Before I get into tips for the first trimester I have some news…
Our family has some exciting news to announce! I am pregnant with our fifth child! We lost 2 children to miscarriage but this is the 5th time I have been through the first trimester rollercoaster. I made a list of the 17 helpful essential tips for the first trimester of a Catholic mother.
The first trimester can be a scary and exciting time! For some it is a surprise, for some it is planned and expected, and for some it is an infertility dream come true. A lot of questions pop into mind the minute the strip turns positive – How do I tell my husband? Do we tell our friends? Is it a boy? What should I call him? What is it that I can’t eat again?
Knowing what to do during your first trimester, and what not to do, is so key early on. Most OBs aren’t scheduling their first visit with you until 8 weeks- that’s two-thirds of the way through your first trimester! Hopefully, this guide of tips for the first trimester will help you with all of your burning questions.
17 First Trimester Tips
- 1. Order pregnancy tests in bulk
- It is a good idea to test on the day that you expect your period to make sure you are not actually having a miscarriage. Even after you find out you are pregnant, let’s be honest, you will want to take multiple tests to confirm. Some women are serial testers making sure the line continues to get darker. You can order tests in bulk on Amazon that will save you a bunch of money in the long run.
- 2. Tell your husband
- If you are planning to get pregnant, it is a good idea to think ahead of time when and how you want to tell your husband. Do you want him to see the fresh pee stick and tell him immediately? Or, do you want to set up a cute way to tell him without too much delay?
- 3. Cute announcement for family and friends
- Etsy is a huge resource for creative and beautiful pregnancy announcements. You might want to call your close family and friends and have a cute photo for your social media announcement. If you have older children you can get them involved in the process or in the photos. Some favorite ways are baby shoes next to everyone else in the family’s shoes, baby bump photo, older sibling t-shirts, or gender reveal and announcement all in one!
- 4. Pray!
- Don’t forget to pray for the health of your baby daily. Ask for the intercession of Sts. Gianna and Gerard who are patron saints of expectant mothers/unborn children.
- 5. Medications
- First and foremost make sure you are on a doctor-approved prenatal vitamin.
- Review any medications you are on with your doctor immediately to see what should be stopped/substituted and what you can continue.
- 6. Change your diet
- Read up on common things to cut from your diet – caffeine, mercury-containing fish, soft cheese, unpasteurized juices, undercooked meat and eggs, sprouts, sushi, alcohol, smoking, etc.!
- Add beneficial foods into your diet that you might not already be eating.
- 7. Schedule your first OB appointment
- This is generally good to do as soon as you find out so that your doctor is at least aware of the pregnancy and can order any bloodwork that he would like you to have in early pregnancy.
- This is also a good time to ask about any medications you may be on.
- 8. Morning sickness remedies
- You will hear and/or google many morning sickness remedies. Ask your doctor what he recommends such as a combo of Unisom & vitamin B6. One natural remedy is sea bands that help keep nausea at bay with pressure points.
- 9. Pro-life practitioner
- If you haven’t already, find a practitioner that is against abortion, tubal ligation, birth control and is overall Pro-Life. Ask your friends at church, ask your priest, and ask in social media groups.
- 10. NIPT (noninvasive prenatal testing)
- This is the genetic test that can be done as a pro-life woman. It is a simple blood test that does not put the baby at risk. The other tests such as chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis involve a risk of miscarriage and should not be done unless your doctor has a medical reason for doing so.
- Truthfully the genetic test is not going to change anything as you have no plans for an abortion but could be helpful to give you time to read up on any medical condition detected (though there can be false positives).
- 11. Baby Budget
- Make a plan with your husband to account for baby expenses both before and after delivery. Hospital fees and baby supplies not purchased off of your registry can add up. Also plan for expenses after birth such as diapers, food, clothes, and childcare expenses.
- 12. Baby names
- Purchase a book of biblical baby names and saint baby names or dictionaries to help you choose the perfect name for your little one. At this stage, you have to consider both boy and girl names but it is usually considered fun so it won’t matter that you did the extra work!
- 13. Stay fit
- If you already have a consistent exercise regimen, please discuss if you can continue it with your doctor. Likewise, if you don’t exercise, but want to start, discuss an appropriate level of exercise and when in the pregnancy you can start.
- 14. Research maternity leave policy
- Working moms- check out your workplace maternity leave policy as soon as possible. Find out how long you can take off without risking your job and how much you will be able to make during your leave. Some workplaces let you use paid time off and short term disability to serve as your source of income while out.
- 15. Maternity clothes
- Take some time to shop online for some cute outfits that will cover your bump. Allow some time for the orders to ship; you may find you need the clothes sooner than you would expect.
- If you can find a maternity store in your area, go to the fitting rooms and put on the baby bumps that help you see what the outfits will look like depending on what trimester you are in.
- 16. Follow your baby’s development
- There are many apps out there such as What to Expect that have videos and weekly updates on your baby’s growth and development. If you have older children who are trying to understand how big baby is, go to the local produce stand and buy the fruit of the week according to the app so they can truly appreciate its size.
- 17. Take belly photos
- Even if you choose not to share on social media, you, or your child, will likely want to look back on these photos one day!
The last tips for the first trimester are don’t forget to enjoy the time that you are pregnant & offer up your morning sickness and pray for a healthy baby and delivery!
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