Looking after yourself during the first trimester

I thought I'd write a blog about how to care for ourself during the first trimester of pregnancy.  I must admit, I found it easier when I was pregnant with Posey, but then I only had myself to think about and I was 2.5 years younger!

Nutrition:
Experts recommend that you take a folic acid supplement each day while you are trying to conceive and for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Folic acid helps the baby to develop normally and also encourages the prevention of conditions such as spina bifida.  As i'm vegetarian, I am aso taking an omega 3 supplement, to help with the baby's brain development.  Sanatogen do a 'mother to be' supplement which has both (see below).  You can take it right through your pregnancy.



It's also more important than ever to eat a balanced diet. My appetite has definitely increased!  I certainly eat my 5 fruit and veg a day but this time it tends to be whatever Posey is having rather than what I fancy!  She loves cucumber, strawberries, raspberries, raisins, bananas and Ella's Kitchen fruit pouches.  I also make a lot of smothers from scratch.  My favourite is natural yoghurt / blueberries / raspberries / banana / milk.

I'm eating lots of omelettes to so am getting plenty of protein from the eggs and I'm putting plenty of veg and cheese into them.  Anther favourite of mine is roasted vegetables - great for an iron hit!  I roast new potatoes, leeks, peppers, aubergine, courgettes, butternut squash and red onions with olive oil and rosemary - yum!!

Other favourite meals of mine are stir frys and jacket potatoes with salad.  Very easy to prepare.

I've been craving milk since I fell pregnant too.  It was the same during my pregnancy with Posey too.

Sleep:
Some days I am exhausted!  Other days I am fine.  When I was pregnant with Posey some nights I would sleep from 9-7 (with loo breaks..) whereas this time I try and have some quality time with Buzz in the evening after Posey had gone to bed at 7.  She's getting up at around 6.30am at the moment so I have to be up & raring to go by then.  She still sleeps for around 2 hours each lunchtime, so if I feel like I need it I nap at the same time as her to recharge my batteries.

Nausea:
I had nothing whatsoever with Posey.  For this pregnancy so far I have had 1 day.  I hope that's all!  I feel fortunate to have felt ok as far as sickness goes.

Listen to your body:
I'm a firm believer that during pregnancy you should listen to your body and follow your instincts.  Sleep when you need to, eat when you need to and just stop if you feel tired of doing something.  It's hard work baking a baby!  The Internet is a wealth of advice (some more useful than others..) and I find babycentre.co.uk to be really useful.  I have also been fortunate with community midwives.  There are always numbers you can call if you need reassurance.

Emotions:
There have been tears, tiredness, irrational ideas, over thinking basic things and grumpiness so far.  Buzz is putting up with a lot!

Being active for your kids:
I have Posey and she is 21mths old.  For 12 hours a day (minus a 2hr nap) she runs everywhere.  She is unstoppable!  She loves the park, books, our garden, the shops and cbeebies!  She wants me to do everything with her and I want to do everything with her.  It's for that reason that I will do everything to keep myself in tip top shape.  She's my little angel.

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