healthy pregnancy 1st
Trimester
Weeks 1-12
Early Pregnancy Events From pregnancy tests to morning sickness, here’s how it all begins. BY SUSAN PECK, MSN, APN
Welcome to your fi rst and sleepiest trimester; during these 12 weeks your baby will grow from an embryo 1/5th the size of the period at the end of this sentence to the size of a plum. Every day, the pregnancy hormone HCG is increasing and it’s what makes your pregnancy test positive. It’s also responsible for feeling tired, tender or sore breasts, frequently needing to pee and for many women—morning sickness. It’s normal to want a nap every day—your body is working hard to grow your baby—it’s exhausting! Before you knew you were pregnant, baby’s neural tube— what becomes their brain and spinal cord—formed and closed. The 800 micrograms of folic acid in most prenatal vitamins protect against neural tube birth defects, so it’s important to take a prenatal vitamin before conception and through pregnancy and breastfeeding. Baby fi nishes the 1st trimester 10 times bigger than at conception. Your body is changing too: Your breasts are likely bigger and sore, you may have frequent headaches, fatigue and nausea. It’s not unusual to have some spotting or mild cramping and this doesn’t always mean miscarriage. Call your provider right away, especially if the bleeding is heavy or if you’re cramping.
HEALTHY TO TERM START HABITS THAT KEEP YOUR PREGNANCY AS HEALTHY AS POSSIBLE ALL THE WAY TO TERM: ✿ Daily prenatal vitamin, especially if you haven’t been taking one ✿ Make and keep all prenatal appointments ✿ Healthy food with lots of water ✿ If you smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol or use drugs, talk to your provider about getting support to quit ✿ Caffeine limited to no more than 200mg a day—that’s up to 12 ounces of coffee. Foods like chocolate and other beverages have caffeine too
ISSUE 26 / 2019 Healthy Mom&Baby
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27/06/2019 12:21