Pregnancy Update: Looking Back on the First Trimester

Tomorrow marks the beginning of my 13th week of pregnancy — I’ll officially be in the second trimester! Huzzah! It’s an important milestone, one that I am so grateful to reach. I am feeling especially glad since (after four long weeks that seemed like eternity to me) Greg and I were able to see our baby again yesterday, during our OB checkup and Nuchal Translucency scan. Since I haven’t been posting consistent weekly or monthly recaps, I thought it was high time for a “pregnancy update,” reflecting on the first trimester.

Me at 11 weeks + 4 days, on a day where I felt like I looked a tiny bit pregnant and, 
probably mostly because of the dress, my coworkers thought so too!

Baby’s size: At 12 weeks, Baby Thilgen is currently a little over 2 inches, the size of a plum! We’ve been many fruits over the past several weeks. Tomorrow we’ll upgrade to a peach :)

Due date: I haven’t been told anything different since my first ultrasound. EDD is still Nov. 17!

Weight gained: Only about 3-4 pounds so far.

Gender prediction: When I think about (or pray for) the baby, I tend to default to female pronouns like “she”… And Greg seems to default to “he” ! I don’t think either of us do this intentionally and we truly would be happy whatever the outcome! We just hope and pray for a healthy baby.

Symptoms wise, I’m feeling: Mostly normal. Like clockwork, from weeks 6-10 I had mild morning sickness (nausea when I was hungry, nausea after eating, nausea if I thought about what I wanted to eat for too long). But the nausea usually would pass fairly quickly. The other main symptom was exhaustion. On my days off, all I wanted to do was sleep. I’d sleep in late, take a nap in the afternoon and then pass out early on the couch at night! The tiredness has let up somewhat but certain days I still find myself yawing uncontrollably and longing to climb into bed.

Sleep status: Even though I’ve been extra tired, my sleep at night has been a bit restless. That other common pregnancy symptom — frequent urination — stirs me out of bed one, two, sometimes three times! Also, the past week or so I’ve been having bad dreams. Normally I don’t remember my dreams, but I think I haven’t been sleeping as deeply so in the morning I wake up to, not nightmares per say but, anxious dreaming.

Food love: All the carbs. Pasta, pizza, hamburgers… I always have a soft spot for carbs but I’ve definitely been craving comfort food more than usual and totally neglecting the veggies I typically like filling my plate. Luckily I still have salad for lunch most work days.

Food hate: Strangely, the thought of sweet potatoes and salmon have a tendency to make my stomach turn — and they are typically some of my favorite foods!

Currently living in: When I’m not at work — which basically requires me to wear a dress and heels — I am hanging out in my favorite pair of leggings and a comfy sweatshirt. This isn’t anything out of the ordinary though! But I will say, even though I’m not really showing yet, my high-waisted skinny jeans are not my friend right now.

Baby/pregnancy-related purchases: Not much just yet. Early on I didn’t want to buy anything for fear of jinxing the pregnancy. But Greg did come home with a sweet sign from Target one day (above). And we received a few cute onesies from his mom.

What I miss: Eggs Benedict! Really, I don’t miss much except maybe runny yolks. I’d say I miss that more than wine. (But we’ll see how I feel come summertime and everyone is drinking rosé.) However, my doc apparently isn’t concerned about a fried egg if the egg is pasteurized so maybe my go-to breakfast is in the near future. I just don’t want to do anything to jeopardize the baby. A lot of people have told me to relax or, in social gatherings they’ll say, aren’t you allowed to have one little glass of wine? Maybe other pregnant ladies wouldn’t worry about it but after all we’ve done (and paid) to get to this point… I can pass up a glass of wine or an egg over easy.

What I’m loving: Watching my husband light up when we see the baby on ultrasound. His optimism throughout this pregnancy is such an encouragement to me when I’m feeling anxious.

Looking forward to: Starting to show. There have only been a few times I thought my belly looked "with child." My baby bump is here one day, gone the next! With my symptoms not as strong as they were a few weeks ago, and my tummy looking more or less the same, sometimes it is hard to believe that I’m pregnant. That’s why I was counting down the days until our most recent sonogram. I was so eager to see the baby and know he/she was still there, growing and doing OK. I think once I start to show more and can actually feel the baby, I will feel that much more secure in my pregnancy. 

Best moment of the week/month: Seeing Baby T! Yesterday’s ultrasound was the best moment of this week and the past four weeks. The baby looks like a baby now (instead of a blob) and we even got a little wave. We could see the heart and hear the heartbeat again. (About 160 bpm.) We could make out the brain and the spine. It was amazing to see! I cry at every ultrasound appointment, and then start laughing at myself for crying. (Though I’ve been trying to stay still so as not to annoy the technician, and get a clear photo!) Every time I see our baby I feel such joy and relief. My hope is that feeling will stay with me in the weeks ahead and stamp out the worries and fears that can sometimes consume my mind. Every nurse and doctor thus far has said our pregnancy is looking great and I need to start believing them.

Baby T at 12 weeks + 6 days.