Tips for Your First Trimester as Birth Mother Choosing Adoption

The first trimester of your pregnancy can be a daunting time. Especially under the fear and unknown of also choosing adoption. There are many questions, emotions, and physical changes that can make your first twelve weeks challenging. Combined with a massive amount of books, tips, and advice about what to do during your first trimester, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed and lost. 

Listed below however, are five simple tips to help you through your first trimester. This concise list are things that you most likely will experience and what you can do to help you through the challenges of your first trimester. It will be a tough couple of weeks, but it is manageable and thousands of pregnant women go through the same thing everyday. You are not alone in this! 

If you already feel overwhelmed…

Don’t worry, you are in good hands! Adoption Choices of Texas is here to help. Women choosing adoption must take care of themselves and their unborn child and this begins with the first trimester.

Tips for Your First Trimester

1) Start a Prenatal Vitamin

Taking a prenatal vitamin is an essential aspect of having a healthy pregnancy. A prenatal vitamin gives your baby the extra vitamins and minerals it needs! It specifically gives you extra amounts of the nutrients folic acid, calcium and iron. 

• Folic acid is an essential nutrient that aids in the development of a baby’s brain and spinal cord. This nutrient also helps to reduce the risk of serious birth defects such as anencephaly and spina bifida, both of which cause defects in the neural tube that connects to the brain. 
• Calcium is a key nutrient for both babies and adults alike. Calcium helps to protect the bones and aids in the development of bones throughout the body. Specifically, the baby’s skull. This is a key part of a baby’s development and the calcium helps to make the skull stronger. 
• Iron is a vital mineral for both the wellbeing of both you and your baby. Iron works in the body to make hemoglobin, a substance in the blood that helps to transport oxygen throughout the body. While pregnant, the need for iron goes up as your body must supply oxygen to both you and your baby. 

An unfortunate side effect that can occur while taking prenatal vitamins is bouts of nausea. The good news is that there are simple things that can be done to soothe the nausea. Simply make sure to eat food when taking your prenatal and, if possible, switch to a chewable version that’ll be easier on your stomach. Be sure to consult with your doctor about which prenatal vitamins to take. There are many different brands, doses and types on the market. It can all be a bit overwhelming at times, so it is best to consult with your OBGYN to find the best fit for you! Adoption Choices of Texas can help you with prenatal vitamins and connecting you with medical support. 

2) Manage Your Morning Sickness 

Morning sickness is an unfortunate part of pregnancy that half of all pregnant women experience. Despite the name and reputation, morning sickness occurs at all times of the day. The most common symptoms of morning sickness are nausea and vomiting. Nausea during pregnancy occurs when there is a sudden increase of hormones in your body. While that may sound unsettling, there is no harm done to your baby. It’s just an unpleasant moment for you! 

Managing your morning sickness may sound like an unachievable wish. But there are some basic things you can do to ease morning sickness. While these suggestions will not cure your morning sickness, they may help to ease your symptoms to make life bearable. 

• Try changing how many meals you eat in a day to ease your upset stomach. By changing from the normal three meals a day, to eating five or six small meals throughout the day, you lessen the chance of having an empty stomach, which will then lead to nausea or vomiting.
• Eating bland foods is another way to ease your upset stomach. Although it is not exciting for your palate, eating bland foods can be digested easily. Foods that are spicy and fatty can lead to your symptoms increasing. So, by limiting the amount of spice to your food, you are lessening the chance of an upset stomach. 
• An easy tip to avoid morning sickness is to avoid smells that upset your stomach. It is a common symptom during pregnancy that smells that never bothered you in the past, can now cause you to run to the bathroom! Take note of the smells, particularly smells of food, that has changed for you during your first trimester. By avoiding those smells, you can hopefully avoid the nauseous and vomiting! 

3) Eat a Balanced Diet for Two 

We all have heard the phrase, ‘eating for two’ when discussing nutrition and pregnancy. And while this phrase is essentially true, it is misleading in that expecting women do not have to eat that much more a day. It is recommended that pregnant women should consume an extra 300 calories every day. And while that may not seem like a huge amount more to eat, making sure to get in the correct amount of calories every day will ensure the healthy development of your baby. 

Depending on your weight before pregnancy, you will most likely gain an average of twenty five to thirty five pounds throughout your pregnancy. This is a normal part of pregnancy that many women experience and can feel uneasy about. And while this is a tense subject for women, it is important to remember that the extra calories you consume will help both you and the baby in the long run. 

When eating an extra 300 calories a day, it is encouraged that pregnant women follow healthy eating habits during pregnancy. Eating a balanced diet is not only beneficial for a baby’s growth and development, but it also aids you in having a safe and easy pregnancy. A balanced nutrient-rich diet can come from a variety of food groups. This includes, but is not limited to: 

• Fruits and vegetables
• Bread and grains
• Protein 
• Dairy products 

By consuming food from each food group every day, you and your baby will both be safe, healthy and happy! 

