WE’RE HAVING A BABY! On April 24th, 2022 we had our first positive pregnancy test. We couldn’t believe it! We decided to start trying in March, but we knew it could take some time so we were trying to not get our hopes up too high this first month. We were overjoyed and shocked to see that plus mark! We had just flown home from a wedding in Texas. I had actually taken a test the week prior (a few days before my missed period), but it was negative. I was a little sad, but again, we had just started trying so I tried to not let it get me too down. When we flew home from Texas, I was officially 6 days late for my period and my boobs were so sore so we decided to take another test when we got home, and it was positive! I then proceeded to take two more just to be sure.

First Appointment and Ultrasound

At six weeks (about two weeks after our positive test), I woke up in the middle of the nights with a good amount of bleeding. I can’t explain the devastation I was feeling because I was certain I had lost our baby. It happened over Mother’s Day weekend, which was just an added devastation, and my first OB appointment was supposed to be the following Tuesday. We spent the weekend crying and just being together. Those three days of thinking our baby was gone were easily the worst three days of my life. At our appointment on Tuesday, my OB listened to me cry retelling about my bleeding, and she sent me for an ultrasound. Seeing that heartbeat was the most miraculous thing. We just couldn’t believe it, and we cried and cried. My OB does not have a reason for the bleeding I had, but she did say bleeding in the first trimester can be normal but still so scary.

After figuring out baby was OK, my OB scheduled me for another “new” appointment so she could go over everything else. That appointment was when I was around 12 weeks along. I got blood work done (blood counts, infection screening, blood sugar, and blood type), and those all looked great. We talked about all the dos and don’ts of pregnancy, and we got all of our questions answered. She did another ultrasound for us, and I couldn’t believe the drastic change from our first one. Seeing the heartbeat and watching baby move around is unbelievable!

Morning Sickness

My morning sickness kicked in at around 7 weeks and was the strongest until around week 10. It didn’t totally go away until around week 13, but it was definitely more manageable! Preggie Pops helped me some- I tried to save them for when I had to go to the clinic or on errands because they do have a good amount of sugar in each one. (Sugar makes my migraines worse, and I can’t take much for them while pregnant, so I just wanted to avoid my triggers as much as possible!) Re-Lyte electrolytes were my saving grace. No matter how bad I felt, I made myself drink them first thing in the morning along with eating something. Bagels and strawberries worked the best for me. I know it’s so hard, but forcing myself to eat and drink first thing in the morning helped my morning sickness more than anything. I am so thankful because I have heard the horror stories from some mamas about how severely sick they were in the first trimester- mine could have been so much worse!

Migraines

I’ve had migraines since I was five, and I was really worried about how I would do while pregnant since I can’t take most of my medications that prevent and treat them. I stopped taking most of them at least a month before we started trying just to get out of the habit of taking them. My neurologist prescribed me Flexeril, Magnesium Oxide, and Riboflavin to help. I take the Mag and Ribo every day with my prenatal, and the Flexeril is for when I get a migraine. I take it along with Tylenol and try to lay down for a bit. They have been pretty manageable that way! When my morning sickness was the worst, that made my migraines worse because I wasn’t eating enough. Ice packs and a heating pad are also major staples for me. This headache relief hat is a GAMECHANGER- it basically numbs my head and blocks out all the light.

Vitamins

I started my prenatal vitamin about six months before I got pregnant. I really like the Nature Made Prenatal. I then added a Choline supplement in the first trimester since I don’t get a ton in my diet (eggs are a great form of Choline, but they are a migraine trigger for me!). My neurologist also had me start the Magnesium Oxide and Riboflavin for migraine prevention. I use these pill packs and keep them by my sink so I am sure to take them every morning.

Books and Podcasts

There is SO MUCH to learn about pregnancy and newborns. It can be overwhelming. I have learned so much from these podcasts and books and highly recommend all of them. There are a lot of books and podcasts out there so just make sure you are taking advice from a credible source and ask your OB any questions you have.

• Newborn 101 by Carole Kramel Arsenault, RN
• Expecting Better by Emily Oster *Also a great one to read when preparing for pregnancy*
• All About Pregnancy and Birth Podcast with Dr. Nicole Rankins
• The Mommy Labor Nurse Podcast with Liesel Teen, RN
• Evidence Based Birth Podcast
• Pooch Parenting Podcast

Anxiety

After our miscarriage scare, my anxiety was debilitating until a few weeks after we entered the second trimester. I was very dependent on Kyle during this time, and he was constantly trying to reassure me that I was doing everything I could possibly do to have a healthy pregnancy, and that everything else was in God’s hands. Trying to stick to my normal routine helped some, and I tried to get some sunshine and movement every day by taking Chance for a walk. I started doing my devotional every night before bed because that was when my anxiety was the worst, and I would read my Kindle (non pregnancy related books) until I fell asleep. Kyle and I both prayed and prayed constantly.

At around 11 weeks, we were able to start hearing the heartbeat with a doppler we borrowed from my sister in law. I’ll link it here. If I didn’t have one to borrow, I would 100% buy it. It would be worth every penny to us. We listened to the heartbeat every night and multiple times throughout the day. It helped my anxiety SO MUCH. We use this doppler gel from Amazon.

Body Changes

My weight stayed pretty stable throughout my first trimester. I did order a size up in scrub pants (usually smalls in Figs, ordered mediums) and some biker shorts (usually medium, ordered large) to give myself room to grow. I’ll be able to wear all of those after pregnancy too! At around 10 weeks, my hips felt like they were beginning to get wider so my jeans were starting to get uncomfortable. Thankfully, I wear loungewear or scrubs 99% of the time, and those clothes are easily accommodating for my changing body. The way the female body is designed to go through all the changes needed for pregnancy and birth is absolutely amazing, but it is still difficult sometimes to accept all the changes, and I’ll talk more about that in my second trimester post!

We are so incredibly thankful, and I am loving being pregnant so far.

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Questions for YOU! Please comment below so we can chat.

1. What is your best advice for pregnancy??
2. What questions do you have for me? I’ll either answer below or share in my second trimester recap!