First trimester of pregnancy: do's and don'ts? School of the expectant mother

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Expecting a baby is the most tremulous time in a woman's life. On the one hand, comes the understanding of imminent changes and the joy of the upcoming appearance of a child in the house. The tramp of feet, a million questions a day, a happy smile for any reason … On the other hand, fears also appear. And both absurd ("can we raise a real person?"), And real - how to rebuild your life so as not to harm your future son or daughter.

And therefore, you should find out how a normal pregnancy should proceed, what periods threaten it (toxicosis, fatigue, etc.). Of course, the most difficult from an emotional point of view is the first trimester of pregnancy. What is possible, what is impossible, how to work, how to dress, and - most importantly - how not to lose your head with happiness? After all, they say that pregnancy is not only a state of the body. It's a state of mind.

Starting a new life

As one ad says, "By the time you know you're pregnant, new life will have been around for weeks." And thistrue. The course of pregnancy is divided into trimesters. The first is up to 12 weeks (starting from the first day of your last period).

It is believed that every day of pregnancy is amazing, but the first - especially. Imagine: already in the sixth week on an ultrasound scan, you can listen to the beating of the heart. But let's remember how it all began. The fertilized egg divides and simultaneously moves along the fallopian tubes to the uterine cavity. She has 46 chromosomes, which have already predetermined height, gender, hair color, etc. for the unborn child. Having fixed on the uterine mucosa, the egg grows, approximately doubling every day. The placenta brings food and oxygen to the baby through the umbilical cord. Therefore, the diet in the first trimester of pregnancy should already change a little. After all, almost the most important thing is being formed - the spinal cord. It is necessary to increase the intake of folic acid, because it is of great importance for the formation of a he althy human nervous system. In parallel, three layers appear in the embryo, which over time are transformed into various organs and life support systems. Tiny arms and legs "stand out" from the body.

From embryo to humans

Fetal development occurs at an incredible pace during the first trimester of pregnancy. What can and cannot be done, future parents should find out as soon as possible. Indeed, by the end of the second month of pregnancy, the embryo already looks like a real person, and by the third month the child is no longer called an embryo, the term “fetus” appears.

The baby knows how to open and close his mouth, he moves his arms and legs, but mom isI still don’t know - after all, her child is only 4 cm long. And this person is already getting hair.

Therefore, both doctors and psychologists unequivocally state that it is most difficult for a woman at the beginning of pregnancy - she knows about her situation, but, in most cases, her body still does not feel any changes. And not everyone succeeds in rebuilding a diet, regimen, pace of life. But is it really necessary?

Possible problems for the expectant mother

Let's clarify what happens to the expectant mother. If young parents have been thinking about an heir for a long time, and therefore pregnancy planning (reviews of married couples allow us to assert this) began long before its onset, then the mother can only feel slight changes in her chest, somewhat frequent urination and infrequent dizziness. All this is due to changes in the hormonal background and the body's transition to a new function: maintaining and growing a person.

Often, women complain of symptoms such as heartburn, pulling pains in the lower abdomen and, of course, toxicosis. The first trimester of pregnancy (what can and cannot be done at this time, we are trying to understand) scares just with bouts of morning sickness. Its form is individual and varies from mild (almost imperceptible) to severe, when the expectant mother literally cannot leave the house until almost noon. But by the end of the first trimester, all this passes. We repeat: not all pregnant women suffer from toxicosis.

But the nervous system suffers the most. Not only do raging hormones controlemotions, mood swings, a flood of tears and a degree of irritability, the need to accept her pregnancy also leans on her mother. More precisely, realize and get used to the idea that it happened. Some women are helped by the school of the expectant mother. Classes and meetings with people like herself help a woman to quickly adapt to new conditions.

Lifestyle

If the pregnancy is unplanned, that is, no one expected it, then one of the reasons to take the test is a tight bra. The breast increases almost from the first days, developing for the subsequent production of milk. At the same time, no more external changes occur until the end of the first trimester. In most cases, even a woman's weight does not change much. Although an increase of about 3 kilograms is considered the norm.

The biggest problem of the first trimester is still considered the lifestyle of the expectant mother in the first few weeks. Knowing nothing, she may well traditionally stay late at work and be nervous about a burning project, snacking on anything. And to relieve stress in the evening, sip wine or go to strength training. All this is normal for us as long as it does not create a risk of miscarriage in a pregnant woman.

