipples were sore. I get really bloating during the first 12 weeks and I find it hard to sleep at night. What I did was stacking four pillows to raise my upper body. You can't avoid from experiencing heartburn, so instead of keep enduring, embrace the journey! ( I know sometimes I get quite emotional too - BLAME the hormones) During the first trimester, I have lost 2kgs at the beginning but gained back 2-2.5kgs towards the end. At about 7 weeks into my pregnancy was when my nausea first kicked in. I was allergic to smell and had a terrible noon/night sickness. I kept telling myself it’s only a phase that will pass.

Appetite
I was generally queasy, so I couldn’t eat much. It’s like I knew I liked spicy food, I knew how delicious it tasted, but now the thought of it made me sick to my stomach. I do also remember my tastes changing daily, so something that sounded good one day would be out of the question the next! For some reason KFC ( ya...the fried stuffs) always sat well with my stomach and so K bought it in bulk and I think I ate it almost every week and suddenly the smell of it made me wana puke! The love-hate relationship with food was making K speechless. . . It was like a battle dealing with food aversion and cravings. What’s even more ridiculous is I crave for that gross orange sugar drink everyone dreads from week 4-week 9. . . Yep I chugged it and wanted more.

Supplements
In the first trimester, basically you just need to take folic acid and Ferocom. Avoid taking any additional supplements such as fish oil unless as prescribed by doctor.

Constipation
I was lucky not having the poop issue as I try my best to eat different fruits & veggies every day. If you’re having a toilet issue, maybe you can try some yogurts and drink more water. By the way, Yakult works well on me.

Stretch Mark Control

I trusted Clarins brand in regards of use of natural ingredients for my skin. I started to use this stretch mark minimizer in conjunction with the body tonic treatment oil when I was 7 weeks. This cream is very moisturizing and a little goes a long way. I apply it using the massage technique recommended for pregnant women. It has no particular scent and the texture is lighter. I only put this on my stomach/belly and side of my thighs. Tips: Use in a circular motion to prevent peeling. To avoid stretch marks, you just need to be more hardworking than the others. This is what a friend of mine told me. ( I have never been so consistent/hardworking applying cream and oil 24/7 in my life)

Baby’s Name
As we have not figured out our baby's gender, we decided to name him/her Baby Koala/ Baby K/ 小考拉

Obstetrics & Gynecologist
Dr Eee and Dr Haw

Antenatal Check-Up/Ultrasound Scanning
I remember our first ultrasound appointment around 6.5 weeks. The yoke sac is on the right and our little baby is measured on the left.

We see this little peanut appear on the screen with a fluttering heartbeat❤ We were very excited to see the tiny ones in ultrasounds. I would forget all about the pain, the nausea, morning sickness, and the exhaustion. Those times were during our visits to our Doctor when we would get to see our little baby.

Second Ultrasound

Third Ultrasound

We had the third check up with my OB and did the 12 week ultrasound. It was absolutely mind blowing how much the baby had grown in just a few weeks. And we are continually amazed by how much the baby grows at each ultrasound. Baby Koala was wriggling actively while Dr Eee did the sonogram. I guess Baby K was enjoying his/her private bathtub in mummy’s tummy. Sometimes Baby K was chilling with the hiccups or did some kickboxing, maybe he/she was excited while we were watching at him/her. K was so excited watching the screen and busy recording the precious moment. Looks like he’s more excited than the MUM. Hahaha

On the 12th week, I took the First Trimester Combined Screening which cost RM550. It can only be done from 11 weeks to 13 weeks. During ultrasound, my OB measured the amount of fluid behind baby’s neck and I had blood drawn to check the levels of PAPPA and hcG.

It always feels more real when we see the baby on the ultrasound machine. There is absolutely nothing better than watching that baby dance around on the screen.

Hang in there mama, you’re getting closer to the finish line everyday...
Bring on the second trimester!

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