There is a certain feeling of fullness that I felt with each of my pregnancies, the moment I found out I was having a baby growing in your womb. Instantly feel so much more expansive and suddenly feel the reality of stepping into a new journey.

And then there was the feeling anxious on whats next and processing all the thoughts and feeling that come up for me.

The first trimester of pregnancy can be such a transformational period. Within the first couple of weeks, there is so much happening within your body to stabilize and create a nourishing home for your baby. 

I remember the first time I got pregnant, I had one of those books that walk you through the weekly changes your baby is going through and compares their weekly growth to a fruit. 

While I did think that this was one way to connect with the changes happening with my baby. It never really filled me in on what changes were happening within my body.

In this post, I would like to dive into the different changes that happen within the body in the first trimester of pregnancy. 

This is the post I wish I had when I was pregnant so I could have moved more in an informed space through pregnancy. When we are educated on our bodies, we can make better decisions for our bodies.

An Increase in hormones 

After conception, there is an increase in pregnancy hormones that will play different roles in preparing your body for the birth of your baby. They are responsible for some of the physical changes that you may begin to notice in this first trimester or the upcoming trimesters! 

The 3 hormones I will be mentioning here are

• Relaxin
• Prolactin
• Progesterone

 Each pregnancy is different, so some pregnancy symptoms you may have and some you may not. 

Either way just understanding the different things taking place in your body can be beneficial to the way you go about your days in nurturing yourself and taking care of yourself to have a healthy pregnancy! 

Physical changes in your first trimester of pregnancy

Breast changes

Your breast may begin to feel tender, and sore and may even grow bigger. This is due to increased blood volume and the pregnancy hormone, Prolactin. 

This hormone is responsible for your milk production. It starts to release during the first trimester of pregnancy to increase the size of the milk ducts in your breast. 

This may be a good time to start looking into maternity and nursing bras so you can be nice and comfortable as your breasts begin to grow! 

Digestive changes 

Heartburn

Heartburn can be something you experience during this time because of the increased hormone, progesterone. This hormone is increasingly released during the first trimester and one of its jobs is to help relax the smooth muscle tissue in the body. This lining of smooth muscle tissue lines organs within the body, one of those organs being the esophagus. 

The lower opening of the esophagus is more relaxed and loose, causing it to not close all the way. This can cause stomach acid to leave the stomach and travel up the esophagus causing heartburn. 

Some things that can help with heartburn are :

• Apple Cider vinegar.

• Baking Soda.
• Almonds
• Limit fried, spicy, gassy foods
• Avoid slouching, bending or laying after eating
• Drink Water
• Find ways to manage and reduce stress
• Eat smaller portions of food

Constipation/ bloating

The same hormone Progesterone also makes the digestive system slow down. Food is processed and broken down a lot slower than normal. Since the smooth muscle tissues in the intestines are more relaxed, the muscles are not working as hard towards digesting your food. This process helps your body absorb all the nutrients needed from the food for your baby.

Some things you can do to help with constipation could be: 

• Drink lots of water

• Increase intake of fiber foods such as berries, prunes, beans, Okra, broccoli, whole-grain foods, just think fresh fruits and vegetables!
• Exercise like taking a walk, light workout, or yoga

Nausea

Nausea is a commonly talked about experience that women have when they become pregnant. I personally never had it and honestly was waiting for it to show up in all my pregnancies and never did. 

There haven’t been any exact findings on why women experience nausea during the first trimester. But some assumptions could be the spike in hormones, the shifting, and changes of your body during this time. 

It can be helpful to eat smaller portions of food and keep snacks nearby to keep something in your stomach at all times.

Some different foods that can help with nausea are :

• Lemon
• Ginger
• Mint
• Pumpkin Seeds

Maybe having these things on hand so if nausea strikes, you’re prepared!

Increased Pressure on your Bladder / frequent urination

As your uterus begins to grow into a home for your baby, it may begin to add pressure to your bladder, since the uterus sits right above it. As your uterus gets bigger, it will begin to rise out of the pelvis cavity and at this point. In the second trimester, you should get a break from the frequent urge to go pee. 

But as the baby gets bigger in the 3rd trimester and adds pressure to your bladder, this same urge may come right back! 

So pretty much just be prepared to add bathroom breaks in your days rather than your out, at work, or so on!

Leaning more into rest, feeling more sleepy

I remember in my first pregnancy, I was always sleeping during the first trimester! My son just came and took me out! Then with my next two pregnancies, I don’t remember feeling as tired. But I definitely will say it’s more of a resting period.

Your body is in the process of creating a home for a whole human being to grow in. Blood levels have increased about 40 to 60 percent. And hormone levels have shifted to help with the growth and shifting of pregnancy. And your placenta and baby are in the process of growing. So many changes are happening within your body during this time, rather if you feel them physically or not.