But these are, fortunately, the rarest cases. Fashion for a he althy lifestyle helps us smooth out some of these problems. Nutrition in the first trimester of pregnancy will be he althy and useful, modern women have practically no bad habits, and the desire to keep themselves in good shape through sports is onlywelcome. Of course, if we are talking about fitness or yoga. The most favorable types of physical activity are walking and swimming. In water, we cease to experience the pressure of excess weight. The spine rests a little from increased loads. But at the same time, to maintain balance in the water, the effort of all muscles without exception is necessary.

When you need to see a doctor

If a woman is not an adherent of a he althy lifestyle, then some problems may really threaten her. After all, the system of development of the embryo is built in such a way that it is not deprived of anything. That is, all the missing trace elements and other nutrients will be supplied from the tissues of the mother. At the same time, it doesn’t matter at all whether a woman gets it from products or not.

Of course, in this case, a lack of calcium will cause the destruction of teeth and nails, iron and magnesium - hair loss and skin pigmentation. Therefore, the diet of a pregnant woman (the 1st trimester is almost the most important in this matter) should be balanced not so much for the sake of the baby's he alth, but for the sake of the mother. After all, when a woman is attractive and interesting, she likes herself, and this is the main condition for peace and self-confidence. In addition, proper nutrition will help to avoid most of the problems associated with toxicosis.

However, there are a number of symptoms that should not be ignored. The well-known thrush and at the usual time gives a woman inconvenience. But now she may be the cause of a miscarriage. In addition, it is necessary to pay special attention to all kinds of secretions infirst trimester. Bloody and brown spots can also indicate serious problems. And, of course, abdominal pain requires a visit to the doctor. To insure, calm down and save not only your he alth, but also the life of the baby, a timely examination and the implementation of all the instructions of the observing doctor will help. If you take all preventive measures, the pregnancy will develop on its own, and in 9 months you will meet your baby.

Food

We already remember that the diet of a pregnant woman (the 1st trimester is especially important) is a balanced set of products, the nutrients of which not only contribute to the development of the fetus, but preserve and maintain the he alth of the mother. The well-known and popular sayings a few years ago “there are two of you now, so you need to eat for two” have been refuted by modern nutritionists and doctors.

It is almost impossible to talk about creating an ideal nutrition system for a woman in labor. Because during this period there is a craving or, conversely, an aversion to individual products. Of course, you need to adapt your diet as much as possible in order for the new body to get an excellent starting condition.

To accomplish this task, it is worth remembering that some products can only be consumed after careful heat treatment. This applies to eggs, the whites and yolks of which should become hard during the cooking process. Only under the influence of high temperatures disappears the risk of infection with salmonella. The same recommendation applies to fresh milk and raw (or poorly processed) meats. Necessarydrink heavily processed milk and fermented milk products from pasteurized milk. Exotic products must be treated even more carefully. The simplest thing that can occur is an allergic reaction that will have to be treated with medication. And in the worst case, you can get some serious infectious disease, such as listeriosis. It is caused by Listeria bacteria, which is found in some types of blue cheese. Not only will it cause serious congenital diseases in the baby, listeriosis is quite capable of causing a miscarriage.

Special reminder deserves the cessation of smoking and alcohol. Quite often, women say: the lungs of the mother and the fetus are not connected, which means that you can smoke during pregnancy. But for some reason at this moment everyone forgets that oxygen enters our body through the lungs, which is also necessary for the baby. Therefore, it would be useful when planning a pregnancy to give up cigarettes and alcohol in advance.

Vitamins and trace elements

What does a woman need at the beginning of pregnancy? What vitamins and microelements can she support herself and help a tiny organism? Do you eat enough fruits and vegetables? For pregnant women, after all, they produce a lot of multivitamin complexes.

Doctors say that those who do not suffer from morning sickness do not need to resort to vitamin pills. You can just lean on he althy foods. Vegetables and fruits for pregnant women are more useful than multivitamins. Just a reminder of what to pay special attention to.

For the fetus in the first trimester is almost more importanttotal folic acid. It is rich in apples and cabbage. Vitamin B12 is found in animal products and meat.

Calcium can be obtained by eating a serving of cottage cheese. In general, all fermented milk products are very important for a future mother. They inhabit the intestines with bifidobacteria; It has been repeatedly proven that this is an excellent support for the body's immunity. These foods should not be discarded, even when you are nauseous.

