You lot may not look pregnant yet — but chances are you're feeling it. That'south considering a flood of pregnancy hormones is prepping your body to play host to your baby for the next nine months — so you could be in line for quite a few aches and pains, from fatigue to flatulence.

While yous might be less than thrilled with some of these symptoms, try to remind yourself that these temporary discomforts are office of the incredible process that's happening inside: Y'all're growing a child!

How long is the first trimester?

The commencement trimester lasts from week i through approximately the finish of week thirteen of pregnancy, or about months 1 to 3.

Not certain what week y'all are in your pregnancy? The first step to nailing your current week downward is to summate your due date. Continue in mind that your date might alter (especially if you have irregular periods), so try to go with the menstruation.

Outset trimester symptoms

A lot happens for you in the commencement trimester. A couple of the most common early on symptoms of pregnancy you may experience:

  • Morning sickness: Unfortunately it doesn't just strike in the morning time — and information technology typically starts upwards by about week 6 of pregnancy. Ginger tea or drops might help, as can small but frequent meals. If it'southward severe, you might desire to consider talking to your dr. about medications to treat the symptoms of pregnancy-related nausea.

  • Tender breasts: So tender, and then tingly and then big! You might be wondering where your old boobs went by well-nigh week 6.

  • Mood swings: You may (or may not) feel upwards, then down, then upwardly again past week vii. If you have a history of low or think it might exist more serious, talk to your md about getting screened for prenatal depression.

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  • Weight gain (or lack thereof): Your baby is still very small — which means all told you only need to gain about iii to four pounds in your first trimester. If yous're suffering from appetite loss, yous might even lose a couple of pounds. That's OK, likewise — as long as your pregnancy weight gain picks up steam in the second and third trimesters. For now, just focus on eating frequent light meals of any loftier-density nutritious foods (due east.g., avocados, yogurt, bananas, whole grain staff of life or crackers) when you lot can tummy it. Feeling actress ravenous? Try to keep a check on your caloric intake during pregnancy: You don't actually need any extra calories during your offset trimester (though your intake will get up in the 2d and 3rd trimesters). If you practise finish upwards gaining more than than is recommended now, focus on getting back on track over the elapsing of your pregnancy.

As your pregnancy progresses this trimester, y'all may experience plenty of other pregnancy symptoms — heartburn, constipation, metal taste, food aversions and headaches. Hang in in that location: The second trimester will offer welcome relief!

Keep in mind, too, that every woman is dissimilar. And then but because your mom or sister reported cramping or frequent urination doesn't guarantee either symptom will happen to y'all too.

Is it normal to have cramps in your start trimester?

Yes, some intestinal cramping and stomach pain is normal in the first trimester. In the primeval stages of pregnancy — when the embryo attaches to the uterus in a process called implantation — lite haemorrhage or mild cramping can occur.

Gas and bloating — two common causes of cramping — also become fairly common in the beginning trimester. Plus, every bit your body shuttles more claret to the uterus, you might start to feel some pressure level in this area of the trunk, especially later you have an orgasm (during which you lot have normal uterine contractions).

Given all of the changes going on in your body during pregnancy, it's understandable to wonder about what's normal — and what's not. In many cases, that odd twinge is non a cause for business organization. All the same it's also important to understand that your risk for miscarriage is highest during the first trimester.

Here are a few symptoms that do always warrant a call to your dr.:

  • Heavy vaginal bleeding

  • Astringent abdominal hurting

  • Sudden thirst

  • Painful urination

  • Fever over 101.5 degrees F, chills and/or backache

  • Severe puffiness in the hands/face up

  • Vision disturbances

If you experience any of the higher up symptoms, call your dr.'south role correct away. If y'all don't go someone on the telephone inside a few minutes, head to the nearest ER.

How much does a baby grow in the showtime trimester?

During the beginning trimester alone your babe starts out every bit a single fertilized cell (a zygote). Afterward the embryo implants itself in your uterine wall, fetal evolution takes off, and baby develops into a peach-sized bundle of growing limbs, organs and torso systems.

Here are a few of the big highlights happening in this exciting fourth dimension.

  • Baby'southward bones: Past almost week 6, baby starts to sprout arms, legs, hands and feet — and fingers and toes effectually week x.

  • Hair and nails: Skin begins forming betwixt weeks 5 and 8, with hair follicles and blast beds forming effectually calendar week 11.

  • Digestive arrangement: By almost week 8, baby's intestines will brainstorm forming, and your baby will accept already gone through ii sets of kidneys (with the 3rd and final set on its mode!).

  • Sense of touch: Your babe will develop impact receptors on the face (more often than not lips and olfactory organ) around week 8. By week 12, the receptors volition accept sprung up on the genitals, palms and the soles of the feet.

  • Eyesight: Optic nerves (which laissez passer info from the eyes to the brain and back) and lenses begin to form by calendar week 4, with the retina beginning to class around week viii.

  • Heart: By week 5, the tube that will become your baby's heart begins to beat spontaneously. It will become stronger and more regular — and you'll be able to hear it! — around week 9 or 10 (though sometimes later, depending on your baby's position in your uterus).

  • Brain: By well-nigh week viii of pregnancy, your baby'southward brain will be wiggling those developing limbs.

  • Sense of taste: Your babe volition have adult gustatory modality buds that connect to the brain past about week 8. But considering the gustation pores are still nether structure, baby won't be able to taste the surrounding amniotic fluid (which, by the mode, tastes like your well-nigh recent meal).

