Here’s my first trimester recap covering the feelings, thoughts, and a few must-haves for other expecting mamas.
It’s officially the end of my first trimester this week — AH. I can hardly believe we’re already a third of the way there. It still feels surreal that our baby will be in our arms in about six months.
With little Mochi around, I’ve had plenty of distraction to push panic and anxiety aside. Thank goodness for puppies and their boundless energy.
Nothing dramatic happened during the first trimester (aside from Mochi, of course), but there were lots of emotions and some useful discoveries. Below is a summary of how I felt and what helped me get through those early months.
table of contents
Honestly? The first trimester was tough.
Writing this recap was harder than I expected. It wasn’t just the persistent nausea (never just “morning” sickness) and mood swings, or the food aversions and exhaustion. The world around us has been changing rapidly, and learning I was pregnant reframed a lot of worries and hopes.
Being grateful for an excuse to stay home and avoid feeling awful in public comes with unease about what’s happening beyond our doorstep. Watching people rush back to “normal” while infection rates rise, and confronting systemic injustices, all felt different when I realized we’re bringing a child into this world.
That said, we are absolutely ecstatic. After a miscarriage last year, reaching this second-trimester threshold feels like a meaningful milestone. This past year included too much loss, so celebrating new life — along with our little fur baby — means everything.
Tomorrow I step into my second trimester, and it still feels surreal.
I discovered I was pregnant at about four weeks. It was a quiet weekend; my period was a few days late, so I took a test “just in case.” The moment I saw the second line, I walked out of the bathroom with the biggest smile. Finally, the fog of symptoms started to make sense.
BOOM, preggo-town.
Will was home when I took the test. I remember feeling strangely hungover for weeks, but that turned out to be pregnancy-related. Nausea has finally begun to fade, and that’s made a huge difference.
Fun fact: the so-called “pregnancy glow” is often just a persistent sheen of sweat from nausea during the first trimester.
Fatigue remains intense, and a lot of it comes from Mochi waking up at dawn. It’s a gentle preview of the mornings ahead with a baby.
I don’t know how moms who already have kids do it — pregnancy drained me daily even with just a puppy and a dog to care for. Managing pregnancy symptoms while trying to function in other roles made me appreciate mothers who handle it all; you are rockstars.
First Trimester Recap Must-Haves
Apps I’m Using:
I’ve been using The Bump app and What to Expect, plus Pregnancy+ to track weekly weight. Each app offers slightly different perspectives, so I like consulting them all. Personally, I find The Bump gives the most helpful weekly guidance.
Books I’m Reading:
I started with What to Expect When You’re Expecting for a broad overview. It’s useful but can sometimes raise more questions than answers.
I moved on to Nurture and Expecting Better. Nurture feels personal and grounded, addressing emotional and mental shifts as well as physical ones. Expecting Better is great for the data-minded: it examines common pregnancy advice and backs recommendations with evidence, which reduced a lot of worry for me.
Working Out:
Pre-pregnancy I loved the gym, but COVID changed routines and pregnancy changed them again. Running and power walking gave me the most energy early on, so I turned to the Peloton app. I don’t have the bike, but the app offers excellent treadmill, walk-run, and short strength workouts that I’ve used in our air-conditioned basement.
Skincare:
Pregnancy disrupted my skin. To avoid exposing the baby to potentially harmful ingredients, I switched cleansers, serums, and shampoos. The transition triggered a breakout at first, but my skin cleared up and feels healthier now. Here are a few products I’ve used twice daily and liked:
Tula Purifying Face Cleanser — affordable and gentle.
Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum for moisture and Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum to help prevent dark spots that can appear during pregnancy.
Food Things:
Non-alcoholic beers and mocktails
I missed a cold alcoholic drink at the end of a long day, so I experimented with non-alcoholic beers, wines, and zero-proof spirits. I’ve been trying Ritual Zero Proof and planning simple mocktails (soda water with grapefruit or lemonade, or sparkling arnold palmers).
Food cravings
Pickles, chocolate, candy, Nutella, burgers, steaks, fruit, mac and cheese, cookie dough (edible varieties are a lifesaver), and BBQ.
Food aversions
Chicken has been off-putting unless shredded or mixed into other dishes, artichokes (surprisingly sad about missing spinach-artichoke dip), and deli meats for now.