This is why this transition, this time is such a great time to sit and allow rest. Could be a good time to reflect, and honor this new journey you are on. 

Creating space and time to rest during this period, maybe going to sleep earlier, or scheduling a nap on the days you have more time to do so can be such a simple way of supporting and honoring your body during this time.

Achy/tender Pelvis 

Since your womb is beginning to stretch and grow out of your pelvis, you may feel a little tender and achy. By the end of your first trimester, your uterus will have grown to the size of a grapefruit! So this is normal to feel. If you begin to experience painful cramping or see blood, reach out to your provider. 

Things that can help with an achy pelvis could be: 

• Resting in child pose position, legs open

• Pelvic tilts 

• Resting, laying down

• A nice warm bath

• Using a pregnancy pillow to lay down with between legs to help even out the hips 

• Prompt legs up

Babies development and other changes in the first trimester of pregnancy

• The Hormone Relaxin is released into your body from conception up to 6 months after birth. Relaxin helps the tendons, muscles and ligaments become lose and flexible for child birth.
• Uterine lining thickens and the umbilical cord has formed and is nourishing your baby
• Baby begins to grow their organs and will be a fully formed fetus by the end of the first trimester. Measuring about 3 inches long.
• The placenta begins to form and attach to the uterine wall.
• Amniotic fluid begins to feel the uterus
• The arms and legs of the fetus begin to bud, and they can start moving ( although you won’t be able to feel just yet) 
• The heart is strong and beating and the fetus can begin breathing in amniotic fluid

It’s no wonder you may feel more tired during this time! Your body is putting in that work and forming a whole human being day by day!

Emotional Changes 

The first trimester of pregnancy can be such a transformative time. Things are shifting not only in your body, but may begin to shift in your life and your feelings towards your pregnancy. 

And…

Not only that but a whole new setup task, and decisions come your way once you acknowledge your pregnancy and let it set in. 

You may begin to start 

• Feeling a little anxious
• May feel more emotional. This could be because of the shift in hormones your body is going through.
• Have an increased curiosity about birth and motherhood 
• Concerns around pregnancy and birth 

In the first trimester of all my pregnancies, this time for me was like a time to just get used to the idea of me being pregnant. To let it really set in. Each one of my pregnancies was not necessarily planned but also was not prevented. 

So I was still a little taken back at first every time I would pee on that stick and see those two lines. 

 This is a period to takes some time to process everything. It is an interesting period for me because I was not showing yet and that always was the one thing I looked forward to. Was seeing my little bump and feeling my baby. It also was a period of processing. 

Could be a good time to :

• Discuss with your partner or family your feelings around this pregnancy
• Journaling out your thoughts
• Time and space to sit with yourself 
• Be gentle with yourself 

Thing you can do during your first trimester of Pregnancy

• Rest
• Drink lots of water 
• Begin to think about the care and support you want for this pregnancy
• Lean into the thoughts and feelings that come up for you around birth 
• Eat whole, organic nourishing foods, meals, snacks if you can 
• Research resources around you and online for pregnancy, providers, doulas, birth classes, etc. 
• Envision the birthing experience you want to have, no pressure. But a good thing to do is know what steps you can begin to take towards that.

First Trimester Yoga Poses

Now you know I couldn’t just get through this whole post and not mention the benefits of yoga and not leave some moves that could be helpful during this time for you.

Prenatal yoga can be a great way to build a connection to your pregnancy, relieve aches and discomforts of pregnancy and can be relaxing.

During this stage of pregnancy you may have low energy, and not feel up to doing a-lot of moving. The yoga poses I have put down below are focused on not to much movement. More with the idea of adding some stretches, mobility to your pelvis. Hip openers are great for adding flexibility to the surrounded ligaments of the pelvic floor, bring movement, relieving aches and bring circulation.

Taking on some activity to keep your body moving during pregnancy can be helpful for your birth and can build confidence within yourself and body.

Down below I have added in some yoga poses for the First Trimester of pregnancy, check them out.

To learn more of the benefits of prenatal yoga check out my post 12 Benefits to Prenatal Yoga

Understanding and being aware of the physical changes that are happening within your body during the first trimester of pregnancy can be helpful with moving forward with taking care of yourself during this time. 

Acknowledging the stages of pregnancy and creating space for your needs like taking more time to rest, finding more whole foods to eat, and so much more is a way to stay in tune with yourselves during this time. 

No matter what kind of birth you are planning to have, or what provider you are planning to get, being proactive in your health is something that you have access to and can be so empowering throughout your pregnancy journey.