4) Get Your Rest 

Fatigue during pregnancy is one of the most common symptoms pregnant women experience.  It is also one of the first signs that a woman is pregnant. Besides the morning sickness, tiredness is one of the hardest symptoms to deal with, especially if you have a busy and non-sedentary life. It is a common annoyance that many pregnant women face. But, there are simple tips you can try to help ease the constant feeling of tiredness. 

The way to help with fatigue may sound obvious, but, for many women, it is much harder to actually carry out. The most effective way to aid in early fatigue is to get more sleep. If possible, it is recommended to take naps during the day. For many pregnant women, sleeping all through the night is challenging due to active bladders, discomfort and nausea. 

Pregnancy doesn’t just affect your body, it affects your mind as well. The whole experience of pregnancy can be overwhelming at times, thus making your body and mind more susceptible for fatigue. An effective way to help ease pregnancy fatigue is to try to take as many opportunities as possible to relax and clear your mind. Relaxing is not easy for many people, regardless if you are pregnant or not. A key way to get better sleep is to practice relaxing things during the day. Mediation, bubble baths and massages are great ways to relax your mind, body and pregnancy fatigue.

This may seem counterintuitive, but a great way to ensure that you get a good night’s sleep is to exercise! Exercising for pregnant women can sound like the last possible thing you would want to do. But exercise, in general, is beneficial to have good sleep. By getting in a walk, swim or pregnancy-safe workout class, you can help to better your chance of beating pregnancy fatigue. 

5) Get Enough Exercise 

A final tip to make it through your first trimester, which is similar to the last tip to beat fatigue, is to exercise! Exercise is a great way to beat tiredness, muscle pains, and general discomfort during pregnancy. There are many different types of exercises that you can do that will benefit you and your pregnancy. But a handful of the best ways of exercising while pregnant are swimming, yoga, and walking. 

Swimming is one of the best ways to exercise while pregnant. It is a great activity to do while pregnant because it is gentle on the body, specifically your joints and eventual swollen ankles. Something as simple as doing laps can greatly help both you and your baby’s health. And as an added bonus, swimming makes you feel light when you feel anything but light! 

Yoga is a great form of exercise whether you are pregnant or not. It is a relaxing form of exercise that isn’t strenuous on your joints. While pregnant, yoga is not only relaxing, but helps to strengthen your muscles, ease back pain, and get a better night’s sleep. There are many forms of yoga that you can try, depending on your experience and physical health. But, it is recommended to not do intense forms of yoga such as hot or Ashtanga yoga as they can be too much pressure on your pregnant body. Instead, try out a prenatal yoga class that is specifically made for pregnant women. They are gentle and focus on relaxation, which is also great preparation for labor. 

Walking may seem like a basic way to get exercise, but it is extremely effective and easy on your pregnant body. The great part of walking is that you can do it anywhere! You can walk on the trail, road, or treadmill. Walking is a safe way for pregnant women to gain muscle, tone muscle, and relax their mind. Start out by walking three times a week at a semi-swift pace and slowly increase your time and pace over time. 

While these three forms of exercise are not the only ways pregnant women can get exercise, these are some of the most efficient, safe, and effective ways. But, feel free to experiment! You can try many different types of exercises, but you should consult with your OBGYN for specifics.

You Can Do It! 

Your first trimester can seem overwhelming. There is a rush of new information, emotions, and physical changes. It is a challenging time for those first twelve weeks, but it isn’t hopeless! The previous tips for your first trimester will hopefully make the first of many weeks easier for both you and your baby. 

With the help of your OBGYN, these helpful tips, and all of us here at Adoption Choices of Texas, your first trimester will be a great twelve weeks! 

As an expectant woman or birth parent, to learn more about adoption, contact Adoption Choices of Texas. You can call us at 945-444-0333, text us at 945-444-0333, or email us here. If you are hoping to adopt, please visit us here. We look forward to helping you through your adoption journey!

Meet the Author: Sarah Henderson can best be described as someone with an eclectic taste in all things related to literacy and writing. She can be found reading a wide array of subjects from true crime novels to the next young adult fantasy series. Because of her love of literature, it has been Sarah’s dream to become a novelist herself. 

After graduating from college in 2019, Sarah has been spending her time planning, researching and writing for her first novel. 

When she isn’t reading or writing her novel, you can find Sarah out for her early morning run, hiking a three-plus mile hike or cooking her favorite vegan meal. She presently lives in Indianapolis, IN and is waiting for the next chapter of her life to begin!