During this important period, women feel differently, depending on the individual characteristics of the body. In the first trimester of pregnancy, all the tissues of the fetus and its organs, limbs and nervous system are laid down. The prototype of the central and peripheral nervous system is the neural tube. Its proper development, timely closure is the most important event that takes place in the first trimester.
Unfortunately, it is the first trimester that is the period of the most frequently occurring abortions due to the impact of adverse factors.
Changes in the female body
A common symptom for all that accompanies the first trimester of pregnancy is the absence of menstruation. Small bleeding from the vagina in some women is still possible. They are so similar to menstrual bleeding that a pregnant woman may not be aware of her condition for 3 months.
Another physiological vaginal bleeding may occur on the seventh day after conception. This is implantation bleeding that occurs due to the formation of new blood vessels in the uterus after the introduction of a fertilized egg into its endometrium.
Both types of unusual vaginal discharge are very unlikely to occur in pregnant women.
Often in the first trimester, such a symptom of pregnancy as frequent urination appears. It is due to the fact that in the female body there is a rapid hormonal restructuring, which entails an increase in the level of progesterone in the blood and the consumption of large amounts of fluid. Secondly, the enlarged uterus has not yet gone beyond the small pelvis and puts pressure on all nearby organs, including the bladder.
The mammary glands undergo great changes in the first trimester – they swell, the shape of the breast changes, unusual sensations appear in it: soreness, pulsation and tingling. The blood flow to the mammary glands increases, the veins are clearly visible on them. The nipples become more pronounced, the areola around them darkens, becomes larger. Some women feel these changes from the very first days of pregnancy.
Fatigue is another symptom of the first trimester. It lasts from the first to 14-20 weeks of pregnancy. It is important to rest in a timely manner, not to overstrain and sleep at least 10 hours at night.
Elevated progesterone levels provoke constipation and often occurring pre-fainting conditions. Fainting leads to a decrease in blood pressure due to stagnation of blood in the legs and increased blood supply to the uterus. Such changes are caused by the fact that progesterone reduces the tone of the walls of blood vessels. If a woman stands or sits for a long time, she may develop weakness and even fainting. To prevent fainting, you need to do several exercises that stimulate blood circulation, lie down.
The tone of the smooth muscles of the small and large intestines is also subject to the action of progesterone, which slows down the digestion process. To avoid constipation, you need to drink at least 6-8 glasses of fluid a day, include more fiber in the diet, and do not eat fatty foods. Plum juice is great for preventing constipation. Do not sit in the toilet for a long time, trying to induce a bowel movement. Excessive straining and tension stimulates the development of hemorrhoids. To combat constipation, there are many medicines, some of which pregnant women can take on the advice of a doctor.
With a predisposition to constipation, the following method recommended by gastroenterologists is effective – after each meal, after 10 minutes, try to defecate. There is a mechanism for stimulating the work of the stomach and intestines with food intake. The gastro-colic reflex will help you empty your bowels at the same time. Regular bowel movements will help a specially designed diet with a high content of fruits, fiber, fluid, low in carbohydrates, calcium and milk.
Early toxicosis – morning sickness
The feeling of nausea and accompanying vomiting appear in the first trimester in 65-80% of pregnant women. These symptoms of early toxemia of pregnancy begin to complicate life from 6-8 weeks of gestational age and last until the end of 14 weeks. Then they disappear, become less pronounced, sometimes moving into the second trimester. Nausea, starting in the morning, can last for a whole day. Sometimes you can get rid of it by drinking fruit juice or eating some crackers without getting out of bed.
A woman has a selective reaction to smells that cause nausea. It can be the smell of meat, coffee, cigarette smoke, meat broth, vegetable salad, although earlier these products were well tolerated by the woman. The reason for these negative manifestations is changes in the hormonal background, the effect of hormones on the level of acidity of gastric juice and on the condition of the mucous membrane of this organ. If there is no food in the stomach, nausea can become unbearable, so you need to send food into it for digestion.
If nausea occurs on the background of diabetes, blood sugar levels should be maintained at an optimal level. Exhausting vomiting is fraught with dehydration, so you should drink water and fruit juices often and little by little. It is useful to use calcium-containing foods – cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese. With frequent vomiting (more than 3 times a day), you need to consult a doctor for recommendations on the treatment and recovery of a dehydrated body.
According to medical statistics, a pregnancy accompanied by nausea proceeds more favorably than a pregnancy without it.
Nausea of early toxicosis should be differentiated from the same manifestation of intestinal flu or pathology not associated with pregnancy.
How to survive the first trimester of pregnancy? Symptoms, gender of the child: