First Trimester mommies

I found this really helpful so I thought I would share...I hope you find it helpful too.

First Trimester Worries: Do's and Dont's

There's no denying it. Worrying is as much a part of pregnancy as stretch marks and popped belly buttons. While you are unlikely to stop worrying entirely until Junior makes his grand entrance a few months down the road, there's plenty you can do to keep your worry-o-meter from shooting off the scale in the meantime. Here's what you need to know about the top ten first-trimester worries that are most likely to have you pacing the floor at 3 a.m.

1. I'm petrified that I'm going to have a miscarriage. If there's one fear that's pretty much universal among newly pregnant women, it's the fear of experiencing a miscarriage. While the majority of pregnant women will end up with the storybook happy ending that they're hoping for, a significant number—between 15 and 20 per cent – will experience the heartbreak of miscarriage. The way to cope with this particular worry is to turn it on its head. Rather than focusing on your odds of miscarrying, focus on your odds of not miscarrying: 80 to 85 per cent.

2. I don't feel pregnant anymore. Could I have experienced a miscarriage? After spending weeks coping with morning sickness, overwhelming fatigue, and swollen breasts, it can be a little disconcerting to have all those symptoms disappear overnight. While it's true that a sudden disappearance of pregnancy symptoms can indicate a missed miscarriage (a situation in which the developing baby dies, but is not immediately expelled from the mother's body), that's not the only reason your symptoms may have disappeared. They tend to disappear towards the end of the first trimester anyway. Bottom line? If you're really concerned, call your doctor or midwife.

3. I had a glass of wine before I found out I was pregnant. Will my baby be okay? While it's obviously best to avoid exposing your baby to any potentially harmful substances during the period when your baby's major organs are being formed (approximately two to eight weeks after conception), there's no point in beating yourself up about that glass of wine now. Instead, concentrate on making the healthiest possible choices for the remainder of your pregnancy.

4. I'm worried that being pregnant at age 40 puts me at risk of giving birth to a baby with a chromosomal abnormality. While the risk of giving birth to a baby with a chromosomal abnormality such as Down's syndrome increases as you age, it's important to remember that a 40-year-old woman still has a better than 98 per cent chance of having a chromosomally normal child. There are, however, tests to check for abnormality and abnormality risks. If you are concerned, talk to your doctor about them.

5. I fell down a flight of stairs last night. I'm petrified I'll have a miscarriage because of the fall. While it's hard not to hit the panic button when you take a tumble, try to keep in mind that your body is designed to protect your baby against accidents like this. The walls of your uterus are made up of thick, strong muscles and your baby is floating around in a sea of amniotic fluid that also provides a cushioning effect. Add to this the fact that your uterus is tucked behind your pelvic bone during early pregnancy and you'll see that your odds of experiencing a miscarriage as a result of a fall are very slim indeed. If you are still worried, see your doctor.

6. I'm basically surviving on soda crackers and flat ginger ale these days. I'm worried that my baby is being deprived of important nutrients. If your baby had to rely on what you were able to consume on a meal-to-meal basis, there might be cause for concern. Fortunately, Mother Nature has prepared for such a possibility by stockpiling nutrients in your body. Your baby is still dining away on nutrients packed away from all those healthy-balanced meals you enjoyed during your pre-morning sickness days.

7. Everyone says I'm huge. I'm worried that I could be carrying twins. If your belly seemed to blossom overnight and everyone's commenting about how pregnant you look, it's only natural to start wondering if you could be carrying more than one baby. While your odds of conceiving twins are relatively small (one in 90, unless you happened to conceive with the assistance of fertility drugs), the only way to find out for sure is to go for an ultrasound.

8. I experienced a lot of complications during my first pregnancy. I'm worried that I'm doomed to repeat them this time around. While certain sorts of complications do tend to recur during subsequent pregnancies, others do not. Pre-eclampsia for example, tends to be more of a problem the first time around than in future pregnancies.The best way to address these concerns is to discuss them with your doctor or midwife.

9. I'm worried that my older child will resent rather than love the new baby. As excited as you are to be pregnant again, it's only natural to worry about the disruption that may result from adding another baby to the family. While there can be some rough spots during the early weeks as your older child learns how to share you with the new baby, most families find that these problems tend to become less of a problem over time. You can help lessen it with some simple actions. Arrange by arranging for grandparents to give the older child lots of one-on-one attention, for example. Keep the older child's routines as consistent as possible, or have the new baby give the older child a present.

10. My vaginal secretions have changed. I'm worried that I've developed some sort of infection. This is generally only cause for concern if your vaginal discharge becomes greenish-yellow, foul-smelling, or watery. There's no need to be alarmed if you experience an increase in the amount of leukorrhea – the odourless, white, mucus-like discharge produced by the vagina – while you're pregnant. Hormonal changes can cause your vaginal secretions to become wetter and more abundant.

Fortunately, your first trimester worries won't be around forever. Before you know it, you'll be into the second semester… with a whole new set of worries.


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Re: First Trimester mommies

Thank you for such an informative post. Just this morning I started to worry because I suddenly felt better than I have in awhile....and I immediately became concerned about a MC. This post made me feel a bit better.


It's just so scary when it's your first time preggo...

Re: First Trimester mommies

I think it is the major change in hormones that causes us PG women to worry so much. Everything in our lives right now seem so out of control and scary. I have found myself getting caught up in worry and finally i spoke to a lady who MC 3 times from being overstressed. From that day on i have relaxed a lot and learned to take a deep breath. I hope this also helps my fellow worriers out there as well. Best of luck ladies.

Re: First Trimester mommies

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Posted by sassy2611

I have found myself getting caught up in worry and finally i spoke to a lady who MC 3 times from being overstressed. From that day on i have relaxed a lot and learned to take a deep breath.

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I believe it is a old wives tale that MC can be caused by stress. If that was the case I would have miscarried with my 1st child for sure, I was under an unbelievable amount of stress. I think it is when stress leads to the pregnant women resorting to drinking, smoking, poor eating habits to deal with the stress that causes a MC. But stress DOES NOT cause MC, I know this for sure. Look in any book, it clearly states that they are most related to hormonal and genetics.

Re: First Trimester mommies

I had read a bunch of books that said the same thing about stress. I know this lady from the gym and her mother had died the second time she found out she was PG. She MC not far after that. The third time she found out her best friend had cancer and she MC after that. I asked my Doc and she said stress can cause some complications and to try to stay relaxed. All I know is that I don't smoke, don't drink, I go to the gym and stay healthy but I am not going to take a chance on being stressed if it might cause any harm to my child. I am not saying this to scare anyone or to yell at anyone as you might have taken it all I was doing is stating something I heard that caused me to calm down that was all.

Re: First Trimester mommies

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Posted by sassy2611

I had read a bunch of books that said the same thing about stress. I know this lady from the gym and her mother had died the second time she found out she was PG. She MC not far after that. The third time she found out her best friend had cancer and she MC after that. I asked my Doc and she said stress can cause some complications and to try to stay relaxed. All I know is that I don't smoke, don't drink, I go to the gym and stay healthy but I am not going to take a chance on being stressed if it might cause any harm to my child. I am not saying this to scare anyone or to yell at anyone as you might have taken it all I was doing is stating something I heard that caused me to calm down that was all.

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I'm glad to hear you're not trying to stress sassy And I absolutely agree that anything that coudl pose a threat to our babies is scary, I guess we just have to take one day at a time and follow the guidelines. Stress can be very overhwhelming, and I thinkwe are all in one of the most stressful times of our lives, waiting to hear and see that our babies are PERFECT!!