What to expect during your first trimester

During the early stages of pregnancy, 90 percent of women suffer from morning sickness - Opens in new tab²: nausea and/or vomiting. It is most likely caused by hormones, such as human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), the pregnancy hormone.¹ Luckily, women have found many helpful at-home remedies, including:

• Trying small, frequent meals to keep your stomach from getting too empty.
• Changing your routine to help you learn which foods and smells your body can and cannot handle.
• Taking ginger or vitamin B6.
• Trying acupressure.

A birth plan - Opens in new tab is a document that tells the health care provider what's important to you during labor and delivery. Your number-one goal is the safe delivery of your baby, so it's important to keep your plan flexible. You may have to adjust it if circumstances change during delivery. Here are a few birth plan examples/resources:

• WebMD: How to Create a Birth Plan - Opens in new tab
• American Pregnancy Association: Creating Your Birth Plan - Opens in new tab

A Lamaze class is one of the many childbirth classes you can take throughout your pregnancy. Lamaze classes focus on coping strategies, breathing techniques, and other ways to keep yourself comfortable while giving birth.³

It’s all about preference. There are classes around care for your baby, yoga classes to keep your mind and body at peace throughout pregnancy, classes to prepare you for childbirth, and so much more. Your health care provider, ob-gyn, or midwife should be able to give you information about classes - Opens in new tab that fit your needs.

Keep in mind that for some health plans you may pay for these classes, though classes are reimbursable. Our maternity care managers can discuss which classes are available for reimbursement and help you submit the proper form.

• View a list of available classes. - Opens in new tab
• Download a reimbursement form. - Opens in new tab

Your baby needs a lot from you during pregnancy, so it’s possible to develop issues. However, do not fret, because most common pregnancy problems - Opens in new tab are manageable by your health care provider. Here are a few you should know about:

• Preterm Labor - Opens in new tab
  • Labor that comes too early-between 20 and 37 weeks of pregnancy
• Gestational hypertension (pregnancy-induced hypertension or PIH) - Opens in new tab
  • This affects 6-8 percent of pregnant women.⁵
• Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) - Opens in new tab
  • This can cause early delivery, having a baby with low blood sugar or other health issues, or cause the need for a Cesarean birth.⁶
• Infections
  • Some infections do not affect your baby’s health, but some can. Wash your hands and avoid specified foods to prevent infection.⁶

Whatever has caused you to lose your baby or your pregnancy—miscarriage - Opens in new tab, ectopic pregnancy - Opens in new tab, molar pregnancy - Opens in new tab, stillbirth - Opens in new tab, or early newborn death—can be extremely difficult and upsetting for you and those close to you. It may be helpful for you to speak with your health care provider, a support group, or with a therapist to help during this emotional time. UPMC Health Plan maternity care managers are also here to offer support and additional resources.

Appropriate pregnancy weight gain - Opens in new tab is based on an individual’s pre- pregnancy BMI. You should discuss this with your provider.

In the meantime, there are ways to stay on track with your weight, like eating right and exercising moderately in order for you and your baby to be as healthy as possible.⁴

Many physical and emotional changes happen during pregnancy, and everyone has a different experience. These and other symptoms can happen during the first trimester of pregnancy³:

• Mood swings. It can be helpful to talk to someone you trust if you have mood swings. Family, friends, and a therapist can all be good listeners. Meditating, doing yoga, taking a walk, or engaging in forms of gentle exercise can also help with mood swings.
• Fatigue. Try taking a nap in the afternoon or going on a short walk outdoors if you feel tired.
• Food cravings. Women crave various foods during their first trimester. Talk to your health care provider if you crave nonfoods like dirt or ice, which is a sign of iron deficiency.
• Constipation. Drinking more water and increasing your fiber intake can help ease constipation. Your health care provider can also provide a stool softener, if needed.
• Tender breasts. You might notice breast soreness or nipple changes during your first trimester. You can always talk to your health care provider about these and other symptoms.
• Frequent urination. If you feel like you have to pee too often, limiting caffeine can help. Do not reduce your intake of water and other healthy drinks.

Your body is starting to change. Some changes are normal early in your pregnancy, but other symptoms, like those listed below, are serious:⁴

• Severe nausea and vomiting—This can make it hard to keep down fluids.
• Vaginal bleeding or spotting—This is normal in the first trimester but can also be a sign of a miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy.
• Cramping—This may be normal but requires a prenatal check-up.
• Colored or malodorous vaginal discharge—This could] be a sign of an infection.
• Pain when urinating—This could mean you have a urinary tract infection.
• A fever above 100.4—This could be a sign of an infection.

If you have any of these symptoms, contact your health care provider right away.

Prenatal visits are vital to pregnancy care. Most women have two prenatal visits during their first trimester. The first is usually around the eighth week of pregnancy. During this visit, your health care provider will³:

• Discuss your health history, including previous pregnancies.
• Get information on your current health.
• Check your blood pressure and weight.
• Perform a Pap smear and administer blood work and a urine test.
• Ask you about your symptoms and offer guidance on changes you can make to help relieve them.

The second visit will likely be similar to the first visit. It usually happens right before the end of the first trimester. During this visit, your health care provider will:

• Check your blood pressure and weight.
• Ask you to provide a urine sample to check for signs of an infection and other issues, like high blood sugar.
• Most likely perform your first ultrasound to measure the baby's size, confirm the due date, and look for any signs of pregnancy issues.
• Offer screening tests that look for signs of problems with the fetus.

For a completely accurate due date, visit your ob-gyn provider. Or you can use our pregnancy due date tool - Opens in new tab to calculate you estimated due date.