6-WORRYING ABOUT MORNING SICKNESS
Every woman expects to get a little nauseated when she is pregnant, but many times she never knows what to really expect until she is in it. It can be really disturbing to go through daily bouts of vomiting, and that can cause a lot of worry and angst.
But the good news is that for most women it is just fine. It’s icky and miserable, but it can actually be a good sign that the baby is growing and developing.
There can be a cause for concern if a mom-to-be can’t keep anything down. A severe form of morning sickness called hyperemesis gravidarum can cause women to get dehydrated, and that can land them in the hospital. Women who are going through this should talk to the doctor right away, as we already mentioned. But for everyone else, a little nausea and the occasional trip to the porcelain throne should not be a cause for concern. Don’t waste the time worrying about it.
7-EATING FOR TWO
Some women take full advantage of the fact that they are pregnant and they will overindulge. They will eat all those carbs that they have been avoiding for years, and blame it on the cravings. But it isn’t true that a woman should “eat for two” during pregnancy. The truth is that she only needs a few hundred extra calories to sustain the baby.
The recommended weight gain for an average size woman is 25 to 35 pounds throughout the pregnancy, but only maybe five or 10 should be added in the first trimester. In fact, many women don’t gain any weight during that time. Others end up losing some weight due to the morning sickness, and that is OK for most women.
The only women who need to worry about weight gain in the first trimester are those who are underweight at the beginning. Women who gain too much at the beginning may regret it when they are working to get the weight off.
8-GIVING IN TO EVERY CRAVING
This may seem like a repeat of the idea of eating for two, but many women make a mistake of giving in to every craving that goes well beyond the problem of a few pounds. Cravings can be a strange phenomena for pregnant women, and sometimes they can dream about eating things that should not be a part of any diet.
The nightly scoop of ice cream could be a problem for a woman who is diabetic, and a vegan may have trouble consuming meat for a few days. Both, though, aren’t nearly as dangerous as a severe form of cravings called pica.
For those women, the idea of eating rocks, glass or charcoal actually sounds amazing. The desire can be strong and make it really hard to resist. It’s definitely time to call the doctor when these types of cravings come about — and please, don’t give in, no matter what.
9-WORKING TOO HARD
Pregnancy is hard work, and in the first trimester it is flat out exhausting. While the baby is developing and the placenta and extra blood is starting to pump, the energy is sapped from a pregnant mom Some days, a woman can barely get home from work — she is keeping her eyes open with toothpicks and pinching herself the entire commute.
The exhaustion that comes in the first trimester is not only a medical reality but it’s also a signal from our bodies that it is time to slow down and rest. Moms-to-be have a lot of extra responsibilities and worries on their minds, and they need time to decompress and let all that go. They need the sleep to reinvigorate their minds as well as their bodies.
Working too hard is definitely a mistake for a mom to be, and it can lead to dangerous consequences such as dehydration and depression. It’s time to take it easy and enjoy it and get ready for the next several months of pregnancy and motherhood.
10-CAFFEINE CLEANSE
Another major diet change that comes about during pregnancy is the need to cut down on caffeine. Many doctors recommend that a pregnant woman has less than 200 mg of caffeine each day, and that is only the equivalent of about one cup of coffee. For major latte fans or diet Coke fiends, that can be a big restriction.
One of the biggest mistakes that women can make at this point is to go cold turkey. Going from three or four cups a day to none can really do a number on the body. Many women experience fierce headaches in the first trimester because of the increased blood flow anyway, so adding major caffeine withdrawal on top of it can make them miserable.
Lately doctors have become less restrictive about caffeine, since new research shows that it isn’t as big an issue as first perceived. It’s still a good idea to cut down right away, but a morning cup of joe won’t harm the baby, so it’s OK to enjoy it.
11-NOT SNACKING
Snacks may be the most important meal for a pregnant woman, especially in the first trimester. They can do a lot to help a woman get through her day, and they can take the edge off hunger while helping the body get through the worst moments.
From the moment a woman in her first trimester wakes up, she should eat a little bit. A granola bar by the bed could actually go a long way toward staving off that rush to the toilet — OK, well, she’ll run to the restroom to urinate, but at least she won’t have to vomit. Many women find that having a little food in their bellies can help battle the morning sickness.
Snacks can also give a prego suffering from fatigue a boost of energy in the afternoon, and eating small snacks instead of big meals can also help with the heartburn and gas that can plague the first trimester. It’s a mistake to wait until the major meals for some sustenance, and it could actually make things worse.
12-ANNOUNCEMENT MISTAKES
Many women believe it is bad luck to announce their pregnancy in the first trimester. That’s because miscarriage is most likely during that time, and they don’t want to risk having to explain what happened over and over again to family and friends. But some women are happy to start telling people right away, as they then have a support system in place if the tragic does happen. We know that the answer is personal for everyone, but we do want to warn you about a few announcement mistakes.
First, while it’s OK to announce early to family and close friends, we recommend you wait at least a little while to go all out on social media. There are people who can thrive in a social media environment, but many times people feel free to judge at a time when a woman is most vulnerable. So skip it at this point.
Also, be very aware that some people get their feelings hurt if they aren’t told in the proper way. Even if you aren’t planning an elaborate announcement, it is a good idea to strategize who you are telling when so that they don’t learn the big news from someone else.
13-PUSHING AWAY YOUR PARTNER
We understand if you don’t exactly feel amorous in the first trimester. After all, it can be hard to keep down lunch, much less want to feel touched. The mood swings and anxiety can make it hard to feel anything other than overwhelmed or upset, but it’s still important to let your partner know that you are in this together.
The first trimester can be just as scary for a dad-to-be as a mom-to-be, but he doesn’t have the luxury of feeling the effects of the baby. Most dads-to-be want to know about the experience, and giving them some details can help alleviate the worry for both parents-to-be. One of the biggest mistakes a mom-to-be can make is pushing her partner away at this time when they should cling to each other the most. This relationship is very important, and pregnant women shouldn’t get so wrapped up in their situation that they feel that they have to go it alone. It’s about moving forward together as a family.
14-DECIDING ON THE BIRTH PLAN
By the end of the first trimester, the baby’s birth is still six months or so away, and that’s way too soon to start talking about the birth plan. Yet, some women think they have it all figured out from the first trimester. When that happens, that is usually a bad sign — it’s definitely a big mistake.
There are many factors that need to go into a birth plan, and many of those are not yet determined by 12 weeks. It isn’t so easy as saying the birth will be all natural — no epidural, no C-section, no induction meds — but lately many women want this to be true.
There could be birth defects that make a C-section a safer option for the birth. The mom-to-be could develop a condition such as pre-eclampsia or gestational diabetes that make induction a good idea. The baby could be breech or the mom could not be able to handle the pain. There are many good reasons to change the birth plan, so the worst thing that a woman can do is decide on a plan in the first trimester. The key is flexibility and that doesn’t happen for a woman so quick to make a decision.
15-WORRYING TOO MUCH
Our No. 1 mistake that pregnant women make in the first-trimester is something that we are all guilty of: worrying too much. Some women replay the moments before they knew they were pregnant, and they obsess over the consequences of those few nights out drinking. Others agonize over the diet do’s and don’ts from the doctor, and they scrutinize every menu before placing their order. They worry about that cup of coffee, even though the doctor said it’s fine to have one cup a day.