The first trimester of any pregnancy can be a strange time. You don’t look pregnant yet to the outside world, but the feeling is certainly there. For many mums-to-be this is a tough trimester, packed with mood swings, nausea, and bloating that doesn’t quite look like a baby bump yet. If you’re heading into early pregnancy and don’t know how to handle it, follow these important tips.
1. Meet with your doctor. Your first step toward a successful pregnancy will be meeting with your doctor to make sure you’re truly pregnant, check on the development of the baby, and get your due date. They’ll discuss all of the details about upcoming appointments and help you manage your health throughout your pregnancy and the birth of your baby. Your best bet will be to find an experienced obstetrician melbourne who has the expertise to get you and your baby through your pregnancy safely.
2. Continue the right vitamins. It’s important to get the right balance of nutrients and vitamins during your pregnancy to ensure your health and the growth of your little one. While your diet will hopefully cover the majority of your nutritional needs, a specialised prenatal multivitamin will make sure you’re getting everything in. This can be particularly useful if you’re battling with morning sickness (or all day sickness) and have trouble getting healthy food in.
3. Rest when you need to. Because the first trimester often comes with its fair share of uncomfortable symptoms like fatigue and malaise, it’s important to rest when you need to in order to maintain your health. You may need to add a nap into your day to feel well rested, or start adding an extra hour of sleep at night. Do whatever you can to make sure your energy levels don’t drop too low.
4. Tackle morning sickness. Nausea is a common early pregnancy symptom, but in most cases it’s not serious enough to require prescription medication. If your nausea is more of a low-level annoyance than a health crisis, there are simple tricks you can use to reduce it. Sip on ginger ale and suck ginger candies to get the stomach-settling benefits of ginger, and add flavour drops to water if the plain taste makes you queasy. You should try to snack throughout the day, as hunger can make things worse. Aim for light, starchy foods that are easy to digest.
5. Know your maternity rights. Maternity benefits and laws vary depending on where you live, but it’s important to be aware of exactly what you’re entitled to in terms of leave and work allowances as early as possible. Do some research before speaking to your employer so you can walk into the meeting feeling completely prepared. Check your health insurance cover.
6. Ask plenty of questions. If this is your first pregnancy, you’ll probably find that you have a million and one questions you want to be answered about labour, birth, how to deal with the strange symptoms you’re experiencing, and what to expect over the coming months. Don’t be shy about bombarding your doctor with questions – they’re used to it. Use your mum-friends as a sounding board, too, and seek out a pregnancy-friendly yoga/pilates group or antenatal class to make some friends and chat about how things are going.