I can’t believe we’re passed our first trimester already. I can now understand other mothers who told me to enjoy my pregnancy because it goes by fast.
Before we get into deep with this post, this pregnancy update will be a reoccurring monthly series. However, Clumsy Chic will remain the same and will continue to talk about effortless living through fashion, beauty and lifestyle with just the added tidbit about my journey to motherhood. I hope you will learn to enjoy the new content on the blog as much I will enjoy sharing them with all of you.
Now on to the post…
Looking back at my 1st trimester, there have been moments of ups and downs but overall, it’s been a positive experience. We found out we were pregnant on week 5 and throughout that week, my husband and I were like giddy kids to the point that it was hard to concentrate and go about our day.
Then I was like ‘what’s next?’. I shared the news to one of my good friends at work whose been my fairy godmother and advised me on everything I needed to do right away. My time was spent looking at websites, blogs, and forums to understand to get a better understanding on what I’ll be going through. From the start, I’ve made the conscious decision not to overwhelm myself with all the information but keep myself informed enough to make decisions that felt right for my body and the baby.
My first mission was to clean up my lifestyle. It meant getting rid of harmful products opting for natural products instead, getting enough sleep, and focusing on getting healthy by exercising and eating right. It’s not always successful, but I try my best every day.
Did I get morning sickness? Apart from breast tenderness and occasional morning dizziness, I didn’t experience horrible morning sickness. I did get a bad case of hormonal acne that I’m still suffering now, but I’ll gladly take it over morning sickness! For me, it wasn’t the physical symptoms that threw me off but the psychological changes made me lose control of my body. Pregnancy brain? Check. Crying wreck? Check. Lovable? I thought I was going to be a raging bitch, but I suddenly feel so much love and compassion for everyone.
It hasn’t been all positive. I’ve also been feeling a new level of anxiety that would often keep me awake at night and paralyzed with fear. Will bad events follow this string of blessings? Will my past mistakes suddenly haunt me? These thoughts stopped me from celebrating this joyful period. In fact, writing this makes my body treble but I’m trying to shake this fear off one day at a time.
I’m focusing my energy on being grateful and reminding myself of all the love and happiness that this pregnancy has brought to Anthony and I, our family and friends. I take the time to meditate every morning and take breaks during the day to daydream about holding, loving and playing with our baby. This is also a good reminder for me:
It’s a new chapter. I am the captain of my ship, sailing to a new beginning.
To end this post on a positive note, here are some tidbits about my 1st trimester.
ONE: I could not stomach eating my regular breakfast cereal and found comfort in eating bland porridge and has been my everyday staple up until now. Fresh ginger tea with honey helped get my morning on the right foot and felt it handled preventing any morning sickness (I think!).
TWO: I may have the most healthiest food craving during my first trimester. All I wanted to eat was rice crackers. Its bland enough that’s gentle on my stomach and taste buds but it’s also a healthy snack. I’d go through an entire packet in one week.
THREE: Bedtime reading was replaced with pregnancy and parenting books. I found this book useful for trimester updates, nutrition and everything you need to know during this period. I’m also enjoying reading this book my friend lent to me called ‘French Children don’t Throw Food’. It’s a funny anecdote about the difference between French and Anglophone parenting. It certainly gave me a glimpse how we’re going to raise our (half) French children.
During the early stages of my pregnancy, I would get lightheaded at work. Sniffing this Clary Sage Essential Oil from Dolterra gave me instant relief and carried it around me all the time.
FOUR: Apart from my boyfriend jeans, most of my bottoms are either too tight or could barely fasten. I’ve been leaving in this old jersey dress from Zara since it’s comfortable enough for me to move around without feeling like a sausage casing.
FIVE: Bump watch week 14. I wasn’t showing before and looked like I just ate a big meal. Week 14 was a turning point for me as I can finally see a slight bump. Baby Nicolet is now about the size of a beet though no longer has a tail.
SIX: Baby Nicolet ultrasound during 10 weeks. It was an important milestone as it was it was our first time seeing the baby formed. It kept bouncing around during our ultrasound.
Et Voila! I’ve read that the 2nd trimester is the best period, let see what new changes it brings Anthony and me.
I want to give a special shout out to the Positive Birth Group Doha Facebook Group. It’s a great community of mothers and pregnant women helping each other through this transition. It’s a great resource for anyone going through this journey in Doha.
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