Another very important element in this period is iron. It will save you from hypoxia (decrease in the concentration of oxygen in the blood). Buckwheat, nuts, carrots, beets, etc. are rich in iron.

Almost every mother-to-be school gives recommendations on rational and he althy nutrition. But in the pursuit of clean and he althy food, one should not forget such moments as the concentration of micro and macro elements in products. Any heat treatment reduces the content of nutrients in vegetables and fruits. As a result, you have to eat more. And we already remember that this is not very useful: mom does not need extra weight and problems with blood vessels.

Output - eating raw vegetables, fruits and herbs. Not only is this habit useful in itself, it will also improve intestinal motility, soften the skin and strengthen the immune system. If you eat raw cabbage and carrots throughout your pregnancy, the elasticity of the tissues will increase significantly, and the skin of the abdomen will quickly return to normal after childbirth and remain smooth and clean.

How to live in early pregnancy

How to get through the first trimester of pregnancy? What can and cannot be done so as not to harm anyoneyourself or your baby? After all, on the one hand, nothing has changed yet (weight, figure, ability to work, etc.), and on the other hand, you are already carrying a baby. The pattern of ideal behavior at this point is remarkably simple. Eliminate stress and bad habits and live as before, enjoying your new state. The sooner you get used to the idea of pregnancy, the more joy and peace will be in the life of future parents.

Very often expectant mothers believe that sex in the first trimester of pregnancy should be abolished. You shouldn't take this issue so radically. Of course, in order to avoid unnecessary contractions of the cervix, doctors recommend reducing the frequency of intimate relationships.

What else needs to be done? Contact a women's clinic and provide yourself with medical care. Pass a series of tests and examinations to make sure that the pregnancy is normal and there are no pathologies.

You shouldn't completely exclude sports in the first trimester of pregnancy. But to slow down the pace of training, remove power loads and learn a new set of exercises is a must. After nine months, you will again want to be slim and flexible. To do this, do not stop exercising during pregnancy. You can ask your trainer or fitness club what exercises in the first trimester of pregnancy will be useful and safe.

And most importantly - think positive! Let go of fears and doubts and enjoy life.

Strict prohibitions on bad habits

Despite not being worth ittreat pregnancy as a disease, expectant mothers do not need to lose vigilance. Sometimes danger lurks where you least expect it. Therefore, it is useful to remember what to avoid and beware of during pregnancy.

The effect of alcohol on the fetus has long been studied. It easily penetrates into the blood of the baby and causes physiological changes and congenital deformities. Anomalies in the development of the brain, internal organs, physical underdevelopment of the body - this is just the beginning of the list of "horrors" that the little man will have to live with.

Smoking does about the same harm. Carbon monoxide from cigarette smoke enters the mother's lungs and replaces some of the oxygen in the blood. And then mother and child suffer from oxygen deficiency. Moreover, if a woman develops only shortness of breath and fatigue, then the fetus has problems with the cardiovascular system, immunity decreases, etc. In addition, smoking can cause placental abruption, premature birth, or, worst of all, pregnancy fading.

Another of our habits is coffee. It rarely causes problems, if you do not exceed certain consumption rates. But the overstrain of the cardiovascular system, caused by an excess of caffeine, provokes increased emotionality. In rare cases, it can lead to miscarriage or premature birth. Coffee is generally contraindicated for women with high blood pressure.

Attention doesn't hurt

There are a number of other vital things to keep in mind during pregnancy.

Wo-First, taking medications. No one forbids taking pills during pregnancy. But before use, you must carefully read the instructions, and if it does not contain precise instructions, you should consult your doctor.

Secondly, many, having learned about their pregnancy, decide to "treat" if necessary with herbal decoctions. But there are pitfalls here too. Some medicinal herbs can cause miscarriage or adversely affect the development of the fetus.

Third, remember that the maximum weight that you can lift during pregnancy does not exceed 5 kg. And it is better to reduce it to two kilograms. In modern conditions, when a handbag can weigh so much, its contents should be reviewed and freed from excess.

Of course, someone will say: theoretically, there is nothing difficult, but try to put it into practice… In fact, you need to remember that if all these recommendations were unrealistic, there would be no people left on the planet. Let these 9 months of waiting fly by easily and calmly.