Other major kickoff trimester milestones include the formation of muscles, the production of white blood cells to fight off germs and the development of song cords.

Early Signs of Pregnancy

First trimester checklist

Your meals, workouts and daily routines may look a lot unlike at present that you're pregnant. Here are the elevation to-do'south for the beginning trimester.

  • Pop a prenatal vitamin. If you haven't already, start taking a prenatal vitamin immediately — doing so beginning in the first trimester helps ensure that your babe is getting the actress vitamins and minerals needed during pregnancy.

  • Choose your practitioner. There are a number of unlike practitioners you can cull for your pregnancy, from OB/GYN or midwife to family physician. So have fourth dimension to consider your options and pick the right practitioner for your needs.

  • Book your first OB/GYN visit. Your doctor volition review your medical history and perform a thorough physical exam. Y'all'll probable undergo a battery of tests, including a Pap smear, urinalysis and blood work to determine your blood type and Rh status, hCG levels and the presence of any infections. You'll likely accept an initial ultrasound to confirm a heartbeat, date your pregnancy and exist sure things are progressing as they should. You might besides be screened for genetic illnesses or diabetes, depending on your family history. While your practitioner will enquire lots of questions, be prepared to ask plenty of your own: At present's the time to ask most the safety of whatever medications you're currently taking, help for quitting smoking or anything else that's on your heed.

  • Consider genetic tests. Yous'll may accept a nuchal translucency (NT) screening (between weeks 10 and 13 of pregnancy) to look for Down syndrome and congenital centre defects. Based on your risks, your practitioner may too recommend noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) around week 10, a blood screening that looks for chromosomal abnormalities, and/or invasive but more than definitive prenatal tests, such every bit chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis. Sometimes, NIPT is enough and your doc volition only do that screening and skip the NT.

  • Look into health insurance options. The cost of pregnancy varies based on a number of factors — and information technology's a whole lot more expensive if you don't have health insurance. And then at present's the time to sign up for a plan or review the terms of your policy, focusing on your premiums and coinsurance to proceed your overall costs as depression as possible. The good news: Yous can even so take steps to reduce your prenatal insurance costs.

  • Make a budget. Growing your family is an splendid — and necessary — time to reevaluate your monthly expenses. So larn the cost of having a baby, then prepare your monthly upkeep.

  • Swallow right. Now's the time to cut down on caffeine, too as to acquire which foods to avoid and which to feature in your pregnancy diet and so yous tin can stock your kitchen accordingly.

  • Carve out fourth dimension for fitness. There are lots of benefits of practise during pregnancy for you and infant — which can exist good motivation to get your xxx minutes of physical activeness most days of the week. Not sure where to start? Try these pregnancy-friendly workouts.

  • Have sexual activity, if you experience like it. Information technology's fun and safe for baby — plus information technology has benefits for both of you.

  • Start thinking about baby names. If you don't have a babe name in mind, information technology's never likewise early to start tossing around ideas.

  • Plan to denote your pregnancy. Retrieve about how and when you want to tell your friends and family the good news, and if and when yous'll denote on social media. About women wait until the end of the first trimester to do so, when the chance of miscarriage is lower. And if y'all're employed, start thinking nearly when to tell your boss your significant and what to say; do your research in accelerate to empathise your company's maternity leave policies.

What to avoid during the first trimester

You have a lengthy list of to-practice's now that you're pregnant — but in that location are likewise a few things not to do. Here'south what to steer clear of during the starting time trimester.

  • The litter box. True cat carrion can harbor a potentially harmful parasite that can crusade an infection chosen toxoplasmosis. In the early on stages of pregnancy, toxoplasmosis can cause more than serious health risks to the fetus, including eye, hearing and other problems, while later on in pregnancy, the complications can be less serious. If you think yous've contracted the parasite, inquire your dr. for a claret examination to find out for sure.

  • Hot tubs and saunas. One time yous're expecting, yous should skip any activities that can raise your core body temperature to over 101 degrees Fahrenheit, including hot tubs, saunas or even a luxurious soak in the bathtub. (Same goes for Bikram, or "hot" yoga, and exercising outdoors in sweltering temps.) You don't have to switch to cold showers, just you should bring a thermometer with you into the tub — make certain the water stays at around 97 to 98 degrees F.

  • Alcohol. Thinking of toasting to your good news with a glass of bubbly? Think once more. In that location'south no amount of alcohol that's been shown to be safety during pregnancy. Binge drinking — defined every bit 4 or more drinks in 1 sitting — can crusade complications such as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). You can enhance a drinking glass, of form — just make sure there'south a mocktail in it.

  • Raw or undercooked foods. At present that y'all're expecting, you'll have to hold off on sushi and medium-rare steaks for the remainder of your pregnancy. Raw and undercooked meat, seafood and eggs can harbor infection-causing bacteria and parasites that aren't salubrious or your baby. The practiced news (if yous can call it that): Pregnancy symptoms like nausea and nutrient aversions may dampen your newly-pregnant appetite — and so you lot may not find yourself craving that tuna tartare after all.

  • Cigarettes and marijuana apply. Lighting up isn't prophylactic during pregnancy. Smoking cigarettes tin can increase the take a chance of pregnancy complications like low nascency weight and early delivery, equally might smoking or ingesting marijuana.

The starting time trimester ushers in some very welcome news (you're pregnant!) forth with a few non-and then-welcome symptoms (y'all can't proceed down your breakfast). The expert news is that the second trimester offers some much-welcome relief from morning sickness, fatigue and the constant demand to go to the bath every xv minutes. Better days are right effectually the corner!