Life update – we’re pregnant! To say we’re excited is an understatement. Our baby will be the first grandchild on my side of the family (and if you’ve followed the trajectory of my relationship with Brian – a long time coming). I just wrapped up my first trimester. Here’s how that went…
Am I pregnant?
A week in limbo
I had a week when I thought maybe, but I wasn’t that late. Enough to mention it, but not enough to think maybe I should take a test. I had a major work event happening that admittedly was very stressful. My cycle has been affected by stress many times. By the end of the week, I decided to take a test, just to rule it out. I would wait until after the event because if I was pregnant, I knew I would not be able to focus.
On the Monday following the weekend of the event, after I wrapped up some loose ends, I took a test while Brian waited in our bedroom. As we waited for the results, I said to Brian that it was probably not positive. The longest three minutes pass by. Positive.
Too early to see a doctor
Fun fact- the earliest most doctors will see you after a positive test is around eight weeks. Some will see you around week six or seven. I found out around four and a half weeks thanks to modern pregnancy test technology.
I was able to get an appointment for around six weeks, but they ended up rescheduling until I was closer to eight. So the first three weeks of my pregnancy felt a little unreal. I knew I was pregnant, but it didn’t feel official.
Ps – the reason doctors don’t see you (from my extensive reading) is that if you come in too early you can’t see much, plus it may be too soon to detect a heartbeat. This can cause unnecessary panic for the mother-to-be. So, we wait. It makes sense, but still sucks.
Then we heard the heartbeat…and it was real
The OB points at the screen and says, “There’s your baby”. It’s a small flickering dot and quite frankly I can’t tell if I’m looking in the right direction. Then with no warning, the heartbeat started booming over the speaker.
Everyone tells you about it, but it’s indescribable when you hear it for the first time. I cried. Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes.
it felt like a full-circle moment for me and Brian. We started this relationship as babies still in college. Now here we are, bringing a little one into the world. We made something.
The symptoms
So so bloated
The day after took the pregnancy test I felt super bloated. That bloated feeling you get after you have ramen and drink too much of the broth. I knew about the nausea and the exhaustion, but no one had ever mentioned bloating.
At the start, the bloating would progressively get worse throughout the day, but I’d start the day normally. By week eight, it never went down. It got to the point that I started thinking it was a bump. Per my doctor, it wasn’t. Just extreme bloat. The distinction? A bump feels hard, and bloat is soft and squishy to the touch comparatively.
No morning sickness or real nausea
While I felt bloated 24/7, I never dealt with extreme nausea. I kept waiting for it to come, but it never did. Mostly because everyone said, “Oh, I thought the same thing then around week X it hit me.”
Around week 9 I realized I was likely in the clear. Outside a few queasy moments, I had no morning sickness.
Food was completely unappealing though
I assumed I wouldn’t have food aversions since there was no nausea. Welp, that was wrong. Everything tasted like it was dipped in a vat of salt. By the end of the trimester, I was living on pizza and pasta. The only two things that didn’t gross me out. I had occasional cravings, but as a whole, I was on an all-carb diet.
Hated food, but was still super hungry
No matter what I ate the night before I’d wake up STARVING. It’s like my stomach empties out overnight and I’m starting at zero. This goes way beyond pre-breakfast hunger pains.
I noticed it at first with my morning workout classes. Midway through I felt so hungry I was light-headed. So, I started carrying bars with me to eat before my workouts. Prior to pregnancy I always did fasted workouts without an issue, but I had to listen to my body.
Random Pains and Discomfort
Back pain, breast tenderness, abdominal discomfort, and headaches were common. Never at the same time, thankfully. The surge of hormones and my uterus expanding made these inevitable. Most were manageable with rest or changing positions, but I’ll admit the breast tenderness and headaches were rough at times.
Oh so sleepy
If I made it to 9 pm without falling asleep on the couch that was major. Most days around 4 pm I started feeling exhausted and I would push through until I eventually passed out around 8/8:30 pm. Getting up in the morning was also a struggle. I had to re-watch a lot of Bravo shows and late cancel a lot of morning workout classes.
My Style
A lot of oversized baggy clothes
Some people knew I was pregnant, but not everyone did. We told family, friends, and a few coworkers, but for the most part, it was a secret. Enter a lot of oversized pieces that concealed my bloat (that looked like a bump). As well as plenty of oversized button-ups and blazers.
Struggling to stay to true my style
Things stopped fitting EARLY. I’m a denim girl. At a certain point, even my stretchiest jeans were uncomfortable. Every time I had to leave the house it was stressful because my wardrobe felt so limited. I didn’t feel like myself.
I started shopping
Not excessively, but rather than trying to squeeze into clothes, I eliminated the stress by just buying something new for big events or when I felt a little stumped wardrobe-wise. The one key thing I did was buy things that I could continue to wear throughout pregnancy (and after). This means either sizing up or a lot of stretch.
First trimester as whole
Besides the lack of energy and hating food, I have to admit it wasn’t a bad first trimester. It was a real learning lesson in every pregnancy being different. I had a whole set of expectations of what it would be like based on my mom’s and my friends’ experiences, but it went in a completely opposing direction. As a whole though, I felt pretty good. I am really grateful for this. Hopefully, this is how this pregnancy continues to trend. Can’t wait to continue sharing my journey with you.
Alexa Alfonso 