I don’t know about you, but even before I was pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant, I loved to read other women’s pregnancy updates. There’s just something so fascinating about growing a life, a woman’s changing body and the roller coaster of symptoms that come along with pregnancy. Early on in my pregnancy, Jamie bought me a journal to document all of the things that I was feeling and that were happening with my body. It was so sweet of him but honestly, aside from my “5 Minute Journal” (that I don’t use thaaat often), I’m not one to really put a pen to paper. Instead, I prefer sharing on this here blog. I’m basically an open book, and so I figured that this would be the perfect place to write down all of the things that I’ve been experiencing during the first trimester. From finding out we were pregnant, to all of my symptoms. Here is a very long-winded Q&A of my entire first trimester. I hope you enjoy!
How and when did you find out you were pregnant? Let me start by saying that I had always pictured Jamie and I being that couple that firmly decided when we’re going to start trying to make a baby. I’d fantasized the entire baby making process, from starting myself on pre-natal vitamins to tracking my most fertile days and having an arsenal of pregnancy tests ready to go. I’d vividly pictured myself alone in our bathroom taking “the” test and when it confirmed a pregnancy, surprising Jamie with some sort of adorable, Pinterest worthy gesture that exclaimed, “YOU’RE GOING TO BE A DADDY“. The truth is, that could not be further from what happened…
Since we were not trying to get pregnant, it was honestly the furthest thing from my mind. The first time I skipped a period, we were in Charleston and so I didn’t even realize I was late. After we got back, a couple of weeks went by and I realized that I hadn’t gotten my period in a while. I told Jamie jokingly “maybe I should take a pregnancy test” and even he didn’t think much of it, saying that I should just wait a few days because I’ve been late before and never had a positive test.
The following day, my sister and I were chatting and she pointed out that she’d had 2 periods since she remembered me having 1. I started thinking “hmmm, maybe I should take a test.” So, I told Jamie that I had a test lying around upstairs and that I was going to take it. He came upstairs with me and waited in our bedroom while I took the test. Sitting on the toilet, starting at the bright pink line that appeared in like 2 seconds, I IMMEDIATELY started getting a little light-headed. The room was spinning and I started feeling so many things. Nerves, excitement…fear. I left the test on our bathroom counter and walked into our bedroom where Jamie was casually and very calmly sitting on our bed. I looked at him and said, tripping over my words, “I’m pretty sure we’re pregnant…there’s a very clear line on the test.” Jamie, I think, was shocked when he heard those words come out of my mouth, but once he saw the test he had the biggest smile on his face. Myself, I was in literal shock and asked Jamie to get in the shower with me (I needed to shower) because I was legitimately scared that I was going to pass out!
After the shower, we walked to Shoppers, bought 3 more tests (you know, the ones that say “yes” or “no” and the weeks) and I took them as soon as we were home. All of the tests confirmed that I was pregnant and I think the Clear Blue test said 3-4 weeks. I booked an appointment with my doctors the following day where she confirmed that I was 5 1/2 weeks and the rest they say, is history! Oh, and we found out we were pregnant just a few days before Jamie’s birthday on July 7th. He said it was the best birthday present he’s ever received. 😉
How far along are you now? Today I am 17 weeks and 4 days pregnant! According to “The Bump” our baby is as big as a pomegranate!
How are you feeling both physically and mentally? Just a few short days after we found out that I was pregnant it hit me that it made total sense why my boobs were so much sorer than what they typically were when I just had PMS. So, the first physical symptom for me was sore breasts. Let me tell you…breast tenderness during the first trimester was no joke for me. My breasts were so sore that I had to hold them while I showered because even the water pressure touching them was the worst sensation. Taking off my bra felt horrible and laying on my boobs!? Forget about it! Thankfully, my boobs aren’t nearly as sore during the second trimester, even though they’re bigger and have a map-like quality to them with all the new veins, haha!
The second symptom to hit me during pregnancy was lower back pain and cramping. This symptom scared me terribly because it was hard to tell whether the cramping was normal or if it was a sign of miscarriage. I’d also had some spotting which can also be normal but one night the spotting was very heavy and I admittedly got very emotional. Thankfully, Jamie calmed me down and I soon realized it was nothing to be worried about. The implantation cramping, of course, went away, but I do still have light cramps some days which is also normal as things are changing and moving to make room for the lil’ bebe. The lower back and hip pain has unfortunately not gone away and is something that really affects my quality of life…but I’m trying to deal with it.
Then there’s the nausea. While I have dealt with nausea almost every day after week 7, I’ve only actually gotten sick around 10 times, which I consider to be lucky as I’ve heard horror stories of women with hyperemesis gravidarum (aka excessive pregnancy vomiting). While the nausea is an awful feeling to have, I do find that if I keep my tummy full (especially now in the second trimester) it eases off. During the first trimester not much helped my nausea (crackers, ginger chews, ginger tea, etc.) and between that and the sheer exhaustion, I spent a lot of time lazing around on the couch feeling pretty zombie-esque.
Mentally, I am happy to report that besides a few random outbursts of hormonal tears, I am feeling really wonderful. I have dealt with anxiety and depression in the past, but so far with this pregnancy, I have not felt any signs of depression which I am beyond grateful for. While I do have anxieties about becoming a mom, I try not to dwell on those feelings and instead I think about how I’m going to do the best job I can, and that has served me positively. Mental health is so important to keep tabs on, and while I’ve tried my best to stay in a positive mindset these last few months, I know these things can change quickly. If they do, I’ll be sure to seek out support immediately.
