The First Trimester Pregnancy Time

The first 13 weeks

The first trimester pregnancy time can be some what daunting. You've done the test and it's definitely positive, but you may not be sure how you feel about this result. This is all very normal. You may go from feeling over the moon, to endless bouts of crying.

In pregnancy the first trimester can be quite a frightening time too, there's a lot going on inside your body, hormones are racing about all over the place. The thought of being a mother is sometimes terrifying, You may be asking yourself all kinds of questions. Just remember not to stress, take things slowly, give yourself chance to come to terms with what's happening, and book your first appointment with your GP.

Below we'll take a look a look at what happens to you and your body over the next few weeks.

First trimester pregnancy - Weeks 1 to 4

• The first two weeks you may not even know you are pregnant, although pregnancy tests are a lot more advanced now than they used to be, some even let you take the test before your period is due.

• You will more than likely miss your period (although not all women do!), for some women this is a definite sign that they are pregnant, others say they know before this time.

• You may experience slight spotting, this is from the egg attaching itself to the lining of the uterus.The placenta will now start to form.

• You might start to experience some of the first trimester pregnancy symptoms such as nausea and fatigue, see more on early pregnancy symptoms here.

• If you're not already taking a folic acid supplement, then now is the time to start.

First trimester pregnancy - Weeks 5 to 8

• You may be experiencing morning sickness, if you do then don't get out of bed too quickly in the morning, take your time and maybe eat a dry biscuit before you get up. Ginger is supposed to be very helpful with morning sickness.

• You may feel quite crampy as though your period is about to start, I actually had this with my first baby until I was 14 weeks! It was awful I kept thinking that I wouldn't get past the first trimester... I did!

• Your breasts may become tender and swollen, you could feel quite moody and tired. If you notice any spotting or bleeding you should visit your GP as soon as you can arrange it.

• Your uterus may now be starting to press against your bladder, so visits to the bathroom may become much more frequent.

First trimester pregnancy - Weeks 9 to 13

• Ok The shock has worn off :-) It may still be hard for some women to actually believe they are pregnant, but people may be able to tell now! People may say that you are "blossoming" you will get a slight 'glow' to the skin due to all the circulating hormones.

• Towards the end of the first trimester, you may notice your waistline disappearing. Don't wear clothes that are too tight. Your uterus may now be roughly the size of a small grapefruit!

• Morning sickness may now start to wear off.

• You may be able to see the dark line forming from just above your pubic bone to your belly button.

• Are you enjoying your pregnancy - First trimester sonogram (ultrasound) will be somewhere in these few weeks. When you see your baby for the first time, you will be amazed!

Now you know what to expect in the first trimester. See how your baby grows in the first 12 weeks.

Return from first trimester pregnancy to the pregnancy page.

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