This video is about the physical and emotional changes you can expect in the first trimester of pregnancy. Mums and dads tell us what the first 12 weeks were like, how they felt and what they worried about. A midwife says it’s important for expectant mums and dads to look after themselves.
Physical Changes:
Professor Hannah Dahlen: Early pregnancy is quite a dramatic time for many women; the body changes quite significantly. Some of the most common changes are nausea, so some women can feel sick a lot of the day. While we call it morning sickness, it often lasts much longer than that.
Some women can feel incredibly tired and the tiredness comes on very, very suddenly. Breast changes occur, breasts can feel larger and much more tender, and of course there’s all those mixed up emotions around being excited and anxious, and some women may not have been prepared to be pregnant and they’re now confronting the fact that their lives will change forever.
It’s really important that mums and dads both keep very fit and healthy, so in the first [trimester] what’s important is obviously the big things: don’t smoke, don’t drink, eat healthily, a good balanced diet, regular exercise and of course you need to— if you’re not an Olympic athlete, don’t go out and become one during pregnancy, but a gentle walk. You know, two or three times a week try and get some exercise. We do know that putting on a lot of weight during pregnancy can lead to complications; it’s also harder to lose after you’ve had the baby.
Emotional and Thinking Changes:
Professor Hannah Dahlen: So the first trimester can bring all sorts of conflicting emotions. The number one things the first trimester brings, though, is ‘is this baby going to survive?’ and ‘will I miscarry?’ So it’s really until after women get to about 12 weeks, that tends to be one of the number one things that they think about.
It’s normal for mothers and fathers to go through periods of feeling really positive and a little bit down. But if you’re not dragging yourself out of a dark period over a period of a week or so and it feels like it’s getting worse and you’re having those negative thoughts, please seek help.
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