Will you be finding out the sex of the baby? YES! We will be finding out the sex of our baby at the 19-week ultrasound (typically it’s 20 weeks, but we’re going to be away during that time and so I had to book it a little earlier). While we are finding out the sex of the baby, I want to note that sex is determined by genitals and it does not determine gender. We will support and love our child no matter how they define themselves on the gender spectrum when that time comes.
Have you had any cravings or aversions? If so, what have they been?
Cravings: Everything bagels with cream cheese, nacho chips with salsa, water with lemon and just plain lemons. Anything carb heavy as I think that curbs the nausea.
Aversions: I had a bit of an aversion to chicken very early on in my pregnancy. One night, while in Nantucket, my girlfriend and I decided to split a chicken dinner and as soon as it was placed in front of me I immediately passed it to her because the smell was enough to make me sick. Other than that, I haven’t had too many aversions.
Do you think your dog knows you are pregnant? It’s hard to tell if Milo knows something is going on…but he has been a lot more snuggly with just me as of late so I wonder if that indicates something? Milo is inherently a very jealous dog and Jamie and I baby him and give him A LOT of attention. To be honest, I’m terrified with how he’s going to behave once the baby comes but I just hope that he sees the baby as one of his own and loves them as much as he loves Jamie and I.
Are you choosing an OBGYN or Midwife?: This is a looong story that I don’t really want to fully delve into (mostly for the typing, haha!). Long story short…I want/wanted a midwife, but there are only 6 in the HRM (Halifax Regional Municipality). I was originally accepted into midwife care, but once we bought our home, we had to tell our midwife our address. After learning that we were just outside HRM, they removed me from care because we didn’t meet the location criteria. It’s extremely unfortunate and frustrating, and at the moment, I’m without a midwife or OBGYN. Because we’re now back in Toronto, I can’t take meetings with OB’s in Halifax and so, for the month of October, I am seeing my family doctor in Toronto. Once we’re back in Halifax, we can get this fully sorted out.
What do you eat in a day? For breakfast, I eat 1 boiled egg with 2 pieces of whole grain, seed toast (it used to be 1) with jam. I know the jam is not that healthy lol! I used to eat almond butter with my toast before I got pregnant and am going to try to get back to that. I have a black tea and glass of water with lemon and also drink water throughout the day.
About an hour after my breakfast, I make either a green smoothie or a berry smoothie. I add frozen spinach, banana, matcha and ground chia to all of my smoothies and then top it with more chia, hemp hearts, coconut flakes, and almond slices.
For lunch, it really depends on if I’m home or out. If I’m home, I try to make something like a chickpea salad with pepper, red onion, avocado, etc. If I’m out, I have been LOVING Tim Horton’s turkey bacon clubs…so random!
For snacking, I have trail mix that Jamie made me to have whenever and take for when I’m out. It has almonds, walnuts, dried goji berries, dried cranberries, dried apricots, sesame seeds, pepitas, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, and dark chocolate. I also snack on things like apples, cheese or pickles. I snack A LOT on nacho chips with salsa…they’ve been a huge craving and something to simply curb my hunger/nausea. I literally got so upset with Jamie the other day when he finished my bag of nacho chips and didn’t replace them…something I’d normally never get upset at, haha! Needless to say, he ran and got me nacho chips immediately…am I a monster!?
Dinner is always a mix because I love to cook and try different recipes and we split cooking nights between Jamie and my sisters. Usually, we make things like soups, chilis, pastas, chicken or fish dinners, etc.
I end my day with a chamomile tea and sometimes I have a sweet for dessert ;).
Have you been exercising and if so, what are you doing? I hate to admit it, but I didn’t do much exercising during my first trimester, except for getting out on walks and sometimes riding my bike while we were still in Toronto. I was simply so tired and so nauseated that exercise was the furthest thing from my mind. I’d always fantasized that I’d be a super fit pregnant woman, but you know what? I’m not and I am totally okay with that. Now that I’m in my second trimester, I’ve started to take prenatal yoga at Yoga Mamas and I have been LOVING it so far. I’ve done 3 classes in the last week and am hoping to keep it up every 2-3 days until we’re back in Halifax and I find another studio to attend.
How has dressing your new body/bump been so far? Can you share any tips? Admittedly, at first I was a little sad when my jeans no longer fit me, but I keep reminding myself that I am growing a human and all body changes are completely normal. Now that the fall is here and the weather has cooled down, I’m excited for my maternity jeans/chinos that I’ve purchased (bonus: they’re SO comfy) and trying to find fun ways to #StyleTheBump. As for tips, I’ve found clothing that is soft, loose and not constricting to be the best option. Be sure to keep following along because I’m going to be sharing stylish maternity outfits for as long as I possibly can…basically until I only want to wear my Lululemon Align leggings and my Smash + Tess rompers, haha!
Do you plan on “mommy blogging” once the baby arrives? Yes, but I don’t plan on turning The Blondielocks into a full-fledged “mommy blog”. The Blondielocks has always been about “curating a life that is juuust right“. To me that means sharing bits of my personal life along with all of the things I am passionate about like fashion, recipe creation, entertaining, beauty, etc. Unless those passions change (I don’t see that happening), blogging about pregnancy/parenting/mom life will simply be an extension of the blog. Just as interior design/home decor posts will hopefully be more prevalent now that we’ve bought a home! As always, if there is something you don’t like, think we could improve on, or posts you want to see, you are always welcome to e-mail me, comment or send me a DM…I’d love to hear from you!
Photography by When He Found Her
